Appendix:Celtic Swadesh lists

This is a Swadesh list of Celtic languages, specifically Proto-Celtic, Proto-Brythonic, Breton, Cornish, Welsh, Old Irish, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx, compared with that of 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.

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List edit

English Proto-Celtic Proto-Brythonic Breton Cornish Welsh Old Irish Irish Scottish Gaelic Manx
1 I *mī *mi me my mi, fi mi mee
2 you *tū *ti te ty ti thu oo
3 he *es *eβ̃ ev ef, fe, fo é e eh
4 we *snīs *ni ni ny ni sní muid, sinn sinn shin
5 you (plural) *swīs, *swīswīs *hwi c'hwi hwi chi, chwi sib, síi sibh sibh shiu
6 they *eyes i, int i hwy, hwynt, nhw é siad 'ad, iad ad
7 this *se-, *sindos, *so-sin an ... mañ an ... ma hwn, y ... yma in ... so an ... seo, an ... so an ... seo yn ... shoh
8 that *emo-, *sindo-de an ... se an ... na hwnnw, y ... yna in ... sin, in ... tall an ... sin, an ... siúd an ... sin, an ... siud yn ... shen, yn ... shid
9 here *sondo, *uman? amañ omma yma sund anseo an-seo ayns shoh, aynshoh
10 there *anda?, *kē aze, eno ena yna tall ansin, ansiúd an sin, an siud ayns shen, ayns shid
11 who *kʷēs *puɨ piv piw pwy cía quoi
12 what *kʷid petra pyth beth cid cad é, céard ciod, c'red, cre
13 where *kʷuts pelec'h ple ble cairm, cía airm, cía dú , cá háit, cén áit càite c'raad
14 when *kʷan(o) pedavare, pegoulz, peur, pevare p'eur pryd cuin cá huair, cathain, cén uair cuin cre'n traa, cuin
15 how pegiz, penaos, pevod fatel sut, pa fodd cía chruth, cía indas, cindas, co cad é mar, cén chaoi, conas ciamar, cionnas cre'n aght, kanys, kys
16 not *ne, *nīs *ni ne ... ket ny ddim, nid , nícon cha, chan, cha, chan cha, chan
17 all *olyos holl, tout oll holl, i gyd, oll uile uile uile ooilley
18 many *ɸilu- kalz, lies a lies, lower llawer il, imdae, mór a lán, mórán mòran mooarane, ram
19 some *nekʷos bennak, meur a nebes rhai, rhyw nach éigin, roinnt eigin, roinn ennagh, kuse, shiartanse
20 few *bikkano, *nekʷos nebeut nebes ychydig bec, terc, úathad beagán beagan beggan
21 other *alyos, *aralyos all, arall aral arall aile eile eile elley
22 one *oinos, *oynānos *ʉn unan onan un óen aon aon un, unnane
23 two *dwau *dọw daou dew dau dhá daa
24 three *trīs *tri tri tri tair, tri trí trí trì tree
25 four *kʷetwores *pedwar pevar peswar pedwar cethair ceathair ceithir kiare
26 five *kʷenkʷe *pɨmp pemp pymp pump cóic cúig còig queig
27 big *brassos, *māros *mọr bras, meur bras, meur mawr oll, mór mór mòr mooar
28 long *sīros *hir hir hir hir fota, sír fada fada foddey, liauyr
29 wide *ɸlitanos *llɨdan ledan ledan, efan llydan lethan leathan leathann lhean
30 thick *remros, *tegus *teɣ tev, fetis tew tew remor, tiug ramhar, tiubh tiugh roauyr, çhiu
31 heavy *trummos *trum pounner poos trwm trom trom trom trome
32 small *bikkos *bɨx bihan bian, byghan bach, bychan bec beag beag beg
33 short *birros, *gerros *bɨrr berr berr byr cummair, berr, gerr gearr geàrr giare
34 narrow *angus *kʉl enk, strizh kul, ynn cul cáel, cumung cúng cumhang coon
35 thin *tanauyos moan, tanav moon, tanow tenau séim, tanae tanaí tana thanney
36 woman *benā *ben, *gwrėg gwreg, maouez benyn benw, benyw, dynes, gwraig, merch ben bean bean ben
37 man (adult male) *wiros *gwur gour, gwaz, den gour, gwas dyn, gŵr fer fear fear dooinney, fer
38 man (human being) *gdonyos *dün den den dyn duine duine duine dooinney
39 child (youth) *mustākos bugel flogh plant lenab, noídiu leanbh, páiste leanabh, pàiste lhiannoo, paitçhey
40 wife *gwrėg gwreg gwreg gwraig ben, séitig bean, bean chéile bean, bean-chèile, bean-phòsta ben, ben heshey, ben phoost
41 husband *wiros *gwur gwaz gour gŵr céile, fer fear céile fear-pòsta dooinney, dooinney poost, sheshey, sheshey poost
42 mother *mātīr *mamm mamm mamm mam máthair máthair màthair moir
43 father *ɸatīr *tad tad tas tad athair athair athair ayr
44 animal *mīlom *mil aneval, loen, mil eneval, mil anifail, mil anmandae, míl, robb ainmhí ainmhidh baagh, baaghtagh, bioagh, cretoor
45 fish *ɸēskos *uɨsk pesk pysk pysgodyn íasc iasc iasg eeast
46 bird *ɸatar, *ɸetnos *edn evn, labous edhen aderyn én éan eun ushag
47 dog *kū *ki ki ki ci , matad , gadhar, madadh, madra , madadh coo, moddey
48 louse *luwā laou low llau míl, míl étgudo míol cnis mial meeyl
49 snake *natrixs naer, sarpant sarf neidr, sarff nathair nathair nathair aarnieu, ardnieu
50 worm *kʷrimis *prɨβ̃ buzhug, preñv pryv abwydyn, mwydyn, pryf, pryf genwair cruim cruimh, péist cnuimh beisht, beishteig, dhiane
51 tree *kʷresnom *prenn gwez gwedh coed, colfen, pren crann, fid bile, crann crann, craobh billey
52 forest *kaito- *koɨd koad, koed koos, koswik coedwig, fforest caill, fid, fidbad, ros, ruud coill coille keyll
53 stick (of wood) *lorgā bazh lorgh ffon, llory flesc, maide bata, maide bata, bioran, maide maidjey
54 fruit *sutu- frouezh frooth ffrwyth mess, torad toradh meas, toradh mess, troar
55 seed *segeto-, *sīlom had has had síl síol sìol rass, sheel
56 leaf *dolnyā, *dolyā del delen dail duilne duille duilleag duillag
57 root *wridā gwrizienn gwreydh gwraidd, gwreiddyn frém, mecon fréamh freumh fraue
58 bark (of tree) *ruskos *rrisk rusk rusk rhisgl coirt, croiccenn, crottball, rúsc coirt, rúsc}, snamh rùsg roost
59 flower *blātus *blọd bleuñv bleujen blodyn bláth, scoth bláth, scoth blàth blaa
60 grass *gʷeltā *gwellt geot, gwelt gwels gwellt fér féar feur faiyr
61 rope *lomanā kordenn lovan, korden rhaff loman, súainem, tét téad ròpa, teud tead
62 skin (of a person) *krokkenom, *kroknom *krʉn kroc'hen kroghen croen cnes, croiccenn cneas, craiceann cneas,craiceann crackan
63 meat (as in flesh) *kīkos, *mīros kig kig cig cúa, féoil feoil feòil feill
64 blood *krowos *krow gwad goos gwaed crú, fuil cró, fuil fuil fuill
65 bone *astkornu, *knāmis askorn askorn asgwrn cnáim cnámh cnàimh craue
66 fat (noun) *gʷered- druz, lart blonek saim béoil, blonac, geir, íth blonag, saill saill blennick, sahll
67 egg *āuyom vi oy wy og ubh ugh ooh
68 horn *kornu- korn korn corn adarc, benn, corn adharc, corn adharc, corn corn, eairk
69 tail *lostā lost lost cynffon, llost erball, err eireaball earball arbyl, famman
70 feather(rather not down) pluñv pluv plu cleitte cleite ite clooie, fedjag
71 hair *woltos *gwollt blev blew, gols blew, gwallt finna folt folt, gruaig falt, gruag folt, gruag
72 head *kʷennom *penn penn penn pen cenn ceann ceann kione
73 ear *ausos, *kloustā *klʉst skouarn skovarn clust áu, clúas cluas cluas cleaysh
74 eye *lukato- *llugad lagad lagas llygad rosc, súil rosc, súil sùil sooill
75 nose *srognā *froɨn fri troen trwyn srón srón sròn stroin
76 mouth *genus *gen beg, genoù ganow ceg, genau á, bél, gin béal beul beeal
77 tooth (rather not molar) *dant *dant dant dans dant dét, fíacail déad, fiacail fiacaill feeackle
78 tongue *tangʷāss teod taves tafod tengae teanga teanga çhengey
79 fingernail *angʷīnā *ėɣwin ivin ewyn ewin ingen ionga ìne ingin
80 foot *tregess troad, troed troes troed cos, traig cos, troigh cas cass
81 leg *koxsā *koɨs gar garr coes cos cos cas cass, lurgey
82 knee *glūnos *glin glin glin glin, pen-glin glún glúin glùn glioon
83 hand *ɸlāmā *llọβ̃ dorn dorn llaw lám lámh làmh laue
84 wing *ɸatanī askell askell adain, asgell ette, scíath eite, eiteog, sciath, sciathán sgiath fedjag, skian
85 belly *bolgos *bolɣ kof, tor kroth, torr bol, bola bolg, brú bolg broinn, brù bolg
86 guts bouzellenn kolodhyon coluddion, perfeddion, ymysgaroedd cáelán, inathar inní caolan collane
87 neck *monis gouzoug konna gwddf, gwddwg, mwnwgl brága, muin, muinél muineál muineal mwannal
88 back kein keyn cefn cúl, druimm droim druim dreeym
89 breast *brusū, *kīkos *bronn bronn bronn bron cích brollach, cíoch cìoch keeagh
90 heart *kalwond-, *kridyom *kalwon kalon kolon calon cride croí cridhe cree
91 liver *awV- avu avi afu óa ae adha aane
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Swadesh lists
Individual languages
Language families, family branches, and geographic groupings
Constructed languages
Reconstructed proto-languages
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