This is an Swadesh list of words in English and Ancient Greek. A Swadesh list for Modern Greek is also available.
Presentation [edit]
At the end of the 1940s, new insights of radiocarbon dating became known to the public. Linguist Morris Swadesh believed that words decayed with age in a roughly similar way and therefore applied similar methods to determine the relationship of 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.
- For further information, including the full final version, read the Wikipedia article: Swadesh list.
| No. |
English |
Ancient Greek |
| 1 |
I |
ἐγώ |
| 2 |
you
(singular) |
σύ |
| 3 |
he |
αὐτός |
| 4 |
we |
ἡμεῖς |
| 5 |
you
(plural) |
ὑμεῖς |
| 6 |
they |
αὐτοί, αὐταί, αὐτά |
| 7 |
this |
ὅδε, ἥδε, τόδε |
| 8 |
that |
ἐκεῖνος |
| 9 |
here |
ἔνθα, ἐνθάδε, ἐνταῦθα |
| 10 |
there |
ἐκεῖ |
| 11 |
who |
τίς |
| 12 |
what |
τί |
| 13 |
where |
ποῦ |
| 14 |
when |
πότε |
| 15 |
how |
πῶς |
| 16 |
not |
οὐ / οὐκ, μή |
| 17 |
all |
ἅπας, πας |
| 18 |
many |
πολύς |
| 19 |
some |
τις |
| 20 |
few |
ὀλίγος |
| 21 |
other |
ἄλλος, ἕτερος |
| 22 |
one |
εἷς, μία, ἕν |
| 23 |
two |
δύο |
| 24 |
three |
τρεῖς |
| 25 |
four |
τέτταρες/τέσσαρες |
| 26 |
five |
πέντε |
| 27 |
big |
μέγας |
| 28 |
long |
μακρός |
| 29 |
wide |
εὐρύς |
| 30 |
thick |
πυκνός |
| 31 |
heavy |
βαρύς |
| 32 |
small |
μικρός |
| 33 |
short |
βραχύς |
| 34 |
narrow |
στενός |
| 35 |
thin |
μανός |
| 36 |
woman |
γυνή |
| 37 |
man
(adult male) |
ἀνήρ |
| 38 |
man
(human being) |
ἄνθρωπος |
| 39 |
child
(a youth) |
τέκνον, παῖς, παιδίον |
| 40 |
wife |
γυνή |
| 41 |
husband |
ἀνήρ |
| 42 |
mother |
μήτηρ |
| 43 |
father |
πατήρ |
| 44 |
animal |
ζῷον |
| 45 |
fish |
ἰχθύς |
| 46 |
bird |
ὄρνις, πετεινόν |
| 47 |
dog |
κύων |
| 48 |
louse |
φθείρ |
| 49 |
snake |
ὄφις |
| 50 |
worm |
ἑρπετόν, σκώληξ, ἕλμις |
| 51 |
tree |
δένδρον |
| 52 |
forest |
ὕλη |
| 53 |
stick
(of wood) |
βακτηρία, ῥαβδός |
| 54 |
fruit |
καρπός |
| 55 |
seed |
σπέρμα |
| 56 |
leaf |
φύλλον |
| 57 |
root |
ῥίζα |
| 58 |
bark
(of tree) |
φλοιός |
| 59 |
flower |
ἄνθος |
| 60 |
grass |
χλόη |
| 61 |
rope |
δεσμός, σχοινίον |
| 62 |
skin
(of a person) |
δέρμα |
| 63 |
meat
(as in flesh) |
κρέας |
| 64 |
blood |
αἷμα |
| 65 |
bone |
ὀστοῦν |
| 66 |
fat
(noun) |
δημός |
| 67 |
egg |
ᾠόν |
| 68 |
horn |
κέρας |
| 69 |
tail |
ουρά, κέρκος |
| 70 |
feather
(rather not down) |
πτερόν |
| 71 |
hair |
θρίξ, κόμη |
| 72 |
head |
κεφαλή |
| 73 |
ear |
οὖς |
| 74 |
eye |
ὀφθαλμός |
| 75 |
nose |
ῥίς |
| 76 |
mouth |
στόμα |
| 77 |
tooth
(rather not molar) |
ὀδούς |
| 78 |
tongue |
γλῶττα/γλῶσσα |
| 79 |
fingernail |
ὄνυξ |
| 80 |
foot |
πούς |
| 81 |
leg |
κῶλον, σκέλος |
| 82 |
knee |
γόνυ |
| 83 |
hand |
χείρ |
| 84 |
wing |
πτέρυξ |
| 85 |
belly |
γαστήρ, κοιλία |
| 86 |
guts |
ἔντερα, σπλάγχνα |
| 87 |
neck |
αὐχήν, τραχηλός |
| 88 |
back |
νῶτον |
| 89 |
breast |
μαστός, στήθος (chest) |
| 90 |
heart |
καρδία |
| 91 |
liver |
ἧπαρ |
| 92 |
to drink |
πίνω |
| 93 |
to eat |
ἐσθίω, φάγω |
| 94 |
to bite |
δάκνω |
| 95 |
to suck |
σπῶ |
| 96 |
to spit |
πτύω |
| 97 |
to vomit |
ἐμῶ |
| 98 |
to blow
(as wind) |
φυσῶ |
| 99 |
to breathe |
πνῶ |
| 100 |
to laugh |
γελῶ |
| 101 |
to see |
βλέπω, ὁράω |
| 102 |
to hear |
ἀκούω |
| 103 |
to know
(a fact) |
εἴδω |
| 104 |
to think |
νομίζω |
| 105 |
to smell
(sense odor) |
ὀσφραίνομαι |
| 106 |
to fear |
φοβοῦμαι |
| 107 |
to sleep |
καθεύδω |
| 108 |
to live |
ζῶ |
| 109 |
to die |
τελευτάω, ἀποθνῄσκω |
| 110 |
to kill |
ἀποκτείνω |
| 111 |
to fight |
μάχομαι |
| 112 |
to hunt
(transitive) |
θηρεύω |
| 113 |
to hit |
τύπτω |
| 114 |
to cut |
τέμνω |
| 115 |
to split |
σχίζω |
| 116 |
to stab
(or stick) |
κεντῶ |
| 117 |
to scratch
(an itch) |
κνῶ |
| 118 |
to dig |
ὀρύσσω |
| 119 |
to swim |
νῶ, κολυμβῶ |
| 120 |
to fly |
πέτομαι |
| 121 |
to walk |
περιπατῶ |
| 122 |
to come |
ἔρχομαι |
| 123 |
to lie
(as on one's side) |
κεῖμαι |
| 124 |
to sit |
καθίζω |
| 125 |
to stand |
ἵστημι |
| 126 |
to turn
(change direction) |
τρέπω |
| 127 |
to fall
(as in drop) |
πίπτω |
| 128 |
to give |
παρέχω, δίδομι |
| 129 |
to hold
(in one's hand) |
ἔχω |
| 130 |
to squeeze |
πιέζω |
| 131 |
to rub |
τρίβω |
| 132 |
to wash |
λούω, πλύνω, νίπτω |
| 133 |
to wipe |
ἀπομασσω |
| 134 |
to pull |
ἕλκω |
| 135 |
to push |
ὠθῶ |
| 136 |
to throw |
ῥίπτω |
| 137 |
to tie |
δῶ |
| 138 |
to sew |
ῥάπτω |
| 139 |
to count |
ἀριθμῶ |
| 140 |
to say |
φημί, λέγω, ἐνέπω |
| 141 |
to sing |
ᾄδω |
| 142 |
to play |
παίζω |
| 143 |
to float |
νῶ |
| 144 |
to flow |
ῥῶ |
| 145 |
to freeze |
πήγνομαι |
| 146 |
to swell |
αὐξάνω, πιμπράομαι |
| 147 |
sun |
ἥλιος |
| 148 |
moon |
σελήνη |
| 149 |
star |
ἀστήρ |
| 150 |
water |
ὕδωρ |
| 151 |
rain |
ὑετός, βροχή |
| 152 |
river |
ποταμός |
| 153 |
lake |
λίμνη |
| 154 |
sea
(as in ocean) |
θάλαττα/θάλασσα, πέλαγος |
| 155 |
salt |
ἅλς |
| 156 |
stone |
λίθος |
| 157 |
sand |
ἄμμός |
| 158 |
dust |
κόνις |
| 159 |
earth
(as in soil) |
γῆ |
| 160 |
cloud |
νέφος |
| 161 |
fog |
ὀμίχλη |
| 162 |
sky |
οὐρανός |
| 163 |
wind
(as in breeze) |
ἄνεμος |
| 164 |
snow |
χιών |
| 165 |
ice |
κρύσταλλος |
| 166 |
smoke |
καπνός |
| 167 |
fire |
πῦρ |
| 168 |
ash |
τέφρα |
| 169 |
to burn
(intransitive) |
καίω |
| 170 |
road |
ὁδός |
| 171 |
mountain |
ἄκρα, ὄρος, βουνόν (hill) |
| 172 |
red |
ἐρυθρός, πυρρός |
| 173 |
green |
χλωρός |
| 174 |
yellow |
ξανθός |
| 175 |
white |
λευκός |
| 176 |
black |
μέλας |
| 177 |
night |
νύξ |
| 178 |
day
(daytime) |
ἡμέρα |
| 179 |
year |
ἔτος |
| 180 |
warm
(as in weather) |
θερμός |
| 181 |
cold
(as in weather) |
ψυχρός |
| 182 |
full |
μεστός |
| 183 |
new |
νέος |
| 184 |
old |
παπαλιός, παλαιός |
| 185 |
good |
ἀγαθός |
| 186 |
bad |
κακός |
| 187 |
rotten
(as, a log) |
σαπρός |
| 188 |
dirty |
θολερός |
| 189 |
straight |
εὐθύς |
| 190 |
round |
κυκλοτερής |
| 191 |
sharp
(as a knife) |
τομός, ὀξύς |
| 192 |
dull
(as a knife) |
ἀμβλύς, βαρύς |
| 193 |
smooth |
λεῖος |
| 194 |
wet |
ὑγρός |
| 195 |
dry
(adjective) |
ξηρός |
| 196 |
right
(correct) |
δικαιός |
| 197 |
near |
ἐγγύς |
| 198 |
far |
μακράν |
| 199 |
right
(side) |
δεξιός |
| 200 |
left
(side) |
ἀριστερός, ευωνυμος |
| 201 |
at |
ἐν |
| 202 |
in |
ἐν |
| 203 |
with
(accompanying) |
μετά |
| 204 |
and |
καί |
| 205 |
if |
εἰ |
| 206 |
because |
ὅτι |
| 207 |
name |
ὄνομα |
| Swadesh lists |
| Individual languages |
|
Afrikaans – Albanian – Antillean Creole – Arabic (standard) (p), Egyptian Arabic (p), Palestinian Arabic (p), Tunisian Arabic (t) – Armenian (t,p) – Aromanian – Bangala – Bashkir – Basque – Belarusian – Breton – Bulgarian (t) – Burmese (t,p) – Catalan – Chechen – Chinese: Cantonese, Gan (p), Mandarin (t,p), Min Nan (Amoy) (p), Old Chinese (p) – Croatian – Czech – Danish – Dutch (p) – Egyptian (Middle) – Esperanto – Estonian – Finnish – Fiji Hindi – Fijian – French (p) – Frisian (West) – Friulian – Georgian (t,p) – German (p) – Greek (modern) (p), Greek (ancient) – Guaraní – Haida – Haitian Creole – Hausa – Hawaiian – Hindi (t) – Hittite – Hmong (White) (p) – Hungarian – Icelandic – Indonesian – Irish (p) – Istro-Romanian – Italian (p) – Japanese (t) – Kashubian – Khmer (p) – Korean (t) – Kurdish – Latin – Latvian – Lingala – Lingua Franca Nova – Lithuanian – Luwian – Macedonian (t) – Malagasy – Malay – Maltese – Megleno-Romanian – Mongolian (t) – Old Portuguese (p) – Ossetian (p) – Polish (p) – Portuguese (p) – Proto-Indo-European – Purepecha – Quechua – Romani – Romanian – Russian (p) – Sanskrit (t) – Scottish Gaelic – Serbo-Croatian – Sinhalese – Slovenian – Spanish (p) – Sranan – Swahili – Swedish – Tagalog – Tajik (t) – Tahitian – Thai (t) – Tocharian B – Tok Pisin – Turkish – Ukrainian – Vietnamese – Walloon – Zulu
|
| Language families and family branches |
|
Afro-Asiatic – Algonquian – Altaic – Araucanian – Austro-Asiatic – Australian – Austronesian – Baltic-Finnic – Bantu – Celtic – Dené–Yeniseian – Dravidian – Finno-Ugric – Frisian – Germanic – Hokan – Iberian – Italian – Indo-Iranian – Indo-Iranian (extended) – Mayan – Muskogean – Niger–Congo – Oto-Manguean – Paleosiberian – Penutian – Romance – Sino-Tibetan – Slavic – Siouan – Tai–Kadai – Tibeto-Burman – Tupi–Guarani – Turkic – Uto-Aztecan
|
| The list may also include: (t) the transcription in Latin characters; (p) the phonetic transcription |
