Appendix:Haitian Creole Swadesh list

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

Presentation edit

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 edit

EnglishHaitian Creole
kreyòl
edit (207)
French
Français
edit (207)
1I (1sg)mwenje
2you (2sg)outu*, vous*
3he, she, it (3sg)liil*, elle*
4we (1pl)nounous
5you (2pl)nouvous
6they (3pl)yoils*, elles*
7thissaceci
8thatsa acela
9hereisitici
10therela, isit la
11whokilès, kimounqui
12whatkisaquoi
13whereki kote
14whenkilèquand
15howkòman, kijancomment
16notpane pas
17alltouttout
18manyanpilbeaucoup
19somekèk, detwaquelques
20fewenpe, tikras, tikalpeu
21otherlòtautre
22oneen, youn, yonun
23twodedeux
24threetwatrois
25fourkatquatre
26fivesenkcinq
27biggrangrand
28longlonglong
29widelajlarge
30thickepè, pwèsépais
31heavyloulourd
32smallpitipetit
33shortkoutcourt
34narrowjennenétroit
35thinfenmince
36womanfanmfemme
37man (adult male)nonmhomme
38man (human being)mounhomme
39childpitit, timounenfant
40wifemadanmfemme, épouse
41husbandmarimari, époux
42mothermanmanmère
43fatherpapapère
44animalzannimo, bètanimal
45fishpwasonpoisson
46birdzwazooiseau
47dogchenchien
48lousepoupou
49snakekoulèvserpent
50wormver
51treepyebwaarbre
52forestforèforêt
53stickbatonbâton
54fruitfwifruit
55seedgrenngraine
56leaffèyfeuille
57rootrasinracine
58bark (of a tree)kòs, poécorce
59flowerflèfleur
60grasszèbherbe
61ropekòdcorde
62skinpopeau
63meatvyannviande
64bloodsansang
65bonezoos
66fat (noun)grèsgraisse
67eggzeœuf
68hornkòncorne
69tailkequeue
70featherplimplume
71hairchevecheveux
72headtèttête
73earzòrèyoreille
74eyejeœil
75nosenennez
76mouthbouchbouche
77toothdandent
78tongue (organ)langlangue
79fingernailzongongle
80footpyepied
81legjanm, pyejambe
82kneejenougenou
83handmenmain
84wingzèlaile
85bellyvantventre
86gutszantrayentrailles, intestins
87neckkoucou
88backdodos
89breasttete, sensein, poitrine
90heartcœur
91liverfwafoie
92to drinkbwèboire
93to eatmanjemanger
94to bitemòdemordre
95to sucksousesucer
96to spitkrachecracher
97to vomitvomivomir
98to blowsouflesouffler
99to breatherespirerespirer
100to laughririre
101to seevoir
102to heartandeentendre
103to knowkonnensavoir
104to thinkpansepenser
105to smellsantisentir
106to fearcraindre
107to sleepdòmidormir
108to livevivvivre
109to diemourimourir
110to killtouyetuer
111to fightgoumen, batayse battre
112to huntchasechasser
113to hitfrapefrapper
114to cutkoupecouper
115to splitseparefendre
116to stabpikepoignarder
117to scratchgrategratter
118to digfouyecreuser
119to swimnajenager
120to flyvolevoler
121to walkmachemarcher
122to comevinivenir
123to lie (as in a bed)kouche, blayis’étendre*, être étendu*
124to sitchitas’asseoir*, être assis*
125to standleve, kanpese lever*, se tenir debout*
126to turn (intransitive)viretourner
127to falltonbetomber
128to givebaydonner
129to holdkenbetenir
130to squeezesereserrer
131to rubfwotefrotter
132to washlavelaver
133to wipesiyeessuyer
134to pulltiretirer
135to pushpousepousser
136to throwvoye, jetejeter, lancer
137to tiemarelier
138to sewkoudcoudre
139to countkontecompter
140to saydidire
141to singchantechanter
142to playjwejouer
143to floatfloteflotter
144to flowkoulecouler
145to freezeglasegeler
146to swellanflegonfler
147sunsolèysoleil
148moonlalinlune
149starzetwalétoile
150waterdloeau
151rainlaplipluie
152riverrivyèrivière
153lakelaklac
154sealanmèmer
155saltsèlsel
156stonewòchpierre
157sandsabsable
158dustpousyèpoussière
159earthlatèterre
160cloudnyajnuage
161fogbwouyabrouillard
162skysyèlciel
163windvanvent
164snownèj, lanèjneige
165iceglasglace
166smokelafimenfumée
167firedifefeu
168ashsanncendre
169to burnboulebrûler
170roadchemen, woutroute
171mountainmòn, montaymontagne
172redwoujrouge
173greenvètvert
174yellowjònjaune
175whiteblanblanc
176blacknwanoir
177nightlannuitnuit
178dayjoujour
179yearane, lanean, année
180warmchochaud
181coldfrètfroid
182fullplenplein
183newnouvo, nèfnouveau, neuf
184oldvye, ajevieux
185goodbonbon
186badmovemauvais
187rottenpouripourri
188dirtysalsale
189straightdwatdroit
190roundwonrond
191sharp (as a knife)file, koupetranchant
192dull (as a knife)defile, febliémoussé
193smoothlislisse
194wetmouyemouillé
195drysèksec
196correctkòrèkjuste
197neartoupreprès
198farlwenloin
199rightdwat, adwatdroite
200leftgòch, agòchgauche
201ataà
202innan, anndandans
203withak, avèkavec
204andak, epi, eet
205ifsisi
206becausepaske, akòz, poutètparce que
207namenonnom

References edit

  • Wittmann, Henri (1973). "The lexicostatistical classification of the French-based Creole languages." Lexicostatistics in genetic linguistics: Proceedings of the Yale conference, April 3–4, 1971, dir. Isidore Dyen, 89–99. La Haye: Mouton.[1]

See also edit

Further reading edit

Swadesh lists
Individual languages
Language families, family branches, and geographic groupings
Constructed languages
Reconstructed proto-languages
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