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Glite Dictionary
West Tocharian

West Tocharian

9.9
The western dialect of a language no longer spoken in parts of Central Asia
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : tochario occidental
  • Scholars have discovered several ancient texts written in West Tocharian.

Examples

  • The pronunciation of certain words differs greatly between West Tocharian and East Tocharian.

  • Many scholars study West Tocharian for its historical significance.

  • Understanding West Tocharian is key to reconstructing the cultural history of Central Asia.

  • The West Tocharian dialect was used in ancient texts.

  • The pronunciation of certain words differs greatly between West Tocharian and East Tocharian.

  • Many scholars study West Tocharian for its historical significance.

  • Understanding West Tocharian is key to reconstructing the cultural history of Central Asia.

Synonyms

Kuchean dialect
vsWest Tocharian
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of the Tocharian language no longer spoken in Kucha and Turpan in Central Asia

is identified as the western regional variety rather than focusing on extinction
Kuchean
vsWest Tocharian
  • Specialized
9.9

A dialect of the Tocharian language once spoken in parts of Central Asia

is identified as the western regional variety rather than a general regional dialect

Surface Forms

West Tocharian singular
West Tocharians plural

Morphology

West + Tocharian

The meaning 'the western dialect/variety of the Tocharian language' is directly derivable from combining 'West' (a directional/region marker) with the language name 'Tocharian'. This pattern of naming language varieties (e.g. West Germanic, West Slavic) is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

West Tocharian is the name for the western form of the old Tocharian language that people once spoke in oasis towns such as Kucha and Turpan. So it simply means the 'western dialect' of this now extinct language.