This is a Swadesh list of words in Moroccan Arabic, 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 | Moroccan Arabic الدارجة المغربية edit (207) | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I (1sg) | أنا (ʔana), آنا (ʔāna) | /ʔa.na/, /ʔaː.na/ |
| 2 | you (2sg) | انتَ (nta) (masculine), انتِ (nti) (feminine), نتينا (ntīna) (masculine and feminine), نتين (ntīn) (masculine and feminine) | /nta/, /nti/, /ntiː.na/, /ntiːn/ |
| 3 | he, she, it (3sg) | هو (huwwa) (masculine), هِيَ (hiyya) (feminine) | /huw.wa/, /hij.ja/ |
| 4 | we (1pl) | حنا (ḥna) | /ħna/ |
| 5 | you (2pl) | انتما (ntūma), انتم (ntūm) | /ntuː.ma/, /ntuːm/ |
| 6 | they (3pl) | هما (hūma), هم (hūm) | /huː.ma/, /huːm/ |
| 7 | this | هدا (hāda) (masculine), هدي (hādi) (feminine) | /haː.da/, /haː.di/ |
| 8 | that | هداك (hadāk) (masculine), هديك (hadīk) (feminine), داك (dāk) (masculine), ديك (dīk) (feminine) | /ha.daːk/, /ha.diːk/, /daːk/, /diːk/ |
| 9 | here | هنا (hna) | /hna/ |
| 10 | there | تمة (temma), تم (temma, temm), الهيه (el-hīh) | /tem.ma/, /temm/, /ɪl.hiːh/ |
| 11 | who | شكون (škūn) (nominative), من (man) (oblique) | /ʃkuːn/, /man/ |
| 12 | what | شنو (šnu), أشنو (ʔašnu), آش (ʔāš), أش (ʔaš), شني (šni), شني (šanni), شـ (š-) | /ʃnu/, /ʔaʃ.nu/, /ʔaːʃ/, /ʔaʃ/, /ʃni/, /ʃan.ni/, /ʃ-/ |
| 13 | where | فين (fīn), فاين (fāyen), وين (wīn) | /fiːn/, /faː.jɪn/, /wiːn/ |
| 14 | when | امتى (imta), فوقاش (fawqāš, fūqāš), وقتاش (waqtāš), فوقتاش (fwaqtāš), فوقاه (fūqāh, fawqāh), معاش (mʕāš), وقتاه (waqtāh) | /imta/, /faw.qaːʃ/, /fuː.qaːʃ/, /waq.taːʃ/, /fwaq.taːʃ/, /fuːq.taːʃ/, /faw.qaːh/, /fuː.qaːh/, /mʕaːʃ/, /waq.taːh/ |
| 15 | how | كيف (kīf), كيفاش (kīfāš) | /kiːf/, /kiː.faːʃ/ |
| 16 | not | ماشي (māši), ما ش (ma ... ši) | /maː.ʃi/, /ma ... ʃi/ |
| 17 | all | كامل (kāmel), ڭاع (gāʕ), كل (kull) | /kaː.mɪl/, /ɡaːʕ/, /kull/ |
| 18 | many | بالزاف (b-ez-zāf), كتير (ktīr) | /b‿ɪz.zaːf/, /ktiːr/ |
| 19 | some | شي (ši) | /baʕdˤ/ |
| 20 | few | شوية (šwiyya), شواي (šwāy), شويش (šwiyyiš, šwiyyaš), فتيت (ftīt), فتيتة (ftīta) | /ʃwij.ja/, /ʃwaːj//, /ʃwij.jiʃ/, /ʃwij.jaʃ/, /ftiːt/, /ftiː.ta/ |
| 21 | other | آخَر (ʔāḵur) (masculine singular), أخرى (ʔuḵra) (feminine singular), آخرة (ʔāḵra) (feminine singular), أخرين (ʔuḵrīn) (masculine plural), آخرين (ʔāḵrīn) (masculine plural), أخرات (ʔuḵrāt) (feminine plural), آخرات (ʔāḵrāt) (feminine plural) | /ʔaː.xur/, /ʔux.ra/, /ʔaːx.ra/, /ʔux.riːn/, /ʔaːx.riːn/, /ʔux.raːt/, /ʔaːx.raːt/ |
| 22 | one | واحد (wāḥid) | /waː.ħid/ |
| 23 | two | جوج (jūj), زوج (zūj), تنين (tnīn), تنين (tnayn) | /ʒuːʒ/, /zuːʒ/, /tniːn/, /tnajn/ |
| 24 | three | تلاتة (tlāta) | /tlaː.ta/ |
| 25 | four | ربعة (rabʕa) | /rab.ʕa/ |
| 26 | five | خمسة (ḵamsa) | /xam.sa/ |
| 27 | big | كبير (kbīr) | /kbiːr/ |
| 28 | long | طويل (ṭwīl) | /tˤwiːl/ |
| 29 | wide | عريض (ʕrīḍ), واسع (wāsaʕ) | /ʕriːdˤ/, /waː.saʕ/ |
| 30 | thick | سميك (smīk), غليض (ḡlīḍ) | /smiːk/, /ɣliːdˤ/ |
| 31 | heavy | تقيل (tqīl) | /tqiːl/ |
| 32 | small | صغير (ṣḡīr) | /sˤɣiːr/ |
| 33 | short | قصير (qṣīr) | /qsˤiːr/ |
| 34 | narrow | ضيق (ḍiyyaq) | /dˤij.jaq/ |
| 35 | thin | رقيق (rqīq), نحيف (nḥīf) | /rqiːq/, /nħiːf/ |
| 36 | woman | مراة (mra) | /mra/ |
| 37 | man (adult male) | راجل (rājel) | /raː.ʒɪl/ |
| 38 | man (human being) | إنسان (ʔinsān) | /ʔin.saːn/ |
| 39 | child | دري (darri) | /dar.ri/ |
| 40 | wife | مراة (mra) | /mra/ |
| 41 | husband | راجل (rājel), زوج (zawj) | /raːʒɪl/, /zawʒ/ |
| 42 | mother | أم (ʔumm), يما (yemmā), ماما (māma), والدة (wālida) | /ʔumm/, /jim.maː/, /maː.ma/, /waː.li.da/ |
| 43 | father | با (bbā), بو (bū), بابا (bāba), والد (wālid) | /bːaː/, /buː/, /baː.ba/, /waː.lid/ |
| 44 | animal | حيوان (ḥayawān) | /ħa.ja.waːn/ |
| 45 | fish | حوت (ḥūt) | /ħuːt/ |
| 46 | bird | طير (ṭīr), برطال (burṭāl) | /tˤiːr/, /bur.tˤaːl/ |
| 47 | dog | كلب (kalb) | /kalb/ |
| 48 | louse | قمل (qmal) | /qmal/ |
| 49 | snake | حنش (ḥanš), فعى (fʕa), لفعة (lafʕa) | /ħanʃ/, /fʕa/, /la.fʕa/ |
| 50 | worm | دود (dūd) | /duːd/ |
| 51 | tree | شجرة (šajra) | /ʃaʒ.ra/ |
| 52 | forest | غابة (ḡāba) | /ɣaː.ba/ |
| 53 | stick | قطيب (qṭīb), عصا (ʕṣā), عود (ʕūd) | /qtˤiːb/, /ʕsˤa/, /ʕuːd/ |
| 54 | fruit | فاكهة (fākha) | /faːk.ha/ |
| 55 | seed | زريعة (zarriʕa) | /zar.riː.ʕa/ |
| 56 | leaf | ورقة (warqa) | /war.qa/ |
| 57 | root | جدر (jdar) | /ʒdar/ |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | قشرة (qašra), قشرة (qušra) | /qaʃ.ra/, /quʃ.ra/ |
| 59 | flower | نوار (nuwwār), ورد (ward) | /nuw.waːr/, /ward/ |
| 60 | grass | ربيع (rbīʕ), حشيش (ḥšiš) | /rbiːʕ/, /ħʃiːʃ/ |
| 61 | rope | قنبة (qannba), حبل (ḥbal), كوردة (kūrda) | /qan.nba/, /ħbal/, /kuːr.da/ |
| 62 | skin | جلد (jald) | /ʒald/ |
| 63 | meat | لحم (lḥam) | /lħam/ |
| 64 | blood | دم (damm) | /damm/ |
| 65 | bone | عضم (ʕḍam) | /ʕdˤam/ |
| 66 | fat (noun) | شحمة (šaḥma) | /ʃaħ.ma/ |
| 67 | egg | بيضة (bīḍa, bayḍa) | /biː.dˤa/, /baj.dˤa/ |
| 68 | horn | قرن (qarn) | /qarn/ |
| 69 | tail | شوال (šuwwāl), زنطيط (zanṭīṭ), قزيبة (qazzība) | /ʃuw.waːl/, /zan.tˤiːtˤ/, /qaz.ziː.ba/ |
| 70 | feather | ريشة (rīša) | /riː.ʃa/ |
| 71 | hair | شعر (šʕar) | /ʃʕar/ |
| 72 | head | راس (rās) | /raːs/ |
| 73 | ear | ودن (wdan) | /wdan/ |
| 74 | eye | عين (ʕīn, ʕayn) | /ʕiːn/, /ʕajn/ |
| 75 | nose | نيف (nīf), منخار (munḵār) | /niːf/, /mun.xaːr/ |
| 76 | mouth | فم (fumm), فا (fā) | /fumm/, /faː/ |
| 77 | tooth | سنة (sanna) | /san.na/ |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | لسان (lsān) | /lsaːn/ |
| 79 | fingernail | ضفر (ḍfar) | /dˤfar/ |
| 80 | foot | رجل (rjal) | /rʒal/ |
| 81 | leg | ساق (sāq) | /saːq/ |
| 82 | knee | ركبة (rukba) | /ruk.ba/ |
| 83 | hand | يد (yadd, yidd), ايد (ʔīd) | /jadd/, /jidd/, /ʔiːd/ |
| 84 | wing | جناح (jnāḥ) | /ʒnaːħ/ |
| 85 | belly | معدة (maʕda, maʕida), بطن (bṭan) | /maʕ.da/, /ma.ʕi.da/, /btˤan/ |
| 86 | guts | مصارن (mṣārin) | /msˤaː.rin/ |
| 87 | neck | عنق (ʕunq) | /ʕunq/ |
| 88 | back | ضهر (ḍhar) | /dˤhar/ |
| 89 | breast | بزولة (bazzūla) | /baz.zuːla/ |
| 90 | heart | قلب (qalb) | /qalb/ |
| 91 | liver | كبدة (kabda) | /kab.da/ |
| 92 | to drink | شرب (šrab) | /ʃrab/ |
| 93 | to eat | كال (kāl), كلى (kla) | /kaːl/, /kla/ |
| 94 | to bite | عض (ʕaḍḍ) | /ʕadˤdˤ/ |
| 95 | to suck | مص (maṣṣ) | /masˤsˤ/ |
| 96 | to spit | بزق (bzaq), تفل (tfal), دفل (dfal) | /bzaq/, /tfal/, /dfal/ |
| 97 | to vomit | تقيا (tqiyya), رد (radd) | /tqij.ja/, /radd/ |
| 98 | to blow | نفخ (nfaḵ) | /nfax/ |
| 99 | to breathe | تنفس (tnaffas) | /tnaf.fas/ |
| 100 | to laugh | ضحك (ḍḥak) | /dˤħak/ |
| 101 | to see | شاف (šāf), را (rā) (obsolete) | /ʃaːf/, /raː/ |
| 102 | to hear | سمع (smaʕ) | /smaʕ/ |
| 103 | to know | عرف (ʕraf) | /ʕraf/ |
| 104 | to think | فكر (fakkar), خمم (ḵammam) | /fak.kar/, /xam.mam/ |
| 105 | to smell | شم (šamm) | /ʃamm/ |
| 106 | to fear | خاف (ḵāf) | /xaːf/ |
| 107 | to sleep | نعس (nʕas), رقد (rqad) | /nʕas/, /rqad/ |
| 108 | to live | عاش (ʕāš) | /ʕaːʃ/ |
| 109 | to die | مات (māt) | /maːt/ |
| 110 | to kill | قتل (qtal) | /qtal/ |
| 111 | to fight | تقاتل (tqātil), تدابز (tdābiz), تضارب (tḍārab) | /tqaː.til/, /tdaː.biz/, /tdˤaː.rab/ |
| 112 | to hunt | صيد (ṣiyyad) | /sˤij.jad/ |
| 113 | to hit | ضرب (ḍrab) | /dˤrab/ |
| 114 | to cut | قطع (qṭaʕ) | /qtˤaʕ/ |
| 115 | to split | قسم (qsam), قسم (qassam), فلح (fallaḥ), فرشخ (faršaḵ) | /qsam/, /qas.sam/, /fal.laħ/, /far.ʃax/ |
| 116 | to stab | تعز (tʕaz), طعن (ṭʕan) | /tʕaz/, /tˤʕan/ |
| 117 | to scratch | حك (ḥakk), سر (sarr) | /ħakː/, /sarː/ |
| 118 | to dig | حفر (ḥfar) | /ħfar/ |
| 119 | to swim | عام (ʕām) | /ʕaːm/ |
| 120 | to fly | طار (ṭār) | /tˤaːr/ |
| 121 | to walk | تمشى (tmašša) | /tmaʃ.ʃa/ |
| 122 | to come | جا (jā) | /ʒaː/ |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | تمدى (tmadda) | /tmad.da/ |
| 124 | to sit | جلس (glas), جلس (qʕad) | /ɡlas/, /qʕad/ |
| 125 | to stand | وقف (wqaf) | /wqaf/ |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | دار (dār) | /daːr/ |
| 127 | to fall | طاح (ṭāḥ) | /tˤaːħ/ |
| 128 | to give | عطى (ʕṭa) | /ʕtˤa/ |
| 129 | to hold | شد (šadd), مسك (msak) | /ʃadd/, /msak/ |
| 130 | to squeeze | عصر (ʕṣar) | /ʕsˤar/ |
| 131 | to rub | فرك (frak), فرك (farrak) | /frak/, /far.rak/ |
| 132 | to wash | غسل (ḡsal), نضف (naḍḍaf) | /ɣsal/, /nadˤ.dˤaf/ |
| 133 | to wipe | مسح (msaḥ) | /msaħ/ |
| 134 | to pull | جبد (jbad) | /ʒbad |
| 135 | to push | دفع (dfaʕ) | /dfaʕ/ |
| 136 | to throw | رمى (rma), لاح (lāḥ) | /rma/, /laːħ/ |
| 137 | to tie | ربط (rbaṭ), عقد (ʕqad) | /rbatˤ/, /ʕqad/ |
| 138 | to sew | خيط (ḵiyyaṭ) | /xij.jatˤ/ |
| 139 | to count | حسب (ḥsab) | /ħsab/ |
| 140 | to say | قال (qāl) | /qaːl/ |
| 141 | to sing | غنى (ḡanna) | /ɣan.na/ |
| 142 | to play | لعب (lʕab) | /lʕab/ |
| 143 | to float | عام (ʕām) | /ʕaːm/ |
| 144 | to flow | نبع (nbaʕ) | /nbaʕ/ |
| 145 | to freeze | جمد (jmad), اتلج (ettallaj) | /ʒmad/, /(ɪ)t.tal.laʒ/ |
| 146 | to swell | اتنفخ (ettanfaḵ) | /(ɪ)t.tan.fax/ |
| 147 | sun | شمش (šamš), شمس (šams) | /ʃamʃ/, /ʃams/ |
| 148 | moon | قمر (qamar) | /qa.mar/ |
| 149 | star | نجمة (najma) | /naʒ.ma/ |
| 150 | water | ما (mā) | /maː/ |
| 151 | rain | شتا (šta) | /ʃta/ |
| 152 | river | واد (wād) | /waːd/ |
| 153 | lake | ضاية (ḍāja), بحيرة (bḥīra) | /dˤaː.ja/, /bħiː.ra/ |
| 154 | sea | بحر (bḥar) | /bħar/ |
| 155 | salt | ملح (malḥ) | /malħ/ |
| 156 | stone | حجرة (ḥajra) | /ħaʒ.ra/ |
| 157 | sand | رمل (raml) | /raml/ |
| 158 | dust | غبرة (ḡubra) | /ɣub.ra/ |
| 159 | earth | أرض (ʔarḍ) | /ʔardˤ/ |
| 160 | cloud | سحابة (sḥāba), غيمة (ḡīma) | /sa.ħaː.ba/, /ɣiː.ma/ |
| 161 | fog | ضباب (ḍbāb) | /dˤbaːb/ |
| 162 | sky | سما (sma) | /sma/ |
| 163 | wind | ريح (riḥ) | /riːħ/ |
| 164 | snow | تلج (talj) | /talʒ/ |
| 165 | ice | تلج (talj) | /talʒ/ |
| 166 | smoke | دخان (duḵḵān) | /dux.xaːn/ |
| 167 | fire | عافية (ʕāfya), نار (nār) | /ʕaːf.ja/, /naːr/ |
| 168 | ash | رماد (rmād) | /rmaːd/ |
| 169 | to burn | حرق (حرق) | /ħraq/ |
| 170 | road | طريق (ṭrīq) | /tˤriːq/ |
| 171 | mountain | جَبَل | /d͡ʒa.bal/ |
| 172 | red | حمر (ḥmar), حمرة (ḥamra) | /ħmar/, /ħam.ra/ |
| 173 | green | خضر (ḵḍar), خضرة (ḵaḍra) | /xdˤar/, /xadˤ.ra/ |
| 174 | yellow | صفر (ṣfar), صفرة (ṣafra) | /sˤ.far/, /sˤaf.ra/ |
| 175 | white | بيض (byaḍ), بيضة (bayḍa) | /bjadˤ/, /baj.dˤa/ |
| 176 | black | كحل (kḥal), كحلة (kaḥla) | /kħal/, /kaħ.la/ |
| 177 | night | ليل (līl) | /liːl/ |
| 178 | day | يوم (yūm) | /juːm/ |
| 179 | year | عام (ʕām), سنة (sana, sna) | /ʕaːm/, /sa.na/, /sna/ |
| 180 | warm | دافي (dāfi) | /daː.fi |
| 181 | cold | بارد (bārid) | /baː.rid/ |
| 182 | full | عامر (ʕāmar) | /ʕaː.mar/ |
| 183 | new | جديد (jdīd) | /ʒdiːd/ |
| 184 | old | قديم (qdīm) | /qdiːm/ |
| 185 | good | مزيان (mizyān) | /miz.jaːn/ |
| 186 | bad | خايب (ḵāyib) | xaː.jib/ |
| 187 | rotten | خامج (ḵāmij) | /xaː.miʒ/ |
| 188 | dirty | موسخ (mūssaḵ, mwassaḵ) | /muːs.sax/, /mwas.sax/ |
| 189 | straight | نيشان (nīšān) | /niː.ʃaːn/ |
| 190 | round | مدور (mdawwar) | /mdaw.war/ |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | ماضى (māḍi) | /maː.dˤi/ |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | حافي (ḥāfi) | /ħaː.fi/ |
| 193 | smooth | مالس (mālis), ناعم (nāʕim) | /maː.lis/, /naː.ʕim/ |
| 194 | wet | فازك (fāzig), مبلل (mballal) | /faː.ziɡ/, /mbal.lal/ |
| 195 | dry | يابس (yābis) | /jaː.bis/ |
| 196 | correct | صحيح (ṣḥīḥ) | /sˤħiːħ/ |
| 197 | near | قريب (qrīb) | /qriːb/ |
| 198 | far | بعيد (bʕīd) | /bʕiːd/ |
| 199 | right | ليمن (līman, līmin) | /liː.man/, /liː.min/ |
| 200 | left | ليسار (līsār), شمال (šmāl) | /liː.saːr/, /ʃmaːl/ |
| 201 | at | عند (ʕand) | /ʕand/ |
| 202 | in | ف (f) | /f/ |
| 203 | with | مع (mʕa), ب (b) | /mʕa/, /b/ |
| 204 | and | و (w) | /w/ |
| 205 | if | إدا (ʔida), إلا (ʔila), لو (lū) | /ʔi.da/, /ʔi.la/, /luː/ |
| 206 | because | حيت (ḥīt), حيتاش (ḥītāš), على حقاش (ʕla ḥaqqāš), لنو (linnu), لحقاش (laḥaqqāš) | /ħiːt/, /ħiː.taːʃ, /ʕla ħaq.qaːʃ/, /lin.nu/, /la.ħaq.qaːʃ/ |
| 207 | name | اسمية (smiyya), اسم (sim) | /smij.ja/, /sim/ |