Appendix:Ancient Greek Swadesh list
This is a Swadesh list of words in Ancient Greek, compared with definitions in 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, she, it | οὗτος (hoûtos) αὐτός (autós), ὁ (ho) |
| 4 | we | ἡμεῖς (hēmeîs) |
| 5 | you (plural) | ὑμεῖς (humeîs) |
| 6 | they | οὗτοι (hoûtoi) αὐτοί (autoí), σφεῖς (spheîs) |
| 7 | this | τοῦτο (toûto) τόδε (tóde) |
| 8 | that | ἐκεῖνο (ekeîno) |
| 9 | here | ἔνθα (éntha), ἐνθάδε (entháde), ἐνταῦθα (entaûtha), αὐτοῦ (autoû) |
| 10 | there | ἐκεῖ (ekeî), αὐτοῦ (autoû) |
| 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), 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) |
| 24 | three | τρεῖς (treîs) |
| 25 | four | 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) |
| 43 | father | πατήρ (patḗr) |
| 44 | animal | ζῷον (zôion) |
| 45 | fish | ἰχθύς (ikhthús) |
| 46 | bird | ὄρνις (órnis), πετεινόν (peteinón) |
| 47 | dog | κύων (kúōn) |
| 48 | louse | φθείρ (phtheír) |
| 49 | snake | ὄφις (óphis) |
| 50 | worm | σκώληξ (skṓlēx), ἑρπετόν (herpetón), ἕλμινς (hélmins) |
| 51 | tree | δένδρον (déndron) |
| 52 | forest | ὕλη (húlē) |
| 53 | stick | ῥάβδος (rhábdos), βακτηρία (baktēría) |
| 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 | πόα (póa), 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) | γλῶσσα (glôssa) |
| 79 | fingernail | ὄνυξ (ónux) |
| 80 | foot | πούς (poús) |
| 81 | leg | σκέλος (skélos), κῶλον (kôlon) |
| 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), τράχηλος (trákhēlos) |
| 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) |
| 96 | to spit | πτύω (ptúō) |
| 97 | to vomit | ἐμέω (eméō) |
| 98 | to blow | φυσάω (phusáō) |
| 99 | to breathe | πνέω (pnéō) |
| 100 | to laugh | γελάω (geláō) |
| 101 | to see | βλέπω (blépō), ὁράω (horáō), 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) |
| 107 | to sleep | καθεύδω (katheúdō), εὕδω (heúdō), εὐνάζομαι (eunázomai), κοιμάομαι (koimáomai), ἰαύω (iaúō) |
| 108 | to live | ζῶ (zô), βιόω (bióō), οἰκέω (oikéō) |
| 109 | to die | ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnḗiskō), θνῄσκω (thnḗiskō), τελευτάω (teleutáō), ὄλομαι (ólomai) |
| 110 | to kill | ἀποκτείνω (apokteínō), ἔπεφνον (épephnon) |
| 111 | to fight | μάχομαι (mákhomai) |
| 112 | to hunt | θηρεύω (thēreúō), θηράω (thēráō), 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) |
| 117 | to scratch | κνάω (knáō) |
| 118 | to dig | ὀρύσσω (orússō), σκᾰ́πτω (skáptō) |
| 119 | to swim | νέω (néō), κολυμβάω (kolumbáō) |
| 120 | to fly | πέτομαι (pétomai) |
| 121 | to walk | περιπατέω (peripatéō), πατέω (patéō), 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) | τρέπομαι (trépomai) |
| 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) |
| 136 | to throw | ῥίπτω (rhíptō), βάλλω (bállō) |
| 137 | to tie | δέω (déō) |
| 138 | to sew | ῥάπτω (rháptō) |
| 139 | to count | ἀριθμέω (arithméō) |
| 140 | to say | φημί (phēmí), λέγω (légō), ἐνέπω (enépō) |
| 141 | to sing | ἀείδω (aeídō) |
| 142 | to play | παίζω (paízō) |
| 143 | to float | νέω (néō) |
| 144 | to flow | ῥέω (rhéō) |
| 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 | 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 | σποδός (spodós), 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), στρογγύλος (strongúlos) |
| 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 | ἐπί (epí), παρά (pará) |
| 202 | in | ἐν (en) |
| 203 | with | μετά (metá, with genitive), σύν (sún) |
| 204 | and | καί (kaí), τε (te) |
| 205 | if | εἰ (ei), ἐάν (eán) |
| 206 | because | ὅτι (hóti) |
| 207 | name | ὄνομα (ónoma) |