Appendix:Arabic Swadesh list
This is a Swadesh list of words in Arabic, compared with definitions in English.
This list contains words from Classical Arabic exclusively, but the pronunciations given are the MSA equivalents. In addition to this, some words have slight semantic shift from when Classical Arabic was a spoken language. It should also be noted that whenever more than one word is provided in the same cell, the words are ordered from left to right corresponding to their English translations, separated by (English) commas.
As Literary Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) is no one's native language, it is differently pronounced by Arabic speakers. Providing a correct strict transcription would be biased to a specific region, additionally, even speakers of a given region may differently pronounce the same words.
List edit
| № | English | Arabic الْعَرَبِيَّة (al-ʕarabiyya) edit (207) | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I (1sg) | أَنَا (ʔanā) | /ʔa.naː/ |
| 2 | you (2sg) | أَنْتَ (ʔanta) (masculine), أَنْتِ (ʔanti) (feminine) | /ʔan.ta/, /ʔan.ti/ |
| 3 | he, she, it (3sg) | هُوَ (huwa) (masculine), هِيَ (hiya) (feminine) | /hu.wa/, /hi.ja/ |
| 4 | we (1pl) | نَحْنُ (naḥnu) | /naħ.nu/ |
| 5 | you (2pl) | أَنْتُمْ (ʔantum) (masculine, plural), أَنْتُنَّ (ʔantunna) (feminine, plural), أَنْتُمَا (ʔantumā) (dual) | /ʔan.tum/, /ʔan.tun.na/, /ʔan.tu.maː/ |
| 6 | they (3pl) | هُمْ (hum) (masculine, plural), هُنَّ (hunna) (feminine, plural), هُمَا (humā) (dual) | /hum/, /hun.na/, /hu.maː/ |
| 7 | this | هٰذَا (hāḏā) (masculine sentient), هٰذِهِ (hāḏihi) (feminine, non-sentient), هٰذِي (hāḏī) (feminine, non-sentient) | /haː.ðaː/, /haː.ði.hi/, /haː.ðiː/ |
| 8 | that | ذٰلِكَ (ḏālika), ذَاكَ (ḏāka), تِلْكَ (tilka), تِيكَ (tīka) | /ðaː.li.ka/, /ðaː.ka/, /til.ka/, /tiː.ka/ |
| 9 | here | هُنَا (hunā) | /hu.naː/ |
| 10 | there | هُنَاكَ (hunāka), هُنَالِكَ (hunālika), ثَمَّ (ṯamma) | /hu.naː.ka/, /hu.naː.li.ka/, /θam.ma/ |
| 11 | who | مَنْ (man) | /man/ |
| 12 | what | مَا (mā), مَاذَا (māḏā) | /maː/, /maː.ðaː/ |
| 13 | where | أَيْن (ʔayn) | /ʔajn/ |
| 14 | when | مَتَى (matā) | /ma.taː/ |
| 15 | how | كَيْف (kayf) | /kajf/ |
| 16 | not | لَا (lā), مَا (mā), لَنْ (lan) (future), لَمْ (lam) (past) | /laː/, /maː/, /lan/, /lam/ |
| 17 | all | كُلّ (kull) | /kull/ |
| 18 | many | كَثِير (kaṯīr) | /ka.θiːr/ |
| 19 | some | بَعْض (baʕḍ) | /baʕdˤ/ |
| 20 | few | قَلِيل (qalīl) | /qa.liːl/ |
| 21 | other | آخَر (ʔāḵar) | /ʔaː.xar/ |
| 22 | one | وَاحِد (wāḥid) | /waː.ħid/ |
| 23 | two | اِثْنَان (iṯnān) | /iθ.naːn/ |
| 24 | three | ثَلَاثَة (ṯalāṯa) | /θa.laː.θa/ |
| 25 | four | أَرْبَعَة (ʔarbaʕa) | /ʔar.ba.ʕa/ |
| 26 | five | خَمْسَة (ḵamsa) | /xam.sa/ |
| 27 | big | كَبِير (kabīr) | /ka.biːr/ |
| 28 | long | طَوِيل (ṭawīl) | /tˤa.wiːl/ |
| 29 | wide | رَحْب (raḥb), وَاسِع (wāsiʕ) | /raħb/, /waː.siʕ/ |
| 30 | thick | سَمِيك (samīk) | /sa.miːk/ |
| 31 | heavy | ثَقِيل (ṯaqīl) | /θa.qiːl/ |
| 32 | small | صَغِير (ṣaḡīr) | /sˤa.ɣiːr/ |
| 33 | short | قَصِير (qaṣīr) | /qa.sˤiːr/ |
| 34 | narrow | ضَيِّق (ḍayyiq) | /dˤaj.jiq/ |
| 35 | thin | رَقِيق (raqīq) | /ra.qiːq/ |
| 36 | woman | اِمْرَأَة (imraʔa) | /im.ra.ʔa/ |
| 37 | man (adult male) | رَجُل (rajul) | /ra.d͡ʒul/ |
| 38 | man (human being) | إِنْسَان (ʔinsān) | /ʔin.saːn/ |
| 39 | child | طِفْل (ṭifl) | /tˤifl/ |
| 40 | wife | زَوْجَة (zawja) | /zaw.d͡ʒa/ |
| 41 | husband | زَوْج (zawj), بَعْل (baʕl) | /zawd͡ʒ/, /baʕl/ |
| 42 | mother | أُمّ (ʔumm) | /ʔumm/ |
| 43 | father | أَب (ʔab) | /ʔab/ |
| 44 | animal | حَيَوَان (ḥayawān) | /ħa.ja.waːn/ |
| 45 | fish | سَمَك (samak), حُوت (ḥūt) | /sa.mak/, /ħuːt/ |
| 46 | bird | طَائِر (ṭāʔir), عُصْفُور (ʕuṣfūr) | /tˤaː.ʔir/, /ʕusˤ.fuːr/ |
| 47 | dog | كَلْب (kalb) | /kalb/ |
| 48 | louse | قَمْل (qaml) | /qaml/ |
| 49 | snake | حَنَش (ḥanaš), ثُعْبَان (ṯuʕbān), حَيَّة (ḥayya), أَفْعًى (ʔafʕan) | /ħa.naʃ/, /θuʕ.baːn/, /ħaj.ja/, /ʔaf.ʕan/ |
| 50 | worm | دُود (dūd) | /duːd/ |
| 51 | tree | شَجَرَة (šajara) | /ʃa.d͡ʒa.ra/ |
| 52 | forest | غَابَة (ḡāba) | /ɣaː.ba/ |
| 53 | stick | عَصًا (ʕaṣan) | /ʕa.sˤan/ |
| 54 | fruit | فَاكِهَة (fākiha) | /faː.ki.ha/ |
| 55 | seed | زَرْع (zarʕ), زَرِّيعَة (zarrīʕa) | /zarʕ/, /zar.riː.ʕa/ |
| 56 | leaf | وَرَقَة (waraqa) | /wa.ra.qa/ |
| 57 | root | جِذْر (jiḏr), جَذْر (jaḏr) | /d͡ʒiðr/, /d͡ʒaðr/ |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | قِلْف (qilf) | /qilf/ |
| 59 | flower | زَهْرَة (zahra) | /zah.ra/ |
| 60 | grass | حَشِيش (ḥašīš) | /ħa.ʃiːʃ/ |
| 61 | rope | حَبْل (ḥabl) | /ħabl/ |
| 62 | skin | جِلْد (jild) | /d͡ʒild/ |
| 63 | meat | لَحْم (laḥm) | /laħm/ |
| 64 | blood | دَم (dam) | /dam/ |
| 65 | bone | عَظْم (ʕaẓm) | /ʕaðˤm/ |
| 66 | fat (noun) | دُهْن (duhn) | /duhn/ |
| 67 | egg | بَيْضَة (bayḍa) | /baj.dˤa/ |
| 68 | horn | قَرْن (qarn) | /qarn/ |
| 69 | tail | ذَنَب (ḏanab) | /ða.nab/ |
| 70 | feather | رِيشَة (rīša) | /riː.ʃa/ |
| 71 | hair | شَعْر (šaʕr) | /ʃaʕr/ |
| 72 | head | رَأْس (raʔs) | /raʔs/ |
| 73 | ear | أُذُن (ʔuḏun) | /ʔu.ðun/ |
| 74 | eye | عَيْن (ʕayn) | /ʕajn/ |
| 75 | nose | أَنْف (ʔanf) | /ʔanf/ |
| 76 | mouth | فَم (fam) | /fam/ |
| 77 | tooth | سِنّ (sinn) | /sinn/ |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | لِسَان (lisān) | /li.saːn/ |
| 79 | fingernail | ظُفْر (ẓufr) | /ðˤufr/ |
| 80 | foot | قَدَم (qadam) | /qa.dam/ |
| 81 | leg | رِجْل (rijl) | /rid͡ʒl/ |
| 82 | knee | رُكْبَة (rukba) | /ruk.ba/ |
| 83 | hand | يَد (yad) | /jad/ |
| 84 | wing | كَنَف (kanaf), جَنَاح (janāḥ) | /ka.naf/, /d͡ʒa.naːħ/ |
| 85 | belly | بَطْن (baṭn) | /batˤn/ |
| 86 | guts | أَمْعَاء (ʔamʕāʔ) | /ʔam.ʕaːʔ/ |
| 87 | neck | رَقَبَة (raqaba) | /ra.qa.ba/ |
| 88 | back | ظَهْر (ẓahr) | /ðˤahr/ |
| 89 | breast | ثَدْي (ṯady), صَدْر (ṣadr) | /θadj/, /sˤadr/ |
| 90 | heart | لُبّ (lubb), قَلْب (qalb) | /lubb/, /qalb/ |
| 91 | liver | كَبِد (kabid) | /ka.bid/ |
| 92 | to drink | شَرِبَ (šariba) | /ʃa.ri.ba/ |
| 93 | to eat | أَكَلَ (ʔakala) | /ʔa.ka.la/ |
| 94 | to bite | عَضَّ (ʕaḍḍa) | /ʕadˤ.dˤa/ |
| 95 | to suck | مَصَّ (maṣṣa) | /masˤ.sˤa/ |
| 96 | to spit | بَصَقَ (baṣaqa) | /ba.sˤa.qa/ |
| 97 | to vomit | تَقَيَّأَ (taqayyaʔa) | /ta.qaj.ja.ʔa/ |
| 98 | to blow | نَفَخَ (nafaḵa) | /na.fa.xa/ |
| 99 | to breathe | تَنَفَّسَ (tanaffasa) | /ta.naf.fa.sa/ |
| 100 | to laugh | ضَحِكَ (ḍaḥika) | /dˤa.ħi.ka/ |
| 101 | to see | رَأَى (raʔā) | /ra.ʔaː/ |
| 102 | to hear | سَمِعَ (samiʕa) | /sa.mi.ʕa/ |
| 103 | to know | عَرَفَ (ʕarafa) | /ʕa.ra.fa/ |
| 104 | to think | فَكَرَ (fakara) | /fa.ka.ra/ |
| 105 | to smell | شَمَّ (šamma) | /ʃam.ma/ |
| 106 | to fear | خَافَ (ḵāfa) | /xaː.fa/ |
| 107 | to sleep | نَامَ (nāma) | /naː.ma/ |
| 108 | to live | عَاشَ (ʕāša) | /ʕaː.ʃa/ |
| 109 | to die | مَاتَ (māta) | /maː.ta/ |
| 110 | to kill | قَتَلَ (qatala) | /qa.ta.la/ |
| 111 | to fight | قَاتَلَ (qātala) | /qaː.ta.la/ |
| 112 | to hunt | صَادَ (ṣāda) | /sˤaː.da/ |
| 113 | to hit | ضَرَبَ (ḍaraba) | /dˤa.ra.ba/ |
| 114 | to cut | قَطَعَ (qaṭaʕa) | /qa.tˤa.ʕa/ |
| 115 | to split | شَقَّ (šaqqa) | /ʃaq.qa/ |
| 116 | to stab | طَعَنَ (ṭaʕana) | /tˤa.ʕa.na/ |
| 117 | to scratch | خَدَشَ (ḵadaša) | /xa.da.ʃa/ |
| 118 | to dig | حَفَرَ (ḥafara) | /ħa.fa.ra/ |
| 119 | to swim | سَبَحَ (sabaḥa), عَامَ (ʕāma) | /sa.ba.ħa/, /ʕaː.ma/ |
| 120 | to fly | طَارَ (ṭāra) | /tˤaː.ra/ |
| 121 | to walk | مَشَى (mašā) | /ma.ʃaː/ |
| 122 | to come | جَاءَ (jāʔa), بَاءَ (bāʔa), أَتَى (ʔatā) | /d͡ʒaː.ʔa/, /baː.ʔa/, /ʔa.taː/ |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | رَقَدَ (raqada) | /ra.qa.da/ |
| 124 | to sit | جَلَسَ (jalasa) | /d͡ʒa.la.sa/ |
| 125 | to stand | وَقَفَ (waqafa) | /wa.qa.fa/ |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | دَارَ (dāra) | /daː.ra/ |
| 127 | to fall | وَقَعَ (waqaʕa), سَقَطَ (saqaṭa), طَاحَ (ṭāḥa) | /wa.qa.ʕa/, /sa.qa.tˤa/, /tˤaː.ħa/ |
| 128 | to give | أَعْطَى (ʔaʕṭā) | /ʔaʕ.tˤaː/ |
| 129 | to hold | أَخَذَ (ʔaḵaḏa) | /ʔa.xa.ða/ |
| 130 | to squeeze | عَصَرَ (ʕaṣara) | /ʕa.sˤa.ra/ |
| 131 | to rub | حَكَّ (ḥakka) | /ħak.ka/ |
| 132 | to wash | غَسَلَ (ḡasala) | /ɣa.sa.la/ |
| 133 | to wipe | مَحَا (maḥā), مَسَحَ (masaḥa) | /ma.ħaː/, /ma.sa.ħa/ |
| 134 | to pull | جَرَّ (jarra) | /d͡ʒar.ra/ |
| 135 | to push | دَفَعَ (dafaʕa) | /da.fa.ʕa/ |
| 136 | to throw | رَمَى (ramā) | /ra.maː/ |
| 137 | to tie | رَبَطَ (rabaṭa) | /ra.ba.tˤa/ |
| 138 | to sew | خَاطَ (ḵāṭa), خَيَّطَ (ḵayyaṭa) | /xaː.tˤa/, /xaj.ja.tˤa/ |
| 139 | to count | عَدَّ (ʕadda) | /ʕad.da/ |
| 140 | to say | قَالَ (qāla) | /qaː.la/ |
| 141 | to sing | غَنَّى (ḡannā) | /ɣan.naː/ |
| 142 | to play | لَعِبَ (laʕiba) | /la.ʕi.ba/ |
| 143 | to float | عَامَ (ʕāma), طَفَا (ṭafā) | /ʕaː.ma/, /tˤa.faː/ |
| 144 | to flow | تَدَفَّقَ (tadaffaqa) | /ta.daf.fa.qa/ |
| 145 | to freeze | جَمَدَ (jamada) | /d͡ʒa.ma.da/ |
| 146 | to swell | وَرِمَ (warima), اِنْتَفَخَ (intafaḵa) | /wa.ri.ma/, /in.ta.fa.xa/ |
| 147 | sun | شَمْس (šams) | /ʃams/ |
| 148 | moon | قَمَر (qamar) | /qa.mar/ |
| 149 | star | نَجْم (najm), كَوْكَب (kawkab) | /nad͡ʒm/, /kaw.kab/ |
| 150 | water | مَاء (māʔ) | /maːʔ/ |
| 151 | rain | مَطَر (maṭar) | /ma.tˤar/ |
| 152 | river | نَهْر (nahr), نَهَر (nahar) | /nahr/, /na.har/ |
| 153 | lake | بُحَيْرَة (buḥayra) | /bu.ħaj.ra/ |
| 154 | sea | بَحْر (baḥr), يَمّ (yamm) | /baħr/, /jamm/ |
| 155 | salt | مِلْح (milḥ) | /milħ/ |
| 156 | stone | حَجَر (ḥajar) | /ħa.d͡ʒar/ |
| 157 | sand | رَمْل (raml) | /raml/ |
| 158 | dust | غُبَار (ḡubār) | /ɣu.baːr/ |
| 159 | earth | أَرْض (ʔarḍ) | /ʔardˤ/ |
| 160 | cloud | سَحَابَة (saḥāba), غَيْمَة (ḡayma), غَمَامَة (ḡamāma), عَنَانَة (ʕanāna) | /sa.ħaː.ba/, /ɣaj.ma/, /ɣa.maː.ma/, /ʕa.naː.na/ |
| 161 | fog | ضَبَاب (ḍabāb) | /dˤa.baːb/ |
| 162 | sky | سَمَاء (samāʔ) | /sa.maːʔ/ |
| 163 | wind | رِيح (rīḥ) | /riːħ/ |
| 164 | snow | ثَلْج (ṯalj) | /θald͡ʒ/ |
| 165 | ice | جَلِيد (jalīd) | /d͡ʒa.liːd/ |
| 166 | smoke | دُخَان (duḵān), دُخَّان (duḵḵān) | /du.xaːn/, /dux.xaːn/ |
| 167 | fire | نَارَ (nāra) | /naː.ra/ |
| 168 | ash | رَمَاد (ramād) | /ra.maːd/ |
| 169 | to burn | حَرَقَ (ḥaraqa) | /ħa.ra.qa/ |
| 170 | road | طَرِيق (ṭarīq) | /tˤa.riːq/ |
| 171 | mountain | جَبَل (jabal) | /d͡ʒa.bal/ |
| 172 | red | أَحْمَر (ʔaḥmar) | /ʔaħ.mar/ |
| 173 | green | أَخْضَر (ʔaḵḍar) | /ʔax.dˤar/ |
| 174 | yellow | أَصْفَر (ʔaṣfar) | /ʔasˤ.far/ |
| 175 | white | أَبْيَض (ʔabyaḍ) | /ʔab.jadˤ/ |
| 176 | black | أَسْوَد (ʔaswad) | /ʔas.wad/ |
| 177 | night | لَيْل (layl) | /lajl/ |
| 178 | day | يَوْم (yawm) | /jawm/ |
| 179 | year | سَنَة (sana), عَام (ʕām) | /sa.na/, /ʕaːm/ |
| 180 | warm | دَافِئ (dāfiʔ) | /daː.fiʔ/ |
| 181 | cold | بَارِد (bārid) | /baː.rid/ |
| 182 | full | مُمْتَلِئ (mumtaliʔ) | /mum.ta.liʔ/ |
| 183 | new | جَدِيد (jadīd), حَدِيث (ḥadīṯ) | /d͡ʒa.diːd/, /ħa.diːθ/ |
| 184 | old | قَدِيم (qadīm), عَتِيق (ʕatīq) | /qa.diːm/, /ʕa.tiːq/ |
| 185 | good | طَيِّب (ṭayyib) | /tˤaj.jib/ |
| 186 | bad | سَيِّئ (sayyiʔ) | /saj.jiʔ/ |
| 187 | rotten | مُتَعَفِّن (mutaʕaffin) | /mu.ta.ʕaf.fin/ |
| 188 | dirty | قَذِر (qaḏir), وَسِخ (wasiḵ) | /qa.ðir/, /wa.six/ |
| 189 | straight | مُسْتَقِيم (mustaqīm) | /mus.ta.qiːm/ |
| 190 | round | مُسْتَدِير (mustadīr) | /mus.ta.diːr/ |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | حَادّ (ḥādd) | /ħaːdd/ |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | ثَلِم (ṯalim), كَلِيل (kalīl) | /θa.lim/, /ka.liːl/ |
| 193 | smooth | نَاعِم (nāʕim) | /naː.ʕim/ |
| 194 | wet | رَطْب (raṭb) | /ratˤb/ |
| 195 | dry | جَافّ (jāff), يَابِس (yābis) | /d͡ʒaːff/, /jaː.bis/ |
| 196 | correct | صَحِيح (ṣaḥīḥ) | /sˤa.ħiːħ/ |
| 197 | near | قَرِيب (qarīb) | /qa.riːb/ |
| 198 | far | بَعِيد (baʕīd) | /ba.ʕiːd/ |
| 199 | right | يَمِين (yamīn) | /ja.miːn/ |
| 200 | left | شِمَال (šimāl), يَسَار (yasār) | /ʃi.maːl/, /ja.saːr/ |
| 201 | at | عِنْدَ (ʕinda) | /ʕin.da/ |
| 202 | in | فِي (fī), بِ (bi) | /fiː/, /bi/ |
| 203 | with | مَعَ (maʕa), بِ (bi) | /ma.ʕa/, /bi/ |
| 204 | and | وَ (wa) | /wa/ |
| 205 | if | لَوْ (law), إِذَا (ʔiḏā), إِنْ (ʔin) | /law/, /ʔi.ðaː/, /ʔin/ |
| 206 | because | لِأَنَّ (liʔanna), بِسَبَبِ (bisababi), حَيْثُ (ḥayṯu) | /li.ʔan.na/, /bi.sa.ba.bi/, /ħaj.θu/ |
| 207 | name | اِسْم (ism) | /ism/ |