Korea
/kəˈriːə/noun
A name for the Korean Peninsula and, depending on context, either the Republic of Korea or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Did you know?“Korea” entered European languages through forms such as Portuguese Corea, based on Goryeo, the dynasty that ruled much of the peninsula from 918 to 1392.
Etymological Timeline
1st millennium BCE–7th Century CE
Old Korean
Goguryeo
“The name of an ancient Korean kingdom; its deeper internal etymology remains uncertain.”
918–1392
Middle Korean
Goryeo
“The name of the dynasty founded by Wang Geon, chosen in connection with the earlier kingdom of Goguryeo.”
7th–13th Century
Middle Chinese
高麗 (Kāolí)
“A Chinese rendering of Goryeo, used in historical Chinese records.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Corea
“A European form recorded by Portuguese travelers and mapmakers for the Korean kingdom.”
17th–19th Century
Early Modern English
Corea
“An English spelling used in maps and travel accounts before the spelling Korea became dominant.”
Modern English
English
Korea
“The standard English name for the Korean Peninsula and its two modern states.”