This is, of course, only
my impression. I assume different people—depending on their level of familiarity with Korean (or on their own aesthetics)—see it differently. And I acknowledge that all kinds of cultural beliefs can color how we perceive other languages. We English speakers are told practically from the cradle that German sounds harsh and aggressive and that French sounds beautiful. If we'd never been exposed to those stereotypes, would we come up with them on our own? I don't know. But I doubt those language attitudes would be as nearly universal (among Americans, as least) as they are.
Anyway!
To me, Korean can be described by the following words:
- Whitewater (flowing, but turbulent)
- Masculine
- Chunky (?)
- Woody (??)
- Forthright (???)
Korean is beautiful, but not pretty. It is not airy and light on its feet, but weighty and deliberate. It doesn't chase butterflies, but describes them from a stony perch.
I admit this sounds a lot like the "joke" about overly impressionistic descriptions of wine—it's a reckless little red with a hint of cedar and a butterscotch finish—but I think it's the best I can do.
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