In regard to lexicon -- and in summation of all the already noted outside influences on Tocharian -- this is where one may really see the remarkable relationship between Tocharian A and Anglo-Saxon -- as well as to what degree both languages were incorporating loan words into what may be called their "core" vocabulary. As a means of illustrating this I took a "Swadesh" list of core vocabulary, with only slight modifications and compared English, Tocharian A, and Anglo-Saxon. I've tried to note loan words and non-cognates where possible to the best of my ability. Someone cognizant of the Norse borrowings into OE would do well to correct me.

Modern English Tocharian A Anglo-Saxon comments

all pu, po, pont eal
and yo, ƒkam ond, and, und
animal (< L.) lu, lwán, lwem deor; neat ( : "lwanni": "crazy" Pusht.
ashes -- (æsc)
at añc æt
back num; ?kárá bæc : "num" adv.
bad umpar, omäskune yfel; mah; lysu : < ?
bark -- beorcan
because ?urmäs(?) for; forhwon : < ?
belly (káts) hrif; wamb; ? : "guts"; < ?
big (< ?) tsopats micel : "tso-pats/tsop-ats"
bird -- (?par: bird-type) bridd; fugol : sparrow perhaps?
bite -- bítan
black arkent (erkent) blæc : ? "dark"; < dif. root
blood ysár blod; dreor;
blow ? salkas slege; blawan : "sock it to me"
bone áy bán
breast pratsak ( breost (bósm:bosom) : "p䃃äm; päƒnäm"
breathe wrasem "breath" æ?m; fnæst : < ?
brother pracar bró?or
burn pälk-, tsärk-, tsäk- bærnan; swelan; tinnan
child -- cild
claw -- clawu
clothing wsál (< 'to clothe') rifte; sceorp
cloud tärkär <'to dismis wolcen, sceo : < ?
cold kùraƒ, kroƒƒ- ceald
come kum, käm- cuman
cook päk- coc : related to 'pick'
count kaƒ "number" riman; tellan : < ?
cut kär?t-; látk- bitan; ceorfan : "kaut-" : 'to split'
dance tsip- ? : "tsepant" : 'dancer'
day kom "sun, day" dæg ( : "árƒo" : 'today (white)'
die wäl-; lak cwelan; faran; : < ?
dig ráp-, räp- delfan; grafan : also "to ?"; dirty akappi (dog ku hund : c. w/ "ku" Ir.Gae.
drink yok-; tsuk- drincan
dry ás-, ásar drygan : ? L.
dull (dust twe, tor; rem dust; molde :
ear klots (< 'hear') éare ( :-ots : one that does X
earth tkám eor?e
eat ƒu-, swá-; táp- etan : "to sup" perhaps?
egg áco "embryo" ´æg'
eight okät eahta
eye ak éage : as in 'ocular'
fall klá-, kláw- fiell; hryre
far lok; aryu feorr ( : OE "rume" : far away
fat ?älyp (also 'oil gelynd; smeoru : cognate w/ 'salve'
father pácar (áp, B áppo) fæder : "pop, pappy"
fear pärsk-, praski fyrhtan; ege : < ?; "pra?t" : 'time'
feather -- fe?er
few tsru féawe
fight kùñaƒ, wac feohtan :
fire por fÿr
five päñ fif
float -- fleotan
flow tsän-; (áp) flowan; rinnan
flower pyápi ? : cogn. w/ 'poppy'
fog --(not likely there) ?
foot, feet pe, peyu fót, fét
four ƒtwar feowar
freeze -- (kroƒƒ) freosan; colian
fruit oko; (Skt. p'ala) ofett; bled; wæstm : < L. frui-?
full --wátsi (suf.) full; -full; sæd ( : tängki : dense, thick, full
give e-, essi (inf.); wäs- giefan; leon
good kásu, káswe gód
grass áti, át(i)yañ pl. gærs
green -- grene : color terms lacking
guts káts ?
hair yok; ƒaku (head) hær; feax
hand tsar hand; clamm; folm; mund
he (him, 'em) -m (3.sg. encl.suf.) hé : all from accus.
head ƒpál; lap héafod
hear klyos- hieran, hearcnian :
heart áriñc heorte
heavy krámärts; máski hefig
here täm her : drawn < dem. pn's
hold/take ? (emts-) healdan
horn -- horn
how -oki; kuc ? hú
hundred känt hund, hundred
hunt -- (ƒaru : hunter) huntian : (hunta : hunter)
husband (átäl) (ceorl) ( : man, husband; átär hero
I näs(?) (m.) ñuk (f) ic : "pronouns"
ice -- is ( : no term for 'ice, snow'!?
if äntáne; kupre gif; ?ær :
in ane, anne in, inne, on
kill kau-; sruk- cwellan; slean
knee *kanwe knéo : Adj. "kanwem?i"
know kná- cnawan; cunnan
lake lyäm mere : < ?; as'lynn'
laugh kary- hliehhan
leaf (-blade) pält léaf; blæd
left side ćlyi winestre : leg -- ?
live ƒo-, ƒol libban
liver -- ?
long aryu; pärkär lang
louse -- ?
man/male (átäl) mann : as above
many mák manig; fela : also "much"
meat/flesh ƒwál (B misa) mete (meat, food) : < ƒwá- : 'to eat'
moon mañ móna
mother mácar modor
mountain ?ul (munt; hleod; beorg (: Eng. /h/: /sh/ Toch., hill
mouth ko; ?ungk mu? : "ko" : 'mouth'Chin.
name ñom nama
narrow -- nearu; enge; smæl
near kátse neah; gehende
neck kñuk hnecca
new ñu niew
night w?e, o?eñi niht :"noktim" : 'evening'
nose malan nosu : in Toch.? /m/<->/n/
not má, mar noht
old mok eald; frod; gamol; har
one sas, säm an, ænig; man
other álak o?er : cogn. w/ L. "alius"
person napem; wrasom ? : 'sentient'; "ongk"
play -- plegan
pull pänw-; plängk- teon : plängk- /pluck; < ?
push -- scufan : < ?
rain su-, swás-, swase regn : also "?me"
red rtär; rote read, reod : rote : 2. "colour"
right/correct pal; kälymeyá < riht : 'in the right way'
right side páccás riht : < "páci" : 'right'
river (stream) -- (áp) ri? (stream) ( : road ?ont rád : also 'street'
root tsmár stefn; truma : < ?; as "stem"
rope yalak; sparp, svarp ráp : "svarp" < E.Irani
rotten (B ) ?
rub ? (can't find it) sweorfan : salt sále sealt
sand wáryánc sand
say we-, wen-; trängk- secgan; sciran; cwe?an
scratch -- writan : < ON
sea samudra (Skt.) s`æ : in Central Asia!? see läk-; pälk- seon; gewitan :c.w/ 'look'; 'peek'...
seed ƒäktályi sæd; ci? (: sárm, ?aram : cause, seed
seven ?pät seofun
sew -- seowan
sharp (ƒär) pƒär, päƒr scearp; biter : "ƒári" : 'lovely'
shoot -- (kom) scéotan
short märtär scort
sing -- (käntu : tongue) singan
sister ?ar sweostor
sit ?äm- sittan
skin (sky (sleep klis-; ?päm sl´æpan : "?äpni" : 'sleepy'
small mkälto (smæl; lytel; medeme ( :"lykäly": "little, small"
smoke -- riec; ?rosm : smooth -- (?) sme?e
snake ár?al; (snow -- sniwan, snaw
some ? ? :
spear ƒùkär spere; daro?; gar : 'spear, stick'
spit -- spætan; spiwan
split kaut- splatan; cleofan : wák- : split, divide
squeeze malyw- ? :twángk-:squeeze in
stab/pierce tsop- stingan, stician : stand stäm- standan
star *ƒre (B ƒcirye) steorra; tungol : ƒreñ (pl.)
stick ?top/?tow; ƒùkär sagol
stone párem stán
straight -- riht : < ?
suck -- ("tsuk-" : 'drink') sucan, sugan
sun kom sunne
swell -- swellan
swim -- swimman; fleotan
tail ("kolye" : 'tailhair') tægel; steort; finta
ten ƒak tíen
that (täm) yæt : < dem. pn's
there tám, tmá; tmam yær
they (them, -em) -m (3.sg. encl.suf.) híe : all from accus.
thick átsäts ?icce ( : tängki : dense, thick, full
thin -- yynne : ruk-:to become
think pältsk-, pälsk- ?encan; hycgan \ thin slim
this (täm) ?is : < dem. pn's
three tre, tri yríe
throw lop-; wärt- weorpan : ? "to lob"
tie kärk-; masäk tiegan
tongue käntu tunge
tooth kam tóy
tree ?tám beam; treo : cogn. w/ 'stem'
turn (tärk-); klutk-, lotk- tyrnan; hweorfan : also "spártw-"
twenty wiki twe(ge)ntig
two wu, we twá
vomit -- spiwan : as "to spew"; < ?
walk tsälp-; länt gangan : "kälk" : to go, walk
warm sát wearm
wash lik- wascan; ?wean
water wär wæter : "wri" : 'watery'
we was wé : -mä? (enclitic)
wet -- wæt; deawig
what äntsam; kus... hwæt; ?e : also "kuc, kyal"
when ám; äntáne hwanne; ?anne
where kuci?; tá hwær; ?ær
white árki hwit; blac; beorht : cogn. w/ 'argent'
who kus(e) hwa; ?e
wide wärts wid; sid
wife ƒäm; ƒna?i wíf (wife, woman) : < ƒol- : to live
wind want (wänt) wind
wing -- fe?ere : < ?
wipe lyá- ?
with ƒla wi? : < -aƒƒäl com. suf.
woman kùli wíf-mann, wíf : c.w/"coleen" (Irish)
woods kárრ(work wles weorc; wyrht
worm walyi wyrm : also "serpent"
year pùkäl géar
yellow (wsi : golden) geolu
you tu, cu ?ú

{One can see too how the sound changes described by Grimm's Law made more divergent the two lexicons, as well as the voicelessness of Tocharian stops.}

Considering, first, the amount of non-Indo-European roots in the Germanic -- what was it, near twenty percent -- secondly, the amount of unknown loans in Tocharian, and also the great distance in both time and space that must have been come between the languages and their speakers -- there is a remarkable amount of cognate forms, a number of which are quite close and easily recognizable. In addition, with Tocharian we are relying only on written texts that deal with non-everyday issues, religious issues, and that barrow heavily upon Sanskrit and related languages. We find too borrowing even in this "core" vocabulary from Iranian and other languages perhaps (Tibetan, Turkic ?) -- and this becomes more apparent when surveying the entire lexicon. In a quite similar way, Latin and Norse are found in the vocabulary of Old English.

In this comparison there is more than enough material for another essay per requirements – therefore due to the limited scope of this essay, I’ll not speculate further in this area. However I think it is clear to see the relatively close relationship between the two languages and of Tocharian A with other Indo-European Languages.

In regard to the writing and making of this comparison between Tocharian A and Old English, I have found it to be very enlightening personally and it has furthered my understanding of both languages and the processes involved in the evolution of a language. While certainly after its reading there is not irrefutable evidences that the same process of decay of the inflectional systems both languages inherited from some postulated common ancestral language – either Proto-Indo-European or another – the brief look at both languages would suggest it as the case. Due to the uncalled for length of this essay I’ve not included in the text a word for word look at the sample texts and their syntax and their case endings and so on. Nonetheless I did this exercise by hand and found similar subject-verb phrase structures – but nothing absolutely definitive.

However in other areas I think we have some clear similarities – not only in their relationship and borrowing patterns to and from other languages – but in their core lexicon. Were time sufficient it would be interesting to make a closer comparison and analysis of all the features of these two languages. Perhaps – Insh’Aullah – in future.

(A) From Amaya-Valencia : "All of these mss., written on paper, wood, palm leaves, leather, and silk, were taken to the various libraries and museums of Berlin, Paris, London, Leningrad, Calcutta, Peking, and Tokyo, where they were put in order and classified

The investigation begun by A.F.R. Hoernle and by E. Leumann of documents written in the Indian alphabet and for that reason legible, in spite of the presence of some new letters, soon revealed the existence of at least two different languages among them. It was customarily called Tocharian because F.W.K. Muller affirms that it can be identified with the language of a Turkish manuscript (Uigur) which comes from the same region and which is designated by the name To_ri, or Tu_ri that brings to mind the _______ (To'caroi) of the Greek historiography. This identification, which is confirmed in other documents, must be considered fully established. {As of 1943 the time of this thesis that is so; however today this issue is disputed and I am holding a contradictory view that I have argued elsewhere.}

This does not mean that in Turkestan manuscripts of the Fifth to Tenth centuries, A.D. {C.E.}, the language of the people who settled Bactria about 130 B.C.{E.} is preserved, or that Tocharian is the language of the Indo-Scythians as Sieg and Siegling and Muller himself believed in the beginning. From other documents we learn that the Tocharian people called themselves "Arsi," which would relate them to the `'______(Asioi).

The reconstruction of the Tocharian language is due above all to Sieg and Siegling, who worked with the Turfan manuscripts which were taken to Berlin by A. Grunwedel and A. Von Le Coq, who were the first to demonstrate the European character of the language and who discovered that the language was actually divided into two dialects. Sieg and Siegling, after the publication of "Tocharische Sprachreste" used the term, Tocharian, only for dialect A. Furthermore, Sylvain Levi, having demonstrated that dialect B was of the Seventh Century in the language of Kucha, proposed to call it Koutchéen, which name has been accepted by some scholars. Nevertheless, he does not take into account the fact that dialect B was spread not only in Koucha, but also in other places where A has been found. For the same reason it is impossible to distinguish between Eastern and western Tocharian.

(B) "However I would like to mention that what I've conveyed here is only the briefest scratch upon a number of both historic and linguistic questions gu leor one could turn to answer and just a skimming of the information I've acquired on these issues while researching the subject of the Tocharian languages.

Among other issues that have interested the scholars in the area of Tocharian studies are those of influences upon and from the surrounding language groupings such as Chinese, Tibetan, Turkic, and Eastern Iranian languages. There are loan words received from and given to all these neighbouring language communities.

In addition, there is evidence in the form of place-names, glosses in Khotanese (an extinct Eastern Irani language from the southern Tarim Basin), and other fragmentary evidence -- including the passage of the term "shaman" possibly through a third Tocharian language. Also Werner Winter, a linguist at UCLA, has attempted to show three dialects within Tocharian B. And I found a few interesting instances of what could well be cognate forms as far afield as Nuristan (old Kafiristan) in the Hindu Kush of eastern Afghanistan -- the word "átyr" meaning 'hero' in Agnidesi ("atre" in Kuchean) with "atrozan," the term for the upper class in one Nuristani language. A careful analysis of all the languages of the Pamir and Kohistan regions of Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan might well reveal a Tocharian stratum of at least a few lexical borrowings. However these issues and pursuits run towards the esoteric.

There are other more tangible reasons for further studies in Tocharian -- and hopefully further investigation into still untranslated manuscripts and yet unearthed history and evidences in the area now called "Xinjiang" -- that area has been and continues to be a meeting ground of numerous convergent cultures and ideologies that historically -- at least in the period of the Tocharian languages and the Kushan Empire was a model of not only prosperity but of multiculturalism and religious / ideological tolerance. Were people to know about this -- and were it discovered and given in much greater detail -- it, I feel, would be a welcome reminder of mankind's relationship with itself and among itself -- not only for a region beset by oppression and wars and intolerance -- for this world as a whole."

(C) Phonologically we have several significant processes going on with palatialization being foremost and also it seems that along with this process and with this same result I see a process whereby syllable structures are being compacted. This creates palatialization as the palatial position is central to the Tocharian A chart and new word initial consonant clusters: /tk/, /tm/, /pk/, /ps/ and so on. This is due to what seems to be stress falling upon the second syllable regularly and as the first becomes progressively less stressed -- it eventually becomes a consonant cluster prior to the stressed syllable. This is particularly the case where a two syllable word can be compacted into a lone syllable. It would also appear -- and this when comparing Tocharian B -- that there is a process of gemination taking place as well.

One last note here concerning the phonetics and phonology is the use and existence of the "anushvara" I believe it is called. I've signified this in the text as an underlined "m." It is significant in that it is important morphologically -- however being not familiar enough with Sanskrit -- I cannot make a clear comparison. Also I'm inclined to give it more of an "n" quality than "m."

Links

Angelfire - Free Home Pages
Free Web Building Help
Lycos - Search the Web
Tocharian Page
A brief linguistic comparison of the Old English and Tocharian A languages -- part 1art 1
A brief linguistic comparison of the Old English and Tocharian A languages -- Ap. 1
A brief linguistic comparison of the Old English and Tocharian A languages -- Ap. 2