• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.291-308
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• 2017

In 1946, many native korean mathematical terms are coined newly by the ministry of education of USAMGIK(the United States Army Military Government in Korea) through referring to the opinions of various circles. In native korean mathematical terms created at the time, many of them are coined, either by using native korean words corresponding to the meaning of chines characters, or by abbreviating newly coined native korean mathematical terms. However, in less than 20 years, about half of native korean mathematical terms made in 1946~1947 has been went back to chines character mathematical terms, and most of those chines character mathematical terms has been used up to now from then. Although, in the teaching and learning of mathematics, the discomfort of chinese characters mathematical terms is pointed out and it is claimed that the use of native korean mathematical terms is helpful, it is not everything to hurry to use native korean mathematical terms. Attempts to convert chinese characters mathematical terms into native korean mathematical terms should be prudent. When a certain native korean mathematical term is used, if it must be used only because it is a native korean mathematical term, then the term has no choice but to fail. In this paper, we propose the following three implications as conclusions for the successful use of native korean mathematical terms in this viewpoint. First, attempts to coin native korean mathematical terms should be continued. Second, it is necessary to identify the survival power of well-preserved native korean mathematical terms. Third, it is necessary to identify the failure factors of native korean mathematical terms which does not survive today.