Appendix:Zulu Swadesh list

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

Presentation

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For further information, read the article: Swadesh list

The Swadesh word list, developed by the linguist Morris Swadesh, is used as a tool to study the evolution of languages. It contains a set of basic words which can be found in every language. Various versions have been created, in particular:

  • a complete 207 words version, in which some of the words are not found in every environment (it contains for instance snake and snow)
  • a reduced 100 words version.

This word list should not be considered as an elementary lexicon to communicate with speakers of a given language; for such a purpose, the numerous existing Wikivoyage lexicons are more useful. Its only objective is to give a rough idea of the language, by showing its lexical and, when possible, phonetics basis.

List

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The words preceded by a hyphen (-) are stems and are always used together with a prefix. Various prefixes may be used, depending in particular on the class of the noun.


No. English Zulu
isiZulu
1 I ngi-, mina
2 you (singular) u-, wena
3 he, she, it u-, yena (gender-neutral)
4 we si-, thina
5 you (plural) ni-, nina
6 they ba-, bona
7 this lo, leli, lesi, le, lolu, lobu, lokhu
8 that lowo, lelo, leso, leyo, lolo, lobo, lokho
9 here lapha, khona
10 there lapho, laphaya, khona
11 who ubani (interrogative)
12 what -ni, yini (interrogative)
13 where -phi (interrogative)
14 when nini
15 how kanjani, ngani
16 not a-, akekho, abekho
17 all -nke
18 many -ningi
19 some -nye
20 few -mbalwa, -ncane
21 other -nye
22 one -dwa, -nye
23 two -bili
24 three -thathu
25 four -ne
26 five -hlanu
27 big -khulu
28 long -de
29 wide -banzi
30 thick -qinile, -gqinsi
31 heavy -nzima
32 small -ncane
33 short -fuphi
34 narrow -ncane, -msweswana
35 thin -ondile
36 woman umfazi
37 man (adult male) indoda, umlisa
38 man (human being) umuntu
39 child umntwana
40 wife umka-, inkosikazi
41 husband umyeni, indoda
42 mother umama
43 father ubaba
44 animal isilwane
45 fish inhlanzi, ufishi
46 bird inyoni
47 dog inja
48 louse intwala
49 snake inyoka
50 worm isibungu, umsundu
51 tree isihlahla, umuthi
52 forest ihlathi
53 stick induku, uthi
54 fruit isithelo
55 seed inhlamvu, imbewu
56 leaf ikhasi, iqabi
57 root impande (of a plant), umsuka (cause, origin)
58 bark (of a tree) igxolo
59 flower imbali
60 grass utshani
61 rope intambo
62 skin isikhumba
63 meat inyama
64 blood igazi
65 bone ithambo
66 fat (noun) amafutha
67 egg iqanda
68 horn uphondo
69 tail umsila
70 feather uphaphe
71 hair unwele
72 head ikhanda
73 ear indlebe
74 eye iso, ihlo
75 nose ikhala
76 mouth umlomo
77 tooth izinyo
78 tongue (organ) ulimi
79 fingernail uzipho
80 foot unyawo
81 leg umlenze
82 knee idolo
83 hand isandla
84 wing iphiko
85 belly isisu
86 guts ithumbu
87 neck intamo
88 back umhlane
89 breast ibele
90 heart inhliziyo
91 liver isibindi
92 to drink -phuza
93 to eat -dla
94 to bite -luma
95 to suck -munca, -ncela
96 to spit -phimisa
97 to vomit -phalaza
98 to blow -vunguza
99 to breathe -phefumula
100 to laugh -hleka
101 to see -bona
102 to hear -zwa
103 to know -azi
104 to think -cabanga
105 to smell (to have a particular smell) -nuka, (to sense the smell of) -nuka, -zwa
106 to fear -esaba, -saba
107 to sleep -lala
108 to live -phila, -zwa
109 to die -fa
110 to kill -bulala, -fisa
111 to fight -lwa
112 to hunt -zingela
113 to hit -shaya
114 to cut -sika, -nquma
115 to split -dabula
116 to stab -gwaza
117 to scratch -klwebha
118 to dig -mba
119 to swim -bhukuda
120 to fly -ndiza
121 to walk -hamba
122 to come -za
123 to lie (as in a bed) -lala (lie down, sleep), -cambalala (be lying down)
124 to sit -hlala (sit down), -hleli, -hlezi (be sitting, be seated)
125 to stand -sukuma (stand up), -ma (be standing)
126 to turn (intransitive) -jika, -guquka, -phenduka
127 to fall -wa
128 to give -nika, -nikeza, -pha
129 to hold -phatha, -bamba
130 to squeeze -cindezela
131 to rub -hlikihla
132 to wash -geza, -hlamba
133 to wipe -sula
134 to pull -donsa
135 to push -sunduza
136 to throw -phosa
137 to tie -bopha
138 to sew -thunga
139 to count -bala
140 to say -thi
141 to sing -cula, -hlabelela, -huba
142 to play -dlala
143 to float -ntaza
144 to flow -gobhoza
145 to freeze -nquma (solidify), -qanda (be freezing cold)
146 to swell -vuvukala
147 sun ilanga
148 moon inyanga
149 star imbasa, inkanyezi
150 water amanzi
151 rain imvula
152 river umfula
153 lake ichibi
154 sea ulwandle
155 salt itswayi, usawoti
156 stone itshe
157 sand isihlabathi
158 dust uthuli
159 earth umhlaba
160 cloud ifu
161 fog inkungu
162 sky izulu
163 wind umoya
164 snow iqhwa
165 ice iqhwa
166 smoke intuthu
167 fire umlilo
168 ash umlotha
169 to burn -sha
170 road umgwaqo, umgwaqana
171 mountain intaba
172 red -bomvu
173 green -luhlaza
174 yellow -liphuzi, -ncombo
175 white -mhlophe
176 black -mnyama
177 night ubusuku
178 day ilanga, umuhla, usuku
179 year unyaka
180 warm -fudumele
181 cold -makhaza
182 full -gcwele
183 new -sha
184 old -dala
185 good -hle
186 bad -bi
187 rotten -bolile (decayed), -bi (bad)
188 dirty -ngcolile
189 straight -qondile
190 round -yindilinga (circular), -yimbulunga (spherical)
191 sharp (as a knife) -bukhali
192 dull (as a knife) -buthuntu
193 smooth -bushelezi (not rough), -mnandi (comfortable)
194 wet -manzi, -nethile
195 dry -omile
196 correct -lungile
197 near eduze
198 far kude
199 right kwesokudla
200 left kwesokunxele
201 at e-, o-, ku- (in space), nga- (in time)
202 in e-, o-, ku- (in space), nga- (in time)
203 with na-, kanye na- (together with), nga- (by means of)
204 and na-, futhi
205 if uma
206 because ngoba, njengoba, njengokuba
207 name igama

Bibliography

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  • Les langages de l'humanité (Michel Malherbe), Robert Laffont, Paris 1995 - →ISBN

Further reading

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