noun
interpretation of classical texts; exegesis
Academic term for the interpretation and commentary of ancient Chinese and Japanese classics, especially focusing on word meanings and textual analysis.
彼は漢文の訓詁に詳しい。
He is well-versed in the exegesis of classical Chinese texts.
この注釈書は訓詁学的な手法を用いている。
This commentary uses exegetical methods.
From Chinese 訓詁 (xùngǔ), a compound of 訓 (instruction, explanation) and 詁 (ancient words, gloss). The term has been used in East Asian scholarship for centuries to denote the interpretation of classical texts.