Chapter 2.

 📘 제2장. 고조선 문자 수사 가설

Chapter 2. Hypotheses on the Gojoseon Script Investigation

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1. 명도전 문자가설을 설정하다

1. Formulating a Hypothesis about the Mingdaoqian Script

We begin the detailed investigation by examining characters ① and ③ first.

 

Let’s look at ①. If this is not a pictograph from the Yan state of the Shang dynasty, but instead an alphabetic letter from Gojoseon—

This character resembles the Hangul letter ㅌ, but with the middle stroke extending leftward; it also resembles the English letters I and X.

In Korean, ㅌ is pronounced [tʰ], but in the Brahmi script—considered a proto-Asian phonetic system—it corresponds to [j]. In English, I is a vowel [i], but since this appears in the initial position, [j] is a more plausible interpretation.

The letter X in English carries a [ks] or [s] sound, which could correspond to final consonants like [ㅅ], [ㅈ], [ㄷ], or [ㅂ] in Korean.

Thus, if we reconstruct the sound as jit or jix, it may relate to the Korean word jit (as in “dori jitgo ttaeng”), which could imply a numerical association—perhaps ten or nine.

Alternatively, taking a cue from the English word six, it may represent the number 6.

If X is interpreted as [ㄹ] based on Brahmi influence, then the reading could be jil or chil, meaning the number 7.

This hypothesis draws from scholar Park Dae-jong’s view that “our (Korean) Sino-Korean readings gave rise to English, Chinese, and Japanese pronunciations.”

I further assume that since Gojoseon may have been culturally and militarily superior to the Chinese states of the time, its pronunciations could have formed the basis of early Sino-Korean readings.

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2. 명도전 문자 포괄적인 가설을 설정하다

2. Establishing a Broader Hypothesis on the Mingdaoqian Script

First, just as Egyptian hieroglyphs were once believed to be pictographs but were eventually deciphered as alphabetic phonograms, these scripts may also be phonetic.

Second, if the left-side characters (①, ③) are repeated in other Mingdaoqian coins, it suggests a structure resembling the Korean syllable pattern of initial–medial, or initial–medial–final consonants.

Third, the right-side characters (②, ④) may indicate the coin’s denomination or the issuing region/country.

Fourth, as more coin inscriptions are analyzed, common patterns will begin to emerge.

Comparing these characters to the Brahmi script in terms of phonetic arrangement could reveal around 20 to 40 phoneme units (consonants and vowels combined).

Fifth, even if these are pictographs, their usage in currency likely indicates denominations, making them relatively simple to interpret.

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3. 명도전 문자 숫자 가설

3. Hypothesis: Mingdaoqian Characters as Numbers

Since currencies inherently require numerical values, let’s narrow our hypothesis to a number-based interpretation.

Examining global numerical systems reveals Chinese, Roman, Arabic, and Indian numerals.

The Hwandangogi also mentions Sanmok (算木), an indigenous system of numerical notation.

If the pronunciation of Chinese numerals is derived from Gojoseon, then Tibetan numerals may reflect similar sounds.

Indeed, Tibetan number readings closely resemble Korean Sino-pronunciations.

Since Mingdaoqian characters do not follow Arabic numerals, they may instead be pictographic representations of native Korean numbers or sounds.

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4. 명도전의 명칭을 ‘조선전’으로 바꾸다

4. Renaming Mingdaoqian as “Joseon Coin” (조선전)

Though Mingdaoqian is known as a Yan or Qi coin, the character 明 (ming) later overlaps with the Ming Dynasty of China.

Since these coins were likely produced in Gojoseon, it would be more appropriate to call them Joseonjeon (朝鮮錢 – Joseon Coin).

Until now, we have investigated the nationality of the coin and its script; next, we will delve into the true identity of the character 明 and the so-called Heu (흐) symbol.