翻譯名義集 5.78

5.78

[Vyañjana]: Translated here as "collection of phonemes" (vyañjana-kāya). The Ci'en commentary states: "The collection of phonemes serves as the support for names and phrases and reveals what is expressed. 'Revealing' has four meanings: first, a fan; second, major and minor marks; third, sense faculties and physical forms; fourth, salt. They respectively reveal cool breeze, great persons, males and females, and flavors; therefore, they are named 'revealers.' This serves as a metaphor for this collection of phonemes, which is capable of revealing principle. If following the old translations, translating vyañjana as 'flavor' means it is only what is revealed, not that which reveals." The Mahāyānāvatāra-laṅkāvatāra states: "The collection of phonemes means that by relying on this, names and phrases can be formed." The Laṅkāvatāra states: "A collection of forms means displaying names and phrases; this is called a collection of forms. Furthermore, a collection of forms refers to long and short, high and low." The note says: A collection of forms is simply syllables. The Mahāyānāvatāra-laṅkāvatāra states: "A collection of syllables means the length of sounds and the pitch of tones; this is called a collection of syllables." Now it is asked: "Are phonemes and syllables different or identical?" The answer: "If not yet modified, they are merely names and characters; if already modified, phonemes are syllables. Thus, conforming to categories and picturing forms constitutes characters; when form and sound match each other, it is called phonemes."