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Yue Ji

University of Vienna, Departament of Linguistics, Graduate Student

Renmin University of China, School of Chinese Classics, Alumnus

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I am a PhD candidate at the Department of Linguistics, University of Vienna, as recipient of the DOC Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). My doctoral project focuses on the linguistics and philology of Tangut, an extinct Tibeto-Burman language, especially it translation of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā from Tibetan. In addition, I am also interested in other ancient Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan languages in the Tarim Basin as well as their historical contact.

Prior to joining UniVie, I received my BA and MA from the School of Chinese Classics, Renmin University of China focusing on the linguistics and philology of Classical Chinese and Tangut respectively.
Supervisors: Hannes A. Fellner (Vienna) and HUA Jianguang 华建光 (Beijing)
Address: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Wien, Sensengasse 3a, 1090 Wien

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Papers by Yue Ji

中国语言文字学数字人文发展报告 [Report on Digital Humanities in Chinese linguistics and philology]

中国数字人文发展报告 [Report on Digital Humanities in China] (ed. Huiling Feng et al), 199–218. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2024

Tangut ˑja¹ as a constituent question particle

Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 76(4). 631–646, 2023

The Tangut character 𘄢 ˑja¹ (#1718) is usually glossed as Chin. nuò 诺 '(to) promise; yes' in dict... more The Tangut character 𘄢 ˑja¹ (#1718) is usually glossed as Chin. nuò 诺 '(to) promise; yes' in dictionaries. Given the fact that it does occur in rhetorical questions, this article argues that Tangut 𘄢 ˑja¹ is instead a constituent question particle and thus not restricted in rhetorical use. The conclusion is based on a detailed philological investigation, employing multilingual parallel texts where applicable. Comparisons with other Qiangic languages reveal several candidates for cognates. Nonetheless, their similarity is more likely to be an areal typological feature, rather than an etymological relation.

梵汉对音与中古汉语声调的构拟——再论不空音系的声调和梵语的重音规则 [Reconstructing Middle Chinese tones through Sanskrit-Chinese transcriptions: The tones of Amoghavajra and the accentual system of Sanskrit revisited]

语言学论丛 [Essays on Linguistics] (4). 58–68, 2023

It is generally accepted to reconstruct ancient Chinese tones through Vedic accents in Sanskrit-C... more It is generally accepted to reconstruct ancient Chinese tones through Vedic accents in Sanskrit-Chinese transcriptions. For example, Amoghavajra most frequently used the rising tone (shǎngshēng) to transcribe Vedic accented (udātta) syllables, suggesting that its pitch is the highest. In fact, however, it is a common preference to apply the rising tone, regardless whether it corresponds with udātta or not. Thus, it neither implies the pitch of the tones, nor proves the Vedic accentual system was still preserved. Although accent was no longer marked in Sanskrit texts, the accentual system is believed to be changed, according to (i) modern pronunciation of Sanskrit and New Indo-Aryan languages, (ii) the conditions of sound changes in Middle Indic and Sanskrit, and (iii) philological evidence from Ancient India. Consequently, it is not appropriate to apply Vedic accentual system on Sanskrit-Chinese transcriptions, unless there are any strong reasons. As for the duration of tones, the departing tone (qùshēng) is proved to be the longest, and the entering tone (rùshēng) the shortest, while the rising tone is likely to be slightly longer than the level tone (píngshēng).

西夏字书《择要常传同名杂字》序言考述 [A Study on the Prefaces of the Tangut Dictionary, Zeyao Changchuan Tongming Zazi]

中古中国研究 [Medieval China] (ed. Xin YU), vol. 4, 169–184. Shanghai: Zhongxi shuju, 2023

There have been several studies on the newly discovered Tangut dictionary, namely the Zeyao Chang... more There have been several studies on the newly discovered Tangut dictionary, namely the Zeyao Changchuan Tongming Zazi 擇要常傳同名雜字. However, there are still many problems remaining unsovled. This article begins with an argument that its cover titled 𗑗𗫨𘝦𘃽…… sej1 dwewr2 dźjɨ ˑo2 ‘bodhisattva […]’ originally belongs to a Tangut translation of the Bodhicaryāvatāra by Śantideva from Tibetan. The main body of this article offers a critical edition of its two prefaces, accompanied with Chinese translation and detailed annotations on the meanings of several expressions, including: (a) 𘛐 twụ1, literally ‘straight’, here means ‘(in the way of) sudden enlightenment’; (b) 𗏇𗦻 dji2 mji̱j2, lit. ‘character-name’, here ‘reading, pronunciation’; (c) 𗹙𗣃 tsji̱r1 gjwi2, lit. ‘law-sentences’, here ‘explanation of duties or the dharma’, translated from Tib. chos brjod pa or Skt. dharmākhyāna; (d) 𘇂𗐯 gu2 kiẹj2, lit. ‘middle-area’, here probably refers to Khanbaliq; (e) 𗾖𗸱 go̱r1 no2, lit. ‘master’, here may refer to Wéimíng Dézhào 嵬名德照 or Wùluō Wénxìn 兀囉文信; (f) 𗫂𘈘 tja1 śjwɨ1, a transcription of Tib. dag yig ‘orthography’; (g) 𘂛𘈘 tshe2 śjwɨ1, a transcription of Tib. ’khyug yig ‘cursive script’. By comparing its number of characters with the Suijin 碎金 and the Sancai 三才, we infer that the term 𘆖𗦇 tshjɨ̱1 lew2 ‘those listed’ refers to the number of larger characters, while 𘅤𗦇 rjar1 lew2 ‘those written’ refers to the total number. Finally, we conclude that it is a textbook possibly compiled in the Yuan Dynasty in order to help the less educated population study the Tangut characters, and especially read Buddhist texts accurately. The dictionary still calls for a further investigation, which will be especially beneficial to the reconstruction of Tangut phonology.

论上古汉语主语的隐现规律——基于《左传》独白长语篇的统计分析 [The elipsis and occurrence of subject in Classical Chinese: A statistical study on the long narrative text from Zuozhuan]

中国语言学报 [Chinese Journal of Linguistics], vol. 20, 102-119. Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan, 2022

This article, based on the long monologue text from Zuǒzhuàn, studied the weights of referential ... more This article, based on the long monologue text from Zuǒzhuàn, studied the weights of referential distance, potential reference, and the grammatical category of antecedents on influencing the occurrence of subjects in Classical Chinese. By applying both single-factor and multi-factor analysis on a corpus of over 1,300 examples, it is concluded that only the former two are the main factors in the occurrence of subjects. And, by exclusively analyzing the significant misidentifications, we concluded that microscopic accessibility is the leading factor to the occurrence of subjects, yet, from a higher level, it can be slightly affected by its text structure.

文章以《左传》独白长语篇为封闭语料，探讨指称距离、潜在干扰、先行语类型在制约上古汉语语篇主语隐现时的权重关系。通过对1300个语例的单因素分析和多因素分析，文章认为：只有前两者是制约主语隐现的主要因素。通过对极端语例的专门分析，文章认为：微观层面的可及性是影响上古汉语主语隐现的主导因素，但在中观层面则会因语篇结构而有所微调。

中国人民大学国学院的古代汉语词语教学 [Teaching Classical Chinese vocabulary at the School of Chinese Classics, Renmin University of China]

Zum Unterricht des Klassischen Chinesischen (ed. Wen LI & Ralph Kauz), 263-272 (Orientierungen Themenband 2019). Großheirath: Ostasien Verlag, 2021

When teaching undergraduate students Classical Chinese in School of Chinese Classics (Guóxué Yuà... more When teaching undergraduate students Classical Chinese in School of Chinese Classics (Guóxué Yuàn 國學院), Renmin University of China, the major purpose is to improve their ability to read classic texts without punctuations within the limited time of 4-credit courses. As a result, the texts we use are selected from Pre-Qín Period, with classic annotations only. Furthermore, we particularly stress the ability of adding punctuations (jùdòu 句讀), and highlight vocabulary of classical Chinese rather than grammar, thus the modern annotations and translations are less concerned. As for vocabulary, we pay more attention to the key words of other disciplines (like history, literature, philosophy, etc) rather than basic words in linguistics. Under the principle that the visual form (i.e. xíng 形), pronunciation (i.e. yīn 音), and meaning (i.e. yì 義) of a character shall be united (xíngyīnyì hùqiú 形音義互求), the following skills will be especially trained: (a) to summarize linguistic words from written forms, (b) to infer the meaning of a word from its context, and (c) to analyse semantic systems referring to philology works like Shuōwén Jiězì 說文解字. Through these exercises, students are generally able to read the texts like Máoshī Zhèngyì 毛詩正義 fluently, which contain classical annotations but no modern punctuations, and can further review the different ancient interpretations from the perspective of traditional exegetics (xùngūxué 訓詁學).

From Qieyun to Guangyun: An overview of the Qieyun Series rime books

Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics 14(1). 57-73, 2021

The Qièyùn Series rime books (Qièyùn-xì yùnshū 切韻系韻書), not only the two complete editions, the Kā... more The Qièyùn Series rime books (Qièyùn-xì yùnshū 切韻系韻書), not only the two complete editions, the Kānmiù Bǔquē Qièyùn 刊謬補缺切韻 (also known as Wángyùn 王韻) and Guǎngyùn 廣韻, but also many other fragments, are of great importance in studying Middle Chinese phonology. This paper aims to comprehensively introduce the materials of the Qièyùn Series rime books, from the original Qièyùn 切韻 to later revised editions until the Five Dynasties (Wǔdài 五代), including essential research on them. And finally, by using specific examples, this article summarized the development from the Qièyùn 切韻 to the Guǎngyùn 廣韻 through the four-century-long history of revision and extension.

Conference Presentations by Yue Ji

夏译《八千颂般若经》底本考辨 ——基于第二十品的夏藏梵汉多语种对勘 [On the sources of the Tangut translation of Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā: A case study on Chapter 20 and its parallel texts in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese]

第二届西夏学青年学者论坛 [The 2nd Young Scholars' Conference on Tangutology]. Beijing: Nov. 26-27 / “西夏文献研究的现在与未来”工作坊 [Workshop on the Present and Future of Studies in Tangut Texts]. Beijing: Dec. 10-11, 2022

These slides show parts of the preliminary results of my MA thesis, concerning the source text(s)... more These slides show parts of the preliminary results of my MA thesis, concerning the source text(s) of the Tangut translation of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā (Tib. Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brGyad song pa). Instead of the predominant Tibetan translation ('ḥPhreng ba can' version), I argue that the Tangut text was based on an earlier transmission ('bZo sbyangs' version) that was not influenced by its later commentary, Abhisamayālaṃkāra (Tib. mNgon par rtogs paḥi rgyan). There are also evidences of reference to Sanskrit texts (and perhaps Dānapāla's [Shīhù 施护] Chinese translation).

The presentation was initially prepared for the Workshop on the Present and Future of Tangut Texts (scheduled on Oct. 29, 2022) that was delayed to Dec. 11, shortly after the 2nd Young Scholars' Conference on Tangutology (Nov. 26-27). The two slides remain mostly the same, with only minor revisions.

Book Reviews by Yue Ji

Review of Shi Xiangdong 施向东, Hanzangyu bijiao yanjiu 汉藏语比较研究 [Chinese-Tibetan Comparative Linguistics] (Shanghai: Zhongxi 2021)

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 86(1). 107—209, 2023

Simmons' lucid introduction to the volume summarizes some of the key conclusions that emerge from... more Simmons' lucid introduction to the volume summarizes some of the key conclusions that emerge from the chapters in a bulleted list (p. 10). This is especially helpful for the researcher who intends to read selectively rather than straight through the volume. He has also done a splendid job imposing uniformity of style and data presentation. Jerry Norman's Common Dialectal Chinese, rather than Middle Chinese, is used consistently as a point of comparison and Pīnyīn romanizations have tone marks throughout the book. While the contributions in the volume vary somewhat in quality and significance, each one provides something of interest and value. In assessing the impact of this volume on future scholarship into the history of Chinese language and its cultural manifestations, the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Theses by Yue Ji

《八千颂般若经》夏藏梵汉对勘研究——以西夏译《增上慢品》为中心 [A Comparative Study of the Tangut-Tibetan-Sanskrit-Chinese Parallel Texts of the Aṣtasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā: Focusing on the Abhimāna-parivarta in the Tangut Translation]

Beijing: Renmin University of China Master thesis, 2023

As one of the earliest Mahāyana Prajñāpāramitā literature, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā is av... more As one of the earliest Mahāyana Prajñāpāramitā literature, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā is available in a wide range of languages including Gāndhārī, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Tangut, and Mongolian, etc. This thesis, as a case study, focuses on the Abhimāna-parivarta chapter in the Tangut translation, and compares it with the parallel texts in Tibetan, Sanskrit and Chinese, so that the results can be contributive to studies on the textual trasnmission, as well as semantics and morphosyntax of the Tangut language.

For philological studies, it is further proved that the Tangut text originates from Tibetan. However, the source text in Tibetan is not the dominant translation today (the ḥPhreng ba can version, Series B), but rather the bZo sbyang (or sDe can) translation (Series A) that was not influenced by the Abhisamayālaṃkāra during the later dissemination (phyi dar). This result not only marks the uniqueness of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā among other Tangut Buddhism texts translated from Tibetan, but also suggests that the Series A translations, although being a rarity now, used to be more dominant in the 12th century. Furthermore, there are, on the one hand, several minor parts in the Tangut translation which are probably affected by Tibetan (Series B), Sanskrit, and/or Chinese texts. On the other hand, there are also readings that correspond with none of the other texts and originate from unknown sourses, presumably.

As for linguistics, by fully utilising the correspondences in Tibetan and Sanskrit parallels, this thesis proposes new analysis on the morphosyntax of several Tangut particles with reference to their usage in other texts. For example, in addition to its lexical meaning ‘(to) promise’, Tang. 𘄢 ˑja̱ 1 occurs more frequently as a constituent interrogative particle (corresponding to Tib. ci, Skt. kim ‘Q’); instead of a ‘say’ verb, Tang. 𘙐 wja1 is in fact a focus marker in contrastive contexts (corresponding to Tib. na ‘if’, Skt. api ‘also’ inter alia). Besides, the thesis also analyses the semantics of several lexical words attested in the text, e.g. 𗂐𗉛 tshwa1 źjị1 ‘sorrow as if being pierced’ (lit. ‘pierce-sorrow’) and 𗍫𗀄 njɨ̱ 1 ŋwu2 ‘(to) hesitate’ (lit. ‘two-fold’).

In conclusion, the comparative study on multilingual parallel texts in Tangut, Tibetan, Sanskrit and Chinese is not only contributive to better reveal the source(s) of Tangut translation and the history of cultural communication, but also invaluable for the fields of Tangut linguistics, Tibeto-Burman comparative linguistics and linguistic typology.

Translations by Yue Ji

中国语言文字学数字人文发展报告 [Report on Digital Humanities in Chinese linguistics and philology]

中国数字人文发展报告 [Report on Digital Humanities in China] (ed. Huiling Feng et al), 199–218. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2024

Tangut ˑja¹ as a constituent question particle

Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 76(4). 631–646, 2023

The Tangut character 𘄢 ˑja¹ (#1718) is usually glossed as Chin. nuò 诺 '(to) promise; yes' in dict... more The Tangut character 𘄢 ˑja¹ (#1718) is usually glossed as Chin. nuò 诺 '(to) promise; yes' in dictionaries. Given the fact that it does occur in rhetorical questions, this article argues that Tangut 𘄢 ˑja¹ is instead a constituent question particle and thus not restricted in rhetorical use. The conclusion is based on a detailed philological investigation, employing multilingual parallel texts where applicable. Comparisons with other Qiangic languages reveal several candidates for cognates. Nonetheless, their similarity is more likely to be an areal typological feature, rather than an etymological relation.

梵汉对音与中古汉语声调的构拟——再论不空音系的声调和梵语的重音规则 [Reconstructing Middle Chinese tones through Sanskrit-Chinese transcriptions: The tones of Amoghavajra and the accentual system of Sanskrit revisited]

语言学论丛 [Essays on Linguistics] (4). 58–68, 2023

It is generally accepted to reconstruct ancient Chinese tones through Vedic accents in Sanskrit-C... more It is generally accepted to reconstruct ancient Chinese tones through Vedic accents in Sanskrit-Chinese transcriptions. For example, Amoghavajra most frequently used the rising tone (shǎngshēng) to transcribe Vedic accented (udātta) syllables, suggesting that its pitch is the highest. In fact, however, it is a common preference to apply the rising tone, regardless whether it corresponds with udātta or not. Thus, it neither implies the pitch of the tones, nor proves the Vedic accentual system was still preserved. Although accent was no longer marked in Sanskrit texts, the accentual system is believed to be changed, according to (i) modern pronunciation of Sanskrit and New Indo-Aryan languages, (ii) the conditions of sound changes in Middle Indic and Sanskrit, and (iii) philological evidence from Ancient India. Consequently, it is not appropriate to apply Vedic accentual system on Sanskrit-Chinese transcriptions, unless there are any strong reasons. As for the duration of tones, the departing tone (qùshēng) is proved to be the longest, and the entering tone (rùshēng) the shortest, while the rising tone is likely to be slightly longer than the level tone (píngshēng).

西夏字书《择要常传同名杂字》序言考述 [A Study on the Prefaces of the Tangut Dictionary, Zeyao Changchuan Tongming Zazi]

中古中国研究 [Medieval China] (ed. Xin YU), vol. 4, 169–184. Shanghai: Zhongxi shuju, 2023

There have been several studies on the newly discovered Tangut dictionary, namely the Zeyao Chang... more There have been several studies on the newly discovered Tangut dictionary, namely the Zeyao Changchuan Tongming Zazi 擇要常傳同名雜字. However, there are still many problems remaining unsovled. This article begins with an argument that its cover titled 𗑗𗫨𘝦𘃽…… sej1 dwewr2 dźjɨ ˑo2 ‘bodhisattva […]’ originally belongs to a Tangut translation of the Bodhicaryāvatāra by Śantideva from Tibetan. The main body of this article offers a critical edition of its two prefaces, accompanied with Chinese translation and detailed annotations on the meanings of several expressions, including: (a) 𘛐 twụ1, literally ‘straight’, here means ‘(in the way of) sudden enlightenment’; (b) 𗏇𗦻 dji2 mji̱j2, lit. ‘character-name’, here ‘reading, pronunciation’; (c) 𗹙𗣃 tsji̱r1 gjwi2, lit. ‘law-sentences’, here ‘explanation of duties or the dharma’, translated from Tib. chos brjod pa or Skt. dharmākhyāna; (d) 𘇂𗐯 gu2 kiẹj2, lit. ‘middle-area’, here probably refers to Khanbaliq; (e) 𗾖𗸱 go̱r1 no2, lit. ‘master’, here may refer to Wéimíng Dézhào 嵬名德照 or Wùluō Wénxìn 兀囉文信; (f) 𗫂𘈘 tja1 śjwɨ1, a transcription of Tib. dag yig ‘orthography’; (g) 𘂛𘈘 tshe2 śjwɨ1, a transcription of Tib. ’khyug yig ‘cursive script’. By comparing its number of characters with the Suijin 碎金 and the Sancai 三才, we infer that the term 𘆖𗦇 tshjɨ̱1 lew2 ‘those listed’ refers to the number of larger characters, while 𘅤𗦇 rjar1 lew2 ‘those written’ refers to the total number. Finally, we conclude that it is a textbook possibly compiled in the Yuan Dynasty in order to help the less educated population study the Tangut characters, and especially read Buddhist texts accurately. The dictionary still calls for a further investigation, which will be especially beneficial to the reconstruction of Tangut phonology.

论上古汉语主语的隐现规律——基于《左传》独白长语篇的统计分析 [The elipsis and occurrence of subject in Classical Chinese: A statistical study on the long narrative text from Zuozhuan]

中国语言学报 [Chinese Journal of Linguistics], vol. 20, 102-119. Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan, 2022

This article, based on the long monologue text from Zuǒzhuàn, studied the weights of referential ... more This article, based on the long monologue text from Zuǒzhuàn, studied the weights of referential distance, potential reference, and the grammatical category of antecedents on influencing the occurrence of subjects in Classical Chinese. By applying both single-factor and multi-factor analysis on a corpus of over 1,300 examples, it is concluded that only the former two are the main factors in the occurrence of subjects. And, by exclusively analyzing the significant misidentifications, we concluded that microscopic accessibility is the leading factor to the occurrence of subjects, yet, from a higher level, it can be slightly affected by its text structure.

文章以《左传》独白长语篇为封闭语料，探讨指称距离、潜在干扰、先行语类型在制约上古汉语语篇主语隐现时的权重关系。通过对1300个语例的单因素分析和多因素分析，文章认为：只有前两者是制约主语隐现的主要因素。通过对极端语例的专门分析，文章认为：微观层面的可及性是影响上古汉语主语隐现的主导因素，但在中观层面则会因语篇结构而有所微调。

中国人民大学国学院的古代汉语词语教学 [Teaching Classical Chinese vocabulary at the School of Chinese Classics, Renmin University of China]

Zum Unterricht des Klassischen Chinesischen (ed. Wen LI & Ralph Kauz), 263-272 (Orientierungen Themenband 2019). Großheirath: Ostasien Verlag, 2021

When teaching undergraduate students Classical Chinese in School of Chinese Classics (Guóxué Yuà... more When teaching undergraduate students Classical Chinese in School of Chinese Classics (Guóxué Yuàn 國學院), Renmin University of China, the major purpose is to improve their ability to read classic texts without punctuations within the limited time of 4-credit courses. As a result, the texts we use are selected from Pre-Qín Period, with classic annotations only. Furthermore, we particularly stress the ability of adding punctuations (jùdòu 句讀), and highlight vocabulary of classical Chinese rather than grammar, thus the modern annotations and translations are less concerned. As for vocabulary, we pay more attention to the key words of other disciplines (like history, literature, philosophy, etc) rather than basic words in linguistics. Under the principle that the visual form (i.e. xíng 形), pronunciation (i.e. yīn 音), and meaning (i.e. yì 義) of a character shall be united (xíngyīnyì hùqiú 形音義互求), the following skills will be especially trained: (a) to summarize linguistic words from written forms, (b) to infer the meaning of a word from its context, and (c) to analyse semantic systems referring to philology works like Shuōwén Jiězì 說文解字. Through these exercises, students are generally able to read the texts like Máoshī Zhèngyì 毛詩正義 fluently, which contain classical annotations but no modern punctuations, and can further review the different ancient interpretations from the perspective of traditional exegetics (xùngūxué 訓詁學).

From Qieyun to Guangyun: An overview of the Qieyun Series rime books

Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics 14(1). 57-73, 2021

The Qièyùn Series rime books (Qièyùn-xì yùnshū 切韻系韻書), not only the two complete editions, the Kā... more The Qièyùn Series rime books (Qièyùn-xì yùnshū 切韻系韻書), not only the two complete editions, the Kānmiù Bǔquē Qièyùn 刊謬補缺切韻 (also known as Wángyùn 王韻) and Guǎngyùn 廣韻, but also many other fragments, are of great importance in studying Middle Chinese phonology. This paper aims to comprehensively introduce the materials of the Qièyùn Series rime books, from the original Qièyùn 切韻 to later revised editions until the Five Dynasties (Wǔdài 五代), including essential research on them. And finally, by using specific examples, this article summarized the development from the Qièyùn 切韻 to the Guǎngyùn 廣韻 through the four-century-long history of revision and extension.

夏译《八千颂般若经》底本考辨 ——基于第二十品的夏藏梵汉多语种对勘 [On the sources of the Tangut translation of Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā: A case study on Chapter 20 and its parallel texts in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese]

第二届西夏学青年学者论坛 [The 2nd Young Scholars' Conference on Tangutology]. Beijing: Nov. 26-27 / “西夏文献研究的现在与未来”工作坊 [Workshop on the Present and Future of Studies in Tangut Texts]. Beijing: Dec. 10-11, 2022

These slides show parts of the preliminary results of my MA thesis, concerning the source text(s)... more These slides show parts of the preliminary results of my MA thesis, concerning the source text(s) of the Tangut translation of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā (Tib. Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brGyad song pa). Instead of the predominant Tibetan translation ('ḥPhreng ba can' version), I argue that the Tangut text was based on an earlier transmission ('bZo sbyangs' version) that was not influenced by its later commentary, Abhisamayālaṃkāra (Tib. mNgon par rtogs paḥi rgyan). There are also evidences of reference to Sanskrit texts (and perhaps Dānapāla's [Shīhù 施护] Chinese translation).

The presentation was initially prepared for the Workshop on the Present and Future of Tangut Texts (scheduled on Oct. 29, 2022) that was delayed to Dec. 11, shortly after the 2nd Young Scholars' Conference on Tangutology (Nov. 26-27). The two slides remain mostly the same, with only minor revisions.

Review of Shi Xiangdong 施向东, Hanzangyu bijiao yanjiu 汉藏语比较研究 [Chinese-Tibetan Comparative Linguistics] (Shanghai: Zhongxi 2021)

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 86(1). 107—209, 2023

Simmons' lucid introduction to the volume summarizes some of the key conclusions that emerge from... more Simmons' lucid introduction to the volume summarizes some of the key conclusions that emerge from the chapters in a bulleted list (p. 10). This is especially helpful for the researcher who intends to read selectively rather than straight through the volume. He has also done a splendid job imposing uniformity of style and data presentation. Jerry Norman's Common Dialectal Chinese, rather than Middle Chinese, is used consistently as a point of comparison and Pīnyīn romanizations have tone marks throughout the book. While the contributions in the volume vary somewhat in quality and significance, each one provides something of interest and value. In assessing the impact of this volume on future scholarship into the history of Chinese language and its cultural manifestations, the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

《八千颂般若经》夏藏梵汉对勘研究——以西夏译《增上慢品》为中心 [A Comparative Study of the Tangut-Tibetan-Sanskrit-Chinese Parallel Texts of the Aṣtasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā: Focusing on the Abhimāna-parivarta in the Tangut Translation]

Beijing: Renmin University of China Master thesis, 2023

As one of the earliest Mahāyana Prajñāpāramitā literature, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā is av... more As one of the earliest Mahāyana Prajñāpāramitā literature, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā is available in a wide range of languages including Gāndhārī, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Tangut, and Mongolian, etc. This thesis, as a case study, focuses on the Abhimāna-parivarta chapter in the Tangut translation, and compares it with the parallel texts in Tibetan, Sanskrit and Chinese, so that the results can be contributive to studies on the textual trasnmission, as well as semantics and morphosyntax of the Tangut language.

For philological studies, it is further proved that the Tangut text originates from Tibetan. However, the source text in Tibetan is not the dominant translation today (the ḥPhreng ba can version, Series B), but rather the bZo sbyang (or sDe can) translation (Series A) that was not influenced by the Abhisamayālaṃkāra during the later dissemination (phyi dar). This result not only marks the uniqueness of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā among other Tangut Buddhism texts translated from Tibetan, but also suggests that the Series A translations, although being a rarity now, used to be more dominant in the 12th century. Furthermore, there are, on the one hand, several minor parts in the Tangut translation which are probably affected by Tibetan (Series B), Sanskrit, and/or Chinese texts. On the other hand, there are also readings that correspond with none of the other texts and originate from unknown sourses, presumably.

As for linguistics, by fully utilising the correspondences in Tibetan and Sanskrit parallels, this thesis proposes new analysis on the morphosyntax of several Tangut particles with reference to their usage in other texts. For example, in addition to its lexical meaning ‘(to) promise’, Tang. 𘄢 ˑja̱ 1 occurs more frequently as a constituent interrogative particle (corresponding to Tib. ci, Skt. kim ‘Q’); instead of a ‘say’ verb, Tang. 𘙐 wja1 is in fact a focus marker in contrastive contexts (corresponding to Tib. na ‘if’, Skt. api ‘also’ inter alia). Besides, the thesis also analyses the semantics of several lexical words attested in the text, e.g. 𗂐𗉛 tshwa1 źjị1 ‘sorrow as if being pierced’ (lit. ‘pierce-sorrow’) and 𗍫𗀄 njɨ̱ 1 ŋwu2 ‘(to) hesitate’ (lit. ‘two-fold’).

In conclusion, the comparative study on multilingual parallel texts in Tangut, Tibetan, Sanskrit and Chinese is not only contributive to better reveal the source(s) of Tangut translation and the history of cultural communication, but also invaluable for the fields of Tangut linguistics, Tibeto-Burman comparative linguistics and linguistic typology.