Proto-Settameric/Swadesh list

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No. English PS Notes
1 I *n- Appears as *-an (1st person transitive subject), *-kan (1st person intransitive subject).
2 you (sg.) *ki- Appears as *-akʷ (1st person transitive subject), *-kəxʷ (1st person intransitive subject).
3 we *mi-
4 this *ɣi Proximal marker, contransted with *jooθə - another proximate marker, the difference between them is not established.
5 that *ət Distal marker, far from both speaker and listener. Contrasts with *da as the medial-distance marker, far from speaker but close to listener.
6 who *kʷarsə Higher animate (used when talking about humans), contrasts with *tʰam, used with nouns of a lower animacy.
7 what *wat
8 not *kää- A prefix, used together with nominals.
9 all *lčus, *nyumʼə
10 many *səłku-(t/s) The Western and the Far Eastern languages show a final *-t, while other languages point towards *-s instead.
11 one *njeem
12 two *meeja
13 big *ɣʷiin
14 long *kił
15 small *iłiiqʰi
16 woman *eełəŋ(kʼə) *kʼ only shows in the Western languages and Šillai (a Southern language).
17 man *jootuqʼee Problematic, as most languages have different words, like *(i)nees, or *ajtax (this word probably originally meant "husband").
18 person *nipeekʰ Derives from *ni- and *weekʰu "people".
19 fish *čʰuu, *qəqoon *qəqoon probably meant "salmon" and kept its original meaning in Western languages.
20 bird All branches show different words for "bird", such as *peeleeš, *lčaŋkłəs, or *cʼisqʷə.
21 horse *ilaar Dogs do not exist on Liifam, a word for "horse" is listed instead.
22 louse *θirxee
23 tree *čʰikʷee
24 seed *θalču(jŋə) The Western languages point to *θalču, while the Eastern languages point towards *θalčiiŋ.
25 leaf *pəlaŋqʼa
26 root *čʼəłəjip
27 bark (n.) *xeerɣʷa
28 skin *ʟuuqʼə, *θərə
29 meat *dääw, *diɣʷ Both *dääw and *diɣʷ gave words for "meat", but *dääw likely meant "cheek".
30 blood Reflexes of three different roots are found among different languages: *arə, *ałkʷə and *cʰooxi.
31 bone *łəqʷ, *xoockʼee
32 grease *woolxə, *njooš *nyooš likely had an adjectival meaning of "containing a lot of fat".
33 egg *tqaalx The root *nyujee, that evolved into words for "egg" in various languages, actually meant "caviar".
34 horn *wiiʟ
35 tail *čʼaakʼee, *ncaak The most common root that gave words for "tail" is *njaɣə (more precisely its doublet *ŋaɣə) "fish tail", while *čʼaakʼee "animal tail" is found only in the Southern branch. The root *ncaak probably meant "back".
36 feather *miixee, *miiqʷee The western languages point towards *miiqʷee, while the Southern show reflexes of *miixee. Various Eastern languages have reflexes of *iłoop-čə instead.
37 hair *ʟʼeepe
38 head *tʼuqʷ Various languages derive their words for "head" from *qams "face", *oori "forward", *čiiŋqə "forehead".
39 ear *ʟʼaatə, *noo(tə)x The root *noo(t)xə can not be easily reconstructed. It is only found among the Eastern languages and for some it can be reconstructed as *noox, while for others - *notxə. This is very likely a substrate word from an extinct lnguage.
40 eye *qʰałee
41 nose *łəqʼaw
42 mouth *qʷeeθ, *ooł The Far Eastern and the Southern langauges derive their word for "mouth" from *ʟʼeeqʷθə "throat".
43 tooth Various languages show reflexes of different roots: *qiɣee, *xecas, *əlʼəwnux ("tip", "blade"). *xecas often has the meaning of "fangs", while *qiɣee gives words for "needle".
44 tongue *qʰiił, *mqiił The root *mqiił looks like an old derivation of *qʰiił and likely meant "chewing". The meaning of "speaking" probably appeared from the contamination of a similar root *mqal "language".
45 fingernail Problematic, as various languages point to two roots *kʼwitʼə and *toonxə, both of which meant something related to animals, like"claws" or "scales".
46 foot *θitʼeeł
47 knee *pʼiqee, *aqeet Both roots could have meant "knee", based on the data from modern descendants.
48 hand *diim Most languages derive their words for "hand" from *-nulkʼ- ("carrying in hands"), or *-iq ("by" or "with").
49 belly *tʼaaka, *kʰis The root *kʰis likely meant "body". The Western languages derive their words from *wulun "round" instead.
50 neck *qʷaj The Eastern languages point to *səkʷeen "the rotating one".
51 breast *ipee
52 heart *tʼiŋqee, *łəmcas The Southern languages evolve their words for heart from *łəmcas, which meant "middle".
53 liver *(r,ł)aaqʷa, The Western languages show initial *r-, while the Eastern ones show . The Southern branch derives their words from *łiqʷ "meat", or *tʰištə "spleen".
54 drink *mɣoor
55 eat *qʼancə The Plain Eastern languages have *miis or *moos instead, the exact vowel can not be determined because of the sound change *oo>*ii in those languages. likely a substrate word.
56 bite *łəθkoo
57 see *noonʼə, *njən Likely old imperfective and perfective roots respectively. Most languages derive their words from both roots.
58 hear *meeʟʼ, *mi Likely old imperfective and perfective roots respectively.
59 know *qʰoom The Western languages derive their words from *fis "understand" instead.
60 sleep *kʼʷooł, *iłkʼʷə The root *iłkʼʷə is likely a later derivation of *kʼʷooł, and meant "to dream".
61 die *njapʰee, *likumʼə The root *njapʰee probably meant "dying of unnatural causes", while *likumʼə was likely "dying of old age".
62 kill *əłxəmʼa
63 swim *moor, *ool *ool meant "passive swimming" or "floating".
64 fly (v.) *njool, *njil Likely old imperfective and perfective roots respectively.
65 go *wii, *haa
66 come *θoonʼə
67 lie *łiiʟʼee, *łooθa *łooθa probably meant "to lie down", but its reflexes often mean "to lie" in the daughter languages.
68 sit θliiqʷrə *θlaar *θlaar was a perfective root and meant "to sit down".
69 stand *ʟaa The Southern languages don't show this root, instead their words for "to stand" are derived from *ɣaap.
70 give No root can be reconstructed.
71 say *qoołt
72 sun *cos All Eastern languages derive their word for "sun" from the root *kiŋ "day".
73 moon *lʼunčə
74 star *neejus
75 water *qʷʰee, *wʼeep The root *qʷʰee could mean "any liquid in general", not specifically "drinking water".
76 rain *ijʼu Some Southern languages point toward *jooɣʷ, which is the word for "dew" in the Western languages.
77 stone *njiɣee, *čikʷee The root *čikʷee probably meant "large rock".
78 sand *qʼoop, *iłxiθ
79 land *eemxə, *mʼee, *čakʰ Roots *čakʰ and *eemxə likely meant "dirt".
80 cloud *awʼaθa, *eensur *eensur gave words for "sky" in various languages. Some also derive them from awʼiin, that likely contained the older root for "cloud *awʼ-.
81 smoke *(a)wʼeečqee It contains the old root *awʼ-, but the initial *a- was lost in most languages.
82 fire *eeŋeeŋqʼʷə, *fleeŋqʼʷə Both roots contain *-eeŋqʼʷə of an unknown meaning.
83 ashes *kiflum, *pilaŋkʼee
84 burn *pooł, *qʷʰał
85 path *łəɣtə
86 mountain *mooθum
87 red *pʼač(-kə)
88 green *qʼoomi, *tqʼoom, *quuł Both *qʼoomi and *quuł often give words for "blue".
89 yellow *riiqu
90 white *eequ
91 black *quɣu
92 night *tʰax, *nääɣtə, *eetʰək
93 warm *pacʰee, *kʷääxi *kʷääxi meant "hot", while *pacʰee meant "mildly warm".
94 cold *kʼiiwŋə, *ljirqə *kʼiiwŋə meant "mildly cool", while *ljirqə meant "freezing, cold".
95 full *njuši
96 new *cʼiiwi, *setni
97 good *qarsi
98 round *wulun, *qʼʷeelxə, *duki
99 dry *qʼaarkə
100 name *qʰal The Southern and Far Eastern langauges derive their words for "name" from *akł- "to call" with the addition of suffixes *-iin, *-tee, or *-kə.