Where does “언제” come from?

언제 (Korean) comes from Korean 적, from Chinese 的, from Middle Chinese 底.

언제 (Korean): when; sometime, any time

Definitions

  1. when; sometime, any time

Ancestry of “언제”, step by step

언제 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 적

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean적enemy; Exhibiting a property
2Chinese的—
3Middle Chinese底—

via Middle Korean 어느

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Korean어느what

Words derived from “언제”

Every word from Middle Chinese 底 →Every word from Chinese 的 →Every word from Korean 적 →