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From: lilandbr@scn.org (Leland Bryant Ross)
Subject: Re: Tokharians
Message-ID: <Dx8qtB.C6v@scn.org>
Sender: news@scn.org
Reply-To: lilandbr@scn.org (Leland Bryant Ross)
Organization: Seattle Community Network
References: <50fsn7$qla@news.inforamp.net>  
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 03:53:35 GMT
Lines: 47


In the reply below to a question about what is known about the speakers 
of the Tokharian languages and what became of them,

in what sense (or senses) is the word "race" being employed, and

in what sense is the word "Caucasian" being employed?

I would think it highly improbable that "a Caucasian race" would speak an 
even remotely identifiable-as-Indo-European *language*, though I'll admit 
Kartvelian (Georgian) is the only "Caucasian language" I have any 
acquaintance with.

--Liland

In a previous article, peterk@inforamp.net (Peter k Chong) says:

>knappen@iphcip1.physik.uni-mainz.de () wrote:
>>What is known about the speakers of the tokharian languages?
>>
>>Have they always stayed at Turfan, or did they migrate there 
>>(from where?) ? What happened finally to them ?
>>
>>
>>--J"org Knappen 
>
>From what is known, the Tokharians were most probably a Caucasian race 
>who migrated to Chinese Turkestan, the Tarim Basin and Turfan a long 
>time ago (I don't know the exact date). Most linguists consider them 
>Indo-European and more probably belonging to the centum branch of IE. 
>A few linguists however have stated they could have been a Turanian race 
>as a few Tokharian words are related to ancient Turkic 
>ones...Archaelogical evidence from Tokharian graves has yield cultural 
>similarities between them and people of the Ukranian steppes. (Scythians 
>maybe?)...
>
>Regards
>
>Peter Chong
>
>

--
Liland Brajant ROS'                "Sed krom se iuj el la  homoj  malsategas,
P O Box 30091                      kiel do la socio povas posedi strukturon?"
Seattle, WA 98103 Usono            -Gulivero (Ted Danson) en la nova televida
Tel. (206) 633-2434                 versio,  citita  en  "Baptist Peacemaker"
