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Tocharian A

language
Also known as: East Tocharian, Turfanian dialect

Quick Summary

Tocharian A is an extinct language, specifically the eastern dialect of the Tocharian languages. These languages were spoken in the Tarim River Basin in Central Asia during the latter half of the first millennium CE.12

Tocharian A and Tocharian B are the two known distinct languages within this group. Tocharian A was primarily spoken in the Turfan area in the east, while Tocharian B was found mainly in the Kucha region to the west.23

The languages are written in the Brāhmī script, a northern Indian syllabary. Tocharian literature is largely Buddhist in content, including translations of religious and philosophical works. These texts are valuable for understanding the social, economic, and political life of Central Asia during that period.2

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