# 하소서체: -옵니다 -나이다



## RadkeRonnie

Hello everyone,

I have some questions about the 하소서체. When is -옵니다 used instead of -나이다? 

I realize that this form isn't used at all nowadays, but I've run across it enough times to make me curious. Examples:

금도끼와 은도끼:_
"이 것이 네 것이냐?"
"아니옵니다. 그 것은 제 것이 아니옵니다." _(-옵니다 pattern)

Enter Sandman 가사번역:
_"하느님, 이제 잠자리에 드오니
내 영혼을 지켜 주시길 기도 드리옵고..."
_
아가멤논:
_"별들이 언제 뜨고 언제 지는지를 잘 알게 되었나이다." _(-나이다 pattern)_
"노래는 어느새 눈물과 탄식으로 변하나이다."

_오이디푸스王:_
"생각은 이를 막아 낼 무기를 찾지 못하나이다."
_
I'm fairly certain that this is all the 하소서체, but I can't find any pattern regarding when each ending is used. I know that I'll never need to know this in speaking, but if I ever want to write poetry or something in Korean, it might become necessary.

If anyone could help me resolve this, I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks =)


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## Kross

Hello, RadkeRonnie

What comes to my mind right now is these two suffixes seem to be interchangeable to each other. (But more study might be needed.)

- 아니옵니다/*아니옵나이다. *그것은 제 것이 아니옵니다*/아니옵나이다.
*-내 영혼을 지켜 주시길 기도 드리옵고*/드리옵나이다.*
-별들이 언제 뜨고 언제 지니지를 잘 알게 되었나이다/*되었사옵나이다.
*-노래는 어느새 눈물과 탄식으로 변하나이다.*/변하게 되옵니다.
*-생각은 이를 막아 낼 무기를 찾지 못하나이다*/못하옵니다.*


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## RadkeRonnie

Kross, thanks for the quick reply!

I have one question. What prevents the phrases "아니나이다" and "드리나이다" from being formed? Is it the fact that they follow an 이 vowel?


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## RadkeRonnie

Wait wait wait. I just found something.

http://www.koreangrammaticalforms.com/entry.php?eid=0000001580

This says that the 옵 makes it even more humble than before. Also, I recall reading somewhere that -습니다 was originally 사옵니다. So... is it possible that the difference between 하옵나이다 and 하나이다 is kind of similar to the difference between 합니다 and 해요? They're both polite, but 합니다 is used when the speech isn't for the sake of conversation but rather for a larger purpose (news, signs giving information, self-introductions, etc.), whereas 해요 is used more when it actually feels like a conversation. Possibly, 하나이다 might be used when someone is personally addressing a god for their own purposes (a personal prayer, like in Agamemnon and Oedipus), but 하옵나이다 might be used in more formal situations like recited prayers ("Now I lay me down to sleep..."), funeral rites (the linked page said that 옵소서 sounded obsequious), and it's possible that the guy in 금도끼와 은도끼 felt the need to be extra formal because he was actually face to face with a god.

Am I close?


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## Kross

Hello, RadkeRonnie

I wish I could give you my thoughts or opinions on your question. Since that is beyond my scope of knowledge, I'd prefer to be silent. (I personally think your speculation seems reasonalble though.) 

Don't get down, I am going to leave here what 국립국어원 answered about your question. 

According to 국립국어원(the body that defines the Korean language), ~하나이다 and ~하옵나이다 are archaic expressions of 하십시오체. While the former expresses a plain narrative, the latter shows humbleness. 

(source: https://twitter.com/urimal365/status/458424633662783488 )


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