During the Joseon period, royal titles and styles (forms of address) had been extensive and complex. The general title of the monarch was king () until Gojong crowned himself emperor (), a title reserved for the Chinese emperor at that time. Official titles came with official forms of address, depending on who the addressee was and by whom they were addressed.
Royal family Naming When a prince became king, he was addressed as such, his personal name becoming taboo. After the death of a king, he received several names. One is the temple name (), which was given when the spirit tablet was placed in the Jongmyo Shrine. This is the name by which historians usually refer to Joseon kings. It could end in either or (), or instead or (). The preceding syllable was an adjective suitable to describe the king. The other name was the posthumous name (). This is a longer name, made up of adjectives characterizing the king's rule. For example, King Gyeongjong's posthumous name is King Tŏngmun Ingmu Sunin Sŏnhyo the Great (), while his temple name is Kyŏngjong/Gyeongjong ().
Titles and styles Forms of address were combined with names, titles or both, for example:
in childhood, then in adulthood in childhood, then in adulthood
TitleForms of addressExplanationEnglishHangulHanjaMcCune–ReischauerHangulHanjaMRRankMonarchKing왕주상임금나랏님국왕금상상감대전과인The king used to address himself this way. 제왕 王主上——國王今上上監大田寡人帝王 전하마마殿下媽媽NoneCurrent monarch; he was addressed in different ways depending on the speaker and the situationKing Emeritus상왕上王전하殿下Living king who has voluntarily abdicated in favor of the current kingGrand King Emeritus태상왕太上王An abdicated king whose relinquishment of power precedes that of another king emeritusGreat Late King선대왕先大王마마媽媽Deceased kingLate King선왕先王Great King대왕大王 Principal consort of a monarchQueen왕비중전국모내전王妃中殿國母內殿마마媽媽NoneWife of a current kingQueen Dowager대비大妃Used to be the short form of , but later became a lower rankQueen DowagerorRoyal Queen Dowager왕대비자전자선王大妃慈殿慈聖Wife of a deceased king who lived through one subsequent reignGrand Queen Dowager대왕대비大王大妃Wife of a deceased king who lived through at least two subsequent reignsQueen왕후王后Deceased queenParents and parents-in-law of a monarchGrand Internal Prince대원군大院君대감大監None Father of a king who has never been king himselfGrand Internal Princess Consort부대부인府大夫人마님—Senior 1 (정1품)Wife of a grand internal prince and / or biological mother of a kingInternal Prince부원군府院君대감大監NoneFather of a queenInternal Princess Consort부부인府夫人마님 —Senior 1 (정1품)Wife of an internal prince and / or biological mother of a queenMonarch's male descendants and their principal consortsPrince Royal원자元子아기씨자가—自家NoneEldest son of a king, usually by his wife, before being appointed as heir to the throneCrown Prince왕세자세자동궁국본王世子世子東宮國本저하마마邸下媽媽Son of a king who has been appointed as heir to the throneCrown Princess왕세자빈세자빈빈궁王世子嬪世子嬪嬪宮마노라자가抹樓下自家Wife of a king's son who has been appointed as heir to the throneCrown Prince왕세제세제동궁국본王世弟世弟東宮國本저하마마邸下媽媽Brother of a king who has been appointed as heir to the throneCrown Princess왕세제빈세제빈빈궁王世弟嬪世弟嬪嬪宮마노라자가抹樓下自家Wife of a king's brother who has been appointed as heir to the throneGrandson Royal원손元孫아기씨자가—自家Eldest son of a crown prince, usually by his wife, before being appointed as heir to the throneGrand Heir왕세손王世孫각하자가閤下自家Son of a crown prince who has been appointed as heir to the throneGrand Heiress Consort왕세손빈王世孫嬪자가自家Wife of a grand heirGrand Prince왕자대군王子大君아기씨자가대감—自家大監Son of a king by his wifeGrand Princess Consort부부인府夫人마님—Senior 1 (정1품)Wife of a grand princePrince왕자군王子 君아기씨자가대감—自家大監NoneSon of a king by a concubinePrincess Consort군부인郡夫人마님—Senior 1 (정1품)Wife of a royal princePrince군君—Junior 1 (종1품)Eldest son of a grand princePrincess Consort군부인郡夫人Wife of a grand prince's eldest sonPrince군君Senior 2 (정2품)Other sons of a crown prince, eldest grandson of a grand prince, eldest son of a royal princePrincess Consort현부인賢夫人Wife of a prince of the senior second rankPrince군君Junior 2 (종2품)Grandsons of a crown prince, other sons and eldest great-grandson of a grand prince, eldest grandson of a royal princePrincess Consort현부인賢夫人Wife of a prince of the junior second rank—정正Senior 3 (정3품)Great-grandsons of a crown prince, other grandsons of a grand prince, other sons and eldest great-grandson of a royal prince—도정都正Cautious Lady신인慎人Wife of a and —부정副正Junior 3 (종3품)Great-grandsons of a grand prince, other grandsons of a royal princeCautious Lady신인慎人Wife of a —수守Senior 4 (정4품)Great-grandsons of a royal prince, sons of a grand prince by a commonerBenovelent Lady혜인惠人Wife of a —부수副守Junior 4 (종4품)Sons of a grand prince by a lowborn, sons of a royal prince by a commonerBenovelent Lady혜인惠人Wife of a —영令Senior 5 (정5품)Sons of a royal prince by a lowbornLady온인溫人Wife of a Monarch's female descendants and their consortsRoyal Princess왕녀공주王女公主아기씨자가 —自家NoneDaughter of a king by his wifePrince Consort의빈儀賓부마駙馬Junior 1 (종1품)Husband of a royal princessPrincess왕녀옹주王女翁主아기씨자가 —自家NoneDaughter of a king by a concubinePrince Consort승빈承賓부마駙馬Junior 2 (종2품)Husband of a princessCommandery Princess군주郡主아기씨자가 —自家Senior 2 (정2품)Daughter of a crown prince by his wifePrince Consort부빈副賓부마駙馬Senior 3 (정3품)Husband of a commandery princessCounty Princess현주縣主아기씨자가 —自家Daughter of a crown prince by a concubinePrince Consort첨빈僉賓부마駙馬Junior 3 (종3품)Husband of a county princess
Concubines
Each royal consort in the inner palace () had a certain rank, according to which their titles and forms of address were formulated.
English Hangul Hanja McCune–Reischauer Rank Monarch Concubine 빈 嬪 senior 1 (정1품) Noble Lady 귀인 貴人 junior 1 (종1품) Lady of Bright Deportment 소의 昭儀 senior 2 (정2품) Lady of Warm Deportment 숙의 淑儀 junior 2 (종2품) Lady of Bright Countenance 소용 昭容 senior 3 (정3품) Lady of Warm Countenance 숙용 淑容 junior 3 (종3품) Lady of Bright Beauty 소원 昭媛 senior 4 (정4품) Lady of Warm Beauty 숙원 淑媛 junior 4 (종4품) Crown prince Lady of Excellence 양제 良娣 junior 2 (종2품) Lady of Filial Excellence 양원 良媛 junior 3 (종3품) Lady of Inherent Glory 승휘 承徽 junior 4 (종4품) Lady of Clear Instruction 소훈 昭訓 junior 5 (종5품)
Royal court
HangulHanjaMcCune–ReischauerRankFemale officials (궁녀; )상궁尙宮 senior 5 (정5품)상의尙儀상복尙服 junior 5 (종5품)상식尙食상침尙寢 senior 6 (정6품)상공尙功상정尙正 junior 6 (종6품) 상기尙記전빈典賓 senior 7 (정7품)전의典衣전선典膳전설典設 junior 7 (종7품)전제典製전언典言전찬典贊 senior 8 (정8품)전식典飾전약典藥전등典燈 junior 8 (종8품)전채典彩전정典正주궁奏宮 senior 9 (정9품)주상奏商주각奏角주변징奏變徵 junior 9 (종9품)주징主徵주우奏羽주변궁奏變宮Eunuchs ()상선尙膳junior 2 (종2품)상온尙醞 senior 3 (정3품)상다尙茶상약尙藥junior 3 (종3품)상전尙傳senior 4 (정4품)상책尙冊junior 4 (종4품)상호尙弧senior 5 (정5품)상탕尙帑junior 5 (종5품)상세尙洗senior 6 (정6품)상촉尙燭junior 6 (종6품)상훼尙煊senior 7 (정7품)상설尙設junior 7 (종7품)상제尙除senior 8 (정8품)상문尙門junior 8 (종8품)상경尙更senior 9 (정9품)상원尙苑junior 9 (종9품)
Officials EnglishHangulHanjaMcCune–ReischauerRank Explanation Honorable and Respectful Madame정경부인貞敬夫人1st (1품)Wife of a senior and junior 1st rank officialHonorable Madame정부인貞夫人2nd (2품)Wife of a senior and junior 2nd rank officialVirtuous Madame숙부인淑夫人 3rd (3품)Wife of a senior 3rd rank officialVirtuous Lady숙인淑人Wife of a junior 3rd rank officialClever Lady영인伶人4th (4품)Wife of a senior and junior 4th rank officialCourteous Lady공인恭人5th (5품)Wife of a senior and junior 5th rank officialProper Lady의인宜人6th (6품)Wife of a senior and junior 6th rank officialPeaceful Lady안인安人7th (7품)Wife of a senior and junior 7th rank officialRegular Lady단인端人8th (8품)Wife of a senior and junior 8th rank officialJunior Lady유인孺人9th (9품)Wife of a senior and junior 9th rank official
See also
Notes
References