Pride and Prejudice — Dictionary of Anachronistic and Prohibited Terms
Modern vocabulary that must never be used in Korean translation, together with acceptable alternatives.
These words instantly destroy the credibility of a period drama.
For a work set in the 1810s, use only Korean or Sino-Korean expressions that existed before 1810.
1. Absolute Taboos: Loanwords and Translated Coinages
A. Direct English Imports and Loanwords (Absolutely Prohibited)
| Prohibited Term |
Period of Adoption |
Recommended Alternative |
| stress |
1950s |
“anxiety” / “concern” / “worry” |
| cool |
1990s |
“composed” / “detached” |
| romantic |
Late 19th century; 20th century in Korea |
“romantic” is itself strained for the 1810s; use “sweet” / “tender” |
| love as an English loanword |
Loanword |
Native Korean “love” |
| date |
20th century |
“meeting” / “rendezvous” / “appointment to walk” |
| café |
20th century in Korea |
“tea house”—almost absent from the novel; “tea gathering” is closer |
| restaurant |
20th century in Korea |
“eating house,” though the novel contains only private meals |
| table as an English loanword |
Loanword |
“desk” / “dining table” in established Korean |
| sofa |
20th century in Korea |
“long chair” / “easy chair” |
| veranda |
Loanword |
“balcony” is also risky; avoid “terrace” as well |
| partner |
Loanword |
“counterpart” / “match” / “companion” |
| pro |
Loanword |
“expert” |
| amateur |
Loanword |
“beginner” / “non-professional” |
| mind |
Loanword |
“heart” / “spirit” / “thought” |
| image |
Loanword |
“impression” / “appearance” |
| chemistry in the modern interpersonal sense |
Loanword |
“suit each other” / “understand each other” |
| type |
Loanword |
“kind” / “class” / “disposition” |
| colour as an English loanword |
Loanword |
“colour” / “hue” in established Korean |
| style |
Loanword |
“form” / “manner” / “turn of expression” |
| touch |
Loanword |
“hand” / “sensation” |
| shop / misspelled shop |
Loanword |
“store” / “merchant's shop” |
| mode |
Loanword |
“form” / “manner” |
| lady |
Loanword |
“madam” / “woman” / “young lady” in established Korean |
| gentleman |
Loanword |
Sino-Korean “gentleman” |
| big event |
Loanword |
“major occasion” / “great affair” |
| dramatic |
Loanword |
“theatrical” / “striking” in established Korean |
| romance |
Loanword |
“courtship,” though even its usual Korean equivalent sounds somewhat modern |
B. Modern Korean Coinages (Absolutely Prohibited)
| Prohibited Term |
Period of Use |
Recommended Alternative |
| sseom (an undefined pre-romantic relationship) |
2010s |
“secret interest” / “unspoken affection” |
| mildang (push-pull flirting) |
2000s |
“testing each other's feelings” |
| kkul-jaem / no-jaem (very fun / no fun) |
2010s |
“amusing” / “not amusing” |
| hyeon-ta (a sudden return to bleak reality) |
2010s |
Unusable |
| gap-bun-ssa (the mood suddenly turns cold) |
2010s |
“the mood suddenly subsided” |
| TMI |
2010s |
“an excessively detailed account” |
| gae- as an intensifier |
2000s |
“very” / “exceedingly” |
| jon- as an intensifier |
2000s |
Unusable |
| hyeja / changnyeol (value-for-money slang) |
2010s |
Unusable |
| mam-chung and other -chung slurs |
2010s |
Unusable |
| inssa / assa (insider / outsider) |
2010s |
“centre of society” / “loner” |
| gat- (“god-tier”) |
2010s |
“the finest” / “superb” |
C. Subtly Risky Korean Vocabulary (Use with Care)
| Term |
Risk |
Alternative |
| friend |
May carry a slightly modern tone |
“companion” / “acquaintance” / “someone close” |
| lover |
Slightly modern |
Possible, but the Sino-Korean “beloved” has greater dignity |
| boyfriend/girlfriend |
Absolutely prohibited |
“suitor” / “fiancé(e)” / “betrothed” |
| wedding |
Acceptable |
“nuptials” / “marriage ceremony” has greater dignity |
| party |
Loanword |
“banquet” / “feast” / “gathering” |
| season |
Loanword |
“time” / “season” / “social season” in established Korean |
| gossip |
Loanword |
“rumour” / “idle rumour” / “chatter” |
| drama |
Loanword |
“play” / “affair” / “story” |
| trend |
Loanword |
“fashion” / “current” |
| message |
Loanword |
“word” / “note” / “letter” |
| classic |
Loanword |
“classical work” / “tradition” |
2. Vocabulary Incompatible with the Period
A. Modern Social Concepts Absent from the Setting
| Term |
Reason for Absence |
Alternative |
| company |
No company in the modern Korean sense in 1810s Britain |
“trading house” / “shop” / “office” |
| company president |
Same reason |
“owner” / “proprietor” |
| employee |
Same reason |
“hired person” / “servant” |
| clock in / clock out |
Same reason |
Unusable |
| vacation |
Modern sense |
“leisure” / “rest” |
| dating app |
Modern |
Unusable |
| blind date |
Modern |
“formal introduction” / “arranged meeting” |
| smartphone |
Modern |
Unusable |
| email |
Modern |
“letter” / “epistle” |
| chatting |
Modern |
“conversation” / “chatter” |
| taxi |
Modern |
“hired carriage” / “hackney coach” |
| bus / subway |
Modern |
“stagecoach” / “public carriage” |
| hotel |
Late 19th century |
“inn” |
| office as an English loanword |
Loanword |
“office” in established Korean, though it does not apply to the novel |
| immigration |
Late 19th century |
“migration” / “removal” |
| passport |
Modern |
The novel contains no foreign travel |
B. Modern Concepts Concerning Women and Society
| Term |
Risk |
Alternative |
| feminist |
A late-19th-century term |
“one who argues for women's rights,” though no character in the novel is a feminist in the modern sense |
| independent woman |
Slightly modern |
“self-reliant woman” / “woman who decides for herself” |
| free will |
Acceptable |
Preserve as is |
| marriageable age |
Slightly modern |
“marrying age” / “an age fit for marriage” |
| divorce |
Almost impossible in the period |
Use only with extreme care |
| single mother |
Modern |
“widow” / “unmarried mother,” though neither applies in the novel |
| working mother |
Modern |
Absent from the novel |
3. Guide to Sino-Korean Vocabulary
A. Recommended Sino-Korean Terms (Dignified Register)
| Sino-Korean Term |
Meaning |
Application in the Novel |
| jeonghon (定婚) |
Formal betrothal |
Collins–Charlotte; Darcy–Anne as a strategic match |
| honin (婚姻) |
Marriage |
Every marriage scene |
| honcheo (婚處) |
A place or family into which a woman may marry |
Mrs. Bennet's marriage project |
| jeong-in (情人) |
Beloved |
Form of reference for a betrothed person |
| sadon (査頓) |
Relations created by marriage between two families |
“to become relations by marriage” |
| incheok (姻戚) |
Kindred by marriage |
Translating “low connexions” |
| jonghyeongje / jongjamae (從兄弟 / 從姊妹) |
Cousins |
Darcy–Fitzwilliam |
| oesachon (外四寸) |
Maternal cousin |
Darcy's maternal family |
| gamun (家門) |
Family and its honour |
Used very frequently |
| gapung (家風) |
The character of a family |
— |
| gase (家勢) |
A family's circumstances and standing |
“low connexions” |
| gasan (家産) |
Family property |
The Bennet family's crisis |
| yebeop (禮法) |
Manners and etiquette |
— |
| gyeoksik (格式) |
Formality and dignity |
— |
| wisin (威信) |
Prestige |
— |
| chetong (體統) |
Dignity / appearances |
Mrs. Bennet's speech |
| sinbun (身分) |
Social rank |
— |
| gyeok (格) |
Grade / standing |
— |
| cheoji (處地) |
Situation |
— |
| sinse (身世) |
Personal circumstances |
— |
| anjui-in |
Mistress of a household |
Mistress of Pemberley |
| gajang (家長) |
Head of a household |
Mr. Bennet |
| yeongji (領地) |
A lord's estate |
Darcy's estate |
| yeongju (領主) |
Lord of an estate |
— |
| jakwi (爵位) |
Title of nobility |
Sir William Lucas |
| bongto (封土) |
Feudal land grant |
May be used in explaining the entail |
| yeongbu-in (令夫人) |
Noble lady |
“Your Ladyship” |
B. Recommended Forms of Address by Period
[Use of Sino-Korean Titles in an 1810s Korean Register]
Men:
- -ssi (氏): standard, e.g. “Mr. Darcy”
- -gong (公): highly formal
- -gyeong (卿): title of nobility
- seonsaeng (先生): a learned person
Women:
- bu-in (夫人): married woman
- yang (孃): unmarried woman
- -ssi (氏): neutral
- manim: a high-ranking married woman
- yeongbu-in (令夫人): noble lady
- assi: unmarried woman of a genteel family
Family:
- honoured father / honoured mother: respectful
- father / mother: ordinary
- elder brother / elder sister: respectful sibling forms
- older sister: intimate between sisters
- older brother used by a sister: somewhat modern and therefore risky
C. Risky Forms of Address (Anachronistic)
| Form |
Risk |
| oppa |
Possible in ordinary speech, but slightly modern in formal contexts; use an older respectful brother-form |
| eonni |
Possible between sisters; if it sounds too modern, use the respectful elder-sibling form |
| jagiya (“honey”) |
Absolutely prohibited |
| yeobo |
Possible between spouses; if it sounds too modern, use “you” |
| dangsin |
Possible between spouses or in formal address |
4. Vocabulary for Period Atmosphere
A. Dignified Negative Expressions
[Modern] [Recommended for Period Drama]
annoyed → “troubled” / “disturbed at heart” / “displeased”
angry → “anger” / “wrath” / “in an ill humour”
furious, modern slang → prohibited → “his face reddened with anger”
irritation → “vexation” / “discomfort”
enraged, vulgar slang → prohibited → “anger surged within”
unbelievable → “speechless” / “absurd”
absurd → acceptable, though “beyond belief” may fit better
mental breakdown, slang → “confusion” / “the mind went blank”
offended → “hurt at heart” / “wounded in pride”
dislike → “be reluctant” / “dislike” / “be troubled by”
B. Dignified Positive Expressions
[Modern] [Recommended for Period Drama]
good → “satisfactory” / “pleasing” / “gratifying”
cool / stylish → “fine” / “dignified” / “graceful”
pretty → “beautiful” / “fair” / “lovely”
cute → “lovable” / “dear”
handsome → “fine-featured” / “handsome” / “dignified”
awesome → “excellent” / “outstanding”
fun → “amusing” / “pleasant” / “interesting”
daebak (“awesome”) → prohibited → “excellent” / “astonishing”
jjang (“the best”) → prohibited → “the best” / “foremost”
totally → “completely” is possible, but not colloquial intensifiers such as “totally great”
C. Dignified Emotional Expressions
[Modern] [Recommended for Period Drama]
love → “adore” / “cherish” / “admire” / “love”
like → “regard with favour” / “keep in one's heart” / “be affectionate”
feel butterflies → “the heart quickened” / “the breast trembled”
cried → “shed tears” / “sobbed”
laughed → “laughed” is acceptable / “smiled”
became angry → “felt anger” / “was displeased”
was disappointed → “was disheartened” / “disappointment was plainly visible”
was afraid → “was fearful” / “was seized by terror”
was embarrassed → “felt ashamed” / “could not show one's face” / “flushed”
D. Polite Verb Endings
[Everyday Register] [Formal / Period Register]
casual polite past → formal declarative past / gently emphatic past
casual promise → formal promise / archaically deferential promise
contracted confirmation → full polite confirmation
casual realization → formal realization / archaic realization
casual “as you know” → formal rhetorical confirmation
casual explanation → explicit “because...” construction
5. Character-Specific Vocabulary in Korean
A. Darcy: Restraint and Formality
[Prohibited]
- Friendly colloquial speech
- Loanwords other than necessary English proper forms
- Frequent exclamations
[Recommended]
- Formal declarative endings
- Rich but controlled Sino-Korean vocabulary
- Short, precise sentences
- Restraint in metaphor and poetic expression
Translation example:
Original: “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.”
Translation sense: “She is passable. Yet she is not beautiful enough to tempt me.”
(Not: “She's okay, but I'm not really into her.”)
B. Elizabeth: Lively Formality
[Prohibited]
- Vulgar expressions
- Excessive formality
[Recommended]
- Soft formal endings
- Witty figures of speech
- A touch of satire
Translation example:
Original: “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”
Translation sense: “I could easily forgive his pride—had he not wounded my own.”
(Not: “I could let the arrogance slide, but him messing with my pride is so annoying.”)
C. Collins: Excessive Formality
[Recommended]
- Excessively deferential endings
- Excessive Sino-Korean diction, such as “presumptuous though I may be” and “I venture to pride myself”
- Long and verbose sentences
Translation example:
Original: “Allow me, by the way, to observe...”
Translation sense: “If I may be so bold as humbly to observe...”
D. Mrs. Bennet: Excited Everyday Speech
[Recommended]
- Frequent exclamations: “Good heavens!”, “My word!”, “Oh!”
- Sequences of short sentences
- Repetition and exaggeration
Translation example:
Original: “Oh, my dear Mr. Bennet!”
Translation sense: “Oh, my dear Mr. Bennet!” in an excited Korean register
E. Lydia: Vulgar, but within the Period
[Recommended]
- Lively everyday speech in an 1810s Korean register
- Exclamations equivalent to “Oh!” and “Indeed!”
- Never use modern coinages
Example:
Original: “I'm not afraid; for though I'm the youngest, I'm the tallest.”
Translation sense: “I am not afraid! I may be the youngest, but I am the tallest!”
(Not modern slang equivalent to: “I'm not shook—I'm the tallest, so I'm the best.”)
F. Wickham: Charming Formality
[Recommended]
- Smooth formal speech
- Sweet metaphors
- A slight excess of polish
Translation example:
Original: “His behaviour to myself has been scandalous.”
Translation sense: “His conduct toward me has been nothing short of disgraceful.”
G. Lady Catherine: Imperious Formality
[Recommended]
- Imperative endings equivalent to “you shall” and “you must”
- Questions that function as interrogations
- Sino-Korean and authoritative vocabulary
Translation example:
Original: “You give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person.”
Translation sense: “For one so young, you deliver your opinions very decisively.”
(Formal sarcasm)
6. Expressions Frequently Mistranslated
A. The Trap in Translating “you”
English “you” maps to many Korean forms of address.
[Determine Formality and Intimacy]
English second person → Korean title or form of address
Husband → wife: formal “you” / spousal address
Lover → lover: “you” / “thou”
Friend → friend: formal “thou” / name
Servant → master: “sir” / “madam,” without a second-person pronoun
Master → servant: familiar “you” / name
Noble → commoner: “thou” / “you”
Commoner → noble: “Your Ladyship” / “Your Honour”
[Application in the Novel]
Darcy → Elizabeth, early: formal “you”
Darcy → Elizabeth, late: “you,” with deepened feeling
Elizabeth → Darcy: “you” / “thou” according to register
B. Handling Tense
[English Simple Past → Korean]
“He bowed.”
→ “He bowed.” (plain)
→ “He made a bow.” (elevated)
→ “He offered a formal bow.” (formal and character-specific)
[Compound Tense]
“She had read the letter.”
→ “She had already finished reading the letter.”
→ “It was the case that she had already read the letter.”
C. Degrees of Politeness
English “Would you...?” → Korean levels
Highly formal: “Would you be so kind as to...?”
Standard formal: “Would you please...?”
Everyday formal: “If you would...”
Intimate: “Will you...?”
[Application in the Novel]
- Darcy–Elizabeth, formal: “Would you be so kind as to...?”
- Collins, excessive: “I most earnestly and humbly beseech you to...”
- Mrs. Bennet, everyday: “Please do...” / colloquially formal equivalent
7. Review Checklist
Reread after Completing the Translation
Risky-Term Search (Find and Replace)
# Absolute taboos: replace immediately if they appear in the work
stress, cool, romantic, date, cafe, restaurant,
party, season, gossip, message, classic, trend, style,
pro, amateur, image, chemistry, mind,
sseom, mildang, inssa, gat, daebak, jjang
# Risky terms: decide after reviewing the context
friend, lover, wedding, company, date
8. Conclusion
Golden Rules for Translating Period Drama into Korean
- Use only Korean or Sino-Korean vocabulary that existed before the period
- Maintain differentiated vocabulary for each character
- Keep the degree of formality consistent
- Prohibit all modern loanwords and coinages
- Prohibit modern social concepts
Self-Censorship Question
“Would this expression sound natural to a person in 1810s Joseon or Britain?”
If the answer is “awkward,” choose another expression.