This is a Swadesh list of words in Kyrgyz, 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.
| № | English | Kyrgyz кыргызча (kırgızca) edit (207) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I (1sg) | мен (men) |
| 2 | you (2sg) | сен (sen) |
| 3 | he, she, it (3sg) | ал (al) |
| 4 | we (1pl) | биз (biz) |
| 5 | you (2pl) | силер (siler) |
| 6 | they (3pl) | алар (alar) |
| 7 | this | бул (bul) |
| 8 | that | ал (al) |
| 9 | here | бул жер (bul jer) |
| 10 | there | ал жер (al jer) |
| 11 | who | ким (kim) |
| 12 | what | эмне (emne) |
| 13 | where | кайда (kayda) |
| 14 | when | качан (kacan) |
| 15 | how | кандай (kanday) |
| 16 | not | эмес (emes) |
| 17 | all | баары (baarı) |
| 18 | many | көп (köp) |
| 19 | some | бир нече (bir nece) |
| 20 | few | аз (az) |
| 21 | other | башка (başka) |
| 22 | one | бир (bir) |
| 23 | two | эки (eki) |
| 24 | three | үч (üc) |
| 25 | four | төрт (tört) |
| 26 | five | беш (beş) |
| 27 | big | чоң (coŋ) |
| 28 | long | узун (uzun) |
| 29 | wide | кенен (kenen) |
| 30 | thick | калың (kalıŋ) |
| 31 | heavy | оор (oor) |
| 32 | small | кичинекей (kicinekey) |
| 33 | short | кыска (kıska) |
| 34 | narrow | тар (tar) |
| 35 | thin | ичке (icke) |
| 36 | woman | аял (ayal) (Arabic) |
| 37 | man (adult male) | эркек (erkek) |
| 38 | man (human being) | киши (kişi) |
| 39 | child | бала (bala) |
| 40 | wife | аял (ayal) (Arabic) |
| 41 | husband | күйөө (küyöö) |
| 42 | mother | апа (apa) |
| 43 | father | ата (ata) |
| 44 | animal | жаныбар (janıbar) (Persian) |
| 45 | fish | балык (balık) |
| 46 | bird | куш (kuş) |
| 47 | dog | ит (it) |
| 48 | louse | бит (bit) |
| 49 | snake | жылан (jılan) |
| 50 | worm | курт (kurt) |
| 51 | tree | бак (bak) (Persian) |
| 52 | forest | токой (tokoy) |
| 53 | stick | таяк (tayak) |
| 54 | fruit | жемиш (jemiş) |
| 55 | seed | урук (uruk) |
| 56 | leaf | жалбырак (jalbırak) |
| 57 | root | тамыр (tamır) |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | кабык (kabık) |
| 59 | flower | гүл (gül) (Persian) |
| 60 | grass | чөп (cöp) |
| 61 | rope | аркан (arkan) |
| 62 | skin | тери (teri) |
| 63 | meat | эт (et) |
| 64 | blood | кан (kan) |
| 65 | bone | сөөк (söök) |
| 66 | fat (noun) | май (may) |
| 67 | egg | жумуртка (jumurtka) |
| 68 | horn | мүйүз (müyüz) |
| 69 | tail | куйрук (kuyruk) |
| 70 | feather | жүн (jün) |
| 71 | hair | чач (cac) |
| 72 | head | баш (baş) |
| 73 | ear | кулак (kulak) |
| 74 | eye | көз (köz) |
| 75 | nose | мурун (murun) |
| 76 | mouth | ооз (ooz) |
| 77 | tooth | тиш (tiş) |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | тил (til) |
| 79 | fingernail | тырмак (tırmak) |
| 80 | foot | бут (but) |
| 81 | leg | бут (but) |
| 82 | knee | тизе (tize) |
| 83 | hand | кол (kol) |
| 84 | wing | канат (kanat) |
| 85 | belly | курсак (kursak) |
| 86 | guts | ичеги (icegi) |
| 87 | neck | моюн (moyun) |
| 88 | back | арка (arka) |
| 89 | breast | эмчек (emcek) |
| 90 | heart | жүрөк (jürök) |
| 91 | liver | боор (boor) |
| 92 | to drink | ичүү (icüü) |
| 93 | to eat | же (je) |
| 94 | to bite | тиштөө (tiştöö) |
| 95 | to suck | эмүү (emüü) (as breast) |
| 96 | to spit | түкүрүү (tükürüü) |
| 97 | to vomit | кусуу (kusuu) |
| 98 | to blow | үйлөө (üylöö) (air out of the mouth) |
| 99 | to breathe | дем алуу (dem aluu) (Persian) |
| 100 | to laugh | күлүү (külüü) |
| 101 | to see | көрүү (körüü) |
| 102 | to hear | угуу (uguu) |
| 103 | to know | билүү (bilüü) |
| 104 | to think | ойлоо (oyloo) |
| 105 | to smell | жыттоо (jıttoo) |
| 106 | to fear | коркуу (korkuu) |
| 107 | to sleep | уктоо (uktoo) |
| 108 | to live | жашоо (jaşoo) |
| 109 | to die | өлүү (ölüü) |
| 110 | to kill | өлтүрүү (öltürüü) |
| 111 | to fight | согушуу (soguşuu) |
| 112 | to hunt | уулоо (uuloo) |
| 113 | to hit | уруу (uruu) |
| 114 | to cut | кесүү (kesüü) |
| 115 | to split | бөлүү (bölüü) |
| 116 | to stab | саюу (sayuu) |
| 117 | to scratch | тырмоо (tırmoo) |
| 118 | to dig | казуу (kazuu) |
| 119 | to swim | сүзүү (süzüü) |
| 120 | to fly | учуу (ucuu) |
| 121 | to walk | басуу (basuu) |
| 122 | to come | келүү (kelüü) |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | жатуу (jatuu) |
| 124 | to sit | отуруу (oturuu) |
| 125 | to stand | туруу (turuu) |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | бурулуу (buruluu) |
| 127 | to fall | түшүү (tüşüü) |
| 128 | to give | берүү (berüü) |
| 129 | to hold | кармоо (karmoo) |
| 130 | to squeeze | сыгуу (sıguu) |
| 131 | to rub | сүртүү (sürtüü) |
| 132 | to wash | жуу (juu) |
| 133 | to wipe | аарчуу (aarcuu) |
| 134 | to pull | тартуу (tartuu) |
| 135 | to push | түртүү (türtüü) |
| 136 | to throw | ыргытуу (ırgıtuu) |
| 137 | to tie | байлоо (bayloo) |
| 138 | to sew | тигүү (tigüü) |
| 139 | to count | саноо (sanoo) |
| 140 | to say | айтуу (aytuu) |
| 141 | to sing | ырдоо (ırdoo) |
| 142 | to play | ойноо (oynoo) |
| 143 | to float | калкуу (kalkuu) |
| 144 | to flow | агуу (aguu) |
| 145 | to freeze | тоңуу (toŋuu) |
| 146 | to swell | шишүү (şişüü) |
| 147 | sun | күн (kün) |
| 148 | moon | ай (ay) |
| 149 | star | жылдыз (jıldız) |
| 150 | water | суу (suu) |
| 151 | rain | жаан (jaan) |
| 152 | river | дарыя (darıya) (Persian) |
| 153 | lake | көл (köl) |
| 154 | sea | деңиз (deŋiz) |
| 155 | salt | туз (tuz) |
| 156 | stone | таш (taş) |
| 157 | sand | кум (kum) |
| 158 | dust | чаң (caŋ) |
| 159 | earth | жер (jer) |
| 160 | cloud | булут (bulut) |
| 161 | fog | туман (tuman) |
| 162 | sky | асман (asman) (Persian) |
| 163 | wind | жел (jel) |
| 164 | snow | кар (kar) |
| 165 | ice | муз (muz) |
| 166 | smoke | түтүн (tütün) |
| 167 | fire | от (ot) |
| 168 | ash | күл (kül) |
| 169 | to burn | күйүү (küyüü) |
| 170 | road | жол (jol) |
| 171 | mountain | тоо (too) |
| 172 | red | кызыл (kızıl) |
| 173 | green | жашыл (jaşıl) |
| 174 | yellow | сары (sarı) |
| 175 | white | ак (ak) |
| 176 | black | кара (kara) |
| 177 | night | түн (tün) |
| 178 | day | күн (kün) |
| 179 | year | жыл (jıl) |
| 180 | warm | жылуу (jıluu) |
| 181 | cold | суук (suuk) |
| 182 | full | толук (toluk) |
| 183 | new | жаңы (jaŋı) |
| 184 | old | эски (eski) |
| 185 | good | жакшы (jakşı) |
| 186 | bad | жаман (jaman) |
| 187 | rotten | чирик (cirik) |
| 188 | dirty | кир (kir) |
| 189 | straight | түз (tüz) |
| 190 | round | тоголок (togolok) (spherical) |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | курч (kurc) |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | мокок (mokok) |
| 193 | smooth | жылмакай (jılmakay) |
| 194 | wet | суу (suu) |
| 195 | dry | кургак (kurgak) |
| 196 | correct | туура (tuura) |
| 197 | near | жакын (jakın) |
| 198 | far | алыс (alıs) |
| 199 | right | оң (oŋ) |
| 200 | left | сол (sol) |
| 201 | at | -да (-da) |
| 202 | in | -да (-da) |
| 203 | with | менен (menen) |
| 204 | and | жана (jana) |
| 205 | if | -са (-sa) |
| 206 | because | анткени (antkeni) |
| 207 | name | ат (at) |