The Scholarly Position of Eonmunji(諺文志) in Joseon Jeongeum Studies

This study reexamines the scholarly status of Eonmunji (諺文志) by Seopa Yu Hui (柳僖, 1773–1837) within the context of Joseon‑period Jeongeum studies and seeks to reassess its significance from the perspective of modern Korean linguistics. Yu Hui’s Eonmunji, grounded in Jeong Dong‑yu’s linguistic theories and Choe Se‑jin’s Saseongtonghae, yet completed through Yu’s own original interpretations, has long been regarded as one of the representative achievements in early nineteenth‑century Korean language studies. This research critically reflects not only on the excellence that earlier scholarship has emphasized, but also on issues that have been underestimated or misunderstood, and aims to newly illuminate aspects of Eonmunji that may be reinterpreted within today’s linguistic and historical‑linguistic frameworks. In particular, by focusing on how Eonmunji came to be introduced to the scholarly community, the study reassesses the bibliographic features and contents of the printed edition Gyogan Yussi Eonmunji (1934, edited by Kim Gu‑gyeong), which has not been sufficiently discussed in prior research. Moreover, Yu Hui’s assertion of the systematic precision and phonetic stability of Eonmun, along with his view that the script is capable of functioning as a universal phonetic notation, demonstrates an early recognition of Hangul’s potential as a phonographic writing system. His explicit statement that the work was not intended for the transcription of Sino‑Korean readings, but rather aimed at describing the full range of human speech sounds through Eonmun, is an important point that calls for renewed evaluation. In conclusion, Eonmunji inherits and advances the interpretive tradition of Hunminjeongeum, encapsulating the intellectual and scholarly developments of late‑Joseon Korean linguistics; its academic significance thus merits greater recognition than previously acknowledged.