Appendix:Swadesh lists

Swadesh lists were originally devised by the linguist Morris Swadesh. In the 1940s to 1950s, Swadesh developed word lists of body parts, verbs, natural phenomena, in order to compute the relationships of languages, and in particular their age, by a method called glottochronology. Swadesh's version of glottochronology is outdated because it used constant replacement rates. There are, of course, many attempts to achieve more realistic rates and thus more realistic results.

A Swadesh list may also be useful to achieve knowledge of some universal terms in other languages. This is because, for basic communication, knowledge of vocabulary is more important than knowledge of grammar and syntax. Sometimes it is even possible to achieve (very) basic communication skills with no knowledge of the target language syntax whatsoever.

To sort the table columns here (or for any other table in any HTML page), copy the javascript link from here (control-click the "sort table" link to copy the link) and once you have come back to this page, paste the javascript code you have copied into your URL window and run it. (The other table scripts there can also be used here.) Alternatively, instead of copying the link, you could drag it into your bookmarks toolbar, allowing the link to be accessible in the future from the toolbar. This sorting feature could be particularly useful if and when the categories of the Swadesh template and/or Basic English template are fleshed out.

Assorted Swadesh lists
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Indo-European languages (Proto-Indo-European)

 * Albanian
 * Armenian
 * Balto-Slavic (Proto-Balto-Slavic)
 * Baltic languages
 * Lithuanian
 * Latvian
 * Latgalian
 * Samogitian
 * Old Prussian
 * Slavic languages (Proto-Slavic)
 * East Slavic (Old East Slavic)
 * Russian
 * Ukrainian
 * Belarusian
 * Carpathian Rusyn
 * West Slavic
 * Lechitic languages
 * Polish (Old Polish)
 * Kashubian
 * Masurian
 * Silesian
 * Polabian
 * Slovincian
 * Czechoslovak languages
 * Czech (Old Czech)
 * Slovak
 * Sorbian languages
 * Lower Sorbian
 * Upper Sorbian
 * South Slavic
 * Eastern South Slavic languages
 * Bulgarian
 * Macedonian
 * Old Church Slavonic
 * Western South Slavic languages
 * Serbo-Croatian
 * Slovene
 * Celtic languages (Proto-Celtic)
 * Brythonic languages (Proto-Brythonic)
 * Breton
 * Cornish
 * Welsh
 * Goidelic languages (Old Irish)
 * Irish
 * Scottish Gaelic
 * Manx
 * Continental Celtic
 * Gaulish
 * Germanic languages (Proto-Germanic)
 * West Germanic
 * Anglo-Frisian languages
 * Anglic languages
 * Old English
 * Middle English
 * English
 * Scots
 * Frisian languages
 * Frisian
 * West Frisian
 * Istvaeonic languages
 * Dutch
 * Afrikaans
 * Limburgish
 * Zealandic
 * High German (Old High German)
 * German
 * Central German
 * Luxembourgish
 * Hunsrik
 * Palatinate German
 * Pennsylvania German
 * Upper German
 * Bavarian
 * Swabian
 * Yiddish
 * Low German
 * Low Saxon
 * Sallaands
 * Plautdietsch
 * Nordic languages (Old Norse)
 * Danish
 * Swedish
 * Faroese
 * Icelandic
 * Norwegian
 * Bokmål
 * Nynorsk
 * East Germanic languages
 * Gothic
 * Anatolian languages
 * Hittite
 * Luwian
 * Hellenic
 * Ancient Greek
 * Modern Greek
 * Mariupol Greek
 * Indo-Iranian languages (Proto-Indo-Iranian)
 * Indo-Aryan languages
 * Sanskrit
 * Northern Zone
 * Jaunsari
 * Chambeali
 * Nepali
 * Central Zone
 * Hindustani
 * Hindi
 * Fiji Hindi
 * Urdu
 * Western Zone
 * Gujarati
 * Rajasthani
 * Romani
 * Caló
 * Northwestern Zone
 * Punjabi
 * Saraiki
 * Sindhi
 * Eastern Zone
 * Assamese
 * Awadhi
 * Bengali
 * Bhojpuri
 * Maithili
 * Odia
 * Southern Zone
 * Konkani
 * Marathi (Old Marathi)
 * Insular Indic
 * Dhivehi
 * Sinhala
 * Dardic
 * Kashmiri
 * Khowar
 * Shina
 * Torwali
 * Iranian languages
 * Avestan
 * Western Iranian
 * Balochi
 * Kurdish
 * Kurmanji
 * Sorani
 * Sangisari
 * Zazaki
 * Persian (Old Persian, Middle Persian)
 * Tajik
 * Eastern Iranian
 * Ossetian
 * Pashto
 * Italic languages (Proto-Italic)
 * Latin
 * Italo-Western languages
 * Western Romance languages
 * Gallo-Romance languages
 * Gallo
 * French (Old French)
 * Walloon
 * Occitano-Romance languages
 * Occitan
 * Catalan
 * Rhaeto-Romance
 * Friulian
 * Ladin
 * Romansh
 * Gallo-Italic languages
 * Emilian
 * Ligurian
 * Lombard
 * Piedmontese
 * Romagnol
 * Venetian
 * Italo-Dalmatian languages
 * Italian languages
 * Corsican
 * Italian
 * Neapolitan
 * Sicilian
 * Barese
 * Dalmatian
 * Iberian languages
 * Asturian
 * Aragonese
 * Portuguese
 * Galician
 * Old Spanish
 * Spanish
 * Ladino
 * Sardinian
 * Eastern Romance languages
 * Romanian
 * Aromanian
 * Istro-Romanian
 * Megleno-Romanian
 * Tocharian languages
 * Tocharian B

Other Eurasian languages

 * Burushaski
 * Elamite
 * Etruscan
 * Sumerian

Vasconic

 * Proto-Basque
 * Basque
 * Iberian

Caucasian languages

 * Northwest Caucasian
 * Abazgi
 * Abaza
 * Abkhaz
 * Circassian languages
 * Adyghe
 * Kabardian
 * Northeast Caucasian
 * Nakh
 * Bats
 * Chechen
 * Ingush
 * Dagestanian languages
 * Avar
 * Dargwa
 * Lezgi
 * Caucasian Albanian
 * Udi
 * Tsez
 * Kartvelian
 * Georgian
 * Laz
 * Mingrelian
 * Svan
 * See the Intercontinental Dictionary Series and NorthEuraLex (2019) for a large selection of topical vocabulary lists of Northeast Caucasian languages.

Dravidian

 * Dravidian languages (see also Appendix:Cognate sets for Dravidian languages and Appendix:Dravidian word lists)
 * North Dravidian
 * Brahui
 * Kurukh
 * South Dravidian
 * Kannada
 * Malayalam
 * Tamil
 * Tulu
 * South Central Dravidian
 * Gondi
 * Konda
 * Telugu

Uralic languages

 * Uralic languages (see also Appendix:Proto-Uralic reconstructions and Appendix:Stable lexical roots in Proto-Uralic)
 * Ugric languages
 * Hungarian


 * Mansi languages


 * Northern Mansi


 * Mordvinic
 * Erzya
 * Moksha
 * Mari
 * Hill Mari
 * Meadow Mari
 * Permic
 * Komi-Zyrian
 * Udmurt
 * Sami languages
 * Finnic languages
 * Finnish
 * Estonian
 * Võro
 * Livonian
 * Karelian
 * Veps
 * Votic
 * Samoyedic languages

Turkic languages

 * Turkic languages (see also Appendix:Turkic basic vocabulary Appendix:Turkic word lists), (Proto-Turkic)
 * Oghuz Turkic languages
 * Azerbaijani Turkish
 * Gagauz
 * Ottoman Turkish
 * Anatolian Turkish
 * Turkmen
 * Salar
 * Kipchak languages
 * Bashkir
 * Crimean Tatar
 * Karachay-Balkar
 * Karakalpak
 * Kazakh
 * Kumyk
 * Kyrgyz
 * Nogai
 * Siberian Tatar
 * Volga Tatar
 * Urum
 * Karluk languages
 * Chagatai
 * Uzbek
 * Uyghur
 * Siberian Turkic languages
 * Northern Altai
 * Dolgan
 * Khakas
 * Tuvan
 * Sakha
 * Shor
 * Oghur Turkic languages
 * Chuvash

Northeast Asian
See also: Appendix:Vocabulary lists of North Eurasian languages

Japonic-Ryukyuan languages

 * Japonic languages &mdash; Japanese, and Okinawan
 * Old Japanese
 * Classical Japanese
 * Hachijō
 * Japanese
 * Ryukyuan languages
 * Amami
 * Miyakoan
 * Okinawan
 * Yaeyama

Koreanic languages

 * Koreanic languages
 * Old Korean
 * Middle Korean
 * Korean
 * Jeju

Paleosiberian languages

 * Paleosiberian languages (areal grouping) &mdash; Ainu, Nivkh, Chukchi, Yukaghir; see also Appendix:Paleosiberian word lists.

Mongolic languages

 * Mongolic languages
 * Buryat
 * Daur
 * Eastern Yugur
 * Khitan
 * Moghol
 * Mongolian
 * Oirat
 * Santa

Tungusic languages

 * Tungusic languages
 * Even
 * Evenki
 * Oroqen
 * Jurchen
 * Manchu
 * Xibe
 * Nanai
 * Udege
 * Ulch

Southeast Asian and Oceanic
See also: Appendix:Vocabulary lists of Southeast Asian languages and Appendix:Vocabulary lists of Indo-Pacific languages

Austroasiatic languages

 * Austroasiatic languages &mdash; Khmer (+ romanized), Mon (+ romanized), Vietnamese, Chewong
 * Proto-Austroasiatic
 * Aslian
 * Temiar
 * Khasi-Palaungic
 * Khasi
 * Palaung
 * Khmeric
 * Khmer
 * Monic
 * Mon
 * Munda
 * Santali
 * Vietic
 * Vietnamese
 * See also the SEAlang Mon-Khmer Etymological Dictionary.

Austronesian languages

 * Austronesian languages &mdash; Ilocano, Malay, Tagalog, Cebuano, Pampangan, Pangasinan, Sasak, Chamorro, Tahitian, Tuvaluan, Maori, and Sundanese
 * See also the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database.
 * Proto-Austronesian
 * Formosan languages
 * Malayo-Polynesian languages
 * Philippine languages
 * Bikol Central
 * Cebuano
 * Hiligaynon
 * Ilocano
 * Kinaray-a
 * Maguindanao
 * Pampangan
 * Panganisan
 * Tagalog
 * Chamic languages
 * Acehnese
 * Cham
 * Malayic
 * Malay
 * Indonesian
 * Musi
 * Javanese
 * Osing
 * Buginese
 * Madurese
 * Kangean
 * Makasar
 * Sundanese
 * Balinese
 * Sasak
 * Barito
 * Malagasy
 * West Coast Bajau
 * Chamorro
 * Palauan
 * Oceanic languages
 * Micronesian languages
 * Gilbertese
 * Marshallese
 * Big Nambas
 * Fijian
 * Polynesian languages
 * Hawaiian
 * Maori
 * Tahitian
 * Samoan
 * Tongan
 * Tuvaluan
 * Rapa Nui
 * See also Appendix:Proto-Oceanic animal names.

Pama-Nyungan languages

 * Pama-Nyungan languages

Kra-Dai languages

 * Kra–Dai languages &mdash; Thai (+ romanized), Lao (+ romanized), Shan (+ romanized), Southern Dong, Gelao, Buyang, Zhuang, Ong Be (Lingao), Hlai (Li), White Hmong
 * Gelao
 * Hlai
 * Jizhao
 * Ong Be
 * Tai languages
 * Lao
 * Lanna
 * Shan
 * Tai lue
 * Tai tham
 * Thai
 * Zhuang languages
 * Standard Zhuang

Hmong-Mien languages

 * Hmong–Mien
 * Hmongic languages
 * White Hmong
 * Pa-Hng
 * She
 * Xong
 * Mienic languages
 * Iu Mien

Sino-Tibetan languages

 * Sino-Tibetan languages &mdash; Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, Hokkien and Burmese, all with romanizations
 * Chinese
 * Old Chinese
 * Middle Chinese
 * Mandarin
 * Standard Mandarin
 * Sichuanese
 * Nanjingnese
 * Yue
 * Cantonese
 * Toisanese
 * Gan
 * Hakka
 * Wu
 * Shanghainese
 * Suzhounese
 * Xiang
 * Min
 * Eastern Min
 * Hainanese
 * Hokkien (Xiamen)
 * Hinghua
 * Leizhou Min
 * Teochew
 * Tibeto-Burman languages &mdash; Burmese, Tibetan, Karen, Jingpho, Manange
 * Tibetic
 * Old Tibetan
 * Classical Tibetan
 * Central Tibetan
 * Amdo Tibetan
 * Kham Tibetan
 * Dzongkha
 * Sherpa
 * Balti
 * Burmese
 * Kuki-Chin
 * Tibeto-Burman languages of Nepal
 * Raji-Raute
 * Sal languages
 * Garo
 * Qiangic languages
 * Gyalrong
 * Qiang
 * Tangut
 * Yi languages
 * Lalo
 * Lolopo
 * Nasu
 * Nisu
 * Nuosu
 * Sanu

Language isolates

 * Abinomn

Amerindian languages

 * See also: Appendix:Vocabulary lists of Amerindian languages
 * See also: Appendix:Eskimo–Aleut basic vocabulary and Indigenous languages of the Americas

North American

 * Dené–Yeniseian languages &mdash; Ket, Tlingit, Navajo, Dena'ina, Hupa
 * Na-Dené
 * Athabaskan
 * Apache
 * Navajo
 * Tlingit
 * Yeniseian
 * Ket
 * Algonquian and Iroquoian languages &mdash; Ojibwe, Lenape, Mohawk, Cherokee, Nottoway, Erie (Language), Huron-wendat
 * Cherokee
 * Ojibwe
 * Huron-Wendat
 * Wyandot
 * Siouan and Pawnee languages &mdash; Lakota, Dakota dialects, Osage, Crow, Tutelo, Pawnee
 * Lakota
 * Penutian languages
 * Chumashan and Hokan languages &mdash; includes Yuman languages of Ipai, Kiliwa, Cocopa
 * Kiowa-Tanoan, Keresan and Zuni languages
 * Muskogean languages
 * Choctaw
 * Chickasaw
 * Creek
 * Uto-Aztecan languages &mdash; Nahuatl, Yaqui, Hopi, Shoshone, O'odham, Cahuilla, Tongva
 * Hopi
 * Nahuatl
 * Zuni

Central American

 * Oto-Manguean and other Mesoamerican languages &mdash; Otomi, Mixtec, Zapotec, Mazahua, Totonac, Popoluca, Huave, Chontal
 * Purepecha
 * Mayan languages &mdash; K'iche', Q'eqchi', Tzotzil, Mam, Yucatec Maya (Proto-Mayan)
 * K'iche
 * Yucatec Mayan

South American

 * South Andean region languages &mdash; Aymara, Kunza, Wichi, Mapudungun, Rapa Nui, with Spanish
 * Aymara
 * Quechua
 * Tupian languages
 * Guaraní
 * Pirahã
 * See the Intercontinental Dictionary Series for a huge selection of topical vocabulary lists of indigenous South American languages.

African languages
See also: Appendix:Vocabulary lists of African languages

Afroasiatic languages (Proto-Afroasiatic)

 * Afroasiatic languages Syriac (+ romanized), Akkadian (romanized only), and Ge'ez (+ romanized)
 * Berber
 * Kabyle
 * Moroccan Amazigh
 * Tashelhit
 * Central Atlas Tamazight
 * Cushitic languages
 * Afar
 * Oromo
 * Somali
 * Chadic languages
 * Hausa
 * Egyptian
 * Coptic
 * Semitic languages
 * West Semitic
 * Central Semitic
 * Arabic
 * Cypriot Maronite Arabic
 * Egyptian Arabic
 * Juba Arabic
 * Tunisian Arabic
 * Algerian Arabic
 * Moroccan Arabic
 * South Levantine Arabic
 * Maltese
 * Hebrew
 * Phoenician
 * Aramaic
 * Mandaic
 * Syriac
 * Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
 * South Semitic
 * Ge'ez
 * Amharic
 * Tigrinya
 * East Semitic
 * Akkadian

Khoisan languages

 * Khoisan languages
 * Khoekhoe
 * Naro
 * !Xóõ

Niger-Congo languages

 * Niger–Congo languages &mdash; Yoruba, Igbo, Mandinka, Wolof
 * Fongbe (Fon)
 * Igbo
 * Wolof
 * Mandinka
 * Yoruba
 * Bantu languages &mdash; 36 Bantu languages (Proto-Bantu)
 * Bangala
 * Chewa
 * Lingala
 * Luganda
 * Kirundi
 * Kinyarwanda
 * Kongo
 * Shona
 * Northern Sotho
 * Southern Sotho
 * Swahili
 * Swazi
 * Tsonga
 * Tswana
 * Umbundu
 * Xhosa
 * Zulu
 * Fanagalo

Creoles, pidgins

 * Chinese-based
 * Wutunhua
 * English-based
 * Jamaican Creole
 * Sranan
 * Tok Pisin
 * French-based
 * Antillean Creole
 * Haitian Creole
 * Mauritian Creole
 * Malay-based
 * Betawi
 * Portuguese-based
 * Cape Verdean Creole
 * Guinea-Bissau Creole
 * Papiamento
 * Spanish-based
 * Chavacano

Constructed languages

 * Esperanto
 * Ido
 * Interlingua
 * Láadan
 * Interlingue (Occidental)
 * Lingua Franca Nova
 * Lingwa de Planeta
 * Lojban
 * Neo
 * Toki Pona
 * Volapük
 * Novial

Lists in need of expansion

 * Swadesh list for Abinomn
 * Swadesh list for Classical Japanese
 * Swadesh lists for Dené-Yeniseian languages
 * Swadesh lists for the Dravidian languages of Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Gondi, Konda, and Brahui
 * Swadesh lists for Italian languages
 * Swadesh lists for Mayan languages
 * Swadesh lists for Niger-Congo languages
 * Swadesh lists for Pama-Nyungan languages
 * Swadesh list for Proto-Afroasiatic

Templates
For a basis to expand this list into other languages see the basic 207-word Swadesh template. See also this Swadesh template containing a comparative table for 8 different languages, and this Swadesh template with categories and parts-of-speech added. To visit a more extensive list of basic words in various languages (not a Swadesh list, though it includes and is cross-referenced to Swadesh words), see the Basic English word list.


 * Templates for Swadesh lists
 * Template:Swadesh list 207 plain: plain list (English and selected language)
 * Template:Swadesh list 207 pronunciation: list with IPA pronunciation
 * Template:Swadesh list 207 trans pronunciation: list with transcription and pronunciation
 * Template:Swadesh list 207 trans: list with transcription in Latin characters
 * Template:Swadesh list 207 trans2: list with two transcriptions
 * Swadesh template categorized


 * Templates for boxes
 * Template:Swadesh lists: box with all Swadesh lists of individual languages, language families and branches


 * Other templates
 * Template:Swadesh list presentation: Swadesh list presentation template
 * Template:Swadesh list templates: displays all templates
 * Template:langlist: used in ordinary dictionary entries of languages

Swadesh list table of Germanic and Romance languages
The words from Swadesh's original 100-word list are designated by an asterisk (*). In the composite list on this page, there are actually 207 words, since seven of the words in the 100-word list (breast, fingernail, full, horn, knee, moon, round) were not in the original 200-word list.