This is a Swadesh list of words in Irish, compared with definitions in English.
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.
No. | English | Irish Gaeilge |
IPA pronunciation | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Munster | Connacht[1] | Ulster[2] | |||
1 | I | mé | mʲeː | mʲə, mʲeː | |
2 | you (singular) | tú | t̪ˠuː | t̪ˠuː | |
3 | he | sé | ʃeː | ʃə, ʃɛ | |
4 | we | sinn | ʃɪn̠ʲ | ʃɪn̠ʲ | |
5 | you (plural) | sibh | ʃɪbʲ | ʃɨ̞vʲ | |
6 | they | siad | ʃiəd̪ˠ, ʃeːd̪ˠ | ʃiəd̪ˠ, ʃəd̪ˠ | |
7 | this | seo | ʃɔ | ʃɔ | |
8 | that | sin, siúd | ʃɪn, ʃuːd̪ˠ | ʃɨ̞nʲ | |
9 | here | anseo | ən̪ˠˈʃɔ | in̠ʲˈʃɔ | |
10 | there | ansin, ansiúd | ən̪ˠˈʃɪn | ən̠ʲˈʃɨ̞n | |
11 | who | cé (interrogative) | ceː | ce | |
12 | what | cad, céard (interrogative) | kɑd̪ˠ, ceːɾˠd̪ˠ | ||
13 | where | cá (no movement, interrogative) | kɑː | ||
14 | when | cathain (interrogative) | |||
15 | how | conas, cén chaoi (interrogative) | ˈceːn̪ˠəsˠ | ||
16 | not | ní | n̠ʲiː | ||
17 | all | uile | ˈɪlə | ||
18 | many | a lán | |||
19 | some | roinnt | |||
20 | few | beagán | ˈbʲɞɡɑːnˠ | ||
21 | other | eile | ˈɛlə | ||
22 | one | aon | eːn | i:n | |
23 | two | dó | d̪ˠoː | do: | |
24 | three | trí | tʲɾʲiː | tʲɾʲiː | |
25 | four | ceathair | ˈcahəɾʲ | ||
26 | five | cúig | kuːɟ | ||
27 | big | mór | mˠoːɾˠ | ||
28 | long | fada | ˈfɑd̪ˠə | ||
29 | wide | leathan | ˈlʲahən | ||
30 | thick | tiubh | tʲʊ | ||
31 | heavy | trom | t̪ˠɾˠuːmˠ | ||
32 | small | beag | bʲɞɡ | ||
33 | short | gearr | ɟaːɾˠ | ||
34 | narrow | cúng | kuːŋ | ||
35 | thin | tanaí | ˈt̪ˠɑniː | ||
36 | woman | bean | bʲæn | ||
37 | man (male) | fear | fʲaɾˠ | ||
38 | man (human) | duine | ˈd̪ˠɪnə | ||
39 | child | leanbh, páiste | ˈl̠ʲanəvˠ, ˈpˠɑːʃtʲə | ||
40 | wife | bean chéile | ˈbʲæn ˈçeːlə | ||
41 | husband | fear céile | ˈfʲæɾˠ ˈceːlə | ||
42 | mother | máthair | ˈmˠɑːhəɾʲ | ||
43 | father | athair | ˈæhəɾʲ | ||
44 | animal | ainmhí | |||
45 | fish | iasc | iəsˠk | ||
46 | bird | éan | eːn | ||
47 | dog | madra | ˈmˠɑd̪ˠɾˠə | ||
48 | louse | míol cnis | |||
49 | snake | nathair | ˈn̪ˠæhəɾʲ | ||
50 | worm | péist | pʲeːʃtʲ | ||
51 | tree | crann | kɾˠɑːn̪ˠ | ||
52 | forest | coill | kɑil̠ʲ, kɞl̠ʲ | ||
53 | stick | bata | ˈbˠɑt̪ˠə | ||
54 | fruit | toradh | ˈt̪ˠɔɾˠə | ||
55 | seed | síol | ʃiːl | ||
56 | leaf | duilleog | ˈdʲɪloːɡ | ||
57 | root | fréamh | fʲɾʲeːvˠ | ||
58 | bark (of a tree) | rúsc | |||
59 | flower | bláth | bˠlɑː | ||
60 | grass | féar | fʲeːɾˠ | ||
61 | rope | téad | tʲeːd̪ˠ | ||
62 | skin | craiceann | ˈkɾʲɛcən̪ˠ | ||
63 | meat | feoil | fʲoːl | ||
64 | blood | fuil | fˠɪl | ||
65 | bone | cnámh | knɑːvʲ | ||
66 | fat (noun) | saill | sˠail̠ʲ | ||
67 | egg | ubh | ɔvˠ | ||
68 | horn | adharc | ˈaiəɾˠk | ||
69 | tail | eireaball | ˈɾˠɨbəl̪ˠ | ||
70 | feather | cleite | ˈclɛtʲə | ||
71 | hair | gruaig | ɡɾˠuəɡ | ||
72 | head | ceann | caːn̪ˠ | ||
73 | ear | cluas | kluəʃ, kluəsˠ | ||
74 | eye | súil | sˠuːl | ||
75 | nose | srón | sˠɾˠoːn, sˠɾˠuːn | ||
76 | mouth | béal | bʲeːl | ||
77 | tooth | fiacail | ˈfʲiəkəl | ||
78 | tongue | teanga | ˈtʲaŋə, ˈtʲaŋɡə | ||
79 | fingernail | ionga | ˈɔŋə | ||
80 | foot | cos | kɔʃ, kɞʃ, kɔsˠ | ||
81 | leg | cos | kɔʃ, kɞʃ, kɔsˠ | ||
82 | knee | glúin | ɡluːn | ||
83 | hand | lámh | l̪ˠɑːvˠ | ||
84 | wing | sciathán | ˈʃcɪhɑːn | ||
85 | belly | bolg | ˈbɔlək | ||
86 | guts | inní | |||
87 | neck | muineál | ˈmˠɪnɑːl | ||
88 | back | droim | d̪ˠɾˠiːmʲ | ||
89 | breast | cíoch | ciːx | ||
90 | heart | croí | kɾˠiː | ||
91 | liver | ae | |||
92 | to drink | ól | oːl | ||
93 | to eat | ith | iː | ||
94 | to bite | bain greim as | bˠan ɟɾʲiːmʲ asˠ | ||
95 | to suck | súigh | |||
96 | to spit | caith seile | |||
97 | to vomit | aisig | |||
98 | to blow | séid | ʃeːdʲ | ||
99 | to breathe | análaigh | |||
100 | to laugh | déan gáire | dʲiːn ˈɡɑːɾʲə | ||
101 | to see | feic | |||
102 | to hear | cluin, clois | klɨn, klɨʃ | ||
103 | to know | a fhios a bheith agat | |||
104 | to think | smaoinigh | |||
105 | to smell | bolaigh | |||
106 | to fear | eagla a bheith ort | ˈaːɡlə | ||
107 | to sleep | codail | ˈkɔd̪ˠəl | ||
108 | to live | mair | mˠaɾʲ | ||
109 | to die | faigh bás | |||
110 | to kill | maraigh | |||
111 | to fight | troid | |||
112 | to hunt | seilg | |||
113 | to hit | buail | |||
114 | to cut | gearr | |||
115 | to split | scoilt | |||
116 | to stab | rop | |||
117 | to scratch | tochais | |||
118 | to dig | tochail | |||
119 | to swim | snámh | |||
120 | to fly | eitil | |||
121 | to walk | siúil | |||
122 | to come | tar | |||
123 | to lie (as in a bed) | luigh (state) | |||
124 | to sit | suigh (state) | |||
125 | to stand | seas (state) | |||
126 | to turn (intransitive) | cas | |||
127 | to fall | tit | |||
128 | to give | tabhair | |||
129 | to hold | coinnigh | |||
130 | to squeeze | fáisc | |||
131 | to rub | cuimil | |||
132 | to wash | nigh | |||
133 | to wipe | cuimil | |||
134 | to pull | tarraing | |||
135 | to push | brúigh | |||
136 | to throw | caith | |||
137 | to tie | ceangail | |||
138 | to sew | fuaigh | |||
139 | to count | áirigh | |||
140 | to say | abair | |||
141 | to sing | can | |||
142 | to play | imir | |||
143 | to float | snámh | |||
144 | to flow | snigh | |||
145 | to freeze | reoigh | |||
146 | to swell | at | |||
147 | sun | grian | |||
148 | moon | gealach | |||
149 | star | réalta | |||
150 | water | uisce | |||
151 | rain | báisteach | |||
152 | river | abhainn | |||
153 | lake | loch | |||
154 | sea | muir, farraige | |||
155 | salt | salann | |||
156 | stone | cloch | |||
157 | sand | gaineamh | |||
158 | dust | deannach | |||
159 | earth | cré | |||
160 | cloud | scamall, néal | |||
161 | fog | ceo | |||
162 | sky | spéir | |||
163 | wind | gaoth | |||
164 | snow | sneachta | |||
165 | ice | oighear | |||
166 | smoke | deatach | |||
167 | fire | tine | |||
168 | ash | luaith | |||
169 | to burn | dóigh | |||
170 | road | bóthar | |||
171 | mountain | sliabh | |||
172 | red | rua, dearg | |||
173 | green | glas, uaine | |||
174 | yellow | buí | |||
175 | white | bán | |||
176 | black | dubh | |||
177 | night | oíche | |||
178 | day | lá | |||
179 | year | bliain | |||
180 | warm | te | |||
181 | cold | fuar | |||
182 | full | lán | |||
183 | new | nua | |||
184 | old | sean | |||
185 | good | maith | |||
186 | bad | olc, droch- | |||
187 | rotten | lofa | |||
188 | dirty | salach | |||
189 | straight | díreach | |||
190 | round | cruinn | |||
191 | sharp (as a knife) | géar | |||
192 | dull (as a knife) | maol | |||
193 | smooth | mín | |||
194 | wet | fliuch | |||
195 | dry | tirim | |||
196 | correct | ceart | |||
197 | near | gar, dlúth | |||
198 | far | i bhfad | |||
199 | right | deis | |||
200 | left | clé | |||
201 | at | ag | |||
202 | in | i | |||
203 | with | le | |||
204 | and | agus | |||
205 | if | má | |||
206 | because | mar | |||
207 | name | ainm |