- Author
- Not stated
- Published
- Last edited 5 November 2026
- Kind
- Wikipedia reference article on a writing system
- Original
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul
- Subject
- History and places
- Themes
- Saying it exactly, How forms evolve
What it is
The article is a reference entry on English Wikipedia. It describes the Korean alphabet from its creation under King Sejong to the present. It covers both Koreas, the diaspora and attempts to use the script for other languages.
What it says
- The article says Hangul was officially published in 1446 through two texts under King Sejong.
- It says the modern basic letters combine to yield 51 jamo in total.
- It says the modern letters can form 11,172 syllables, though far fewer see use.
- It says five basic consonant shapes are based on human speech organs.
- It says elites looked down on Hangul for centuries, until the late 19th century.
- It says scholars dispute whether Hangul is a featural script, with DeFrancis questioning Sampson's label.
- It says that by 2023, 40 adults and 300 children reportedly learned Chitembo Hangul.
What evidence it gives
The article cites linguists and historians, with named scholars for each dispute. It quotes the preface of the founding text in translation. Dates and counts come from cited books, papers and government standards.
Interests and limits
Wikipedia articles are edited by volunteers and no author is named. The prose was read, but the letter tables, footnotes and reference list were not. Several claims about letter origins and script type are marked as debated. The article cites sources that were not checked.
Connections
These links are this wiki's own reading, not claims the sources make.
- On the foolishness of "natural language programming" (EWD 667). Dijkstra credits modern mathematics to designed formal symbols. Hangul is a designed script too, with consonant shapes based on speech organs. But Hangul serves everyday language. So design and ease of use may be less opposed than Dijkstra's essay suggests.