Appendix:Ancient Greek Swadesh list
This is a Swadesh list of words in Ancient Greek, compared with that of English. A Swadesh list for Modern Greek is also available.
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.
List[edit]
| No. | English | Ancient Greek ἑλληνική (hellēnikḗ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | ἐγώ (egṓ) |
| 2 | you (singular) | σύ (sú) |
| 3 | he | αὐτός (autós), οὗ (hoû), ὅς (hós), ὁ (ho), οὗτος (hoûtos) |
| 4 | we | ἡμεῖς (hēmeîs) |
| 5 | you (plural) | ὑμεῖς (humeîs) |
| 6 | they | αὐτοί (autoí) |
| 7 | this | ὅδε (hóde) |
| 8 | that | ἐκεῖνος (ekeînos) |
| 9 | here | ἔνθα (éntha), ἐνθάδε (entháde), ἐνταῦθα (entaûtha) |
| 10 | there | ἐκεῖ (ekeî) |
| 11 | who | τίς (tís) |
| 12 | what | τί (tí) |
| 13 | where | ποῦ (poû), πόθι (póthi) |
| 14 | when | πότε (póte), πῆμος (pêmos) |
| 15 | how | πῶς (pôs) |
| 16 | not | οὐ (ou) / οὐκ (ouk), μή (mḗ) |
| 17 | all | πᾶς (pâs), ἅπᾱς (hápās) |
| 18 | many | πολύς (polús) |
| 19 | some | τις (tis) |
| 20 | few | ὀλίγος (olígos), βαιός (baiós), παῦρος (paûros) |
| 21 | other | ἄλλος (állos), ἕτερος (héteros) |
| 22 | one | εἷς (heîs) |
| 23 | two | δύο (dúo), δοιοί (doioí) |
| 24 | three | τρεῖς (treîs) |
| 25 | four | τέτταρες (téttares)/τέσσαρες (téssares) |
| 26 | five | πέντε (pénte) |
| 27 | big | μέγας (mégas) |
| 28 | long | μακρός (makrós) |
| 29 | wide | εὐρύς (eurús) |
| 30 | thick | πυκνός (puknós) |
| 31 | heavy | βαρύς (barús) |
| 32 | small | μῑκρός (mīkrós) |
| 33 | short | βραχύς (brakhús) |
| 34 | narrow | στενός (stenós) |
| 35 | thin | μανός (manós) |
| 36 | woman | γυνή (gunḗ) |
| 37 | man (adult male) | ἀνήρ (anḗr) |
| 38 | man (human being) | ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos) |
| 39 | child | τέκνον (téknon), παῖς (paîs), παιδίον (paidíon) |
| 40 | wife | γυνή (gunḗ) |
| 41 | husband | ἀνήρ (anḗr) |
| 42 | mother | μήτηρ (mḗtēr)/μᾱ́τηρ (mā́tēr) |
| 43 | father | πατήρ (patḗr) |
| 44 | animal | ζῷον (zōîon) |
| 45 | fish | ἰχθύς (ikhthús) |
| 46 | bird | ὄρνις (órnis), πετεινόν (peteinón) |
| 47 | dog | κύων (kúōn) |
| 48 | louse | φθείρ (phtheír) |
| 49 | snake | ὄφις (óphis) |
| 50 | worm | ἑρπετόν (herpetón), σκώληξ (skṓlēx), ἕλμις (hélmis) |
| 51 | tree | δένδρον (déndron) |
| 52 | forest | ὕλη (húlē) |
| 53 | stick | βακτηρία (baktēría), ῥάβδος (rhábdos) |
| 54 | fruit | καρπός (karpós) |
| 55 | seed | σπέρμα (spérma) |
| 56 | leaf | φύλλον (phúllon) |
| 57 | root | ῥίζα (rhíza) |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | φλοιός (phloiós) |
| 59 | flower | ἄνθος (ánthos) |
| 60 | grass | χλόη (khlóē) |
| 61 | rope | δεσμός (desmós), σχοινίον (skhoiníon) |
| 62 | skin | δέρμα (dérma) |
| 63 | meat | κρέας (kréas) |
| 64 | blood | αἷμα (haîma) |
| 65 | bone | ὀστοῦν (ostoûn) |
| 66 | fat (noun) | δημός (dēmós) |
| 67 | egg | ᾠόν (ōión) |
| 68 | horn | κέρας (kéras) |
| 69 | tail | οὐρά (ourá), κέρκος (kérkos) |
| 70 | feather | πτερόν (pterón) |
| 71 | hair | θρίξ (thríx), κόμη (kómē) |
| 72 | head | κεφαλή (kephalḗ) |
| 73 | ear | οὖς (oûs) |
| 74 | eye | ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós) |
| 75 | nose | ῥίς (rhís) |
| 76 | mouth | στόμα (stóma) |
| 77 | tooth | ὀδούς (odoús) |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | γλῶττα (glôtta)/γλῶσσα (glôssa) |
| 79 | fingernail | ὄνυξ (ónux) |
| 80 | foot | πούς (poús) |
| 81 | leg | κῶλον (kôlon), σκέλος (skélos) |
| 82 | knee | γόνυ (gónu) |
| 83 | hand | χείρ (kheír) |
| 84 | wing | πτέρυξ (ptérux) |
| 85 | belly | γαστήρ (gastḗr), κοιλία (koilía) |
| 86 | guts | ἔντερα (éntera), σπλάγχνα (splánkhna) |
| 87 | neck | αὐχήν (aukhḗn), τραχηλός (trakhēlós) |
| 88 | back | νῶτον (nôton) |
| 89 | breast | μαστός (mastós), στῆθος (stêthos, “chest”) |
| 90 | heart | καρδία (kardía) |
| 91 | liver | ἧπαρ (hêpar) |
| 92 | to drink | πίνω (pínō) |
| 93 | to eat | ἐσθίω (esthíō), ἔφαγον (éphagon) |
| 94 | to bite | δάκνω (dáknō) |
| 95 | to suck | σπάω (spáō)/σπῶ (spô) |
| 96 | to spit | πτύω (ptúō) |
| 97 | to vomit | ἐμέω (eméō)/ἐμῶ (emô) |
| 98 | to blow | φυσάω (phusáō)/φυσῶ (phusô) |
| 99 | to breathe | πνέω (pnéō)/πνῶ (pnô) |
| 100 | to laugh | γελάω (geláō)/γελῶ (gelô) |
| 101 | to see | βλέπω (blépō), ὁράω (horáō)/ὁρῶ (horô), εἶδον (eîdon) |
| 102 | to hear | ἀκούω (akoúō), ἀΐω (aḯō) |
| 103 | to know | οἶδα (oîda), γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō) |
| 104 | to think | νομίζω (nomízō), δοκέω (dokéō), νοέω (noéō), οἴομαι (oíomai) |
| 105 | to smell | ὀσφραίνομαι (osphraínomai) |
| 106 | to fear | φοβέομαι (phobéomai), φοβοῦμαι (phoboûmai) |
| 107 | to sleep | καθεύδω (katheúdō), εὕδω (heúdō), εὐνάζομαι (eunázomai), κοιμάομαι (koimáomai), ἰαύω (iaúō) |
| 108 | to live | ζάω (záō)/ζῶ (zô), βιόω (bióō), οἰκέω (oikéō) |
| 109 | to die | ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnēískō), θνῄσκω (thnēískō), τελευτάω (teleutáō), ὄλομαι (ólomai) |
| 110 | to kill | ἀποκτείνω (apokteínō), ἐπέφνον (epéphnon) |
| 111 | to fight | μάχομαι (mákhomai) |
| 112 | to hunt | θηρεύω (thēreúō), θηράω (thēráō)/θηρῶ (thērô), ἰχνεύω (ikhneúō), κυνηγετέω (kunēgetéō), κυνηγέω (kunēgéō), σεύω (seúō) |
| 113 | to hit | τύπτω (túptō) |
| 114 | to cut | τέμνω (témnō) |
| 115 | to split | σχίζω (skhízō) |
| 116 | to stab | κεντέω (kentéō)/κεντῶ (kentô) |
| 117 | to scratch | κνάω (knáō)/κνῶ (knô) |
| 118 | to dig | ὀρύσσω (orússō) |
| 119 | to swim | νέω (néō)/νῶ (nô), κολυμβάω (kolumbáō), κολυμβῶ (kolumbô) |
| 120 | to fly | πέτομαι (pétomai) |
| 121 | to walk | περιπατέω (peripatéō)/περιπατῶ (peripatô), πατέω (patéō)/πατῶ (patô), στείχω (steíkhō), βαίνω (baínō), βαδίζω (badízō), πεζεύω (pezeúō), πορεύω (poreúō) |
| 122 | to come | ἱκνέομαι (hiknéomai), ἵκω (híkō), ἔρχομαι (érkhomai), εἶμι (eîmi) |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | κεῖμαι (keîmai) |
| 124 | to sit | καθίζω (kathízō) |
| 125 | to stand | ἵστημι (hístēmi) |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | τρέπω (trépō) |
| 127 | to fall | πίπτω (píptō) |
| 128 | to give | παρέχω (parékhō), δίδωμι (dídōmi) |
| 129 | to hold | ἔχω (ékhō) |
| 130 | to squeeze | πιέζω (piézō) |
| 131 | to rub | τρίβω (tríbō) |
| 132 | to wash | λούω (loúō), πλύνω (plúnō), νίπτω (níptō) |
| 133 | to wipe | ἀπομάσσω (apomássō) |
| 134 | to pull | ἕλκω (hélkō) |
| 135 | to push | ὠθέω (ōthéō)/ὠθῶ (ōthô) |
| 136 | to throw | ῥίπτω (rhíptō), βάλλω (bállō) |
| 137 | to tie | δέω (déō)/δῶ (dô) |
| 138 | to sew | ῥάπτω (rháptō) |
| 139 | to count | ἀριθμέω (arithméō)/ἀριθμῶ (arithmô) |
| 140 | to say | φημί (phēmí), λέγω (légō), ἐνέπω (enépō) |
| 141 | to sing | ἀείδω (aeídō)/ᾄδω (āídō) |
| 142 | to play | παίζω (paízō) |
| 143 | to float | νέω (néō)/νῶ (nô) |
| 144 | to flow | ῥέω (rhéō)/ῥῶ (rhô) |
| 145 | to freeze | πήγνυμαι (pḗgnumai) |
| 146 | to swell | αὐξάνω (auxánō) |
| 147 | sun | ἥλιος (hḗlios) |
| 148 | moon | σελήνη (selḗnē) |
| 149 | star | ἀστήρ (astḗr) |
| 150 | water | ὕδωρ (húdōr) |
| 151 | rain | ὑετός (huetós), βροχή (brokhḗ) |
| 152 | river | ποταμός (potamós) |
| 153 | lake | λίμνη (límnē) |
| 154 | sea | θάλαττα (thálatta)/θάλασσα (thálassa), πέλαγος (pélagos), πόντος (póntos) |
| 155 | salt | ἅλς (háls) |
| 156 | stone | λίθος (líthos) |
| 157 | sand | ἄμμος (ámmos) |
| 158 | dust | κόνις (kónis) |
| 159 | earth | γῆ (gê), χθών (khthṓn) |
| 160 | cloud | νέφος (néphos) |
| 161 | fog | ὀμίχλη (omíkhlē) |
| 162 | sky | οὐρανός (ouranós) |
| 163 | wind | ἄνεμος (ánemos) |
| 164 | snow | χιών (khiṓn) |
| 165 | ice | κρύσταλλος (krústallos) |
| 166 | smoke | καπνός (kapnós) |
| 167 | fire | πῦρ (pûr) |
| 168 | ash | τέφρα (téphra) |
| 169 | to burn | καίω (kaíō) |
| 170 | road | ὁδός (hodós) |
| 171 | mountain | ἄκρα (ákra), ὄρος (óros), βουνός (bounós, “hill”) |
| 172 | red | ἐρυθρός (eruthrós), πυρρός (purrhós) |
| 173 | green | χλωρός (khlōrós) |
| 174 | yellow | ξανθός (xanthós) |
| 175 | white | λευκός (leukós) |
| 176 | black | μέλας (mélas) |
| 177 | night | νύξ (núx) |
| 178 | day | ἡμέρα (hēméra), ἦμαρ (êmar) |
| 179 | year | ἔτος (étos) |
| 180 | warm | θερμός (thermós) |
| 181 | cold | ψυχρός (psukhrós) |
| 182 | full | μεστός (mestós), πλήρης (plḗrēs) |
| 183 | new | νέος (néos) |
| 184 | old | παλαιός (palaiós) |
| 185 | good | ἀγαθός (agathós) |
| 186 | bad | κακός (kakós) |
| 187 | rotten | σαπρός (saprós) |
| 188 | dirty | θολερός (tholerós) |
| 189 | straight | εὐθύς (euthús), ὀρθός (orthós) |
| 190 | round | κυκλοτερής (kukloterḗs) |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | τομός (tomós), ὀξύς (oxús) |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | ἀμβλύς (amblús), βαρύς (barús) |
| 193 | smooth | λεῖος (leîos) |
| 194 | wet | ὑγρός (hugrós) |
| 195 | dry | ξηρός (xērós) |
| 196 | correct | δίκαιος (díkaios) |
| 197 | near | ἐγγύς (engús) |
| 198 | far | μακράν (makrán) |
| 199 | right | δεξιός (dexiós) |
| 200 | left | ἀριστερός (aristerós), εὐώνυμος (euṓnumos) |
| 201 | at | ἐν (en) |
| 202 | in | ἐν (en) |
| 203 | with | μετά (metá, with genitive), σύν (sún) |
| 204 | and | καί (kaí), τε (te) |
| 205 | if | εἰ (ei) |
| 206 | because | ὅτι (hóti) |
| 207 | name | ὄνομα (ónoma) |