-니

See also: 니

Korean

Pronunciation
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?-ni
Revised Romanization (translit.)?ni
McCune–Reischauer?ni
Yale Romanization?ni

Etymology 1

A nineteenth-century contraction of Early Modern Korean ᄂᆞ니 (-neuni), which it replaces, as attested by the older spelling 늬 (-nui).[1][2] The uncontracted form is now written 느니 (-neuni) due to spelling reforms and no longer has interrogative meaning; see there for more. As expected by the etymology, 니 (-ni) could originally only combine with verbs and existential adjectives but expanded rapidly to adjectives in the early twentieth century.[2]

Suffix

니 • (-ni)

  1. A plain-style interrogative suffix, with a more friendly tone than 냐 (-nya).
    너 가니? ― Neo ga-ni? ― Are you going?
    여우야, 여우야, 뭐 하니? ― Yeou-ya, yeou-ya, mwo ha-ni? ― Foxy, foxy, what are you doing?
Usage notes
  • More often used by women.

Particle

니 • (-ni)

  1. With an indirect quote, equivalent to a short form of 고 하니 (-go ha-ni, “does [one] say that...”)
    친구가 아프다니? ― Chingu-ga apeuda-ni? ― Does he say that his friend is sick?
    같이 런던으로 가자니? ― Gachi Reondeon-euro ga-ja-ni? ― Is he asking [you] to go to London with him?
  2. With an indirect quote, equivalent to a short form of 고 하다니 (-go ha-dani, “how can [one] say that...”)
    나보고 도둑이냐니. ― Na-bogo dodug-inya-ni. ― How on earth could he ask if I'm a thief?

Etymology 2

From Middle Korean -니〮 (Yale: -ní). See the main entry for more.

Suffix

니 • (-ni)

  1. Post-vowel and post-ㄹ (l) allomorphic form of 으니 (-euni, “because, since”).

Particle

니 • (-ni)

  1. In an indirect quote, equivalent to a short form of 고 하니 (-go ha-ni, “since [one] says that...”)
    너가 아니라니 다행이야. ― Neo-ga ani-ra-ni dahaeng-'iya. ― What a relief that it isn't you.
    여기 남으라니 남았지. ― Yeogi nam-eura-ni namatji. ― I stayed behind because you told me to.
    좋은 대학에 붙었다니 잘 됐지.
    Joeun daehag-e buteot-da-ni jal dwaetji.
    Given that [they say] he went to a good university, things have turned out well.

Suffix

니... 니 • (-ni... -ni)

  1. Colloquial form of 느니 (-neuni).
    하니 마니 ― ha-ni ma-ni ― whether to do it or not

Suffix

니... 니 • (-ni... -ni)

  1. Post-vowel and post-liquid allomorphic form of 으니 (-euni, alternative form of 느니 (-neuni)).

Etymology 4

From Middle Korean -니〮 (Yale: -ní). See the main entry for more.

Suffix

니 • (-ni)

  1. Post-vowel and post-liquid allomorphic form of 으니 (-euni, alternative form of 느니 (-neuni)).

References
  1. 장윤희 (2012), “국어 종결어미의 통시적 변화와 쟁점 [A general survey of diachronic change of Korean sentence-terminating endings]”, in Gugeosa yeon'gu, volume 14, pages 63—99
  2. 유필재 (2018), “현대국어 해라체 의문형 어미 '느냐/으냐, 니'의 변화 [The shifts of the Korean plain-style interrogative suffixes -(n)unya, -ni]”, in Eohak yeon'gu, volume 54, issue 1, pages 79—96
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