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): /ʈ͡ʂu̯än²¹⁴⁻³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu̯ən³⁵/
      
  • (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): /ʈ͡ʂu̯än⁵¹ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu̯ən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zyun² faat³ leon⁴
    • Yale: jyún faat lèuhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzyn² faat⁸ loen⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: jun² fad³ lên⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡syːn³⁵ faːt̚³ lɵn²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: trjwenX|trjwenH pjop lwin

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)	乏 (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
Baxter	trjwenX	trjwenH	pjop	lwin
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/
Bernhard 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, figurative) 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].