Jeju is a Koreanic language spoken in Jeju Province in South Korea by about 5-10,000 people, all of whom are over 60. It is considered a dialect of Korean by many, include some who speak it, but it differs significantly from other varieties of Korean, and is recognized as a distinct language locally, and by UNESCO as a "critically endangered language".
Jeju is also written Cheju or Jejueo, and in Korean it is known as 제주 방언 [濟州方言] (Jeju bang-eon), 제주 사투리 (Jeju saturi) = "Jeju dialect", 제주어 [濟州語] (Jejueo) = "Jeju language", or as 제주말 (Jejumal) = "Jeju speech".
Jeju has many loanwords from Japanese, Chinese, Manchu and Mongolian. It lacks the formal and honorific language of Korean, but preserves old words no longer used in Korean.
Jeju is taught in one elementary school, and there are occasional radio broadcasts in the language. There is also a magazine in Jeju published by the Jejuo Preservation Society, and some books, newspaper articles and other material.
“느 송ᄉᆞ만이 전맹이 ᄀᆞᆺ 서른이 매기난, 서른 나는 해에 아무ᄃᆞᆯ 아무날은 맹이 매기니 느가 발 살앙 오몽ᄒᆞ여질 때, 나를 낭곳으로 ᄀᆞ져다 도라... 시 ᄆᆞ슬 강 심방 시 개 걷우우곡 마당이 큰대 세왕 두 일회 열나을 굿을 ᄒᆞ라...”
맷딱 ᄎᆞᆯ려놓완 백보 밲겼딜로 간 절을 ᄒᆞ연, ᄀᆞ만이 꿀련 업더져두서 보난 삼체ᄉᆞ가 ᄂᆞ려오멍...
“송ᄉᆞ만이네 집이서 정성을 아니드렴신가?”
말자이 오는 체ᄉᆞᆫ “송ᄉᆞ만이네 집이 백년대강이를 모삼따. 그 백년대강이가 송ᄉᆞ만이 심으레 오람센 ᄀᆞᆯ아분 생이여... 받음은 받았주마는 심엉 오랜 ᄒᆞᆫ 시간이 시여부난 어떵흘코?”
“너 송사만이는 겨우 서른이 수명의 끝이니, 서른 되는 해에는 아무 달 아무 날에 명이 끝날 테이므로 너가 발이 살아서 움직일 수 있을 때 나를 나무숲으로 데려다 달라... 마을 세 곳에 가서 무당 세 명을 모으고 마당에 큰 깃대 세워서 두 이레 열나흘 굿[제주 큰굿]을 하라...”
다 차려놓은 체 백보 바깥으로 가 절하며 가만히 무릎 꿇고 업드리고 보니까, 삼차사가 내려오면서...
“송사만이네 집에서 정성을 드리고 있는 것 아닌가?”
나중에 오는 차사는, “송사만이네 집에서 백년 된 해골을 모시고 있다. 그 백년 된 해골이 송사만이 잡으러 오고 있다고 말해버린 모양이야... 준 건 받았지만 잡아 오라고 한 마감이 있는데 어떻게 할까?”
Source: https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/제주어#예문
“You, Song Sa-man, are only thirty years old, and your life will end on any day of any month in the year you turn thirty. So, when your feet are still alive and moving, take me to the forest of trees... Go to three villages, gather three shamans, set up a large flagpole in the yard, and hold a ritual for two days and fourteen days...”
After everything was prepared, I went a hundred steps outside, bowed, knelt quietly, and bowed, and when I saw the three messengers coming down...
“Aren’t you paying your respects at Song Sa-man’s house?”
The messenger who came later said, “Song Sa-man’s house is enshrining a hundred-year-old skeleton. It seems that the hundred-year-old skeleton told me that Song Sa-man is coming to catch it... I received what you gave me, but I have a deadline to catch it. What should I do?”
Information about Jeju | Numbers
Information about the Jeju language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju_language
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/제주어
https://jejueotalkingdictionary.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/jeju-market-language-brochure.pdf
http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/8409
http://naunicol-e.home.amu.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Paulina_Jejuo.pdf
Jeju online talking dictionary
http://talkingdictionary.swarthmore.edu/jeju/
Page last modified: 08.09.24
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