Where does “뜻있다” come from?

뜻있다 (Korean) comes from Korean 있다, from Middle Korean 잇다, from Old Korean 有叱 — to be [at]; to exist; to have.

뜻있다 (Korean): having an ambition or interest

Definitions

  1. having an ambition or interest

Ancestry of “뜻있다”, step by step

뜻있다 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 있다

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean있다to stay, remain in a location
2Middle Korean잇다to be (at a place); to exist
3Old Korean有叱to be [at]; to exist; to have

via Korean

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Koreanmeaning; sense; mind; aim; goal
Every word from Old Korean 有叱Every word from Middle Korean 잇다Every word from Korean 있다
뜻있다 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer