Appendix:Proto-Slavic Swadesh list

This is a Swadesh list of words in Proto-Slavic, 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

EnglishProto-Slavic
slověnьskъ
edit (207)
1I (1sg)*(j)azъ, *ja
2you (2sg)*ty
3he, she, it (3sg)*jь, *ja, *je, *onъ, *ona, *ono
4we (1pl)*my
5you (2pl)*vy
6they (3pl)*ji, *ję, *ja, *oni, *ony, *ona
7this*sь, *sa, *se
8that*tъ, *ta, *to, *onъ, *ona, *ono
9here*sьde, *tu
10there*tamo, *tu
11who*kъto
12what*čь, *čьto
13where*kъde
14when*kogъda
15how*jako, *kako
16not*ne
17all*vьśь
18many*mъnogъ (adjective), *mъnogo (adverb)
19some*několiko
20few*malъ
21other*drugъ
22one*(j)edinъ, *(j)edьnъ
23two*dъva
24three*trьje
25four*četyre
26five*pętь
27big*golěmъ, *velikъ
28long*dьlgъ
29wide*širokъ
30thick*tъlstъ
31heavy*tęžьkъ
32small*drebьnъ, *malъ, *xudъ
33short*kortъkъ
34narrow*ǫzъkъ, *těsnъ
35thin*tьnъkъ
36woman*žena
37man (adult male)*mǫžь
38man (human being)*čelověkъ
39child*čędo, *dětь, *orbę
40wife*žena
41husband*mǫžь
42mother*mati
43father*baťa, *otъ, *otьcь
44animal*zvěrь
45fish*ryba
46bird*pъta, *pъtica
47dog*pьsъ
48louse*vъšь
49snake*ǫžь, *zmьja
50worm*čьrvь
51tree*dervo
52forest*lěsъ
53stick*drьkolь, *xlǫdъ, *kyjь, *palica, *žьzlъ
54fruit*ovoťe, *plodъ
55seed*sěmę
56leaf*listъ
57root*kory
58bark (of a tree)*(s)kora
59flower*květъ
60grass*trava
61rope*(v)ǫže, *povorzъ
62skin*koža
63meat*męso
64blood*kry
65bone*kostь
66fat (noun)*sadlo, *skormъ, *tukъ, *tъlščь
67egg*(j)aje, *(j)ajьce
68horn*rogъ
69tail*xvostъ
70feather*pero
71hair*kosa, *volsъ
72head*golva
73ear*uxo
74eye*oko
75nose*nosъ
76mouth*usta
77tooth*rъtъ, *zǫbъ
78tongue (organ)*(j)ęzykъ
79fingernail*nogъtь
80foot*noga, *stopa
81leg*korkъ, *noga
82knee*kolěno
83hand*rǫka
84wing*kridlo
85belly*břuxo, *červo
86guts*ǫtroba
87neck*kъrkъ, *šija, *vortъ
88back*xrьbьtъ
89breast*grǫdь, *pьrsь
90heart*sьrdьce
91liver*ętro
92to drink*piti
93to eat*(j)ěsti
94to bite*kǫsati
95to suck*sъsati
96to spit*pľьvati
97to vomit*bľьvati
98to blow*dǫti, *duxati, *dъmuxati, *vějati (for wind)
99to breathe*dyxati
100to laugh*smьjati sę
101to see*viděti, *zьrěti
102to hear*slyšati
103to know*věděti, *znati
104to think*dumati, *mysliti, *mьněti
105to smell*ǫxati, *paxnǫti, *voňati
106to fear*bojati sę, *straxovati
107to sleep*sъpati
108to live*žiti
109to die*merti
110to kill*ubiti
111to fight*borti
112to hunt*loviti
113to hit*udariti
114to cut*krojiti, *rězati, *tęti
115to split*děliti, *cěpiti
116to stab*bosti, *kolti
117to scratch*drapati, *draskati
118to dig*kopati, *ryti
119to swim*pluti
120to fly*letěti
121to walk*xoditi
122to come*jьti
123to lie (as in a bed)*ležati (state), *leťi (action)
124to sit*sěděti (state), *sěsti (action)
125to stand*stojati (state), *stati (action)
126to turn (intransitive)*vьrtěti
127to fall*pasti
128to give*dati
129to hold*dьržati
130to squeeze*tiskati, *žęti
131to rub*terti
132to wash*myti
133to wipe*brъsati, *brysati
134to pull*dьrpati, *tęťi, *vaditi
135to push*butati, *pьxati, *rinǫti
136to throw*kydati, *mesti, *metati, *verťi
137to tie*verzti, *vьrzati, *vęzati
138to sew*šiti
139to count*čisti
140to say*reťi, *věťati
141to sing*pěti
142to play*jьgrati
143to float*plavati, *plyti
144to flow*strujiti, *teťi
145to freeze*mьrzěti, *mьrznǫti
146to swell*bręknǫti, *puxnǫti
147sun*sъlnьce
148moon*luna, *měsęcь
149star*gvězda
150water*vapa (as a body), *voda (as substance)
151rain*dъždžь
152river*rěka
153lake*ezero
154sea*moře
155salt*solь
156stone*kamy, *kamorъ
157sand*pěsъkъ
158dust*porxъ, *pylь, *pьrstь
159earth*zemľa
160cloud*obolkъ
161fog*mьgla
162sky*nebo
163wind*větrъ
164snow*sněgъ
165ice*ledъ
166smoke*dymъ, *pušьkъ
167fire*ogňь, *vatra
168ash*pepelъ, *popelъ
169to burn*gorěti, *polěti, *žeťi
170road*cěsta, *dorga, *pǫtь, *stьdza
171mountain*gora
172red*čьrvenъ, *čьrmьnъ, *rudъ, *rъdrъ
173green*zelenъ, *grěnъ
174yellow*žьltъ, *solvъ (of animals)
175white*bělъ, *bronъ (of animals)
176black*čьrnъ, *vornъ (of animals)
177night*noťь
178day*dьnь
179year*godъ, *lěto
180warm*teplъ, *toplъ
181cold*xoldьnъ, *studenъ
182full*pьlnъ
183new*novъ
184old*davьnъ (for time), *starъ, *vetъxъ
185good*dobrъ
186bad*lošь, *zъlъ
187rotten*gňilъ
188dirty*mьrsьnъ
189straight*prostъ
190round*krǫglъ
191sharp (as a knife)*bridъkъ, *ostrъ
192dull (as a knife)*tǫpъ
193smooth*gladъkъ
194wet*mokrъ, *volžьnъ, *vьlgъkъ
195dry*suxъ
196correct*pravъ, *věrьnъ
197near*blizъkъ
198far*dalekъ
199right*desnъ, *pravъ
200left*lěvъ, *šujь
201at*po, *pri, *u
202in*vъ(n)
203with*sъ(n)
204and*a, *i
205if*jako
206because*bo
207name*jьmę

See also edit

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