Buddhavarman's fifth century Chinese translation of the Abhidharma-vibhāṣā-śāstra (Ch. āpídámó pípóshā lùn ) questions whether hell wardens who torture hell beings are themselves sentient beings, what form they take, and what language they speak.
bˈuːdɐvˌɑːɹmənz fˈɪfθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi tʃaɪnˈiːz tɹænslˈeɪʃən ʌvðɪ ɐbhˈɪdhɑːɹməvˈiːˈaɪbˈiːˈeɪtʃˌeɪmˈækɹˌɑːnlˌɛɾɚwˈʌnˈiːsˈɪksθɹˈiːˌeɪmˈækɹˌɑːnsˈæstɹə sˌiːˈeɪtʃ. ɐpˈɪdəmˌoʊ pɪpˈoʊʃə lˈʌn kwˈɛstʃənz wˈɛðɚ hˈɛl wˈɔːɹdənz hˌuː tˈɔːɹtʃɚ hˈɛl bˈiːɪŋz ɑːɹ ðɛmsˈɛlvz sˈɛnʃənt bˈiːɪŋz, wˌʌt fˈɔːɹm ðeɪ tˈeɪk, ænd wʌt lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ðeɪ spˈiːk.