Conference Presentations by Chia-Wei LIN
The language of Chinese Jingjiao (景教) texts exemplifies the rich transcultural interactions along... more The language of Chinese Jingjiao (景教) texts exemplifies the rich transcultural interactions along the Silk Road. On the one hand, these texts reflect influences from other literary traditions such as Syriac, Sogdian, Middle Persian. On the other hand, Jingjiao translators adopted existing Buddhist Chinese terminology to translate Christian concepts and employed phono-semantic matching to transcribe proper names. Drawing examples from literary sources and inscriptions found in China, the paper will examine Chinese Jingjiao documents as products of linguistic and cultural exchange contact between Chinese and languages on the Silk Road.
Al-Bīrūnī’s Book of India (Kitāb al-Hind, henceforth KH) is renowned for introducing the Greek an... more Al-Bīrūnī’s Book of India (Kitāb al-Hind, henceforth KH) is renowned for introducing the Greek and Indian concepts of metempsychosis (tanāsuḫ) to the Islamic world. In Chapter 5, after identifying metempsychosis as the “banner of Indian religion” (ʿalam al-niḥla al-Hindiyya), al-Bīrūnī explains the transmigration of the soul as the result of “reward” (ṯawāb) and “punishment” (ʿiqāb) determined by the soul’s good or bad actions. Chapter 6 elaborates on the heavens and hells that souls go to after death according to the Greek and Indian sources. Chapter 7 describes “liberation” (Arab. ḫalāṣ / Skt. mokṣa) from the cycle of transmigration through the attainment of knowledge. To elucidate the Indian notion of metempsychosis, al-Bīrūnī cites texts including the Bhagavadgīta, *Viṣṇudharma (i.e. Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa), Kitāb al-Pātanǧāl (i.e. Pātañjalayogaśastra), Viṣṇupurāṇa. In addition, he references Greek philosophers such as Plato (Phaedo), Proclus, and Pythagoras (as reported by Ammonius) to highlight the parallels between Greek and Indian ideas of metempsychosis.
The present study explores how al-Bīrūnī utilizes his Greek and Sanskrit sources to present the doctrine of metempsychosis outside of the Islamic tradition and examines how al-Bīrūnī translates Sanskrit and Greek texts into Arabic. Al-Bīrūnī often transliterates technical terms from Sanskrit or Greek, followed by Arabic glosses,
thereby many Sanskrit terms enter the Arabic lexicon for the first time. While many of
his translations closely follow the original texts on a literal level, some others are
adapted to fit within a monotheistic context, revealing al-Bīrūnī's nuanced engagement
with his material.
Eastern Christian literature, like its Buddhist counterpart, is characterized by extensive mult... more Eastern Christian literature, like its Buddhist counterpart, is characterized by extensive multilingual exchange and translation, involving languages such as Greek, Georgian, Armenian, Coptic, Syriac, and Arabic. While it was traditionally believed that most Late Antique and Medieval Georgian Christian texts were direct translations from Greek, recent studies have shown a more complex picture: some texts were translated from Greek via intermediary languages, while others were originally composed in Arabic and later translated into Greek through Georgian.
This study focuses on Christian texts translated from Arabic into Georgian before the 10th century, analyzing linguistic features used to identify the source language, including phonological structure of proper names, Semitic syntax, polysemy, mistranslations, and the calquing of Arabic phraseology. Particular attention is given to the Balavariani, a Christian adaptation of Buddhist jātaka stories, which were transmitted through Middle Persian into Arabic, and then into Georgian. This case study highlights the intricate processes of cultural and linguistic transmission within the region.
The Pahlavi Psalter (PPs) is a 12-folio fragment of Middle Persian Psalter translation from the S... more The Pahlavi Psalter (PPs) is a 12-folio fragment of Middle Persian Psalter translation from the Syriac Peshitta. It was discovered by the German Turfan Expeditions at the beginning of the 20th century in a Nestorian monastery in Bulayiq, Xinjiang. This fragment holds a unique significance as it stands out not only as the sole Christian document within the Middle Persian corpus, but also as the earliest manuscript known in the Pahlavi script, dated to 6th -7th century CE. Written in the unique "Psalter Pahlavi" script, which substantially differs from the more familiar Book Pahlavi script, the PPs has a more extensive usage of Aramaeograms and Syriac loanwords compared to the Zoroastrian Book Pahlavi.
The paper will consider the usage of Aramaeograms and Aramaic loanwords in the PPs within the broader context of Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia and China, comparing them with other writing traditions of Turfan documents (Syriac, Sogdian, Chinese, Old Uyghur, etc.) that reflect Aramaic influence. The paper argues that the so-called "Psalter-Pahlavi" script is central to the liturgical usage of the PPs. On the one hand, the Aramaeograms inherited a long tradition of Parthian and Middle Persian inscriptions that utilize Old Aramaic orthography to spell out Iranian words, typologically parallel to the presence of Sumerograms in Akkadian cuneiform tablets or Kanji/Hanza in Classical Japanese/Korean literature. On the other hand, the PPs entails a number of Syriac loanwords/Syrograms that are unattested neither in earlier Parthian or Middle Persian inscriptions nor in the later Zoroastrian Book Pahlavi corpus. It is the ambiguous status of these Syriac loanwords/Syrograms that contribute to the religious sanctity of the PPs. Moreover, the paper will provide an analysis of the Aramaeogram <MRWHY> /xwadāy/ 'God', which is used to translate Syriac ܡܪܝܐ maryå, corresponding to the tetragrammaton יהוה YHWH in the Hebrew scripture.
Rašīd al-Dīn's (1247-1318) Ǧāmiʿ al-tawārīḫ (‘Compendium of Chronicles’), often regarded as “the ... more Rašīd al-Dīn's (1247-1318) Ǧāmiʿ al-tawārīḫ (‘Compendium of Chronicles’), often regarded as “the first world history” by historians, contains one of few precious systematic accounts introducing Indian religions to the Islamic world. The Indian History in the Ǧāmiʿ al-Tawārīḫ is composed of three parts: (I.1) a chronological and geographical description of India based on al-Bīrūnī's Kitāb al-Hind, (I.2) a history of the rulers of Delhi, (II) the life and teaching of Śākyamuni according to a Buddhist monk from Kashmir named "Kamālašrī Baḫšī" (a loaned title from Chin. 博士 via Old Uyghur bahšı). Buddhist parallels of Śākyamuni’s biography reported in the Ǧāmiʿ al-tawārīḫ have been identified in the Chinese, Sanskrit, Pali, and Tibetan Buddhist canons by Schopen (1965), Sakaki (2000), Elverskog (2010) and Lin (2021).
Based on the manuscript of British Library MS Add 7628 (in Persian) and Khalili Collection MS 727 (in Arabic), this paper examines how Buddhist terminology and formulaic phrases are transcribed, translated, or paraphrased from Indic into Arabic and Persian in Rašīd al-Dīn's rendition of Śākyamuni’s biography. A particular focus will be on (1) Ch. 8 in Persian or the *Ārya-vasiṣṭha-sūtra, identified to be the parallel of the Pali Vāseṭṭhasutta (Aṅguttara-nikāya) and the Tibetan 'Phags pa gnas 'jog gi mdo (Derge Kanjur 333); (2) Ch. 16 in Persian or Ch. 17 in Arabic, identified to be the parallel of the Sanskrit Devatāsūtra, of which manuscript has been newly discovered and identified in Gilgit (Mette 1981), the Chinese 天請問經 Tian qǐng wèn jīng (Taishō 592), the Tibetan Lha'i mdo (Derge Kanjur 329), and some Old Turkic fragments from Turfan (Zieme 2002). With the help of parallel Buddhist sources as well as Rašīd al-Dīn’s Quranic and Sufi references, this paper will re-evaluate Buddhist translations as a transcultural phenomenon that spans from East Asia all the way to the Mediterranean world.
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Conference Presentations by Chia-Wei LIN
The present study explores how al-Bīrūnī utilizes his Greek and Sanskrit sources to present the doctrine of metempsychosis outside of the Islamic tradition and examines how al-Bīrūnī translates Sanskrit and Greek texts into Arabic. Al-Bīrūnī often transliterates technical terms from Sanskrit or Greek, followed by Arabic glosses,
thereby many Sanskrit terms enter the Arabic lexicon for the first time. While many of
his translations closely follow the original texts on a literal level, some others are
adapted to fit within a monotheistic context, revealing al-Bīrūnī's nuanced engagement
with his material.
This study focuses on Christian texts translated from Arabic into Georgian before the 10th century, analyzing linguistic features used to identify the source language, including phonological structure of proper names, Semitic syntax, polysemy, mistranslations, and the calquing of Arabic phraseology. Particular attention is given to the Balavariani, a Christian adaptation of Buddhist jātaka stories, which were transmitted through Middle Persian into Arabic, and then into Georgian. This case study highlights the intricate processes of cultural and linguistic transmission within the region.
The paper will consider the usage of Aramaeograms and Aramaic loanwords in the PPs within the broader context of Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia and China, comparing them with other writing traditions of Turfan documents (Syriac, Sogdian, Chinese, Old Uyghur, etc.) that reflect Aramaic influence. The paper argues that the so-called "Psalter-Pahlavi" script is central to the liturgical usage of the PPs. On the one hand, the Aramaeograms inherited a long tradition of Parthian and Middle Persian inscriptions that utilize Old Aramaic orthography to spell out Iranian words, typologically parallel to the presence of Sumerograms in Akkadian cuneiform tablets or Kanji/Hanza in Classical Japanese/Korean literature. On the other hand, the PPs entails a number of Syriac loanwords/Syrograms that are unattested neither in earlier Parthian or Middle Persian inscriptions nor in the later Zoroastrian Book Pahlavi corpus. It is the ambiguous status of these Syriac loanwords/Syrograms that contribute to the religious sanctity of the PPs. Moreover, the paper will provide an analysis of the Aramaeogram <MRWHY> /xwadāy/ 'God', which is used to translate Syriac ܡܪܝܐ maryå, corresponding to the tetragrammaton יהוה YHWH in the Hebrew scripture.
Based on the manuscript of British Library MS Add 7628 (in Persian) and Khalili Collection MS 727 (in Arabic), this paper examines how Buddhist terminology and formulaic phrases are transcribed, translated, or paraphrased from Indic into Arabic and Persian in Rašīd al-Dīn's rendition of Śākyamuni’s biography. A particular focus will be on (1) Ch. 8 in Persian or the *Ārya-vasiṣṭha-sūtra, identified to be the parallel of the Pali Vāseṭṭhasutta (Aṅguttara-nikāya) and the Tibetan 'Phags pa gnas 'jog gi mdo (Derge Kanjur 333); (2) Ch. 16 in Persian or Ch. 17 in Arabic, identified to be the parallel of the Sanskrit Devatāsūtra, of which manuscript has been newly discovered and identified in Gilgit (Mette 1981), the Chinese 天請問經 Tian qǐng wèn jīng (Taishō 592), the Tibetan Lha'i mdo (Derge Kanjur 329), and some Old Turkic fragments from Turfan (Zieme 2002). With the help of parallel Buddhist sources as well as Rašīd al-Dīn’s Quranic and Sufi references, this paper will re-evaluate Buddhist translations as a transcultural phenomenon that spans from East Asia all the way to the Mediterranean world.
The present study explores how al-Bīrūnī utilizes his Greek and Sanskrit sources to present the doctrine of metempsychosis outside of the Islamic tradition and examines how al-Bīrūnī translates Sanskrit and Greek texts into Arabic. Al-Bīrūnī often transliterates technical terms from Sanskrit or Greek, followed by Arabic glosses,
thereby many Sanskrit terms enter the Arabic lexicon for the first time. While many of
his translations closely follow the original texts on a literal level, some others are
adapted to fit within a monotheistic context, revealing al-Bīrūnī's nuanced engagement
with his material.
This study focuses on Christian texts translated from Arabic into Georgian before the 10th century, analyzing linguistic features used to identify the source language, including phonological structure of proper names, Semitic syntax, polysemy, mistranslations, and the calquing of Arabic phraseology. Particular attention is given to the Balavariani, a Christian adaptation of Buddhist jātaka stories, which were transmitted through Middle Persian into Arabic, and then into Georgian. This case study highlights the intricate processes of cultural and linguistic transmission within the region.
The paper will consider the usage of Aramaeograms and Aramaic loanwords in the PPs within the broader context of Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia and China, comparing them with other writing traditions of Turfan documents (Syriac, Sogdian, Chinese, Old Uyghur, etc.) that reflect Aramaic influence. The paper argues that the so-called "Psalter-Pahlavi" script is central to the liturgical usage of the PPs. On the one hand, the Aramaeograms inherited a long tradition of Parthian and Middle Persian inscriptions that utilize Old Aramaic orthography to spell out Iranian words, typologically parallel to the presence of Sumerograms in Akkadian cuneiform tablets or Kanji/Hanza in Classical Japanese/Korean literature. On the other hand, the PPs entails a number of Syriac loanwords/Syrograms that are unattested neither in earlier Parthian or Middle Persian inscriptions nor in the later Zoroastrian Book Pahlavi corpus. It is the ambiguous status of these Syriac loanwords/Syrograms that contribute to the religious sanctity of the PPs. Moreover, the paper will provide an analysis of the Aramaeogram <MRWHY> /xwadāy/ 'God', which is used to translate Syriac ܡܪܝܐ maryå, corresponding to the tetragrammaton יהוה YHWH in the Hebrew scripture.
Based on the manuscript of British Library MS Add 7628 (in Persian) and Khalili Collection MS 727 (in Arabic), this paper examines how Buddhist terminology and formulaic phrases are transcribed, translated, or paraphrased from Indic into Arabic and Persian in Rašīd al-Dīn's rendition of Śākyamuni’s biography. A particular focus will be on (1) Ch. 8 in Persian or the *Ārya-vasiṣṭha-sūtra, identified to be the parallel of the Pali Vāseṭṭhasutta (Aṅguttara-nikāya) and the Tibetan 'Phags pa gnas 'jog gi mdo (Derge Kanjur 333); (2) Ch. 16 in Persian or Ch. 17 in Arabic, identified to be the parallel of the Sanskrit Devatāsūtra, of which manuscript has been newly discovered and identified in Gilgit (Mette 1981), the Chinese 天請問經 Tian qǐng wèn jīng (Taishō 592), the Tibetan Lha'i mdo (Derge Kanjur 329), and some Old Turkic fragments from Turfan (Zieme 2002). With the help of parallel Buddhist sources as well as Rašīd al-Dīn’s Quranic and Sufi references, this paper will re-evaluate Buddhist translations as a transcultural phenomenon that spans from East Asia all the way to the Mediterranean world.