Research on Xuan Ying's "Comprehensive Sound Meanings of Scriptures" (Hualin Doctoral Library. 5)

Author: Xu Shiying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Xuan Ying's A Dictionary of Pronunciation and Meanings of Buddhist Texts inherits ancient commentaries like Erya and Shuowen Jiezi, reflecting the linguistic usage of the Tang Dynasty and the general evolution of Chinese from ancient to modern times. This book conducts a comprehensive and in-depth study of this Buddhist textual document, covering fields such as textualology, phonology, etymology, Buddhism, and history. It examines the compilation process, content structure, variations among different editions, and the transmission origins of the Buddhist canon of A Dictionary of Pronunciation and Meanings of Buddhist Texts. It also summarizes and explains over 1,180 phonetic annotations (fǎnqiè) in the text, conducting detailed explorations of some compound words, new terms and meanings, colloquial dialect words, and foreign borrowings from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. The book showcases the characteristics of Chinese vocabulary during the transition from classical to vernacular language, and discusses the academic value of A Dictionary of Pronunciation and Meanings of Buddhist Texts in linguistic research, ancient text collation, lexicographical studies, and cultural history research.