『개역개정』 속 ‘자유’ 어휘의 역사적 변화 양상 연구

Abstract

This paper studied when the word jayu (자유 meaning freedom/liberty) was used in Bible translations, and the process through which it has arrived at its current use. First, it was revealed that in comparison of the time when modern concept of freedom was introduced in Korea, jayu was used later in the Bible. The words freedom and liberty from the West were translated as jayu in the East, and jayu in its modern concept was already used in the 1890s in various places like Korean newspapers and so forth. However, this study analyzed that the use of jayu in early Korean Bible translations was very limited, and that it came into wider use only in the KRV (1938). Second, it was revealed that the phrases expressed as jayu in the NKRV were largely expressed with three different types of vocabulary in earlier translations, and that these merged into jayu only later on. The three types are as follows: The first refer to cases where initial translations were done as jayu. The word jayu had been used since the pre-modern period to only signify the possibility of acting freely with negative connotation of doing as one pleases; without restraints; in random manner, etc. When referring to matters of behavior, it was translated into jayu or imui (임의 meaning arbitrarily) in early translations. Next type includes cases where initial translations as jaju (자주 meaning autonomy) later merged into jayu. Jaju emphasizes individual's will. When conveying that the person is not a slave, but a person who can decide for his/herself, it was often translated as jongina jajujana (종이나 자주자나 meaning either a slave or an autonomous person) to contrast it being an opposite concept of slavery. Last type refer to initial translations into nota (놓다 meaning to release) which were later merged into jayu. In the pre-modern period, the legal term bangseok (방석 meaning to release) was used when the person of authority is officially releasing criminals. In other instances, various words meaning to release, be released, to set free were used in early translations. Through the above two findings, this study was able to arrive at two meaningful conclusions. First, it revealed Bible translators' efforts to reduce misunderstanding of the Gospel by persistently avoiding the use of one word. Second, it presented an example for the current readers of the Bible to understand the Bible more accurately by knowing how different branches of vocabulary merged into the word jayu.