메이지의 상상, 번역어의 탄생과 한국 수용 - [Nation]이 [국민]으로 번역되기까지 -

Abstract

This study aims to observe the process of translating the western concept and word entry of “nation” into Japanese, which is the basic concept of modern western ideology. In the mid-1860s, Fukuzawa Yukichi chose the word “國民(kokumin)” among the traditional terms that meant “people”, giving it a modern meaning. Until the mid-1870s, a number of translations were used in Japan, including “國民” and “人民”. Under these circumstances, the Meiji government was responsible for advancing the translation of the word entry “nation” to “國民”. The Meiji government emphasized the word “國民” in an effort to strengthen the centralized system which was centered on the emperor. After the mid-1870s, it became so popular that “國民” was listed as the sole translation of “nation” in major dictionaries. However, in Joseon Korea, the term “國民(국민)” had been used to mean “people under the rule of the king” since before the modern era. The modern meaning of “國民” was first introduced in “Seoyugyeonmun(西遊見聞)” (1895). In the mid-1890s, an undergraduate compilation textbook and an independent newspaper in 1897 enlightened and disseminated the different concepts of the word entry 國民 rather than the traditional 國民. After 1910, it was used not only in textbooks and newspapers, but also in novels. By 1911, it was recognized as a pre-registration word entry.