Appendix A: Swadesh list


Swadesh List


Adapted from Canadian Institute of Linguistics[1]

This is a list of common words found in most languages. The word class column gives an example of the word class for this concept common in many languages, though it may not be the same in your language. Elicit the words in the list and remember – for each verb you will need to collect the full paradigm. The pronouns listed at the beginning of the list might not occur as separate words in your language. That’s ok – don’t be concerned if you can’t get every word on this list.

English

Word Class

English

Word Class

1

I

pronoun_personal

2

you

pronoun_personal

3

he

pronoun_personal

4

we

pronoun_personal

5

you guys (you pl.)

pronoun_personal

6

they

pronoun_personal

7

this

pronoun_demonstrative

8

that

pronoun_demonstrative

9

here

adverb

10

there

adverb

11

who?

question_word

12

what?

question_word

13

where?

question_word

14

when?

question_word

15

how?

question_word

16

not

adverb

17

all

particle_quantifier

18

many

particle_quantifier

19

some

particle_quantifier

20

few

particle_quantifier

21

other

adjective

22

one

particle_article_determiner

23

two

particle_article_determiner

24

three

particle_article_determiner

25

four

particle_article_determiner

26

five

particle_article_determiner

27

big

adjective

28

long

adjective

29

wide

adjective

30

thick

adjective

31

heavy

adjective

32

small

adjective

33

short

adjective

34

narrow

adjective

35

thin

adjective

36

woman

noun

37

man (male)

noun

38

person

noun

39

child (young)

noun

40

wife

noun

41

husband

noun

42

mother

noun

43

father

noun

44

animal

noun

45

fish

noun

46

bird

noun

47

dog

noun

48

louse

noun

49

snake

noun

50

worm

noun

51

tree

noun

52

woods (forest)

noun

53

stick (of wood)

noun

54

fruit

noun

55

seed

noun

56

leaf

noun

57

root

noun

58

bark (tree)

noun

59

flower

noun

60

grass

noun

61

rope

noun

62

skin (of person)

noun

63

meat (flesh)

noun

64

blood

noun

65

bone

noun

66

fat (substance)

noun

67

egg

noun

68

head

noun

69

tail

noun

70

feather (large)

noun

71

hair

noun

72

head

noun

73

ear

noun

74

eye

noun

75

nose

noun

76

mouth

noun

77

tooth (front)

noun

78

tongue

noun

79

fingernail

noun

80

foot

noun

81

leg

noun

82

knee

noun

83

hand

noun

84

wing

noun

85

belly

noun

86

guts

noun

87

neck

noun

88

back

noun

89

breast

noun

90

heart

noun

91

liver

noun

92

to drink

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

93

to eat

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

94

to bite

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

95

to suck

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

96

to spit

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

97

to vomit

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

98

to blow (wind)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

99

to breathe

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

100

to laugh

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

101

to see

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

102

to hear

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

103

know (facts)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

104

to think

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

105

to smell (perceive)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

106

to fear

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

107

to sleep

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

108

live

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

109

to die

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

110

to kill

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

111

to fight

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

112

to hunt (game)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

113

to hit

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

114

to cut (with knife)

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

115

to split

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

116

to stab (or stick)

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

117

scratch (itch)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

118

to dig

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

119

to swim

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

120

to fly

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

121

to walk

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

122

to come

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

123

to lie (on side)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

124

to sit

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

125

to stand

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

126

to turn (veer)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

127

to fall (drop)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

128

to give

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

129

hold (in hand)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

130

to squeeze

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

131

to rub

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

132

to wash

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

133

To wipe

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

134

to pull

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

135

to push

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

136

to throw

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

137

to tie

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

138

to sew

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

139

to count

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

140

to say

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

141

to sing

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

142

to play

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

143

to float

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

144

to flow

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

145

to freeze

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

146

to swell

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

147

sun

noun

148

moon

noun

149

star

noun

150

water

noun

151

to rain

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

event_activity_verb_like_word_transitive

152

river

noun

153

lake

noun

154

sea (ocean)

noun

155

salt

noun

156

stone

noun

157

sand

noun

158

dust

noun

159

earth (soil)

noun

160

cloud

noun

161

fog

noun

162

sky

noun

163

wind (breeze)

noun

164

snow

noun

165

ice

noun

166

smoke

noun

167

fire

noun

168

ashes

noun

169

to burn (intrans.)

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

170

road

noun

171

mountain

noun

172

red

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

173

green

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

174

yellow

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

175

white

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

176

black

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

177

night

noun

178

day (not night)

noun

179

year

noun

180

warm (weather)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

181

cold (weather)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

182

full

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

183

new

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

184

old

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

185

good

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

186

bad

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

187

rotten (log)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

188

dirty

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

189

straight

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

190

round

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

191

sharp (knife)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

192

dull (knife)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

193

smooth

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

194

wet

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

195

dry (substance)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

196

right (correct)

adjective OR

event_activity_verb_like_word_intransitive

197

near

adverb OR adjective OR pre/post-position OR

event_activity_verb_like_word

198

far

adverb OR adjective OR pre/post-position OR

event_activity_verb_like_word

199

right (hand)

adverb OR adjective OR pre/post-position OR

event_activity_verb_like_word

200

left (hand)

adverb OR adjective OR pre/post-position OR

event_activity_verb_like_word

201

at

preposition/particle_postposition

202

in

preposition/particle_postposition

203

with (accompanying)

preposition/particle_postposition

204

and

conjunction

205

if

conjunction

206

because

conjunction

207

name

noun




[1]Swadesh composite wordlist. Adapted from Canadian Institute of Linguistics http://comparalex.org/index.php?page=stdlist&id=20 Original list:

Swadesh, Morris. 1955. Towards greater accuracy in lexicostatistic dating. International Journal of American Linguistics, 21, 121-137.