Appendix:Proto-Indo-Iranian Swadesh list

This is a Swadesh list of words in Proto-Indo-Iranian, compared with definitions in English.

Presentation

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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

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EnglishProto-Indo-Iranian
edit (148)
1I (1sg)*aȷ́ʰám
2you (2sg)*túH, *tuHám
3he, she, it (3sg)*sá
4we (1pl)*wayám
5you (2pl)*yúH, *yuHyám
6they (3pl)*tā́s
7this*ayám
8that*tád
9here*Hidʰá
10there*tátra
11who*kás, káH, kád
12what*kím, *čím
13where*kúH
14when*kadáH
15how*káyna
16not*na, *a-
17all*sárwas, *wíćwas
18many*pr̥Húš
19some*kínčid
20few*īšát
21other*Hanyás
22one*Háywas, *Háykas
23two*dwáH
24three*tráyas
25four*čatwā́ras
26five*pánča
27big*maȷ́ʰás
28long*dr̥Hgʰás
29wide*pr̥tʰúš
30thick*stʰuHrás
31heavy*gr̥Húš
32small*tusćás
33short*kr̥dʰúš
34narrow*Hánȷ́ʰuš
35thin*kr̥ćás, *tánuš
36woman*ǰánHs, *gnáHs, *stríH
37man (adult male)*wiHrás, *Hnáras
38man (human being)*manušyás, *mártyas
39child*ȷ́aHtás
40wife*pátniH
41husband*pátiš
42mother*máHtā
43father*pHtā́
44animal*páću
45fish*mátsyas
46bird*Háwiš
47dog*ćwā́
48louse*ćwíšas
49snake*sarpás, *nāgás
50worm*kŕ̥miš
51tree*dā́ru
52forest
53stick*waytasás
54fruit
55seed*bíHȷ́am
56leaf*parnám
57root
58bark (of a tree)*twákš, *varkás ~ valkás
59flower
60grass*tŕ̥nam
61rope*rázǰuš, *rać- (root of many nouns meaning "rope")
62skin*čárma
63meat*māmsás
64blood*HásHr̥
65bone*Hástʰi
66fat (noun)*píHwas
67egg*Hāwyám
68horn*ćáypas
69tail*púšćas, *wā́ras
70feather*parnám
71hair*Hráwma (body hair?), *káyćas (hair on the head)
72head*ćŕ̥Has, *ćr̥Hšá
73ear*kárnas
74eye*čákšuš, *čáćšma
75nose*náHsaH
76mouth*Hā́s, *wáktram
77tooth*Hdánts, *ȷ́ámbʰas
78tongue (organ)*ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH
79fingernail*Hnā́kš ~ Hnakʰás
80foot*pā́ts
81leg
82knee*ȷ́ā́nu
83hand*ȷ́ʰástas
84wing*parnám
85belly*udáras
86guts*Hántram
87neck*griHwáH (neck, throat)
88back*pr̥štʰás
89breast*pstánas, *HúrHas (chest)
90heart*ȷ́ʰŕ̥dayam
91liver*Hyákr̥
92to drink*píbati
93to eat*Hátˢti
94to bite*dáćati
95to suck*dʰáyati
96to spit
97to vomit*wámHati
98to blow*Hwā́ti (of the wind), *dʰámati
99to breathe
100to laugh*smáyatay
101to see*čáštay
102to hear*ćr̥náwti
103to know*ȷ́ānáHti
104to think*mányatay
105to smell
106to fear*bʰáyHti
107to sleep*swápati
108to live*ǰíHwati
109to die*mriyátay
110to kill*ǰʰánti
111to fight*Hyáwdʰati, *Hyúdʰyati
112to hunt*wáyHti (to chase)
113to hit
114to cut*śćinátˢti
115to split*bʰinátˢti
116to stab
117to scratch
118to dig
119to swim
120to fly
121to walk*pádyati
122to come
123to lie (as in a bed)
124to sit*síždati
125to stand*stíštaHti
126to turn (intransitive)
127to fall
128to give*dádaHti
129to hold*dʰárati, *dʰāráyati
130to squeeze
131to rub
132to wash
133to wipe
134to pull
135to push
136to throw
137to tie
138to sew
139to count
140to say*Háwǰʰati, *wákti, *mráwHti
141to sing*gáHyati
142to play
143to float
144to flow
145to freeze
146to swell
147sun*súHar
148moon*mā́Has
149star*Hstā́
150water*Hā́pš
151rain
152river
153lake
154sea
155salt
156stone
157sand
158dust
159earth*ȷ́ʰžʰáHs, *bʰúHmiš
160cloud*Hmaygʰás, *abʰrás
161fog*dʰuHmás
162sky*dyā́wš
163wind
164snow
165ice
166smoke*dʰuHmás
167fire*Hagníš (Indo-Aryan), *HaHtar- (Iranian)
168ash
169to burn
170road
171mountain*gr̥Híš, *párwatas
172red*Hráwdʰitas, *Hrudʰrás, *ĉáwnas
173green*j́ʰáriš
174yellow
175white*ćwaytás
176black*kr̥šnás, *ćyaHwás
177night*kšáp, *nákts
178day
179year*ćarHáts
180warm
181cold*ȷ́ʰimás
182full*pr̥Hnás
183new*náwas
184old*ȷ́r̥Hnás
185good*Hwásuš, *ćriHrás, *Hsu-
186bad*ákas, *pāpás, *Hagʰás, *duš-
187rotten
188dirty
189straight*Hr̥ȷ́úš
190round
191sharp (as a knife)*tigmás
192dull (as a knife)
193smooth
194wet
195dry*Hsúškas
196correct*Hr̥ȷ́úš
197near
198far
199right*dáćšinas
200left*(H)sawyás
201at
202in
203with
204and*-ča
205if
206because
207name*Hnā́ma

See also

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