The formation of Buddhist languages, as exemplified by the Tocharian evidence

Georges-Jean Pinault (1)

1 Mondes Iranien et Indien - UMR 7528

Tocharian A and B are two cognate languages which belong to languages of Buddhism in Central Asia. The Tocharian vocabulary shows strong influence from Sanskrit and Indo-Aryan languages in general at different levels. Several examples of calques are discussed. This case is substantiated by two specific studies: the vocabulary and phraseology of wonder and amazement, which is often met in Buddhist texts, and the designation of the 'prince' in the two Tocharian languages.

Mots clés: Tocharian Buddhism; Tocharian etymology; Tocharian language; Tocharian texts; Indo-European linguistics; Indo-European etymology; Buddhist languages; loan words; language contacts

Domaines: Linguistique

Georges-Jean Pinault. The formation of Buddhist languages, as exemplified by the Tocharian evidence. Melanie Malzahn; Michaël Peyrot; Hannes Fellner; Theresa-Susanna Illès. Tocharian texts in context. International conference on Tocharian manuscripts and Silk Road culture (2013), Hempen Verlag, pp.159-185, 2015, 978-3-944312-26-2. ⟨halshs-01333798⟩