조선후기 간찰의 皮封 서식 연구

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the formats of outer envelope[皮封], among letter forms, in the late Joseon dynasty. Understanding the formats of letters means to know the normative forms of human behaviors like the various and complicated types of courtesies between addressers[受信人] and addressees[發信人]. The external form of letter can be divided into outer envelope[皮封] and letter paper[內紙]. Enveloping is to give the right to read the letter to certain man. The formats of outer envelopes were decided by the rank orders between addressers and addressees. Here, rank orders were the distinctions by old vs. young and close vs. distant in family, and high vs. low in official rank. Therefore, formats, titles and terminologies proper to office ranks, intimacy and generation disparity took an important role in sound letters. Outer envelope had two types: single-envelope[單封] and double-envelope[重封]. Double-envelope, which enveloped letter paper two times, was used to express courtesy to counterpart in case for marriage documents[禮狀] and prevent the loss or damage of letter paper. Outer envelope consisted of addresser, addressee and seal[封緘]. Several etiquettes are found: Official titles[官稱] and bynames were used for addressers and addressees；Old geographical designations[古號] were used more frequently；In official world and family, the grade of honorific titles were decided by the relevant ranks. In letters, terminologies were used distinctively according to hierarchy, social relations and complicated family order. Such uses established certain symbol system unique for letters and showed cleary the hierarchical distinctiveness of human society and the courtesy thereof. Many rank, vocabularies and formal titles are a kind of specific methods to express courtesies which embody the ideology of filial piety and loyalty. This conclusion can be applied not only to outer envelope of this paper but also to letter paper.