Tocharian B

Tocharian B
Kuchean
Kuśiññe
Tocharian inscription "This Buddha was painted by the hand of Sanketava"
Native toKucha
RegionTarim Basin
EthnicityTocharians
Extinct850 AD
Early form
Language codes
ISO 639-3txb
xtb Tocharian B
Glottologtokh1243
Tocharian languages A (blue), B (red) and C (green) in the Tarim Basin. Tarim oasis towns are given as listed in the Book of Han (c. 2nd century BC), with the areas of the squares proportional to population.

Tocharian B (also known as Kuchean or West Tocharian) was a Western member of the Tocharian branch of Indo-European languages, extinct from the ninth century. Once spoken in the Tarim Basin in Central Asia, Tocharian B shows an internal chronological development; three linguistic stages have been detected. The oldest stage is attested only in Kucha. There is also the middle ('classicalʼ), and the late stage.