Die Erforschung des Tocharischen und Die Altturkische Maitrisimit

Desmond Durkin-Meisterernst, Yukiyo Kasai, Abdurishid Yakup

This volume contains the proceedings of a small conference held by the Turfan Study Group (Turfanforschung) of the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Berlin, in April 2008 on the 100th anniversary of E. Sieg and W. Siegling's article 'Tocharisch, die Sprache der Indoskythen. Vorläufige Bemerkungen über eine bisher unbekannte indogermanische Literatursprache' which marks the beginning of the new subject 'Tocharian studies'. This forgotten Indo-European language was just re-emerging in texts gathered by the various scientific expeditions to Eastern Central Asia at the beginning of the 20th century. On the basis of a colophon in the Old Turkish text 'Maitrisimit', F. W. K. Müller had already in 1907 suggested the name 'Tocharian' which, despite misgivings, continues to be used today for texts in two distinct but closely related varieties, 'A' and 'B'.