Swadesh List
A Swadesh list is one of several lists of vocabulary with "basic" meanings, developed by Morris Swadesh in the 1940–50s, which is used in lexicostatistics (quantitative language relatedness assessment) and glottochronology (language divergence dating).
See Appendix:Sino-Tibetan_Swadesh_lists for a comparison of Mandarin, Cantonese, Amoy, Teochew, Hakka, and Burmese.
| English word | POS | MTL | notes | MTL (2) | note (2) | MTL (3) | note (3) | MTL (4) | note (4) | MTL (5) | note (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | personal pronoun | goar | |||||||||
| you(singular) | personal pronoun | lie | |||||||||
| he | personal pronoun | y | |||||||||
| we | personal pronoun | gurn/goarn | we (not including you) | larn | we (including you) | ||||||
| you(plural) | personal pronoun | lirn | |||||||||
| they | personal pronoun | yn | |||||||||
| this | demonstrative pronoun | zef | cit'ee | ||||||||
| that | demonstrative pronoun | hef | hit'ee | ||||||||
| here | demonstrative pronoun | ciaf | |||||||||
| there | demonstrative pronoun | hiaf | |||||||||
| who | interrogative | sviaflaang | siafng | contraction of sviaflaang | |||||||
| what | interrogative | sviafmih | symmih | tøfcidee | which | ||||||
| where | interrogative | tøfui | |||||||||
| when | interrogative | symmih-sizun | what time | tangsii | |||||||
| how | interrogative | juhøo | formal | afnzvoar | informal | zvoafviu | in what way | ||||
| not | pud | literary | m | is not/does not | bøe | is not able to | maix | do not (imperative) | bøo | does not have/did not | |
| all | quantifier | zoanpo | all of it | kuy | ex. all day | sofu | ex. all cars | lorng | ex. they all see it. | lofngzorng | ex. how many in all? |
| many | quantifier | zoe | |||||||||
| some | quantifier | cidkoar/cidkoafar | kuynaxee | ||||||||
| few | quantifier | ciør | |||||||||
| other | quantifier | kithvaf | padee | ||||||||
| one | cardinal number | id | more than 10 | cit | less than 10 | ||||||
| two | cardinal number | ji | nng | ||||||||
| three | cardinal number | svaf | |||||||||
| four | cardinal number | six | |||||||||
| five | cardinal number | go | |||||||||
| big | adjective | toa | |||||||||
| long | adjective | tngg | |||||||||
| wide | adjective | khoafn | |||||||||
| thick | adjective | kau | |||||||||
| heavy | adjective | tang | |||||||||
| small | adjective | soex | |||||||||
| short | adjective | tøea | |||||||||
| narrow | adjective | oeh | |||||||||
| thin | adjective | pøh | |||||||||
| woman | noun | lwjiin | formal | zabor | informal | ||||||
| man(adult male) | noun | lamjiin | formal | zapof | informal | ||||||
| man(human being) | noun | laang | |||||||||
| child(a youth) | noun | gyn'ar | informal | jitoong | formal | ||||||
| wife | noun | bor | |||||||||
| husband | noun | afng | |||||||||
| mother | noun | bwchyn/bøfchyn | literary | lauxbuo | mamaf | abuo | |||||
| father | noun | huxchyn | literary | lauxpe | papaf | apaf | |||||
| animal | noun | toxngbut | |||||||||
| fish | noun | hii | |||||||||
| bird | noun | ciao | ciawar | ||||||||
| dog | noun | kao | kawar | ||||||||
| louse | noun | sad | satbuo | ||||||||
| snake | noun | zoaa | |||||||||
| worm | noun | thaang | toxurn | earthworm | toxkurn | earthworm | |||||
| tree | noun | chiu | chiu'ar (chiu-ar) | ||||||||
| forest | noun | simliim | chiuxnaa | ||||||||
| stick | noun | chiuxky | tree branch | ki'ar | informal | ||||||
| fruit | noun | zuykør | koefcie | ||||||||
| seed | noun | zefngcie | |||||||||
| leaf | noun | hiøh | hiøqar | ||||||||
| root | noun | kwn | |||||||||
| bark | noun | chiuxphøee | |||||||||
| flower | noun | hoef | |||||||||
| grass | noun | zhao | |||||||||
| rope | noun | søq | søh'ar | ||||||||
| skin | noun | phøee | phoehw | ||||||||
| meat | noun | baq | |||||||||
| blood | noun | huiq | hiet'ek | ||||||||
| bone | noun | kud | kutthaau | ||||||||
| fat | noun | cihoong | academic | jixnngg | colloquial | ||||||
| egg | noun | nng | køenng | chicken egg | |||||||
| horn | noun | kag | |||||||||
| tail | noun | bøea | bøefliw | ||||||||
| feather | noun | ciawmngg | |||||||||
| hair | noun | thaumngg | |||||||||
| head | noun | thaau | affix | thaukhag | |||||||
| ear | noun | hvi | hvi'ar (hvi-ar) | hvixkhafng | |||||||
| eye | noun | bagciw | |||||||||
| nose | noun | phvi | phvi'ar (phvi-ar) | ||||||||
| mouth | noun | zhuix | |||||||||
| tooth | noun | zhuiekhie | |||||||||
| tongue | noun | cih | zhuiecih | ||||||||
| fingernail | noun | zefngkaq | |||||||||
| foot | noun | khaf | |||||||||
| leg | noun | thuie | |||||||||
| knee | noun | khathauw | |||||||||
| hand | noun | chiuo | |||||||||
| wing | noun | ek | literary | sit | sidar | sidkor | |||||
| belly | noun | paktor | |||||||||
| guts | noun | tng'ar | |||||||||
| neck | noun | axmkurn | |||||||||
| back | noun | khaciahphviaf | |||||||||
| breast | noun | hiofng | chest (affix) | hiongpo | chest (academic) | hengkharm | chest (generic) | lengpoong | female organ | ||
| heart | noun | simzong | |||||||||
| liver | noun | kvoaf | affix | kvoazong | |||||||
| drink | verb | lym | |||||||||
| eat | verb | ciah | |||||||||
| bite | verb | ka | |||||||||
| suck | verb | khib | affix | cip | sip | suq | suck | ||||
| spit | verb | phuix | generic | phuienoa | lit. spit saliva (informal) | phuie-zhuienoa | lit. spit saliva (informal) | phuiethaam | lit. spit phlegm (informal) | ||
| vomit | verb | ao | informal | thox | informal | awthox | formal | ||||
| blow | verb | zhef | puun | ||||||||
| breathe | verb | hokhib | academic (respire) | zhoafnkhuix | |||||||
| laugh | verb | chiøx | |||||||||
| see | verb | khvoax | |||||||||
| hear | verb | thviaf | |||||||||
| know | verb | zay | zaiviar | bad | to recognize | ||||||
| think | verb | sviu | |||||||||
| smell | verb | phvi | |||||||||
| fear | verb | kviaf | |||||||||
| sleep | verb | khuxn | |||||||||
| live | verb | oah | |||||||||
| die | verb | sie | |||||||||
| kill | verb | thaai | |||||||||
| fight | verb | oankef | argue | siøphaq | fists | siøthaai | war | ||||
| hunt | verb | phahlah | |||||||||
| hit | verb | phaq | |||||||||
| cut | verb | koaq | cut in two | chied | slice | kaf | scissors | ||||
| split | verb | phoarkhuy | transitive split open | liqkhuy | intransitive split open | hunkhuy | split up | ||||
| stab | verb | chix | zaan | tuh | |||||||
| scratch | verb | pee | |||||||||
| dig | verb | or | oea | iaq | liuo | kut | |||||
| swim | verb | siuzuie | |||||||||
| fly | verb | pøef | |||||||||
| walk | verb | kviaa | generic | kvialo | go on foot (informal) | poxheeng | go on foot (formal) | poxkviaa | go on foot (formal) | poxliern | go on foot (formal) |
| come | verb | laai | |||||||||
| lie | verb | tør | horizontal | ||||||||
| sit | verb | ze | |||||||||
| stand | verb | zam | affix | khia | |||||||
| turn | verb | oad | change direction | ||||||||
| fall | verb | lakløh | drop | ||||||||
| give | verb | ho | |||||||||
| hold | verb | theh | |||||||||
| squeeze | verb | lut | |||||||||
| rub | verb | loarn | massage; knead | ||||||||
| wash | verb | søea | |||||||||
| wipe | verb | chid | |||||||||
| pull | verb | khiuo | giuo | ||||||||
| push | verb | sag | |||||||||
| throw | verb | taxn | |||||||||
| tie | verb | pak | |||||||||
| sew | verb | paang | thvi | ||||||||
| count | verb | siaux | |||||||||
| say | verb | korng | |||||||||
| sing | verb | chviux | |||||||||
| play | verb | sngr | chitthøo | intransitive | |||||||
| float | verb | phuu | |||||||||
| flow | verb | laau | |||||||||
| freeze | verb | kietpefng | |||||||||
| swell | verb | phorngtoa | |||||||||
| sun | noun | thaeioong | scientific | jidthaau | informal | ||||||
| moon | noun | gøeqniuu | |||||||||
| star | noun | chvy | |||||||||
| water | noun | zuie | |||||||||
| rain | noun | ho/løqho | |||||||||
| river | noun | høo | |||||||||
| lake | noun | oo | |||||||||
| sea | noun | hae | |||||||||
| salt | noun | iaam | |||||||||
| stone | noun | ciøh | affix | ciøqthaau | |||||||
| sand | noun | soaf | |||||||||
| dust | noun | thohurn | |||||||||
| earth | noun | texkiuu | planet | ||||||||
| cloud | noun | huun | |||||||||
| fog | noun | bu | |||||||||
| sky | noun | thvy | |||||||||
| wind | noun | hofng | |||||||||
| snow | noun | søeq | |||||||||
| ice | noun | pefng | |||||||||
| smoke | noun | hwn | |||||||||
| fire | noun | høea | |||||||||
| ashes | noun | høef | ashes or dust | hoefhw | |||||||
| burn | verb | hviaa | |||||||||
| road | noun | lo | |||||||||
| mountain | noun | svoaf | |||||||||
| red | adjective | aang | |||||||||
| green | adjective | lek | chveseg | ||||||||
| yellow | adjective | ngg | |||||||||
| white | adjective | peh | |||||||||
| black | adjective | of | |||||||||
| night | noun | armsii | |||||||||
| day | noun | jidsii | |||||||||
| year | noun | nii | |||||||||
| warm | adjective | siølø | |||||||||
| cold | adjective | kvoaa | |||||||||
| full | adjective | boarn | moar | tvi | |||||||
| new | adjective | syn | |||||||||
| old | adjective | lau | not young | ku | not new | ||||||
| good | adjective | hør | |||||||||
| bad | adjective | phvae | |||||||||
| rotten | adjective | aux | zhaonoa | ||||||||
| dirty | adjective | lahsab | |||||||||
| straight | adjective | tit | |||||||||
| round | adjective | vii | |||||||||
| sharp | adjective | lai | |||||||||
| dull | adjective | tun | |||||||||
| smooth | adjective | kngkut | |||||||||
| wet | adjective | sib | taam | ||||||||
| dry | adjective | taf | |||||||||
| correct | adjective | tiøh | informal | zerngkhag | formal | ||||||
| near | adjective | kun | |||||||||
| far | adjective | hng | |||||||||
| right | adjective | cviax | |||||||||
| left | adjective | tøx | |||||||||
| at | preposition | ti | |||||||||
| in | preposition | ti | lai | ||||||||
| with | conjunction | kab | |||||||||
| and | conjunction | kab | |||||||||
| if | conjunction | naxsi | |||||||||
| because | conjunction | in'ui | |||||||||
| name | noun | miaa | affix or generic |