현장은 인도어에서 추상명사를 형성하는 접미어 -tā, -tva 등을 한역에 반영하기 위해서 -性을 덧붙이 복합어를 조어하는 방식으로 체계적인 번역을 시도하였다. 인도원전 언어에 있어서 -tā, -tva 등의 접미사가 덧붙여짐으로써 실체나 본질 등의 함의가 창출되는 경우가 드물게 있기는 하다. 하지만 대부분의 경우 그러한 함의를 가지지 않는 단순한 추상명사까지도 -性을 덧붙인 복합어로 번역함으로써 현장은 본질 혹은 본성의 개념이 일반적인 추상명사에까지도 확장 적용되게 되는 결정적인 계기를 마련하게 되었다. 이렇게 본성 혹은 본질의 함의를 일반적인 사물 혹은 개념에까지 적용하는 사고 방식은 이후 성리학이 人性과 天理 등 주요개념 위에 윤리학적 존재론을 형성하는데 중요한 디딤돌이 되었다.
Within the history of the East Asian Buddhism, the translation of Sanskrit terms into the Chinese words has caused many problems both in the meaning of the word and in the reference of the word. One of the awkward words to translate is usually the sanskrit ends which have got a special meaning. This paper deals with the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit suffix -tā and -tva to show how a certain word can change the whole meaning and reference of the word. In Sanskrit, there are many usages of the nominal sentences in which both the subject and the predicate has the nominative case while its verb omitted. Due to its simple and clear construction, Indian people prefer the nominal sentence in which two nouns appear parallel. In order to use the adjective in this construction, there is need to make the adjective into the noun. The Sanskrit suffix -tā and -tva works mainly in this case to add the meaning 'the state of being'. For example, the adjective śūnya meaning empty becomes the noun śūnyatā meaning 'the state of being empty'. The 7th century great translator Xuanzang tried to fix the translation of this suffix on the Chinese character sung (性) meaning -hood, -nature. Although his method makes the translation of this word seemingly systematical, it causes some side effect in the meaning of the word. In some cases, especially in the philosophical usage, the use of this suffix brings the additional meaning 'nature' or 'entity'. In other cases, usually in the general and grammatical usage, the use of this suffix simply makes the adjective into the noun. Xuanzang's indiscriminate use of this translation causes problems convey the correct meaning of the word in the latter cases where the grammatical needs requires this suffix. However his method seems to influence later development of the Neo-Confucianism where the meaning of nature applied not only into the general things but also into the normal concepts.
目次
머리말 37 I 인도어 접미사 -tā, -tva 등의 한역. 38 II 性의 존재론적 함의 변화와 중국철학의 발전. 50 III 결론. 62
