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How did the hyangch’al transcription system write Korean sentences?
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The hyangch’al system was an extended transcription method that allowed entire sentences of the Korean language to be written using Chinese characters.1
Originating in the Silla kingdom, this system utilized Chinese characters to represent spoken Korean. It functioned by employing characters for their phonetic value to denote Korean particles of speech and inflectional endings, enabling the transcription of complete Korean sentences rather than just providing rough transliterations of Chinese texts. This development was closely associated with the emergence of hyangga, or "native songs," which were recorded using this script.21