Proto-Tocharian
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Tocharian is the reconstructed common ancestor of Tocharian A and Tocharian B, the two Indo-European languages recorded in the oases of the Tarim Basin. Two things make it unusual among the proto-languages on this map. First, its evidentiary base is narrow: Proto-Indo-European is reconstructed from a whole family, while Proto-Tocharian rests on two closely related languages and nothing else, so the reconstruction is shallower and more of it is disputed. Second, the age of the manuscripts is not the age of the language. Tocharian A and B survive in Buddhist and Manichaean manuscripts of the 5th-10th centuries CE, but the common Proto-Tocharian stage precedes them by several centuries — usually placed in the late 1st millennium BCE, with earlier estimates also current. That distinction matters for the honey etymology: Old Chinese 蜜 *mit is widely held to be a loan from the Tocharian etymon represented by Tocharian B mit, and the lender was this proto-stage, not the manuscript language whose date is far too late. Tocharian speakers are usually thought to have reached the Tarim from the north, their earlier ancestors being connected with the Afanasievo culture of south Siberia; the point on this map is an approximation of that pre-oasis stage, not a settlement.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Proto-Tocharian
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Proto-language (reconstructed)
| Meaning | Proto-Tocharian | Tocharian B | Tocharian A | Phrygian | Umbrian | Oscan | Venetic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *wär /wər/ | 𑀯𑀭𑁆 /war/ | 𑀯𑀭𑁆 /wær/ | bedu /ˈbedu/ | utur /ˈutur/ | — /—/ | ouriom /ˈouriom/ |
| Fire | *pŭwār /puwaːr/ | 𑀧𑀼𑀯𑀭𑁆 /puwar/ | 𑀧𑁄𑀭𑁆 /por/ | — /—/ | pir /pir/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | *kāunä /kaːunə/ | 𑀓𑁅𑀁 /kauŋ/ | 𑀓𑁄𑀁 /kom/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | *mēñē /meːɲeː/ | 𑀫𑁂𑀜𑁂 /meɲe/ | 𑀫𑀜𑁆 /mæɲ/ | masê /maˈseː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Star | *scär /stsər/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀘𑀺𑀭𑁆𑀬𑁂 /ɕtɕirje/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀭𑁂𑀁 /ɕreⁿ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Night | *wyäṣi /wjəʂi/ | 𑀬𑀱𑀻𑀬𑁂 /jʂiːje/ | 𑀯𑀱𑁂 /wʂe/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Rain | *sŭwese /suwese/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀯𑁂𑀲𑁂 /swese/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀯𑀲𑁂 /swase/ | — | — | — | — |
| Wind | *wyente /wjente/ | 𑀬𑁂𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁂 /jente/ | 𑀯𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆 /want/ | — | — | — | — |
| Earth | *tken /tken/ | 𑀓𑁂𑀁 /kem/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀓𑀁 /tkam/ | — | — | teras /teras/ | — |
| Mountain | *ṣwyäle /ʂwjəle/ | 𑀱𑀮𑁂 /ʂale/ | 𑀱𑀼𑀮𑁆 /ʂul/ | — | ukar /ˈukar/ | — | — |
| Mother | *mācer /maːtser/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀘𑁂𑀭𑁆 /maːtɕer/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀘𑀭𑁆 /maːtsar/ | mater /ˈmater/ | matrer /ˈmatrer/ | maatúf /maːtof/ | matur /ˈmatur/ |
| Father | *āppo /aːppo/ | 𑀧𑀸𑀘𑁂𑀭𑁆 /paːtɕer/ | 𑀧𑀸𑀘𑀭𑁆 /paːtsar/ | atas /aˈtas/ | patre /ˈpatre/ | patír /patiːr/ | — /—/ |
| Daughter | *t(ŭ)kācēr /tkaːtseːr/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀓𑀸𑀘𑁂𑀭𑁆 /tkaːtɕer/ | 𑀘𑁆𑀓𑀸𑀘𑀭𑁆 /tskaːtsar/ | — | — | futír /futiːr/ | — |
| I | *ñäś /ɲəɕ/ | 𑀜𑀰𑁆 /ɲəɕ/ | 𑀦𑀱𑁆 /nəʂ/ | az /az/ | — /—/ | egom /eɡom/ | eχo /ˈexo/ |
| You | *tuwe /tuwe/ | 𑀢𑀼𑀯𑁂 /tuwe/ | 𑀢𑀼 /tu/ | — /—/ | tu /tuː/ | tú /tuː/ | — /—/ |
| We | — /—/ | 𑀯𑁂𑀲𑁆 /wes/ | 𑀯𑀲𑁆 /was/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | *ñēmä /ɲeːmə/ | 𑀜𑁂𑀫𑁆 /ɲem/ | 𑀜𑁄𑀁 /ɲom/ | onoman /ˈonoman/ | nome /ˈnome/ | númen /nuːmen/ | — /—/ |
| Person | *ćāumo /tɕaːumo/ | 𑀰𑁅𑀫𑁄 /ɕau̯mo/ | 𑀦𑀧𑁂𑀁 /napem/ | — | — | — | — |
| Head | *ćäpālä /tɕəpaːlə/ | 𑀆𑀰𑁆𑀘𑁂 /aːɕtɕe/ | 𑀮𑀧𑁆 /lap/ | — | — | — | — |
| Eye | *ëk /ək/ | 𑀏𑀓𑁆 /ek/ | 𑀅𑀓𑁆 /ak/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Ear | *kleutsān /kleutsaːn/ | 𑀓𑁆𑀮𑁅𑀢𑁆𑀲𑁄 /klau̯tso/ | 𑀓𑁆𑀮𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀲𑁆 /klots/ | — | — | — | — |
| Nose | *mele- /mele/ | 𑀫𑁂𑀮𑀺 /meli/ | 𑀫𑀮𑁆 /mal/ | — | — | — | — |
| Mouth | *koy /koj/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tooth | *keme /keme/ | 𑀓𑁂𑀫𑁂 /keme/ | 𑀓𑀫 /kəm/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tongue | *käntwo /kəntwo/ | 𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯𑁄 /kantwo/ | 𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑀼 /kəntu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | fangva /faŋɡwa/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | *ṣar /ʂar/ | 𑀱𑀭𑁆 /ʂar/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀲𑀭𑁆 /tsar/ | zeira /ˈzeːra/ | manuv-e /maˈnuwe/ | manim /manim/ | — /—/ |
| Foot | *peine /peine/ | 𑀧𑁃𑀬𑁆𑀬𑁂 /paijːe/ | 𑀧𑁂 /pe/ | petes /ˈpetes/ | persi /ˈpersi/ | — | — |
| Heart | *āräñce /aːrəɲtse/ | 𑀅𑀭𑀾𑀜𑁆𑀘𑁂 /araɲtɕe/ | 𑀅𑀭𑀸𑀜𑁆𑀘𑁆 /araːɲts/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Bone | *āyä /aːjə/ | 𑀆𑀬𑁆 /aːj/ | 𑀆𑀬𑁆 /aːj/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Blood | *yä́sar /jə́sar/ | 𑀬𑀲𑀭 /jasar/ | 𑀬𑁆𑀲𑀸𑀭𑁆 /jsaːr/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𑀢𑀼𑀁𑀓𑁆 /tuŋk/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀫𑁆 /staːm/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀫𑁆 /staːm/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | *ku /ku/ | 𑀓𑀼 /ku/ | 𑀓𑀼 /ku/ | kan /kan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀭𑁆𑀚𑀸𑀭𑁂 /maːrdʑaːre/ | 𑀓𑀼𑀫𑀽𑀱𑁆 /kumuːʂ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | — /—/ | 𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀱 /laks/ | 𑀮𑀓𑁆𑀱 /laks/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Horse | *yäkwe /jəkwe/ | 𑀬𑀓𑁆𑀯𑁂 /jakwe/ | 𑀬𑀼𑀓𑁆 /juk/ | — | — | — | ekvon /ˈekwon/ |
| House | *wostŭ /wostu/ | 𑀑𑀲𑁆𑀢𑁆 /ost/ | 𑀯𑀱𑁆𑀢𑁆 /waʂt/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | trííbúm /triːbom/ | — /—/ |
| Honey | *ḿətə /mʲətə/ | 𑀫𑀺𑀢𑁆 /mit/ | 𑀫𑀺𑀢𑁆 /mit/ | — | — | — | — |
| Iron | *eñcäuwo /eɲtsəuwo/ | 𑀏𑀜𑁆𑀘𑀼𑀯𑁄 /eɲtɕuwo/ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eat | — /—/ | 𑀰𑀼𑀯 /ɕuwa/ | 𑀰𑀯𑁆 /ɕæw/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | edum /edum/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | 𑀬𑁄𑀓𑁆 /jok/ | 𑀬𑁄𑀓𑁆 /jok/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | *sems /sems/ | 𑀱𑁂 /ʂe/ | 𑀲𑀲𑁆 /sas/ | — /—/ | unu /ˈunu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | *wë /wə/ | 𑀯𑀺 /wi/ | 𑀯𑀼 /wu/ | — /—/ | dur /dur/ | dús /duːs/ | — /—/ |
| Three | *treyä /trejə/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀭𑀬 /traj/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀭𑁂 /tre/ | — /—/ | trif /trif/ | trís /triːs/ | — /—/ |
| Four | *ćätwerä /tɕətwerə/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯𑁂𑀭𑁆 /ɕtwer/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯𑀭𑁆 /ɕtwar/ | — | — | pettiur /pettiur/ | — |
| Five | *pʼä́ñćä /pʲə́ɲtɕə/ | 𑀧𑀺𑀰𑁆 /piɕ/ | 𑀧𑀜𑁆 /pæɲ/ | — | — | — | — |
| Hundred | *känte /kənte/ | 𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁂 /kante/ | 𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆 /kænt/ | — | — | — | — |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | 𑀓𑀭𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀲𑁂 /kartse/ | 𑀓𑀸𑀲𑀼 /kaːsu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| New | *ñäwe /ɲəwe/ | 𑀜𑀼𑀯𑁂 /ɲuwe/ | 𑀜𑀼 /ɲu/ | — | — | — | — |
| Red | *rŭtäre /rutəre/ | 𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀭𑁂 /ratre/ | 𑀭𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀭 /rtaːr/ | — /—/ | rofa /ˈrofa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| White | *ārkwi /aːrkwi/ | 𑀆𑀭𑁆𑀓𑁆𑀯𑀺 /aːrkwi/ | 𑀆𑀭𑁆𑀓𑀺 /aːrki/ | — | alfu /ˈalfu/ | — | — |
| Black | *erkent /erkent/ | 𑀏𑀭𑁆𑀓𑁂𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆 /erkent/ | 𑀅𑀭𑁆𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆 /arkant/ | — | atru /ˈatru/ | — | — |
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