Where does “맛있다” come from?
맛있다 (Korean) comes from Korean 있다, from Middle Korean 잇다, from Old Korean 有叱 — to be [at]; to exist; to have.
맛있다 (Korean): to be delicious
Definitions
- to be delicious
Ancestry of “맛있다”, step by step
맛있다 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Korean 있다
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korean | 있다 | to stay, remain in a location |
| 2 | Middle Korean | 잇다 | to be (at a place); to exist |
| 3 | Old Korean | 有叱 | to be [at]; to exist; to have |
via Korean —이
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korean | —이 | For non-honorific nouns ending in consonants, the nominative case particle marking it as the subject of a verb or adjective; see also Usage Notes |
| 2 | Middle Korean | 이 | person |
via Korean 맛
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korean | 맛 | taste, flavor; taste, relish, zest; experience,... |