Kal-mun-wang (English spelling)

Japanese: 葛文王 - かつぶんおう（英語表記）Kal‐mun‐wang

A title given to the highest-ranking nobles in Korea and Silla. It was seen mainly during the Three Kingdoms period. It was limited to close relatives of the king, including the father of the king, the father of the queen's mother, the king's full brother, and the queen's spouse. Traditionally, it has been considered a posthumous title bestowed upon someone after death, but there are no confirmed examples of its use as a posthumous title dating back to the mid-7th century. It is believed to have originated in the 6th century or earlier as an honorific given at birth, and then became a posthumous title. [Kimura Makoto]

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

朝鮮，新羅の最高貴族に与えられた称号。三国時代に集中してみられる。その範囲は，王の父をはじめとして王母の父，王妃の父，王の同母弟，女王の配偶者など，すべて王の近親者に限られている。従来，死後おくられる追封号とみなされてきたが，追封号としての確実な用例は7世紀中ごろ以前にさかのぼれない。6世紀もしくはそれ以前に生時におくられる尊称として発生し，やがて追封号となったものと思われる。【木村誠】

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Merger - Gappei

>>: Coupling reaction