Appendix:French Swadesh list
This is a Swadesh list of words in French, compared with that of English.
Contents
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 | French Français |
IPA pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | je | ʒə |
| 2 | you (singular) | tu, vous (formal) | ty, vu |
| 3 | he | il | il |
| 4 | we | nous | nu |
| 5 | you (plural) | vous | vu |
| 6 | they | ils / elles | il |
| 7 | this | ceci | sə'si |
| 8 | that | cela | sə'la |
| 9 | here | ici | i'si |
| 10 | there | là | la |
| 11 | who | qui | ki |
| 12 | what | quoi | kwa |
| 13 | where | où | u |
| 14 | when | quand | kã |
| 15 | how | comment | kɔ'mã |
| 16 | not | ne pas | nə ... pɑ |
| 17 | all | tout | tu |
| 18 | many | beaucoup | bo'ku |
| 19 | some | quelques | kɛlk |
| 20 | few | peu | pø |
| 21 | other | autre | otʁ |
| 22 | one | un | œ̃ |
| 23 | two | deux | dø |
| 24 | three | trois | tʁwɑ |
| 25 | four | quatre | katʁ |
| 26 | five | cinq | sɛ̃k |
| 27 | big | grand | ɡʁã |
| 28 | long | long | lõ |
| 29 | wide | large | laʁʒ |
| 30 | thick | épais | e'pɛ |
| 31 | heavy | lourd | luʁ |
| 32 | small | petit | pə'ti |
| 33 | short | court | kuʁ |
| 34 | narrow | étroit | e'tʁwa |
| 35 | thin | mince | mɛ̃s |
| 36 | woman | femme | fam |
| 37 | man (male) | homme | ɔm |
| 38 | man (human) | homme | ɔm |
| 39 | child | enfant | ɑ̃fɑ̃ |
| 40 | wife | femme, épouse | fam, e'puz |
| 41 | husband | mari, époux | ma'ʁi, e'pu |
| 42 | mother | mère | mɛʁ |
| 43 | father | père | pɛʁ |
| 44 | animal | animal | ani'mal |
| 45 | fish | poisson | pwa'sõ |
| 46 | bird | oiseau | wa'zo |
| 47 | dog | chien | ʃjɛ̃ |
| 48 | louse | pou | pu |
| 49 | snake | serpent | sɛʁ'pɑ̃ |
| 50 | worm | ver | vɛʁ |
| 51 | tree | arbre | aʁbʁ |
| 52 | forest | forêt | fɔ'ʁɛ |
| 53 | stick | bâton | bɑ'tɔ̃ |
| 54 | fruit | fruit | fʁɥi |
| 55 | seed | graine | ɡʁɛn |
| 56 | leaf | feuille | fœj |
| 57 | root | racine | ʁa'sin |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | écorce | e'kɔʁs |
| 59 | flower | fleur | flœʁ |
| 60 | grass | herbe | ɛʁb |
| 61 | rope | corde | kɔʁd |
| 62 | skin | peau | po |
| 63 | meat | viande | vjɑ̃d |
| 64 | blood | sang | sɑ̃ |
| 65 | bone | os | ɔs |
| 66 | fat (noun) | graisse | ɡʁɛs |
| 67 | egg | œuf | œf |
| 68 | horn | corne | kɔʁn |
| 69 | tail | queue | kø |
| 70 | feather | plume | plym |
| 71 | hair | cheveux | ʃə'vø |
| 72 | head | tête | tɛt |
| 73 | ear | oreille | ɔ'ʁɛj |
| 74 | eye | œil | œj |
| 75 | nose | nez | ne |
| 76 | mouth | bouche | buʃ |
| 77 | tooth | dent | dɑ̃ |
| 78 | tongue | langue | lɑ̃ɡ |
| 79 | fingernail | ongle | ɔ̃ɡl |
| 80 | foot | pied | pje |
| 81 | leg | jambe | ʒɑ̃b |
| 82 | knee | genou | ʒə'nu |
| 83 | hand | main | mɛ̃ |
| 84 | wing | aile | ɛl |
| 85 | belly | ventre | vɑ̃tʁ |
| 86 | guts | entrailles, intestins | ɑ̃'tʁɑj, ɛ̃tɛs'tɛ̃ |
| 87 | neck | cou | ku |
| 88 | back | dos | do |
| 89 | breast | sein, poitrine | pwa'tʁin |
| 90 | heart | cœur | kœʁ |
| 91 | liver | foie | fwɑ |
| 92 | to drink | boire | bwɑʁ |
| 93 | to eat | manger | mɑ̃'ʒe |
| 94 | to bite | mordre | mɔʁdʁ |
| 95 | to suck | sucer | sy'se |
| 96 | to spit | cracher | kʁa'ʃe |
| 97 | to vomit | vomir | vɔ'miʁ |
| 98 | to blow | souffler | su'fle |
| 99 | to breathe | respirer | ʁɛspi'ʁe |
| 100 | to laugh | rire | ʁiʁ |
| 101 | to see | voir | vwaʁ |
| 102 | to hear | entendre | ɑ̃'tɑ̃dʁ |
| 103 | to know | savoir | sa'vwaʁ |
| 104 | to think | penser | pɑ̃'se |
| 105 | to smell | sentir | sɑ̃'tiʁ |
| 106 | to fear | craindre | kʁɛ̃dʁ |
| 107 | to sleep | dormir | dɔʁ'miʁ |
| 108 | to live | vivre | vivʁ |
| 109 | to die | mourir | muʁiʁ |
| 110 | to kill | tuer | tɥe |
| 111 | to fight | se battre | sə'batʁ |
| 112 | to hunt | chasser | ʃa'se |
| 113 | to hit | frapper | fʁa'pe |
| 114 | to cut | couper | ku'pe |
| 115 | to split | fendre | fɑ̃dʁ |
| 116 | to stab | poignarder | pwaɲaʁ'de |
| 117 | to scratch | gratter | ɡʁa'te |
| 118 | to dig | creuser | kʁø'ze |
| 119 | to swim | nager | na'ʒe |
| 120 | to fly | voler | vɔ'le |
| 121 | to walk | marcher | maʁ'ʃe |
| 122 | to come | venir | və'niʁ |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | s'étendre (action), être étendu(state) | sé'tɑ̃dʁ, ɛtʁetɑ̃'dy |
| 124 | to sit | s'asseoir (action), être assis (state) | sa'swaʁ, ɛtʁa'si |
| 125 | to stand | se lever (action), se tenir debout (state) | sələ've, sətə'niʁdə'bu |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | tourner | tuʁ'ne |
| 127 | to fall | tomber | tɔ̃'be |
| 128 | to give | donner | dɔ'ne |
| 129 | to hold | tenir | tə'niʁ |
| 130 | to squeeze | serrer | se'ʁe |
| 131 | to rub | frotter | fʁɔ'te |
| 132 | to wash | laver | la've |
| 133 | to wipe | essuyer | esɥi'je |
| 134 | to pull | tirer | ti'ʁe |
| 135 | to push | pousser | pu'se |
| 136 | to throw | jeter, lancer | ʒə'te, lɑ̃'se |
| 137 | to tie | lier | lje |
| 138 | to sew | coudre | kudʁ |
| 139 | to count | compter | kɔ̃'te |
| 140 | to say | dire | diʁ |
| 141 | to sing | chanter | ʃɑ̃'te |
| 142 | to play | jouer | ʒwe |
| 143 | to float | flotter | flɔ'te |
| 144 | to flow | couler | ku'le |
| 145 | to freeze | geler | ʒə'le |
| 146 | to swell | gonfler | ɡɔ̃'fle |
| 147 | sun | soleil | sɔ'lɛj |
| 148 | moon | lune | lyn |
| 149 | star | étoile | e'twal |
| 150 | water | eau | o |
| 151 | rain | pluie | plɥi |
| 152 | river | rivière | ʁi'vjɛʁ |
| 153 | lake | lac | lak |
| 154 | sea | mer | mɛʁ |
| 155 | salt | sel | sɛl |
| 156 | stone | pierre | pjɛʁ |
| 157 | sand | sable | sabl |
| 158 | dust | poussière | pu'sjɛʁ |
| 159 | earth | terre | tɛʁ |
| 160 | cloud | nuage | nɥaʒ |
| 161 | fog | brouillard | bʁu'jaʁ |
| 162 | sky | ciel | siɛl |
| 163 | wind | vent | vɑ̃ |
| 164 | snow | neige | nɛʒ |
| 165 | ice | glace | ɡlas |
| 166 | smoke | fumée | fy'me |
| 167 | fire | feu | fø |
| 168 | ash | cendre | sɑ̃dʁ |
| 169 | to burn | brûler | bʁy'le |
| 170 | road | route | ʁut |
| 171 | mountain | montagne | mɔ̃'taɲ |
| 172 | red | rouge | ʁuʒ |
| 173 | green | vert | vɛʁ |
| 174 | yellow | jaune | ʒon |
| 175 | white | blanc | blɑ̃ |
| 176 | black | noir | nwaʁ |
| 177 | night | nuit | nɥi |
| 178 | day | jour | ʒuʁ |
| 179 | year | an, année | ɑ̃, a'ne |
| 180 | warm | chaud | ʃo |
| 181 | cold | froid | fʁwa |
| 182 | full | plein | plɛ̃ |
| 183 | new | nouveau | nu'vo |
| 184 | old | vieux | vjø |
| 185 | good | bon | bɔ̃ |
| 186 | bad | mauvais | mo'vɛ |
| 187 | rotten | pourri | pu'ri |
| 188 | dirty | sale | sal |
| 189 | straight | droit | dʁwa |
| 190 | round | rond | ʁɔ̃ |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | tranchant | tʁɑ̃'ʃɑ̃ |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | émoussé | emu'se |
| 193 | smooth | lisse | lis |
| 194 | wet | mouillé | mu'je |
| 195 | dry | sec | sɛk |
| 196 | correct | juste | ʒyst |
| 197 | near | près | pʁɛ |
| 198 | far | loin | lwɛ̃ |
| 199 | right | droite | dʁwat |
| 200 | left | gauche | ɡoʃ |
| 201 | at | à | a |
| 202 | in | dans | dɑ̃ |
| 203 | with | avec | a'vɛk |
| 204 | and | et | e |
| 205 | if | si | si |
| 206 | because | parce que | paʁsə'kə |
| 207 | name | nom | nɔ̃ |
- Orthography :
When the words have various forms (verbs conjugation, gender and number agreement, declensions), the orthography is the following :
-
- verbs : infinitive
- other words : masculine, singular, nominative (subject)
For specific cases (no infinitive, feminine name, plural name for instance), the simplest form is used.
- Pronunciation :
The pronunciation shown is the standard pronunciation in France. Depending on the speakers and the area, the actual pronunciation may differ, more or less significantly, from the shown pronunciation.
References[edit]
- Français-Anglais/English-French Dictionary, Robert & Collins, Glasgow, Paris - ISBN 0-00-433478-7
External links[edit]
- French-English French-English dictionaries (Lexilogos)
- Multilanguage dictionary
- Wiktionary : Swadesh list
- Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary)