This is a Swadesh list of words in Proto-Germanic English .
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.
№ English Proto-Germanicedit (207) 1 I (1sg )*ek 2 you (2sg )*þū 3 he , she , it (3sg )*iz 4 we (1pl )*wīz 5 you (2pl )*jūz 6 they (3pl )*iz 7 this *hiz 8 that *sa 9 here *hē₂r 10 there *þar 11 who *hwaz 12 what *hwat 13 where *hwar 14 when *hwan 15 how *hwō 16 not *ne 17 all *allaz 18 many *managaz 19 some *sumaz 20 few *fawaz 21 other *anþeraz *aljaz 22 one *ainaz 23 two *twai 24 three *þrīz 25 four *fedwōr 26 five *fimf 27 big *mikilaz 28 long *langaz 29 wide *wīdaz *braidaz 30 thick *þekuz 31 heavy *kuruz *swēraz 32 small *smalaz *lītilaz 33 short *skurtaz 34 narrow *anguz *narwaz 35 thin *þunnuz 36 woman *kwenǭ 37 man (adult male)*gumô *weraz 38 man (human being)*manô 39 child *barną *kinþą 40 wife *kwēniz 41 husband *brūdigumô *weraz *abô 42 mother *mōdēr 43 father *fadēr *attô 44 animal *deuzą 45 fish *fiskaz 46 bird *fuglaz 47 dog *hundaz 48 louse *lūs 49 snake *snakô *slangô *nadraz 50 worm *wurmiz 51 tree *trewą 52 forest *furhiþą *walþuz *furhō *skōgaz *widuz 53 stick *stikkô *stukkaz 54 fruit *akraną *ubatją 55 seed *sēdiz *sēmô 56 leaf *laubą 57 root *wrōts 58 bark (of a tree)*barkuz *rindǭ 59 flower *blōmô 60 grass *grasą 61 rope *raipaz 62 skin *fellą 63 meat *mimzą 64 blood *blōþą 65 bone *bainą 66 fat (noun)*faitą *smultą 67 egg *ajją 68 horn *hurną 69 tail *stertaz 70 feather *feþrō 71 hair *hērą *taglą 72 head *haubudą 73 ear *ausô 74 eye *augô 75 nose *nusō *nasō 76 mouth *munþaz 77 tooth *tanþs 78 tongue (organ)*tungǭ 79 fingernail *naglaz 80 foot *fōts 81 leg *lagjaz *bainą 82 knee *knewą 83 hand *handuz 84 wing *wēingaz *flugilaz *fiþriją 85 belly *būkaz 86 guts *garnō *þarmaz 87 neck *hnakkô *halsaz 88 back *baką 89 breast *breustą *brusts 90 heart *hertô 91 liver *librō 92 to drink *drinkaną 93 to eat *etaną 94 to bite *bītaną 95 to suck *sūganą 96 to spit *spīwaną 97 to vomit *spīwaną 98 to blow *wēaną 99 to breathe *anþijaną 100 to laugh *hlahjaną 101 to see *sehwaną 102 to hear *hauzijaną 103 to know *knēaną *kunnaną *witaną 104 to think *þankijaną *hugjaną *munaną 105 to smell *smuljaną *reukaną 106 to fear *aganą 107 to sleep *slēpaną 108 to live *libjaną 109 to die *dawjaną 110 to kill *daudijaną 111 to fight *fehtaną 112 to hunt *waiþijaną *jakkōną *huntōną 113 to hit *slahaną 114 to cut *maitaną *snīþaną 115 to split *splītaną *dailijaną 116 to stab *stikaną 117 to scratch *krattōną *hrībaną 118 to dig *grabaną 119 to swim *swimmaną 120 to fly *fleuganą 121 to walk *ganganą *gāną *līþaną 122 to come *kwemaną 123 to lie (as in a bed) *ligjaną 124 to sit *sitjaną 125 to stand *standaną *stāną 126 to turn (intransitive) *hwerbaną *þrēaną 127 to fall *fallaną 128 to give *gebaną 129 to hold *haldaną 130 to squeeze *hnīpaną 131 to rub *nūaną 132 to wash *þwahaną *waskaną 133 to wipe *wīpōną 134 to pull *teuhaną *draganą *tugōną 135 to push *þrukkijaną *skeubaną 136 to throw *werpaną *kastōną 137 to tie *bindaną 138 to sew *siwjaną *nēaną 139 to count *raþjaną 140 to say *kweþaną *sagjaną 141 to sing *singwaną 142 to play *laikaną 143 to float *flutōną *fleutaną 144 to flow *flōaną 145 to freeze *freusaną 146 to swell *swellaną 147 sun *sunnǭ *sōwulō 148 moon *mēnô 149 star *sternǭ 150 water *watōr 151 rain *regną 152 river *ahwō 153 lake *lakō 154 sea *mari *saiwiz 155 salt *saltą 156 stone *stainaz 157 sand *samdaz 158 dust *dustą *stubjuz 159 earth *erþō 160 cloud *wulkaną *melhmô 161 fog *nebulaz *mihstaz 162 sky *himinaz 163 wind *windaz 164 snow *snaiwaz 165 ice *īsą 166 smoke *raukiz 167 fire *fōr 168 ash *askǭ 169 to burn *brinnaną 170 road *wegaz 171 mountain *bergaz 172 red *raudaz 173 green *grōniz 174 yellow *gelwaz 175 white *hwītaz 176 black *swartaz *blakaz 177 night *nahts 178 day *dagaz 179 year *jērą *aþna- 180 warm *warmaz 181 cold *kaldaz 182 full *fullaz 183 new *niwjaz 184 old *sinīgaz 185 good *gōdaz 186 bad *ubilaz 187 rotten *fausaz *rutāndz 188 dirty *fūlaz 189 straight *strakaz 190 round *trindaz *kraitijaz 191 sharp (as a knife)*hwassaz 192 dull (as a knife)*slaiwaz 193 smooth *slihtaz 194 wet *wētaz *nataz 195 dry *þursuz 196 correct *rehtaz 197 near *nēhwaz 198 far *ferrai 199 right *tehswô 200 left *winistraz 201 at *at 202 in *in 203 with *midi 204 and *jahw *andi 205 if *jabai 206 because *hwandê 207 name *namô
Swadesh lists
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Language families, family branches, and geographic groupings
Constructed languages
Reconstructed proto-languages
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