Appendix:Akkadian Swadesh list

This is a Swadesh list of words in Akkadian, compared with definitions in English.

Presentation

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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.

List

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EnglishAkkadian
edit (166)
IPA
1I (1sg)anāku/aˈnaː.ku/
2you (2sg)atta (masculine), atti (feminine)/ˈat.ta/, /ˈat.ti/
3he, she, it (3sg)šū (masculine), šī (feminine)/ʃuː/, /ʃiː/
4we (1pl)nīnu/ˈniː.nu/
5you (2pl)attunu (masculine), attina (feminine)/ˈat.tu.nu/, /ˈat.ti.na/
6they (3pl)šunu (masculine), šina (feminine)/ˈʃu.nu/, /ˈʃi.na/
7thisannûm (masculine), annītum (feminine)/anˈnuːm/, /anˈniː.tum/
8thatšū (masculine), šī (feminine), ullûm (masculine), ullītum (feminine)/ʃuː/, /ʃiː/, /ulˈluːm/, /ulˈliː.tum/
9hereannânum, annīkiam/anˈnaː.num/, /anˈniː.ki.am/
10thereullīkiam/ulˈliː.ki.am/
11whomannum/ˈman.num/
12whatmīnum, minûm/ˈmiː.num/, /miˈnuːm/
13whereali, ayyānum, ayyīkiam, êš/ˈa.li/, /ajˈjaː.num/, /ajˈjiː.ki.am/, /eːʃ/
14whenmati, matīma/ˈma.ti/, /maˈtiː.ma/
15how/kiː/
16notul, /ul/, /laː/
17allkalûm/kaˈluːm/
18manymādum (masculine), māttum (feminine)/ˈmaː.dum/, /ˈmaːt.tum/
19someayyumma (masculine), ayyītumma (feminine)/ajˈjum.ma/, /aj.jiːˈtum.ma/
20fewwīṣum, maṭûm/ˈwiː.sˤum/, /maˈtˤuːm/
21otheršanûm (masculine), šanītum (feminine)/ʃaˈnuːm/, /ʃaˈniː.tum/
22oneištēn (masculine), išteat (feminine)/iʃˈteːn/, /iʃˈteat/
23twošinā (masculine), šittā (feminine)/ˈʃi.naː/, /ˈʃit.taː/
24threešalāšat (masculine), šalāš (feminine)/ʃaˈlaː.ʃat/, /ʃaˈlaːʃ/
25fourerbet (masculine), erbe (feminine)/ˈer.bet/, /ˈer.be/
26fiveḫamšat (masculine), ḫamiš (feminine)/ˈχam.ʃat/, /ˈχa.miʃ/
27bigrabûm (masculine), rabītum (feminine)/raˈbuːm/, /raˈbiː.tum/
28longarkum (masculine), ariktum (feminine)/ˈar.kum/, /aˈrik.tum/
29widerapšum (masculine), rapaštum (feminine)/ˈrap.ʃum/, /raˈpaʃ.tum/
30thickkabrum (masculine), kabartum (feminine)/ˈkab.rum/, /kaˈbar.tum/
31heavykabtum/ˈkab.tum/
32smallṣuḫārum (masculine), ṣuḫārtum (feminine)/sˤuˈχaː.rum/, /sˤuˈχaːr.tum/
33shortkurûm (masculine), kurītum (feminine)/kuˈruːm/, /kuˈriː.tum/
34narrowqatnum (masculine), qatattum (feminine), pīqum (masculine), pīqtum (feminine)/ˈqat.num/, /qaˈtat.tum/, /ˈpiː.qum/, /ˈpiːq.tum/
35thinqatnum (masculine), qatattum (feminine), pīqum (masculine), pīqtum (feminine)/ˈqat.num/, /qaˈtat.tum/, /ˈpiː.qum/, /ˈpiːq.tum/
36womansinništum/sinˈniʃ.tum/
37man (adult male)zikarum/ˈzi.ka.rum/
38man (human being)awīlum/aˈwiː.lum/
39childṣeḫrum/ˈsˤeχ.rum/
40wifeaššatum/ˈaʃ.ʃa.tum/
41husbandmutum/ˈmu.tum/
42motherummum/ˈum.mum/
43fatherabum/ˈa.bum/
44animalumāmum/uˈmaː.mum/
45fishnūnum/ˈnuː.num/
46birdiṣṣūrum/isˤˈsˤuː.rum/
47dogkalbum/ˈkal.bum/
48louseuplum/ˈup.lum/
49snakeṣerrum/ˈsˤer.rum/
50wormtûltum/ˈtuːl.tum/
51treeiṣum/ˈi.sˤum/
52forestqištum/ˈqiʃ.tum/
53stickḫaṭṭum/ˈχatˤ.tˤum/
54fruitinbum/ˈin.bum/
55seedzērum/ˈzeː.rum/
56leafartum, ḫasḫaltu/ˈar.tum/, /χasˈχal.tu/
57rootšuršum/ˈʃur.ʃum/
58bark (of a tree)quliptum/ˈqu.lip.tum/
59flowerayyarum, inbum/ˈay.ya.rum/, /ˈin.bum/
60grassdīšum, šammum/ˈdiː.ʃum/, /ˈʃam.mum/
61ropeašlum/ˈaʃ.lum/
62skinmaškum/ˈmaʃ.kum/
63meatšīrum/ˈʃiː.rum/
64blooddāmum/ˈdaː.mum/
65boneeṣemtum/eˈsˤem.tum/
66fat (noun)šamnum/ˈʃam.num/
67eggpelûm/ˈpe.luːm/
68hornqarnum/ˈqar.num/
69tailzibbatum/ˈzib.ba.tum/
70featherkappum/ˈkap.pum/
71hairšārtum/ˈʃaːr.tum/
72headrēšum, qaqqadum/ˈreː.ʃum/, /ˈqaq.qa.dum/
73earuznum/ˈuz.num/
74eyeīnum/ˈiː.num/
75noseappum/ˈap.pum/
76mouthpûm/ˈpuːm/
77toothšinnum/ˈʃin.num/
78tongue (organ)lišānum/liˈʃaː.num/
79fingernailṣuprum/ˈsˤu.prum/
80footšēpum/ˈʃeː.pum/
81legšēpum/ˈʃeː.pum/
82kneebirkum /ˈbir.kum/
83handqātum/ˈqaː.tum/
84wingabrum, kappum/ˈa.brum/, /ˈkap.pum/
85bellylibbum, karšum/ˈlib.bum/, /ˈkar.ʃum/
86gutserrum, libbum/ˈer.rum/, /ˈlib.bum/
87neckkišādum/kiˈʃaː.dum/
88backṣērum, warkatum/ˈsˤeː.rum/, /ˈwar.ka.tum/
89breastirtum/ˈir.tum/
90heartlibbum/ˈlib.bum/
91liverkabattum, amūtum/kaˈbat.tum/, /aˈmuː.tum/
92to drinkšatûm/ʃaˈtuːm/
93to eatakālum/aˈkaː.lum/
94to bitenašākum/naˈʃaː.kum/
95to suckenēqum/eˈneː.qum/
96to spitnadûm/naˈduːm/
97to vomitarûm/aˈruːm/
98to blownapāḫum/naˈpaː.χum/
99to breathenapāšum/naˈpaː.ʃum/
100to laughṣiāḫum/sˤiˈaː.χum/
101to seeamārum/aˈmaː.rum/
102to hearšemûm/ʃeˈmuːm/
103to knowedûm/eˈduːm/
104to think
105to smell
106to fear
107to sleep
108to live
109to die
110to kill
111to fight
112to hunt
113to hit
114to cut
115to split
116to stab
117to scratch
118to dig
119to swim
120to fly
121to walkalākum/aˈlaː.kum/
122to come
123to lie (as in a bed)niālum/niˈaː.lum/
124to sitwašābum/waˈʃaː.bum/
125to standizuzzum/iˈzuz.zum/
126to turn (intransitive)saḥārum/saˈχaː.rum/
127to fallmaqātum/maˈqaː.tum/
128to givenadānum/naˈdaː.num/
129to holdkullum, aḫāzum/ˈkul.lum/, /aˈχaː.zum/
130to squeezemazûm, ḫalāṣum/maˈzuːm/, /χaˈlaː.sˤum/
131to rub
132to washmesûm, raḥāṣum/meˈsuːm/, /raˈχaː.sˤum/
133to wipekapārum/kaˈpaː.rum/
134to pullšadādum/ʃaˈdaː.dum/
135to pushnapāṣum, sakāpum/naˈpaː.sˤum/, /saˈkaː.pum/
136to thrownasākum/naˈsaː.kum/
137to tiekaṣārum, ṣamādum, rakāsum/kaˈsˤaː.rum/, /sˤaˈmaː.dum/, /raˈkaː.sum/
138to sew
139to countmanûm/maˈnuːm/
140to sayqabûm/qaˈbuːm/
141to singzamārum/zaˈmaː.rum/
142to playmēlulum/ˈmeː.lu.lum/
143to float
144to flow
145to freeze
146to swell
147sunšamšum/ˈʃam.ʃum/
148moonSîn/siːn/
149starkakkabum/ˈkak.ka.bum/
150water/ˈmuː/
151rainšamûm/ʃaˈmuːm/
152rivernārum/ˈnaː.rum/
153laketiāmtum/ti.ˈaːm.tum/
154seatiāmtum/ti.ˈaːm.tum/
155saltṭabtum/ˈtˤab.tum/
156stoneabnum/ˈab.num/
157sandbāṣum/ˈbaː.sˤum/
158dusteperum/ˈe.pe.rum/
159eartherṣetum/ˈer.sˤe.tum/
160clouderpetum/ˈer.pe.tum/
161fogimbarum/ˈim.ba.rum/
162skyšamû/ʃaˈmuː/
163windšārum/ˈʃaː.rum/
164snowšalgum/ˈʃal.gum/
165icešurīpumʃuˈriː.pum
166smokequtrum/ˈqu.trum./
167fireišātum/iˈʃaː.tum/
168ashtumrum/ˈtum.rum/
169to burn
170roadḫarrānum/χarˈraː.num/
171mountainšadûm/ʃaˈduːm/
172redsāmum (masculine), sāmtum (feminine)/ˈsaː.mum/, /ˈsaːm.tum/
173greenwarqum (masculine), waruqtum (feminine)/ˈwar.qum/, /waˈruq.tum/
174yellowwarqum (masculine), waruqtum (feminine)/ˈwar.qum/, /waˈruq.tum/
175whitepeṣûm (masculine), peṣītum (feminine)/peˈsˤuːm/, /peˈsˤiː.tum/
176blackṣalmum (masculine), ṣalimtum (feminine)/ˈsˤal.mum/, /sˤaˈlim.tum/
177nightmūšum, līliātum/ˈmuː.ʃum/, /liː.liˈaː.tum/
178dayūmum/ˈuː.mum/
179yearšattum/ˈʃat.tum/
180warm
181coldkaṣûm/kaˈsˤuːm/
182full
183neweššum (masculine), edištum (feminine)/ˈeʃ.ʃum/, /eˈdiʃ.tum/
184old
185good
186bad
187rotten
188dirty
189straight
190round
191sharp (as a knife)
192dull (as a knife)
193smooth
194wet
195dry
196correctišarum, kīnum/ˈi.ʃa.rum/, /ˈkiː.num/
197near
198far
199rightimnum/ˈim.num/
200leftšumēlum/ʃuˈmeː.lum/
201atina/ˈi.na/
202inina/ˈi.na/
203withitti/ˈit.ti/
204andu/u/
205ifšumma/ˈʃum.ma/
206becauseaššum, ištu/ˈaʃ.ʃum/, /ˈiʃ.tu/
207namešumum/ˈʃu.mum/
Swadesh lists
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