語焉不詳

Chinese

		speech; language; dialect speech; language; dialect; tell to	where; how	not; no	detailed; comprehensive
trad. (語焉不詳)		語	焉	不	詳
simp. (语焉不详)		语	焉	不	详

Etymology

Coined by Han Yu in On the Origin of Tao :

荀與揚也，擇焉而不精，語焉而不詳。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

荀与扬也，择焉而不精，语焉而不详。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: c. early 9th century, Han Yu (韓愈),《原道》, translated into English as True Faith of a Confucianist by Herbert A. Giles

Xún yǔ Yáng yě, zé yān ér bù jīng, yǔ yān ér bùxiáng. [Pinyin]

Then followed the heterodox schools of Hsün and Yang, wherein much that was essential was passed over, while the criterion was vaguely formulated.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yǔyānbùxiáng

(Zhuyin): ㄩˇ ㄧㄢㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁵ jin⁴ bat¹ coeng⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yǔyānbùxiáng
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˇ ㄧㄢㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yǔyanbùsiáng
  - Wade–Giles: yü³-yen¹-pu⁴-hsiang²
  - Yale: yǔ-yān-bù-syáng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeuianbushyang
  - Palladius: юйяньбусян (jujjanʹbusjan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: jyu⁵ jin⁴ bat¹ coeng⁴
  - Yale: yúh yìhn bāt chèuhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁵ jin⁴ bat⁷ tsoeng⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: yu⁵ yin⁴ bed¹ cêng⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː¹³ jiːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

Idiom

語焉不詳

to speak or mention in an undetailed manner