Where does “공” come from?

공 (Korean) comes from Chinese 空, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan (g/k)uŋ — hole; orifice; hole; orifice; inner part.

공 (Korean): ball; digit zero, oh; gong

Definitions

  1. ball; digit zero, oh; gong

Ancestry of “공”, step by step

공 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Chinese 空

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese空empty, hollow
2Proto-Sino-Tibetan(g/k)uŋhole; orifice; hole; orifice; inner part

via Middle Chinese 公

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese公—

Words derived from “공”

Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan (g/k)uŋ →