Jeolla Dialect

Sometimes, regional dialects can be more attractive than the country’s standard language. Dialects display unique accents and terminology exclusive to the region. These differences can make the dialect more difficult to understand and might end up confusing the listener; even Koreans have a hard time understanding all of the regional dialects. Nevertheless, dialects are meaningful because they provide a glimpse into the region’s history along with residents’ characteristics.

The Jeolla dialect is widely used in the southwestern region of Korea. It is used not only in Jeolla province, but also in Gwangju and the southern part of Chungcheong Province. The dialect is believed to have originated during the ancient Baekje kingdom established in this region. Although the dialect assimilated to standard Korean due to long reigns by Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties that came after Baekje, it still maintains the distinct accent and grammar of Baekje’s language.

Jeolla dialect has a strong, smooth accent that comes from transforming the vowels. In many cases, the vowels in the front of the word change according to the vowels in the back. For example, the word “caught,” or “japhida” (잡히다) in Jeolla dialect, is “jaephida” (잽히다). The front vowel “a” (ㅏ) is changed into “ae” (ㅐ) due to the vowel afterwards “i” (ㅣ). Another example is meat, “gogi” (고기). In Jeolla dialect, “meat” is called “goegi” (괴기). The front vowel “o” (ㅗ) changes into “oe” (ㅚ) because of the vowel “i” (ㅣ) afterwards. The first Korean vowel basically merges with the second vowel, creating a different sound.

Jeolla dialect is also famous for putting more emphasis on vowels than standard Korean. The “i” sound (ㅣ) is pronounced as “eu” (ㅡ), and “e” (ㅔ) is pronounced as “i” (ㅣ). Some examples are: “lie,” or “geojitmal” (거짓말), which is pronounced as “geu~jitmal” (그짓말), and “pillow,” or “baege” (배게), is pronounced as “bi~ge” (비개). When the words are pronounced, it gives a dragging sound to vowels. This is because Jeolla dialect substitutes short vowel sounds with long vowel sounds, giving more emphasis in words.

Another way to distinguish Jeolla dialect from standard Korean is to look at the end of the sentence. Standard Korean has clear-cut endings with definite sounds like “da” and “gi.” On the other hand, Jeolla dialect drags the end of the sentence. Some examples are:

Finally, people in Jeolla are very expressive. They often use exaggerated exclamations like “Wamma!” (왐마) and “Omae!” (오매) to convey their surprise, joy, and disappointment. This use of exclamation makes people of Jeolla sound more affectionate and caring. Another term used exclusively in Jeolla is the word “geo-si-gi” (거시기). “Geo-si-gi” is used to substitute words that the speaker cannot think of quickly or words that are embarrassing to say. “Geo-si-gi”, for example, is used to substitute for male genitals in general speech.

Jeolla dialect might also be interesting to K-drama fans because it can be found in popular Korean movies and dramas. The movie “Admiral: Roaring Currents,” which depicted battles of Admiral Yi Sun-shin, uses Jeolla dialect because it took place in Jeolla Province. One of last year’s most famous dramas, “Come! Jang Bo-ri,” also used Jeolla dialect because one of the main characters came from Daejeon, Jeolla Province.