Korean slang profile

BTW

By the way

The English abbreviation used to add a thought or shift the subject: “by the way.”

This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
BTW, 내일 회의 시간 바뀌었대.
BTW, I heard tomorrow's meeting time has changed.
Quoted from a source
그런가 하면 ‘oic’(Oh, I see·알겠어요), ‘bbl’(be back later·금방 돌아올게요), ‘btw’(by the way·그런데)처럼 단어의 첫 글자들에서 따온 약어들도 많다.[1]
On the other hand, there are many abbreviations taken from the first letters of words, such as ‘oic’ (Oh, I see, I understand), ‘bbl’ (be back later, I’ll be back soon), and ‘btw’ (by the way, by the way).
English translation by Julimmal.

April 1998On the other hand, there are many abbreviations taken from the first letters of words, such as ‘oic’ (Oh, I see, I understand), ‘bbl’ (be back later, I’ll be back soon), and ‘btw’ (by the way, by the way).[1]
October 2016Miju JoongAng Ilbo: “BTW: by the way, by the way”[2]

Short for “by the way.” The 1998 source from Dong-A Ilbo explicitly gives this explanation. Who first used it and when have not been verified.

Evidence for the origin explanationHigh

The explanation is explicit in the sources, and at least two sources use the same meaning. When it was first used is unknown.

Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.