This is a Swadesh list of words in Zulu English .
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.
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
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
Les langages de l'humanité (Michel Malherbe), Robert Laffont, Paris 1995 - →ISBN
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