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For further information, including the full final version of the list, read the Wikipedia article: Swadesh list .American linguist Morris Swadesh believed that languages changed at measurable rates and that these could be determined even for languages without written precursors. Using vocabulary lists, he sought to understand not only change over time but also the relationships of extant languages. To be able to compare languages from different cultures, he based his lists on meanings he presumed would be available in as many cultures as possible. He then used the fraction of agreeing cognates between any two related languages to compute their divergence time by some (still debated) algorithms. Starting in 1950 with 165 meanings, his list grew to 215 in 1952, which was so expansive that many languages lacked native vocabulary for some terms. Subsequently, it was reduced to 207, and reduced much further to 100 meanings in 1955. A reformulated list was published posthumously in 1971.
№ English Proto-Indo-Iranianedit (148) 1 I (1sg )*aȷ́ʰám 2 you (2sg )*túH *tuHám 3 he , she , it (3sg )*sá 4 we (1pl )*wayám 5 you (2pl )*yúH *yuHyám 6 they (3pl )*tā́s 7 this *ayám 8 that *tád 9 here *Hidʰá 10 there *tátra 11 who *kás, káH, kád 12 what *kím *čím 13 where *kúH 14 when *kadáH 15 how *káyna 16 not *na *a- 17 all *sárwas *wíćwas 18 many *pr̥Húš 19 some *kínčid 20 few *īšát 21 other *Hanyás 22 one *Háywas *Háykas 23 two *dwáH 24 three *tráyas 25 four *čatwā́ras 26 five *pánča 27 big *maȷ́ʰás 28 long *dr̥Hgʰás 29 wide *pr̥tʰúš 30 thick *stʰuHrás 31 heavy *gr̥Húš 32 small *tusćás 33 short *kr̥dʰúš 34 narrow *Hánȷ́ʰuš 35 thin *kr̥ćás *tánuš 36 woman *ǰánHs *gnáHs *stríH 37 man (adult male)*wiHrás *Hnáras 38 man (human being)*manušyás *mártyas 39 child *ȷ́aHtás 40 wife *pátniH 41 husband *pátiš 42 mother *máHtā 43 father *pHtā́ 44 animal *páću 45 fish *mátsyas 46 bird *Háwiš 47 dog *ćwā́ 48 louse *ćwíšas 49 snake *sarpás *nāgás 50 worm *kŕ̥miš 51 tree *dā́ru 52 forest 53 stick *waytasás 54 fruit 55 seed *bíHȷ́am 56 leaf *parnám 57 root 58 bark (of a tree)*twákš *varkás ~ valkás 59 flower 60 grass *tŕ̥nam 61 rope *rázǰuš *rać- root of many nouns meaning "rope" 62 skin *čárma 63 meat *māmsás 64 blood *HásHr̥ 65 bone *Hástʰi 66 fat (noun)*píHwas 67 egg *Hāwyám 68 horn *ćáypas 69 tail *púšćas *wā́ras 70 feather *parnám 71 hair *Hráwma body hair? *káyćas hair on the head 72 head *ćŕ̥Has *ćr̥Hšá 73 ear *kárnas 74 eye *čákšuš *čáćšma 75 nose *náHsaH 76 mouth *Hā́s *wáktram 77 tooth *Hdánts *ȷ́ámbʰas 78 tongue (organ)*ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH 79 fingernail *Hnā́kš ~ Hnakʰás 80 foot *pā́ts 81 leg 82 knee *ȷ́ā́nu 83 hand *ȷ́ʰástas 84 wing *parnám 85 belly *udáras 86 guts *Hántram 87 neck *griHwáH neck, throat 88 back *pr̥štʰás 89 breast *pstánas *HúrHas chest 90 heart *ȷ́ʰŕ̥dayam 91 liver *Hyákr̥ 92 to drink *píbati 93 to eat *Hátˢti 94 to bite *dáćati 95 to suck *dʰáyati 96 to spit 97 to vomit *wámHati 98 to blow *Hwā́ti of the wind *dʰámati 99 to breathe 100 to laugh *smáyatay 101 to see *čáštay 102 to hear *ćr̥náwti 103 to know *ȷ́ānáHti 104 to think *mányatay 105 to smell 106 to fear *bʰáyHti 107 to sleep *swápati 108 to live *ǰíHwati 109 to die *mriyátay 110 to kill *ǰʰánti 111 to fight *Hyáwdʰati *Hyúdʰyati 112 to hunt *wáyHti to chase 113 to hit 114 to cut *śćinátˢti 115 to split *bʰinátˢti 116 to stab 117 to scratch 118 to dig 119 to swim 120 to fly 121 to walk *pádyati 122 to come 123 to lie (as in a bed) 124 to sit *síždati 125 to stand *stíštaHti 126 to turn (intransitive) 127 to fall 128 to give *dádaHti 129 to hold *dʰárati *dʰāráyati 130 to squeeze 131 to rub 132 to wash 133 to wipe 134 to pull 135 to push 136 to throw 137 to tie 138 to sew 139 to count 140 to say *Háwǰʰati *wákti *mráwHti 141 to sing *gáHyati 142 to play 143 to float 144 to flow 145 to freeze 146 to swell 147 sun *súHar 148 moon *mā́Has 149 star *Hstā́ 150 water *Hā́pš 151 rain 152 river 153 lake 154 sea 155 salt 156 stone 157 sand 158 dust 159 earth *ȷ́ʰžʰáHs *bʰúHmiš 160 cloud *Hmaygʰás *abʰrás 161 fog *dʰuHmás 162 sky *dyā́wš 163 wind 164 snow 165 ice 166 smoke *dʰuHmás 167 fire *Hagníš Indo-Aryan *HaHtar- Iranian 168 ash 169 to burn 170 road 171 mountain *gr̥Híš *párwatas 172 red *Hráwdʰitas *Hrudʰrás *ĉáwnas 173 green *j́ʰáriš 174 yellow 175 white *ćwaytás 176 black *kr̥šnás *ćyaHwás 177 night *kšáp *nákts 178 day 179 year *ćarHáts 180 warm 181 cold *ȷ́ʰimás 182 full *pr̥Hnás 183 new *náwas 184 old *ȷ́r̥Hnás 185 good *Hwásuš *ćriHrás *Hsu- 186 bad *ákas *pāpás *Hagʰás *duš- 187 rotten 188 dirty 189 straight *Hr̥ȷ́úš 190 round 191 sharp (as a knife)*tigmás 192 dull (as a knife)193 smooth 194 wet 195 dry *Hsúškas 196 correct *Hr̥ȷ́úš 197 near 198 far 199 right *dáćšinas 200 left *(H)sawyás 201 at 202 in 203 with 204 and *-ča 205 if 206 because 207 name *Hnā́ma
See also
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Swadesh lists
Individual languages
Language families, family branches, and geographic groupings
Constructed languages
Reconstructed proto-languages
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