轉法輪

轉法輪

Chinese

		to revolve; to turn; to circle about to revolve; to turn; to circle about; to walk about; to convey; to forward (mail); to transfer; to shift	dharmachakra; wheel of the dharma; the eternal wheel of life
trad. (轉法輪)		轉	法輪
simp. (转法轮)		转	法轮
Literally: “turn the wheel of dharma”.

Etymology

Calque of Sanskrit धर्मचक्रप्रवर्तन (dharmacakrapravartana, literally “dharma-wheel-turning”) or Pali dhammacakkappavattana.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhuǎn fǎlún, zhuàn fǎlún

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄢˇ ㄈㄚˇ ㄌㄨㄣˊ, ㄓㄨㄢˋ ㄈㄚˇ ㄌㄨㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zyun² faat³ leon⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhuǎn fǎlún [Phonetic: zhuánfǎlún]
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄢˇ ㄈㄚˇ ㄌㄨㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhuǎn fǎlún
    • Wade–Giles: chuan³ fa³-lun²
    • Yale: jwǎn fǎ-lwún
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: joan faaluen
    • Palladius: чжуань фалунь (čžuanʹ falunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂwän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ lwən³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhuàn fǎlún
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄢˋ ㄈㄚˇ ㄌㄨㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhuàn fǎlún
    • Wade–Giles: chuan⁴ fa³-lun²
    • Yale: jwàn fǎ-lwún
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: juann faaluen
    • Palladius: чжуань фалунь (čžuanʹ falunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂwän⁵¹ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ lwən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: zyun² faat³ leon⁴
    • Yale: jyún faat lèuhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzyn² faat⁸ loen⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: jun² fad³ lên⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ʃyːn³⁵ faːt̚³ lɵn²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: /ʈˠiuᴇn^X|ʈˠiuᴇn^H  pɨɐp̚  liuɪn/

Rime
Character	轉	轉	法	輪
Reading #	1/2	2/2	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	知 (9)	知 (9)	幫 (1)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	仙 (80)	仙 (80)	凡 (148)	諄 (47)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)	Checked (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	III	III	III	III
Fanqie	陟兖切	知戀切	方乏切	力迍切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈˠiuᴇnX/	/ʈˠiuᴇnH/	/pɨɐp̚/	/liuɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈʷᵚiɛnX/	/ʈʷᵚiɛnH/	/piɐp̚/	/lʷin/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiuænX/	/ȶiuænH/	/piɐp̚/	/ljuen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈwianX/	/ʈwianH/	/puap̚/	/lwin/
Li Rong	/ȶjuɛnX/	/ȶjuɛnH/	/piɐp̚/	/liuĕn/
Wang Li	/ȶĭwɛnX/	/ȶĭwɛnH/	/pĭwɐp̚/	/lĭuĕn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȶi̯wɛnX/	/ȶi̯wɛnH/	/pi̯wɐp̚/	/li̯uĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhuǎn	zhuàn	fa	lún
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zyun2	zyun3	faat3	leon4

Verb

轉法輪

1. (Buddhism, figuratively) to transmit Buddhist teachings

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (轉法輪):

• → Japanese: 転(てん)法(ぼう)輪(りん) (tenbōrin)
• → Korean: 전법륜(轉法輪) (jeonbeomnyun)

Further reading

• Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “轉法輪” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].