Izumo Fudoki Herbs Translation Language

Izumokunihudoki is a geographical annals edited by the Japanese government in 733 AD in Tenpyou . It is Japan's earliest investigation record of various domestic resources and it provides precious literature on the ancient country Izumokuni. Many medical and herbal terms, which numbered over 60, in the Izumokuni period can be found in the record. So far, many fruitful researches on the record have been conducted by the experts and scholars from various angles, such as botanical, herbal, dietary and literary point of views. The thesis provides a freshly new angle. A detailed analysis on the translation of the medical and herbal terms in the record is made, which is primarily based on the substantial number of relevant historical literature the author collected over the past few months. The thesis aims at revealing the emerge and development of Chinese words in Japanese language embodied in Izumokunihudoki. Another focus of the thesis is the etymological study on the herbal and medical words in Izumokunihudoki. Last but not least, the thesis also mentioned the historical changes in the pronunciations and expressions of the herbal and medical terms in the book and hence brings to light the developmental trend of the herbal and medical term translation in Japanese language.First of all, the author revealed that the ancient Chinese and Japanese books bear a resemblance in recording words of medicinal herbs. In the book entitled Japan's Earliest Prescriptions, we can find that the words like Radix Sophorae Flavescentis, Herba Asari and Radix Angelicae Sinensis have long been regarded as terms of medicinal herbs and were collected in Izumokunihudoki. Besides that, from an inscribed wooden slip called Hujiharamiya, we get to know that the medicinal herb terms in Izumokunihudoki are translated words.Secondly, a detailed study on the origins of various terms of medicinal herbs in the book is provided. The translated versions of Radix Sophorae Flavescentis, HerbaAsari and Radix Angelicae Sinensis are given as examples to show that many the translated Chinese expressions of medicinal terms in Izumokunihudoki are taken from Chinese ancient books written before the Tang dynasty, such as Shennongbencaojing, Yiwenleiju, Baopuzi...Thirdly, by considering the contour of the Japanese herbal history, the author looks into the development of the translation terms of Izumokunihudoki from its Chinese counterparts. First of all, a historic review of Engisiki, Honzouwamyou and Wamyouruijyuusyou illustrates that the herbal translation in Heian period not only bears great heritage from Nara period, but shows tremendous peculiarity of the time, namely, the using of Manyougana. From this, the importance of Wakun and the pronunciation of Chinese translated terms in Izumokunihudoki is highlighted. Besides, it is also shown that from Tasikihen and Wakansansaizue there appeared a tendency that Manyougana and Wamyou translations were going out of style in Edo period. Surprisingly, the Chinese translation and Kundoku translations were maintained. Finally, a close study of Chinese Herbal Dictionary and A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Translations demonstrates that Manyougana and Wamyou translations died out at the time, and the original Kundoku pronunciations were kept in the form of Katakana. Traditional practices as was done in Izumokunihudoki was largely maintained by keeping the Chinese Ondoku.In a nutshell, the author, from the study of Izumokunihudoki, is trying to prove that ancient Chinese classical works, ever since they were borrowed to Japanese, exercised a significant influence not only on Japanese Confucianism and politics, but also on Japanese herbal terminology. Once taken by the Japanese, the Chinese words became an integral part of Japanese language and accordingly played an important role in the ontology and the course of development in Japanese herbal studies. The author also pursues the history of how some Chinese herbal words made their way into Japanese.