noun
sabdavidya; ancient Indian linguistic studies
Technical term for one of the five traditional Indian sciences (五明), dealing with grammar and linguistics. Rare outside academic or historical Buddhist contexts.
See also: 五明
声明は古代インドの五明の一つで、言語学に相当する。
Shōmyō is one of the five ancient Indian sciences and corresponds to linguistics.
noun
Buddhist hymn chanting
Refers to the ritual chanting of Buddhist hymns, typically in Sanskrit or Chinese, used in Japanese Buddhist liturgy. The primary modern meaning.
お寺で声明を聞く機会があった。
I had a chance to hear shōmyō chanting at a temple.
声明は仏教の儀式で重要な役割を果たす。
Shōmyō plays an important role in Buddhist ceremonies.
Borrowed from Chinese 聲明／声明 (shēngmíng), originally a translation of Sanskrit śabda-vidyā. The Buddhist chanting sense developed in Japan as a specialized liturgical term.