注大乘入楞伽經 4.271

4.271

[The commentary says:] From here down, the different meanings are explained again. A collection of phrases meaning the completion of the matter of the phrase means: when there are syllables there must be names, but not necessarily phrases; when there are phrases there must be names and syllables; hence it is said that the matter of the phrase is completed. A collection of names means that the names of various syllables are individually distinct, as from the syllable a up to the syllable ha; like the fourteen vowels, the syllables a, ha, and so forth are all initially short and then long, and high and low are also like this. Hence following this it says a collection of syllables means long, short, high, and low—that is, the inflection of sounds and tones, long, short, high, and low. This is because names and phrases must be established relying on written syllables.