Where does “공부벌레” come from?

공부벌레 (Korean) comes from Korean 벌레, from Proto-Korean peLkey — bug, insect.

공부벌레 (Korean): wonk, nerd, an overly studious person

Definitions

  1. wonk, nerd, an overly studious person

Ancestry of “공부벌레”, step by step

공부벌레 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 벌레

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean벌레bug, insect
2Proto-KoreanpeLkeybug, insect

via Korean 공부(工夫)

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean공부(工夫)
Every word from Proto-Korean peLkey