Tocharian languages facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tocharian
Tocharian B manuscript, c. 7th century AD
Native to	Agni, Kucha, Turfan and Krorän
Region	Tarim Basin
Ethnicity	Tocharians
Extinct	9th century AD
Language family	Indo-European Tocharian
Dialects	Agnean (Tocharian A) Kuchean (Tocharian B) Kroränian (Tocharian C)
Writing system	Brahmi script (Tocharian alphabet) Manichaean script
Linguist List	xto Tocharian A
	txb Tocharian B
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The Tocharian languages were a branch of the Indo-European languages. They are now extinct. They were spoken on the northern side of the Tarim Basin (now in Xinjiang, China). Writing was found from around the 5th century to the 8th century AD. There were three known languages in the branch, named A, B and C.

Images for kids

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  The geographical spread of Indo-European languages

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  Tocharian royal family (King, Queen and young blond-hair Prince), Kizil, Cave 17 (entrance wall, lower left panel). Hermitage Museum.

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  Tocharian B inscription from the Kizil Caves, in the Tocharian version of the Brahmi script, reading:𑀲𑁂𑀧𑀜𑀓𑁆𑀢𑁂 𑀲𑀡𑁆𑀓𑁂𑀢𑀯𑀝𑁆𑀲𑁂 𑀱𑀭𑁆𑀲 𑀧𑀧𑁃𑀬𑁆𑀓𑁅(Traditional Ashokan Brahmi)Se pañäkte saṅketavattse ṣarsa papaiykau"This Buddha, by Sanketava's hand, was painted".

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  Wooden tablet with an inscription showing Tocharian B in its Brahmic form. Kucha, Xinjiang, 5th–8th century (Tokyo National Museum)

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  Ambassador from Kucha (龜茲國 Qiuci-guo) at the Chinese Tang dynasty court. Wanghuitu (王会图), circa 650 CE

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  Tocharian B Love Poem, manuscript B496 (one of two fragments).

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas tocarias para niños