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This book presents 45 papers presented at a major international conference held at the British Museum during the 2017 BP exhibition 'Scythians: warriors of ancient Siberia'. Papers include new archaeological discoveries, results of scientific research and studies of museum collections, most presented in English for the first time.

Dr Yuyama investigates Sanskrit Recension A of the Prajñā-pāramitā-ratna-guna-samcaya-gāthā, a notable example of Buddhist Sanskrit literature at its earliest stage.

The Book of Zambasta is Professor Bailey's name for a collection of Śaka-Khotanese texts hitherto designated as E. The texts were first published in Berlin by E. and M. Leumann in the period 1933-6; and since then it has become possible to establish the meaning of almost the whole vocabulary used in the texts. The result is that Iranian scholars have a sound basis for their use of Śaka linguistic materials. The prolexis is a close commentary on the establishment of the text. It contains all the evidence for the interpretation of words not previously understood. The words are arranged by the Brahmi syllabary and all but those which occur most frequently are given full references. Each word is placed within its linguistic matrix and is subjected to every semantic test before being allotted its final form and sense.

Khotanese Texts 1-3. Vol. 4 : These documents, written in Ancient Khotan, but in a dialect of the Sakas, or Indo-Scythians, were found by the late Sven Hedin and his colleagues in Khotan. They are literary texts, business letters and military orders of the 8th century AD. Professor Bailey has added a translation and commentary has also written an introduction. Vol. 5 : In the first decade of this century numerous documents were found, a considerable number written in Ancient Khotan, but in a dialect of the Śakas, or Indo-Scythians, who from the first century BC to the third century AD were dominant in North-western India. This fifth volume completed the printing of the texts. When it was published in 1963, it contained a large number of fragments and other pieces published for the first time, as well as the Hoernle Collection, the Samguata-Sutra folios and the Karma Text. Vol. 6 : The Book of Zambasta is Professor Bailey's name for a collection of Śaka-Khotanese texts previously designated as E. The texts were first published in Berlin in the period 1933-6. The prolexis is a close commentary on the establishment of the text. It contains all the evidence for the interpretation of ...

In these articles, Gregory Schopen once again displays the erudition and originality that have contributed to a major shift in the way that Indian Buddhism is perceived, understood, and studied.

The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. The series considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language.

Ce recueil de plus de 30 contributions originales honore la memoire du professeur A.J. Van Windekens, qui fut pendant pres de cinquante ans un des principaux representants des etudes de linguistique comparative. Centree sur le theme de l'etymologie et de l'histoire des mots, cette publication reflete fidelement les orientations actuelles de la recherche historique menee dans des domaines aussi varies que l'armenien, le hittite, le vieil-indien et les langues iraniennes, le tokharien, l'albanais, le grec et le latin, le gotique, les langues celtiques, etc. Le materiel examine se compose avant tout de noms communs et de noms propres, mais egalement de pronoms, de noms de nombre et d'elements proprement grammaticaux. Pour toute ces donnees, la mise en perspective provient du vocabulaire de l'indo-europeen prehistorique, considere en lui-meme ou vu dans ses rapports avec d'autres proto-langues, telles que le semitique commun. Tout au long le livre, une place importante est reservee a la methodologie generale: le statut des reconstructions linguistiques, les lois phonetiques et l'analogie, le contact des langues et l'emprunt lexical. L'ouvrage se clot sur un index vocum exhaustif de...

Scent from the Garden of Paradise: Musk and the Medieval Islamic World traces the history of musk from ancient Asia to the early medieval Islamic world and examines the important role musk played in perfumery and medicine in this new context.

Challenged by the teaching of Vatican II about the "seeds of the Word" in non-Christian religions, this book investigates the sacred character of the "Saddharmapu arika S?tra" and its relation to the fundamental theological category of scriptural inspiration. In applying the methods of modern exegesis, the "S?tra" in its ingenious composition is disclosed as a religious drama about the inspirational experience of the Buddha. The draft of a theology of inspiration along the guide lines of the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum of Vatican II elaborates a 'christology of the Word' as its core, which allows an extension of inspiration in analogical manner to non-Biblical scriptures. The contrast of Christ, the "Word incarnate," and Buddha, the "Inspired One," offers a new contribution to an inter- religious dialogue.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

Vols. 3- include Bulletin of the Czechoslovak Oriental Institut, no. 1-

This Festschrift is dedicated to Prof. Dr. D.N. MacKenzie, University of Göttingen, on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Prof. MacKenzie is widely known as an eminent scholar in things Iranian, especially Kurdish, Pashto, Middle, Persian, Sogdian and Khwarezmian. He has published ten books and numerous articles, and is contributor to the «Encyclopaedia of Islam» and to the «Encyclopaedia Iranica».

This dictionary describes Tocharian A, one of two Tocharian languages documented in manuscripts of Buddhist texts from the second half of the 1st millennium CE, excavated in the oases of the Tarim basin. The dictionary contains also a thesaurus, based on all the identified texts in Tocharian A, including previously published and unpublished texts from various collections (Paris, Berlin). All forms of words, including variants occurring in the texts, are listed separately with reference to all occurrences and a sample of passages in transcription and translation. The meaning of a number of words has been better defined and, when necessary, corrected against previous glossaries. Much focus has been laid on phraseology and literary parallels with other Buddhist texts in Sanskrit and Uighur. The description of the verbal forms has been listed according to the stems of the paradigms. The sources of loanwords, e.g., from Tocharian B, Old and Middle Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Old Turkic, and Chinese, as well as the corresponding words in Tocharian B, are also given.

From the table of contents: C.G. Cereti, Some Notes on the ?kand Guman?g WizarI. Colditz, Zur Adaption zoroastrischer Terminologie in Manis ?abuhraganA. Degener, The significance of the date palmPh. Gignoux, A propos de l'anthroponymie religieuse d'epoque sassanideGh. Gnoli, Further notes on Avestand geographyPh. Huyse, Ein erneuter Datierungsversuch fur den Ubergang vom Schluss-y der mittelpersischen Inschriften zum Endstrich im Buchpahlavi (6.-7. Jh.)Ph. Kreyenbroek, Yezidism and its Sacred Literature: Eastern and Western PerceptionsG. Lazard, Structures d'actances dans les langues irano-aryennes modernesM. Macuch, Language and Law: Linguistic Peculiarities in Sasanian JurisprudenceB. Meisterernst, D. Meisterernst-Durkin, Some remarks on the Chinese and Sogdian SCEA. Panaino, The "Rook" and the "Queen": Some Lexicographic Remarks about the Sasanian Chess PiecesL. Paul, The language of the ?ahname in historical and dialectical perspectiveCh. Reck, Reste einer soghdischen Version von Huyadagman I in der Form eines Responsoriums zwischen Erwahltem und HorerM. Schwartz, On Khwarezmian Loss of -R-Sh. Shaked, Iranian words retrieved from AramaicD. Shapira, Pahlavi FlowersN....

The Parthians are a fascinating but little-known ancient civilization. In the mid-third century BCE a bold and ambitious leader called Arshak challenged Hellenic rule and led his armies to victory. The dynasty which he founded ruled over what became a mighty empire and restored the glory of Iran following the region's conquest by Alexander the Great. This imperial eastern superpower, which lasted for 400 years and stretched from the Hindu Kush to Mesopotamia, withstand the might of Rome for centuries. The Parthians were nomadic horse-warriors who left few written records, concentrating rather on a rich oral and storytelling tradition. What knowledge we have of this remarkable people derives primarily from their coinage, which mixed Hellenism with Persian influences. In this book, distinguished scholars examine - from a variety of perspectives - the origins of the Parthians, their history, religion and culture, as well as perceptions of their empire through the lens of both imperial Rome and China.

This work presents a survey of Indian Buddhism with detailed bibliographical notes. Besing itself on recent studies, it is intended to introduce studies in various aspects of Indian Buddhism carried on by Japanese scholars as well as Western and Asian, especially Indian, scholars. The main text constitutes a gengeral survey of the development of Indian Buddhism, and studies by scholars past and present are mentioned in full detail in copious footnotes with due evaluations. This work can be regarded, so to speak, as a development with revisions, of the Buddhist portion of M. Winternitz` History of Indian Literature. Major studies before and after Winternitz` work are exhaustively mentioned. As a reference work also this book is of extreme help to scholars and students alike. The work has been edited by Prof. Ramesh Mathur. Contents Foreword, Preface, I. General Survey of Buddhism, II. early Buddhism: 1. The Time of the Rise of Buddhism, 2. The Life of Gotama Buddha and his Disciples, The Scriptures of Early Buddhism, Aspects of Original Buddhism, The Thought of Early Buddhism, The Practice of Early Buddhism, The Worship of Buddhas and Faith, Social Thought, III. Conservative...

Linguistic Mysteries of Ethnonyms in Inner Asia is recommended for scholars of inner Asian languages, cultures, and history, and unravels the origin and meaning of many ethnonyms on the basis of language contact and cultural interaction between the Altaic and Indo-European people.

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second Edition) sets out the present state of our knowledge of the Islamic World. It is a unique and invaluable reference tool, an essential key to understanding the world of Islam, and the authoritative source not only for the religion, but also for the believers and the countries in which they live.