The Characteristics of the Hunminjeongeum Medial Letters: from the Perspective of Writing System

Abstract

This study investigates the characteristics of the Hunminjeongeum medialletters from the perspective of writing system. The second derivationletters(再出字) and the composite letters(相合字) related to themwere examined in terms of the constraints on letter shape, the operatingsystem of the letters, and the constraints on the syllabic block. Thepresent study provides answers to the questions about why a dot wasemployed as a graphical device for an onglide [j] of the second derivationletters, and why only the second derivation letters of all diphthongalletters were included in the eleven Hunminjeongeum medialletters, and why and were described separately and different fromthe SDs and the other composite letters. A graphical device ⋅ wasused for an onglide [j] instead of ㅣ to avoid confusion in the operatingsystem of the letters. The eleven Hunminjeongeum medial lettersare a collection of unitary letters to form composite medial letters. and were unavoidable choices to avoid confusion in the operatingsystem of the letters, so that they fill the case vide in the symmetric setsof diphthongal medial letters, showing that the vertical medial letterprecedes the horizontal one ‘beyond’ the medial letter position which isempty.