Adaptation of Korean city names to the Polish language — history of standardization and usage

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of adapting Korean city names into Polish, analyzing both specific examples and the broader context of historical changes in their transcription. Particular attention is given to the standardization of names by the Commission on Standardization of Geographical Names Outside the Republic of Poland, official state documents concerning proper names, and actual linguistic usage, which does not always align with official recommendations.
The aim of the study is to identify the mechanisms influencing the formation of the names of six Korean cities (Pjongjang, Panmundżom, Czedżu, Pusan, Pjongczang, Inczon) and to trace the forms of these names currently used in various types of texts. The research employs comparative analysis methods, examining historical and contemporary sources, standardization norms, and current usage in media and literature.
The study explores the impact of different transcription systems, such as the McCune-Reischauer romanization and the South Korean system introduced in 2000 and revised in 2007, on the names adopted in Poland. It also considers adaptation to Polish phonetics and morphology. The results indicate that the Polonized names do not contain diacritical marks or digraphs.
A gradual unification of name usage under the influence of linguistic organization guidelines can be observed, although some commonly used variants still deviate from standard norms and lack consistency within individual texts.
One issue arising from this diversity of spellings is the potential difficulty for readers in recognizing city names and this is an aspect also discussed in the article. The text highlights the importance of consistently using selected forms of city names within a given publication to avoid situations where three different naming guidelines appear within the same text.