Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 2017; 112(4–5): 405–415

Iran somewhat earlier, as letter G seems to refer to events oc-

curing in the 880 s (p. 11). The documents attest to a di-
verse cultural milieu in which people bearing Sogdian,
Sims-Williams, Nicholas / Hamilton, James: Turco-Sog- Turkic, and Chinese names and hailing from numerous
dian Documents from 9th-10th Century Dunhuang. Trans- locations around the Tarim Basin are referred to. A few of
lated by Nicholas Sims-Williams, with an appendix by Wen the texts also refer to Nestorian Christians (F, G, possibly
Xin. London: School of Oriental and African Studies 2015. also D).
120 S. 4° = The Corpus Inscriptionum Iranicarum Part III. Based on the content of these texts, one may infer that
Inscriptions of the Seleucid and Parthian periods and of the particular variety of Sogdian used represents the ver-
Eastern Iran and Central Asia 3. Sogdian. Brosch. £ 40,00. nacular used by the writers in their everyday lives. This
ISBN 978-0-7286-0405-6. contrasts with many other extant Sogdian texts, which
were for the most part produced in formal contexts by
Besprochen von Adam Benkato: Berlin/Deutschland,
E-mail: [email protected] trained scribes and thus may reflect only minimally the
way people actually spoke. For example, the two formal
https://doi.org/10.1515/olzg-2017-0130
Bezeklik letters are a case in point.2 They largely reflect
standard Manichaean Sogdian usage, but simultaneously
The term “Turco-sogdian” refers to a variety of Sogdian
show pressure from Old Turkic, which by the time of their
under strong Old Turkic influence. First introduced by
writing was undoubtedly the dominant language of all
Sims-Williams and Hamilton in their 1990 edition of eight
Manichaeans in the Turfan region. The level of language
documents from the sealed cave in Dunhuang, it has
contact and mixing to which they attest, however, is not as
gained wider use as further texts showing varying degrees
high as those in DTS–I assume this is at least partly the
of Old Turkic influence have been noticed. The book under
result of their being written by scribes trained to produce a
review is an updated English translation of that originally
type of highly formal standardized Sogdian. It thus inter-
French edition of these texts, long out of print.1 Intended
esting to note that G, sent by a sovereign named Tämär
to be principally a re-printing rather than a re-edition, the
Quš (tmʾr xwš) to a probably high-ranking Christian re-
volume nevertheless has three new or updated features: 1)
cipient named George (ywʾrkys), does not seem to be
an appendix by Wen Xin containing the edition and
written in any form of standard-like Sogdian but in the
translation of two Chinese documents from Dunhuang
same variety attested by the other documents. This variety
relevant to the events mentioned in one of the Sogdian
makes use of frequent calques on Old Turkic expressions,
documents (pp. 97–101), 2) a map showing the places re-
direct borrowings from Old Turkic, and also shows late
ferred to in the documents (p. 102), and 3) newer, higher
developments of Sogdian forms; the elucidation of all
quality photographs of not only the eight edited docu-
these is of course a testament to the perspicacity of the
ments (plates 1–17) but also of all the other Sogdian
editors. It is clear on the basis of the language (or register?)
manuscripts in the London and Paris collections that were
of G that Tämär Quš or his court were though proficient in
not previously published (18–42), the relevant Chinese
the (turco-)Sogdian vernacular that was current and per-
documents (43–47), and three new plates (48–50). This
haps able to use Sogdian as a prestige language.3 Inter-
new version of DTS also contains a number of footnotes,
esting, though, is that the letter contains few features
not present in the original, with references to subsequent
which would link it to the larger Sogdian epistolary tra-
corrections or relevant commentary. Since the original
edition was reviewed extensively– references to these are
in the preface (p. 9)–only a few further remarks will be 2 Bezeklik letters A and B are illuminated scrolls sent between high-
given here. ranking Manichaean officials in the Turfan area. Letter C is much less
The eight documents edited in DTS are now preserved formal and correspondingly shows a greater amount of OTk. influen-
in Paris (docs. A–E) and London (docs. F–H). Content- ce. See Yoshida, Yutaka, “Studies of Sogdian texts” in Tulufan xinchu
Moni jiao wenxian yanjiu [Studies in the Manichaean texts recently
wise, they include accounts, miscellaneous notes, letters,
discovered at Turfan], ed. Liu Hong-liang (Beijing, 2000), pp. 3–199.
and an obscene graffito referring to one of the letters. As
3 For thoughts on Turco-Sogdian from a sociolinguistic perspective,
the cave was sealed at the beginning of the eleventh cen- cf. Yoshida, Yutaka, “New Turco-Sogdian Documents and their So-
tury, the documents can be no later than that, and even cio-linguistic Backgrounds” in The History behind the Languages: Es-
says of Turfan Forum on Old Languages of the Silk Road, ed. Academia
Turfanica (Shanghai 2012), 48–60, and id., “Turco-Sogdian Features”
1 Sims-Williams, N., & J. Hamilton. 1990. Documents turco-sogdiens in Exegisti monumenta: festschrift in honour of Nicholas Sims-Williams
du IXe–Xe siècle de Touen-houang. London: SOAS. (= DTS). (Iranica 17), ed. W. Sundermann et al., (Wiesbaden, 2009), 571–586.

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406 Iran

dition attested from the Ancient Letters through the Mugh Cantera, Alberto: Vers une édition de la liturgie longue
documents to many Manichaean and secular Turfan zoroastrienne: pensées et travaux préliminaires. Paris:
fragments. Absent are the standard salutation formulae Association pur l‘Avancement des Études Iraniennes
which form a sort of prescript to the body of a letter, as well 2014. 427 S. m. Abb. 8° = Studia Iranica 51. Hartbd. €
as the formulaic passages found in the body and conclu- 70,00. ISBN 978-2-910640-37-8.
sion.4 At the same time, many passages in G are direct Besprochen von Carlo G. Cereti, Rom/Italien,
calques on formulae found in Old Turkic letters, while at E-Mail: [email protected]
least one has broader links: δwr zʾy pnt mʾny ‘in a distance
https://doi.org/10.1515/olzg-2017-0131
place but near in spirit‘ (G6) has parallels in both Khota-
nese and Old Turkic (p. 90) but not earlier Sogdian.
In this book Alberto Cantera presents his ground-breaking
Another letter, F, stems from a different context but
and innovative approach to the edition of Avestan texts,
also involves a Nestorian, this time a priest (msyδʾr)
an approach developed on the solid foundation of Hoff-
named Sergius (srkys). Like G, there do not seem to be
mann’s and Kellens’ works, yet methodologically very
formulae which connect its style to the Sogdian epistolary
innovative. Interestingly, the author re-evaluates some
tradition even though on the whole it contains fewer cal-
aspects of Spiegel’s work as well as ideas that were first
ques on Old Turkic than G. One phrase which may be im-
put forth by Darmesteter only to be abandoned too soon
portant for this discussion is ʾntwxc nʾ xwrʾ ‘don’t worry!
due to the influence of Westergaard and Geldner, which
(lit. ‘don’t eat worry)’ (F18) which also occurs in later
provided the ground for much of the 20th century’s philo-
Sogdian fragments (e.g. Ch/So 20202.5) and parallels the
logical work.
OTk. phrase üčün busanmanglar ‘Donʼt worry about...’.5 A
The volume is ultimately the outcome of four con-
variation on this is found in the Mugh letter A9, line 14 rty
ferences that the author held at Collège de France in May
ʾʾycw ʾntwxch Lʾ ʾʾys pʾrZY MN Lʾ xwrʾ ‘nothing worrying
and June 2013 upon an invitation by Kellens, rethought in
has come, so do not worry!‘, but as such a sentiment is not
depth and enlarged to host information which due to
out of place in a letter, the similarity of the Mugh example
limited time could not be included in the conferences
may be only chance.
themselves. To put it in his own words : “Pour la pub-
Finally, G and F share an idiom which has not been
lication des conférences, j’ai décidé de ne pas garder mes
encountered in other Sogdian letters: F4 pšy yxšy must be,
présentations orales, mais de faire une révision profonde
as noted by the editors (p. 65), the Old Turkic bašı yaxšı
du texte qui me permettait d’inclure des matériaux nou-
‘(may) his head (be) well’ and has a striking equivalent in
veaux qui ne peuvent être montrés que furtivement dans
Sogdian srxwc lit. ‘head-pleasant’. These both come to
les conférences. Cela m’a donné lʼoccasion d’ajouter des
have the meaning of simply ‘greetings‘, as demonstrated
aspects que je considère importants, mais que le temps
by the phrase srxwc wnʾmʾskn ‘I make srxwc’ (ibid.) in G18.
limité des présentations orales ne m’avait pas permis
These brief remarks are given in order to highlight the
d’exposer, comme par exemple le rapport entre l’histoire
importance of the documents re-published in the present
des rapports entre les communautés indiennes et ir-
volume. Not only do they contain a wealth of information
aniennes et la production de manuscrits » (p. 9–10).
about commerce (see especially A, B, F), history (see G),
In fact, Vers une édition de la liturgie longue zoroas-
and the demographic makeup of the late first-millenium
trienne : pensées et travaux préliminaires draws a clear
Dunhuang area, but are also invaluable for the light they
road map toward the edition of the Zoroastrian long li-
shed on one variety of Sogdian from both historical and
turgy, tackling an ample number of related problems
social points of view.
guided by some clearly stated hypothesis. On the solid
basis of the “Avestan Digital Archive", a project that he
has been developing together with a number of qualified
collaborators, the author argues in favor of a new metho-
dological approach, which re-evaluates the importance of
4 A study of the Sogdian epistolary formulae is under preparation by
Iranian liturgical manuscripts, the influence of the re-
the present author as part of the edition of Sogdian letter fragments
from Turfan.
citation on the text – and, on the other hand, of the text on
5 See Moriyasu, Takao, “Epistolary formulae of the Old Uighur let- the recitation – the need to consider what effect did the
ters from the eastern Silk Road (Part 2)“ Memoirs of the Graduate vernacular spoken by individual priests have on the text
School of Letters Osaka University 52 (2012), 1–98 (particularly p. 35 contained in manuscripts belonging both to the Indian
‘terms and idiomatic phrases frequently used in the body of the let- and to the Iranian tradition, the cross influence between
ter’).

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