Hangul syllable meog

먹 is usually the stem “eat”; alone, it can also mean ink.

먹다 is the dictionary form of the Korean verb “to eat”; 먹- is its stem. Korean endings turn it into forms such as 먹어 and 먹습니다. The same block is also a noun for a solid ink stick or the black liquid made by grinding it with water on an inkstone, a flat stone for preparing ink. A bare 먹 needs its surrounding words to tell which use is meant.

먹다 also extends beyond meals: it can describe taking medicine, absorbing smoke or moisture, getting scolded or punished, taking a bribe, or earning a score or rank.

Why does 먹 also mean ink?

먹’s ink sense is associated with the Chinese character 墨.

Korean language history treats 먹 as an old borrowing associated with 墨; in Korean compounds, 墨 is read 묵. Chinese evidence places ink use before the 2nd century, while Korean sources describe ink as established by the Three Kingdoms period. To prepare it, a solid stick was ground with water on an inkstone—a flat stone—then used with a brush for writing or painting.

Historical grammar research records the eating stem in 15th-century Korean and a broader set of respectful verb forms by 17th-century Korean. Those records date surviving use, not the word’s beginning. During the Joseon period, a Korean dynasty, ink sticks also served as royal gifts and trade goods exchanged with China and Japan.

Why is 먹 in 먹방?

Here, 먹- supplies the “eating” part of the compound.

먹방 joins 먹- (“eat”) and 방송 (“broadcast”) to name an online show centered on eating. The second part makes the media setting clear, separating this use from the ink noun.