쌀

Etymology
The Middle Korean p- is still preserved in many compounds where 쌀 is the second element, such as and.

argues in a 2015 work that this term could be a Japonic loan, connecting it with Japanese, with two assumptions:
 * That the initial p- came from a phonological inability to render initial Japonic w-.
 * That the final consonant was originally present in early Japonic but had been eliminated in the insular languages.

Meanwhile, presents a case in a 2000 paper that explains a possible derivation for Japanese terms like  that have alternating apophonic forms (standalone wase and compounding form wasa-), suggesting instead that these may be cognates with Koreanic terms.

Joo (2021) argues that its earlier transcription as posal is in fact not a mere phonetic transcription but actually reflects its etymological origin from Middle Chinese, citing the case of a Japanese dialect using the same word  to refer to raw rice, and also a religious practice in Korea where a jar of grain is used to symbolize Buddha's body.

Pronunciation




Noun

 * 1) uncooked rice
 * 2) white hulled grains of barley, wheat, etc.