Regarding the title of this book, Lunyu 論語, we must begin, in accordance with ru philosophy itself, with a rectification of names. If names are not correct, meaning will not be understood.

The short answer: Wing-tsit Chan's translation of "Discourses" is correct. In fact, even James Legge, who invented this peculiar "Analects" translation, admitted in his introduction that the "title of the work is Discourses and Dialogues; that is, the discourses or discussions of Confucius, with his disciples and others on various topics, and his replies to their inquiries." The text is not solely the sayings of Confucius but, as Legge adds, "Many chapters, and one whole book, are the sayings, not of the sage himself, but of some of his disciples." And we should add, many of those disciples went on to became masters themselves.

And so this point is critical: the Ru School is about collective discourse; it's about relationships that form society. Misrepresenting the text in the title as being a pithy monologue by Confucius will only mislead readers and lead to confusion when they open the book and find something quite different.

What follows are various pieces of evidence, for those who are unconvinced, that thoroughly prove this case.

EVIDENCE FROM DICTIONARIES

From the Han Dynasty dictionary, the Shuowen, the nearest dictionary to the time of our text's completion, the definition of the first character lun 論 is yì 議 “to discuss." The definition of the second character yu 語 is actually given as lun, thus also to discuss. It’s not uncommon to see a pair of characters with basically the same meaning, functioning as a compound, since a single character would look lonely, thus perhaps just “Discussions.”

Lùn 論：議也。从言侖聲。
To discuss
Yǔ 語：論也。从言吾聲。
To discuss

From the Song Dynasty dictionary, the Guangyun, the definitions of lun 論 are "words having reason, to explain, to discuss." The definition of yu 語 is “to speak, to tell.” Again, the definitions are somewhat circular.

Lùn 論：言有理出字書。又盧昆切。
Words with reason, derived from written texts.
Lùn 論：說也，議也，思也，盧昆切又力旬盧。鈍二切，四。
To explain, to discuss, to think.
Lùn 論：議也，盧困切，又虜昆切，三。
To discuss.
Yǔ 語：說也，告也。又魚巨切。
To speak, to tell.

From a modern dictionary, Pleco, the definition of lun 論, is essentially the same as yi 議: "to discuss; exchange views on; talk over" (verb) about "opinions; views" (noun). This reads like a description of the book in question. The modern definition of yu 語 is still “to speak” (verb) or “language” (noun), plus the additional meaning of “sayings; proverbs.”

EVIDENCE FROM THE BOOK ITSELF

From the Analects itself, Lun 論 is used 2 times and both times as "discussion." Yi 議, the definition given by the Han Dynasty dictionary for lun 論, is used 2 times and also both times as "discussion." Yu 語 is used 16 times, usually meaning "to speak; oral language” or sometimes “to tell.” This use in the text itself seems important.

TRANSLATIONS BY ENGLISH SCHOLARS

James Legge himself, who concocted the title “Confucian Analects,” arrived at this same array of literal meanings:

Title of the work—論語, "Discourses and dialogues;" that is, the discourses or discussions of Confucius, with his disciples and others on various topics, and his replies to their inquiries. Many chapters, however, and one whole book, are the sayings, not of the sage himself, but of some of his disciples.

Wing-tsit Chan agrees with Legge’s first literal translation of “Discourses.”

William Soothill says lun 論 is “discourses, discussions” and yu 語 is “to tell.”

IN CONCLUSION

Given all this, "Discourses" or “Discussions” are clearly the best literal choices, and the most appropriate given the content. However, the term "discourses" is the best fit as it can refer to a philosophical discourse by one person or a discourse between persons, and the text contains both.

We could opt for a more distant-feeling reading like "Discussion (on) Sayings (of Kongzi)," but a better choice would be "Discourses Spoken" (by the Ru). This title is direct, a literal translation, and broadly descriptive of the whole text. Though often a pair of characters in Classical Chinese works as a single term, a binome, in which case we could simply call it the Discourses.