This is a Swadesh list of words in Central Kurdish, compared with definitions in English. It presents the most common terms in modern standard Central Kurdish.
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 | Central Kurdish edit (207) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I (1sg) | من (min) |
| 2 | you (2sg) | تۆ (to) |
| 3 | he, she, it (3sg) | ئەو (ew) |
| 4 | we (1pl) | ئێمە (ême) |
| 5 | you (2pl) | ئێوە (êwe) |
| 6 | they (3pl) | ئەوان (ewan) |
| 7 | this | ئەمە (eme) |
| 8 | that | ئەوە (ewe) |
| 9 | here | ئێرە (êre) |
| 10 | there | ئەوێ (ewê) |
| 11 | who | کێ (kê) |
| 12 | what | چی (çî), چ (çi) |
| 13 | where | کوێ (kwê) |
| 14 | when | کەی (key) |
| 15 | how | چۆن (çon) |
| 16 | not | نا (na), نە (ne) |
| 17 | all | هەموو (hemû), گشت (gişt) |
| 18 | many | زۆر (zor) |
| 19 | some | هەندێک (hendêk), کەمێک (kemêk) |
| 20 | few | کەم (kem) |
| 21 | other | تر (tir), دیکە (dîke) |
| 22 | one | یەک (yek) |
| 23 | two | دوو (dû) |
| 24 | three | سێ (sê) |
| 25 | four | چوار (çwar) |
| 26 | five | پێنج (pênc) |
| 27 | big | گەورە (gewre) |
| 28 | long | درێژ (drêj) |
| 29 | wide | پان (pan) |
| 30 | thick | ئەستوور (estûr) |
| 31 | heavy | قورس (qurs) |
| 32 | small | بچووک (bçûk) |
| 33 | short | کورت (kurt) |
| 34 | narrow | تەسک (tesk) |
| 35 | thin | لەڕ (lerr) |
| 36 | woman | ژن (jin) |
| 37 | man (adult male) | پیاو (pyaw) |
| 38 | man (human being) | مرۆڤ (mrov), پیاو (pyaw), ئینسان (însan) |
| 39 | child | منداڵ (mindall) |
| 40 | wife | ژن (jin) |
| 41 | husband | شوو (şû), مێرد (mêrd) |
| 42 | mother | دایک (dayk) |
| 43 | father | باوک (bawk) |
| 44 | animal | ئاژەڵ (ajell) |
| 45 | fish | ماسی (masî) |
| 46 | bird | باڵندە (ballinde), پەلەوەر (pelewer) |
| 47 | dog | سەگ (seg) |
| 48 | louse | ئەسپێ (espê) |
| 49 | snake | مار (mar) |
| 50 | worm | کرم (kirm) |
| 51 | tree | دار (dar), درەخت (drext) |
| 52 | forest | دارستان (daristan) |
| 53 | stick | دار (dar), چێو (çêw) |
| 54 | fruit | میوە (mîwe) |
| 55 | seed | تۆو (tow) |
| 56 | leaf | گەڵا (gella) |
| 57 | root | ڕەگ (reg), ڕیشە (rîşe) |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | توێکڵ (twêkill) |
| 59 | flower | گوڵ (gull) |
| 60 | grass | گیا (gya) |
| 61 | rope | گوریس (gurîs), پەت (pet), تەناف (tenaf) |
| 62 | skin | پێست (pêst) |
| 63 | meat | گۆشت (goşt) |
| 64 | blood | خوێن (xwên) |
| 65 | bone | ئێسک (êsk), پێشە (pêşe) |
| 66 | fat (noun) | چەوری (çewrî), بەز (bez) |
| 67 | egg | هێلکە (hêlke) |
| 68 | horn | شاخ (şax), قۆچ (qoç) |
| 69 | tail | کلک (kilk) |
| 70 | feather | پەڕ (perr) |
| 71 | hair | قژ (qij), موو (mû), تووک (tûk) |
| 72 | head | سەر (ser) |
| 73 | ear | گوێ (gwê), گوێچکە (gwêçke) |
| 74 | eye | چاو (çaw) |
| 75 | nose | لووت (lût) |
| 76 | mouth | دەم (dem) |
| 77 | tooth | ددان (ddan) |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | زمان (zman) |
| 79 | fingernail | نینۆک (nînok) |
| 80 | foot | پێ (pê) |
| 81 | leg | قاچ (qaç), لاق (laq) |
| 82 | knee | ئەژنۆ (ejno), چۆک (çok) |
| 83 | hand | دەست (dest) |
| 84 | wing | باڵ (ball) |
| 85 | belly | سک (sik), ورگ (wirg) |
| 86 | guts | ڕیخۆڵە (rîxolle) |
| 87 | neck | مل (mil) |
| 88 | back | پشت (pişt) |
| 89 | breast | مەمک (memk) |
| 90 | heart | دڵ (dill) |
| 91 | liver | جەرگ (cerg) |
| 92 | to drink | خواردنەوە (xwardnewe) |
| 93 | to eat | خواردن (xwardin) |
| 94 | to bite | گەستن (gestin) |
| 95 | to suck | مژین (mjîn) |
| 96 | to spit | تفین (tfîn), تفکردن (tifkirdin) |
| 97 | to vomit | ڕشانەوە (rşanewe) |
| 98 | to blow | دەمین (demîn), فووکردن (fûkirdin) |
| 99 | to breathe | هەناسەدان (henasedan) |
| 100 | to laugh | پێکەنین (pêkenîn) |
| 101 | to see | دیتن (dîtin), بینین (bînîn) |
| 102 | to hear | بیستن (bîstin) |
| 103 | to know | زانین (zanîn), ناسین (nasîn) |
| 104 | to think | بیرکردنەوە (bîrkirdnewe) |
| 105 | to smell | بۆنکردن (bonkirdin) |
| 106 | to fear | ترسان (tirsan) |
| 107 | to sleep | خەوتن (xewtin), نووستن (nûstin) |
| 108 | to live | ژیان (jyan) |
| 109 | to die | مردن (mirdin) |
| 110 | to kill | کوشتن (kuştin) |
| 111 | to fight | جەنگین (cengîn), شەڕکردن (şerrkirdin) |
| 112 | to hunt | ڕاوکردن (rawkirdin) |
| 113 | to hit | لێدان (lêdan) |
| 114 | to cut | بڕین (brrîn), قرتاندن (qirtandin) |
| 115 | to split | لەتکردن (letkirdin) |
| 116 | to stab | چەقاندن (çeqandin) |
| 117 | to scratch | ڕووشان (rûşan), کڕانەوە (krranewe), ڕنین (rnîn) |
| 118 | to dig | کەندن (kendin), کۆڵین (kollîn) |
| 119 | to swim | مەلەکردن (melekirdin) |
| 120 | to fly | فڕین (frrîn) |
| 121 | to walk | ڕۆیشتن (royiştin), گەڕان (gerran), ڕێکردن (rêkirdin) |
| 122 | to come | هاتن (hatin) |
| 123 | to lie (as in a bed) | ڕاکشان (rakşan), پاڵکەوتن (pallkewtin) |
| 124 | to sit | دانیشتن (danîştin) |
| 125 | to stand | وەستان (westan) |
| 126 | to turn (intransitive) | سووڕانەوە (sûrranewe) |
| 127 | to fall | کەوتن (kewtin) |
| 128 | to give | دان (dan) |
| 129 | to hold | ڕاگرتن (ragirtin) |
| 130 | to squeeze | گووشین (gûşîn) |
| 131 | to rub | ماڵین (mallîn), شێلان (şêlan) |
| 132 | to wash | شتن (ştin) |
| 133 | to wipe | سڕین (srrîn) |
| 134 | to pull | ڕاکێشان (rakêşan) |
| 135 | to push | پاڵنان (pallnan) |
| 136 | to throw | خستن (xistin), هاوێشتن (hawêştin) |
| 137 | to tie | بەستن (bestin), گرێدان (grêdan) |
| 138 | to sew | دروون (drûn) |
| 139 | to count | ژماردن (jmardin) |
| 140 | to say | گوتن (gutin) |
| 141 | to sing | خوێندن (xwêndin) |
| 142 | to play | لێدان (lêdan), یاریکردن (yarîkirdin), گەمەکردن (gemekirdin) |
| 143 | to float | سەرئاوکەوتن (ser'awkewtin) |
| 144 | to flow | ڕژان (rjan) |
| 145 | to freeze | بەستن (bestin) |
| 146 | to swell | ئاوسان (awsan) |
| 147 | sun | خۆر (xor) |
| 148 | moon | مانگ (mang) |
| 149 | star | ئەستێرە (estêre) |
| 150 | water | ئاو (aw) |
| 151 | rain | باران (baran) |
| 152 | river | چەم (çem), ڕووبار (rûbar) |
| 153 | lake | گۆم (gom), دەریاچە (deryaçe) |
| 154 | sea | دەریا (derya) |
| 155 | salt | خوێ (xwê) |
| 156 | stone | بەرد (berd) |
| 157 | sand | خۆڵ (xoll) |
| 158 | dust | تۆز (toz) |
| 159 | earth | زەوی (zewî) |
| 160 | cloud | هەور (hewr) |
| 161 | fog | تەم (tem) |
| 162 | sky | ئاسمان (asman) |
| 163 | wind | با (ba) |
| 164 | snow | بەفر (befr) |
| 165 | ice | سەهۆڵ (seholl) |
| 166 | smoke | دووکەڵ (dûkell) |
| 167 | fire | ئاگر (agir) |
| 168 | ash | خۆڵەمێش (xollemêş) |
| 169 | to burn | سووتان (sûtan) |
| 170 | road | ڕێگە (rêge) |
| 171 | mountain | کێو (kêw), چیا (çya), شاخ (şax) |
| 172 | red | سوور (sûr) |
| 173 | green | سەوز (sewz) |
| 174 | yellow | زەرد (zerd) |
| 175 | white | سپی (spî) |
| 176 | black | ڕەش (reş) |
| 177 | night | شەو (şew) |
| 178 | day | ڕۆژ (roj) |
| 179 | year | ساڵ (sall) |
| 180 | warm | گەرم (germ) |
| 181 | cold | سارد (sard) |
| 182 | full | پڕ (pirr) |
| 183 | new | نوێ (nwê) |
| 184 | old | کۆن (kon), پیر (pîr) |
| 185 | good | باش (baş), چاک (çak) |
| 186 | bad | خراپ (xrap) |
| 187 | rotten | گەنیو (genîw), ڕزیو (rzîw) |
| 188 | dirty | پیس (pîs) |
| 189 | straight | ڕاست (rast) |
| 190 | round | خڕ (xirr) |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | تیژ (tîj) |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | کول (kul) |
| 193 | smooth | لووس (lûs) |
| 194 | wet | تەڕ (terr) |
| 195 | dry | وشک (wişk) |
| 196 | correct | ڕاست (rast), دروست (drust) |
| 197 | near | نزیک (nzîk) |
| 198 | far | دوور (dûr) |
| 199 | right | ڕاست (rast) |
| 200 | left | چەپ (çep) |
| 201 | at | لە (le) |
| 202 | in | لە (le), لەناو (lenaw) |
| 203 | with | بە (be), لەگەڵ (legell) |
| 204 | and | و (û) |
| 205 | if | ئەگەر (eger) |
| 206 | because | چون (çun) |
| 207 | name | ناو (naw) |