Hanok
/ˈhɑː.nɒk/noun
A traditional Korean house, especially one built according to traditional architectural principles.
Did you know?The term hanok is written 韓屋, combining 韓 (“Korean”) with 屋 (“house”), and became especially useful in modern Korea to distinguish traditional homes from Western-style buildings.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
韓屋
“A compound written with characters meaning “Korean” and “house”; the modern Korean reading developed from these Sino-Korean forms.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
韓 / 屋
“The source pronunciations behind the Sino-Korean elements later read as han and ok.”
Middle Korean
Middle Korean
한옥
“A Sino-Korean compound meaning a Korean house or dwelling.”
20th Century
Korean
한옥 (hanok)
“A term increasingly used to identify traditional Korean architecture in contrast with modern Western-style housing.”
Modern English
English
hanok
“A traditional Korean house, now used internationally as a cultural and architectural term.”
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