Hanja
/ˈhɑːn.dʒɑː/noun
Hanja refers to the Chinese characters used in the Korean language.
Did you know?Hanja characters can convey deep philosophical concepts, as they were originally used in ancient China for divination and spiritual texts.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Sino-Tibetan
PST
*sɯŋ
“to write or inscribe, suggesting the act of recording ideas.”
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
漢字 (Hànzì)
“Characters associated with the Han dynasty, representing the synthesis of language and culture.”
Middle Korean
Middle Korean
한자 (Hanja)
“The term for Chinese characters, signifying their integration into Korean writing.”
Modern Korean
Korean
한자 (Hanja)
“Chinese characters used for meaning and pronunciation, reflecting historical and cultural connections.”