Where does “옛이야기” come from?

옛이야기 (Korean) comes from Korean 이야기, from Middle Korean 니야기.

Ancestry of “옛이야기”, step by step

옛이야기 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 이야기

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean이야기story; talk
2Middle Korean니야기—

via Korean 옛

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean옛old; bygone
2Middle Korean녯—
Every word from Middle Korean 니야기 →Every word from Korean 이야기 →