Council for Ligurian Linguistic Heritage

Ligurian Council

Swadesh list

The Swadesh list is a list of basic concepts used to compare languagesm named after linguist Morris Swadesh (Swadesh 1952; Swadesh 1955). This page presents the 207-item version (Comrie & Smith 1977), with the original English words and their Genoese translations.

This list was compiled by Stefano Lusito and Jean Maillard, with recordings by Stefano Lusito, a native speaker of Genoese.

№ English Genoese IPA Notes
1 I mi [ˈmi]
mie [ˈmiːe] (epithetic variant)
2 you (singular) ti [ˈti]
tie [ˈtiːe] (epithetic variant)
3 he, she, it lê [ˈleː]
4 we noiatri [nuˈjaːtri]
niatri [ˈɲaːtri]
5 you (plural) voiatri [vuˈjaːtri]
viatri [ˈvjaːtri]
6 they loiatri [luˈjaːtri]
liatri [ˈljaːtri]
lô [ˈluː]
7 this sto [stu] (determiner)
questo [ˈkwestu] (pronoun)
8 that quello [ˈkwelˑu]
9 here chì [ˈki]
chie [ˈkiːe] (epithetic variant)
10 there lì [ˈli]
lie [ˈliːe] (epithetic variant)
11 who chi [ˈki]
12 what cöse [ˈkɔːse]
13 where donde [ˈduŋde]
onde [ˈuŋde]
14 when quande [ˈkwaŋde]
15 how comme [ˈkumˑe]
16 not no [ˈnu]
17 all tutto [ˈtytˑu]
18 many ben ben [ˈbeŋ ˈbeŋ]
tanto [ˈtaŋtu]
19 some quarche [ˈkwaːrke] (determiner)
un pö [iŋ ˈpɔː] (pronoun: an unspecified quantity)
20 few pöco [ˈpɔːku]
21 other atro [ˈaːtru]
22 one uña [ˈyŋˑa] (feminine)
un [ˈyŋ] (masculine)
23 two doe [ˈduːe] (feminine)
doî [ˈdwiː] (masculine)
24 three træ [ˈtrɛː] (feminine)
trei [ˈtrei̯] (masculine)
25 four quattro [ˈkwatˑru]
26 five çinque [ˈsiŋkwe]
27 big gròsso [ˈɡrɔsˑu]
28 long longo [ˈluŋɡu]
29 wide largo [ˈlaːrɡu]
30 thick druo [ˈdryːu]
31 heavy pesante [peˈzaŋte]
32 small piccin [piˈtʃiŋ]
33 short curto [ˈkyːrtu]
34 narrow streito [ˈstrei̯tu]
35 thin magro [ˈmaːɡru] (of people/animals/meat: lean)
sottî [suˈtiː] (of objects/materials: having little thickness)
36 woman dònna [ˈdɔnˑa]
37 man (adult male) òmmo [ˈɔmˑu]
38 man (human being) persoña [pɛrˈsuŋˑa]
òmmo [ˈɔmˑu]
uman [yˈmaŋ] (learned form)
39 child figgeu [fiˈdʒøː]
40 wife moggê [muˈdʒeː]
41 husband maio [ˈmai̯ˑu]
42 mother moæ [ˈmwɛː]
43 father poæ [ˈpwɛː]
44 animal bestia [ˈbestja]
45 fish pescio [ˈpeʃˑu]
46 bird öxello [ɔːˈʒelˑu]
47 dog can [ˈkaŋ]
48 louse pigheuggio [piˈɡødʒˑu]
pegheuggio [peˈɡødʒˑu]
49 snake serpente [sɛrˈpeŋte]
50 worm verme [ˈvɛːrme]
51 tree erbo [ˈɛːrbu]
52 forest foresta [fuˈrɛsta]
53 stick bacco [ˈbakˑu]
54 fruit fruto [ˈfryːtu] (individual fruit in a botanical/general sense)
fruta [ˈfryːta] (fruit collectively, especially as food)
55 seed semensa [seˈmeŋsa]
56 leaf feuggia [ˈfødʒˑa]
57 root reixe [ˈrei̯ʒe]
58 bark (of a tree) scòrsa [ˈskɔːrsa]
59 flower sciô [ˈʃuː]
scioa [ˈʃuːa]
60 grass erba [ˈɛːrba] (the plant or ground cover)
prou [ˈprɔu̯] (lawn or grassy area)
61 rope còrda [ˈkɔːrda]
62 skin pelle [ˈpelˑe]
63 meat carne [ˈkaːrne]
64 blood sangue [ˈsaŋɡwe]
65 bone òsso [ˈɔsˑu]
66 fat (noun) grascia [ˈɡraʃˑa] (adipose tissue; grease)
grasso [ˈɡrasˑu] (dietary fat; lipid)
67 egg euvo [ˈøːvu]
68 horn còrno [ˈkɔːrnu]
69 tail coa [ˈkuːa]
70 feather ciumma [ˈtʃymˑa]
71 hair pei [ˈpei̯] (on the body)
cavello [kaˈvelˑu] (on the head)
72 head testa [ˈtesta]
73 ear oegia [ˈweːdʒa]
74 eye euggio [ˈødʒˑu]
75 nose naso [ˈnaːzu]
76 mouth bocca [ˈbukˑa]
77 tooth dente [ˈdeŋte]
78 tongue (organ) lengua [ˈleŋɡwa]
79 fingernail ongia [ˈuŋdʒa]
80 foot pê [ˈpeː]
81 leg gamba [ˈɡaŋba]
82 knee zenoggio [zeˈnudʒˑu]
83 hand man [ˈmaŋ]
84 wing aa [ˈaːa]
85 belly pansa [ˈpaŋsa]
86 guts bele [ˈbeːle]
87 neck còllo [ˈkɔlˑu]
88 back scheña [ˈskeŋˑa] (body part)
89 breast peto [ˈpeːtu]
90 heart cheu [ˈkøː]
91 liver figæto [fiˈɡɛːtu]
92 to drink beive [ˈbei̯ve]
93 to eat mangiâ [maŋˈdʒaː]
94 to bite addentâ [adeŋˈtaː]
95 to suck sussâ [syˈsaː]
96 to spit spuâ [spyˈaː]
97 to vomit vomitâ [vumiˈtaː]
veumitâ [vømiˈtaː]
98 to blow sciusciâ [ʃyˈʃaː]
99 to breathe respiâ [resˈpjaː]
100 to laugh rie [ˈriːe]
101 to see vedde [ˈvedˑe]
102 to hear sentî [seŋˈtiː]
103 to know savei [saˈvei̯]
104 to think pensâ [peŋˈsaː]
105 to smell ödoâ [ɔːˈdwaː] (to emit/have an odour)
sentî [seŋˈtiː] (to perceive an odour)
106 to fear temme [ˈtemˑe]
107 to sleep dormî [durˈmiː]
108 to live vive [ˈviːve]
109 to die moî [ˈmwiː]
110 to kill ammassâ [amaˈsaː]
111 to fight lottâ [luˈtaː]
112 to hunt cacciâ [kaˈtʃaː]
113 to hit corpî [kurˈpiː]
114 to cut taggiâ [taˈdʒaː]
115 to split dividde [diˈvidˑe]
spartî [sparˈtiː]
116 to stab accotellâ [akuteˈlaː]
117 to scratch grattâ [ɡraˈtaː]
118 to dig cavâ [kaˈvaː]
119 to swim nuâ [nyˈaː]
120 to fly xoâ [ˈʒwaː]
121 to walk camminâ [kamiˈnaː]
122 to come vegnî [veˈɲiː]
123 to lie (as in a bed) stâ accoegou [ˈsta‿akweˈɡɔu̯]
giaxe [ˈdʒaːʒe] (learned form)
124 to sit stâ assettou [ˈsta‿aseˈtɔu̯] (to be in a sitting position)
assettâse [aseˈtaːse] (to take a seat)
125 to stand stâ in pê [ˈsta‿i̯ŋ ˈpeː]
126 to turn (intransitive) giâ [ˈdʒjaː]
127 to fall cazze [ˈkazˑe]
128 to give dâ [ˈdaː]
129 to hold tegnî [teˈɲiː]
130 to squeeze spremme [ˈspremˑe]
131 to rub frettâ [freˈtaː]
132 to wash lavâ [laˈvaː]
133 to wipe sciugâ [ʃyˈɡaː] (to dry a surface)
frettâ [freˈtaː] (to clean a surface)
friggiâ [friˈdʒaː] (to clean a surface)
134 to pull tiâ [ˈtjaː]
135 to push sponciâ [spuŋˈtʃaː]
136 to throw tiâ [ˈtjaː]
137 to tie aggroppâ [aɡruˈpaː]
138 to sew cuxî [kyˈʒiː]
139 to count contâ [kuŋˈtaː]
140 to say dî [ˈdiː]
141 to sing cantâ [kaŋˈtaː]
142 to play zugâ [zyˈɡaː]
143 to float gallezzâ [ɡaleˈzaː]
144 to flow strixellâ [striʒeˈlaː] (of a river or stream: to run continuously along its course)
sciortî [ʃurˈtiː] (of a liquid: to come out from a source or opening)
145 to freeze zeâ [zeˈaː]
146 to swell insciâ [iŋˈʃaː]
147 sun sô [ˈsuː]
148 moon luña [ˈlyŋˑa]
149 star stella [ˈstelˑa]
150 water ægua [ˈɛːɡwa]
151 rain ægua [ˈɛːɡwa] (noun)
152 river sciumme [ˈʃymˑe]
153 lake lago [ˈlaːɡu]
154 sea mâ [ˈmaː]
155 salt sâ [ˈsaː]
156 stone pria [ˈpriːa]
157 sand æña [ˈɛŋˑa]
158 dust pua [ˈpyːa]
159 earth tæra [ˈtɛːra]
160 cloud nuvie [ˈnyːvje]
161 fog negia [ˈneːdʒa]
162 sky çê [ˈseː]
163 wind vento [ˈveŋtu]
164 snow neive [ˈnei̯ve]
165 ice giassa [ˈdʒasˑa]
166 smoke fumme [ˈfymˑe]
167 fire feugo [ˈføːɡu]
168 ash çenie [ˈseɲˑe] (residue after burning)
169 to burn bruxâ [bryˈʒaː]
170 road stradda [ˈstradˑa]
171 mountain montagna [muŋˈtaɲˑa]
172 red rosso [ˈrusˑu]
173 green verde [ˈvɛːrde]
174 yellow giano [ˈdʒaːnu]
175 white gianco [ˈdʒaŋku]
176 black neigro [ˈnei̯ɡru]
177 night neutte [ˈnøtˑe]
178 day giorno [ˈdʒurnu]
179 year anno [ˈanˑu]
180 warm cado [ˈkaːdu]
181 cold freido [ˈfrei̯du]
182 full pin [ˈpiŋ]
183 new neuvo [ˈnøːvu]
184 old vegio [ˈveːdʒu]
185 good bon [ˈbuŋ]
186 bad grammo [ˈɡramˑu]
187 rotten marso [ˈmaːrsu]
188 dirty brutto [ˈbrytˑu]
189 straight drito [ˈdriːtu]
190 round riondo [ˈrjuŋdu]
191 sharp (as a knife) affiou [aˈfjɔu̯]
192 dull (as a knife) sensa fî [ˈseŋsa ˈfiː]
bordo [ˈbuːrdu]
193 smooth liscio [ˈliʃˑu]
194 wet bagnou [baˈɲɔu̯] (covered or saturated with liquid)
umido [ˈymidu] (damp, moist)
195 dry sciuto [ˈʃyːtu]
196 correct giusto [ˈdʒystu] (accurate, not incorrect)
corretto [kuˈrɛtˑu] (accurate, not incorrect)
197 near vexin [veˈʒiŋ]
198 far lontan [luŋˈtaŋ]
199 right drita [ˈdriːta] (noun: direction)
drito [ˈdriːtu] (adjective)
200 left manciña [maŋˈtʃiŋˑa] (noun)
mancin [maŋˈtʃiŋ] (adjective)
201 at à [a]
202 in in [iŋ] (in front of nouns)
inte [iŋte] (in front of determiners and numerals)
203 with con [kuŋ]
204 and e [e]
205 if se [se]
206 because perché [pɛrˈke]
207 name nomme [ˈnumˑe]

Bibliography

  • M. Swadesh, “Lexico-statistic dating of prehistoric ethnic contacts: With special reference to North American Indians and Eskimos”, in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, pp.452-463 96 (4), 1952
  • M. Swadesh, “Towards greater accuracy in lexicostatistic dating”, in International Journal of American Linguistics, pp.121-137 21 (2), 1955
  • B. Comrie, N. Smith, “Lingua descriptive studies: Questionnaire”, in Lingua, pp.1-72 42 (1), 1977