오른손

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 올〮ᄒᆞᆫ손〮 (Yale: wólhòn-swón), equivalent to 오른 (oreun, “right-side”) +‎ 손 (son, “hand”), ultimately equivalent to a univerbation of 옳은 (oreun, “which is correct, which is proper”) +‎ 손 (son, “hand”).

By the early twentieth century, the prestige Central dialect had mostly shifted to the innovative form 바른손 (bareunson, “right hand”). However, for unclear reasons, the older but now dialectal form 오른손 (oreunson) was chosen as the Standard Korean form when the standardized variety was codified in the 1930s, rather than the Central form 바른손 (bareunson). In most other cases, Central forms were standardized even when innovative.^[1]

Perhaps because of this standardization and perhaps because of the influx of southern speakers into Central regions during South Korean industrialization, 바른손 (bareunson) went into decline and is now not generally understood, even after it was belatedly added to the Standard Korean lexicon in the 1980s.^[1]

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [o̞ɾɯnsʰo̞n]
• Phonetic hangul: [오른손]

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 오른손의 / 오른손에 / 오른손까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch on the first two syllables, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

오른손 • (oreunson)

1. right hand

   Antonym: 왼손 (oenson)

• 오른손잡이 (oreunsonjabi, “right-handed person”)