The following table is a typical individual record formatted traditionally as you would find in a family registry. The text is mostly HanJa and is read top-to-bottom, then right-to-left. It is followed by another table that breaks down and interprets each element of the individual record.
Table 5.1 Sample Married Son
The following divides the sample record into lettered sections. Key common HanJa characters that can help you identify sections are circled. The sections are interpreted in table 5.2.
Table 5.2 Interpretation of a Sample Married Son
| Section | HanJa (from the table above)HanGul————–
Interpretation Notes |
| Section A: Gender and Given Name |
子亨達 형달
자형달 형달 ————————————————————–
– Note that the given name is listed in HanJa then repeated in HanGul, which is becoming common in some modern editions of family registries. The HanGul version is much easier to read when uncommon HanJa characters are used, and the HanGul version shows the pronunciation. The HanJa version of the name specifies the precise meaning. – Note that the last name was not specified. It is assumed that this son has the same family name as every child born into this family. The family name is in the title of the family registry itself and is not repeated for each individual. – Note that you can find both of the HanJa characters in the given name in the “HanJa Syllables Used in Korean Given Names” table in chapter 2. You can look them each up in an online Korean-English HanJa dictionary to find the meanings. http://hanjadic.bravender.us defines the syllables of HyeongDal’s given name as follows: Hyeong (亨, 형) means smoothly progressing, or no trouble. Dal (達, 달) means arrive at, reach, or intelligent. HyeongDal could be translated as “reaching tranquility.” |
| Section B: Birth Date | 壬戍一九二二年十月十五日生
임수1 9 2 2년10월10 5 일생 ————————————————————–
– Note that you can look up the HanJa numbers, vocabulary for dates, and lunar years in chapter 3. – ImSu (壬戍, 임수) could represent the years 1802, 1862, 1922, 1982 and others (see the table of lunar calendar years in chapter 3). In this case, it clearly represents 1922 A.D. because “1922” follows it in HanJa (一九二二). It is common to see both lunar and solar years listed, like the record above, for modern records. Older records may only contain the lunar year, which requires looking for other clues in the text to narrow down the exact year. If you know the year a child was born, for example, the parent’s birth and death years would have to fall before and after the child’s brith; that clue would help narrow down which of the possible solar years to select for the lunar year specified. |
| Section C: Death Date | 辛酉一九八一生五月一五日卒
신유 1 9 8 1년 5월 1 5일졸 ————————————————————–
– Note that you can look up the HanJa numbers, vocabulary for dates, and lunar years in chapter 3. – ShinYu (辛酉, 신유) could represent the years 1801, 1861, 1921, 1981 and others (see the table of lunar calendar years in chapter 3). In this case, it clearly represents 1981 A.D. because “1981” follows it in HanJa (一九八一). It is common to see both lunar and solar years listed, like the record above, for modern records. Older records may only contain the lunar year, which requires looking for other clues in the text to narrow down the exact year. If you know the year a child was born, for example, the parent’s birth and death years would have to fall before and after the child’s brith; that clue would help narrow down which of the possible solar years to select for the lunar year specified. |
| Section D: Grave Location | 墓 孝令面 孝誠公園
묘 효령면 효성공원 ————————————————————–
|
| Section E: SectionDivider | O————————————————————–
– Note that if there was more than one wife, each wife has their own section and each section is separated by this symbol. |
| Section F: Wife and Father in Law Names | 配宻陽朴明花父錫恒
배밀양박명화부석항 ————————————————————–
– Note that in this case the given name of the wife is listed. If only her family name was listed, she would be referred to as Mrs. Pak (朴氏, 박씨, Pak Sshi). Even without the wife’s given name, her family name and clan with the given name of her father is enough to trace the maternal family link thru her father’s family registry. – Note that the father’s given name, SeokHang, is listed but his family name is not. You can assume that he has the same family name (and clan) as his daughter, in this case Pak. – The family name (in this case Pak, 朴, 박) can be located in the “Korean Family Names” table in chapter 2. – The HanJa for the given names of the wife and the father can be located in the “HanJa Syllables Used in Korean Given Names” table in chapter 2. |
| Section G: Wife Birth Date | 壬申一九三二年十月二十二日生
임신 1 9 3 2년10월2 10 2일생 ————————————————————–
– In this sample the wife’s death date is not listed. That may be because she was still living at the time the record was printed. If she had passed away, her death date and grave location would be recorded in a style similar to the husband’s record in sections C and D. |
| Section H: Number of Sons and Daughters | 一男 二女
1 남 2 녀 ————————————————————–
|