Celtic Swadesh List

The Swadesh list, named for its creator Morris Swadesh, is a list of 100 words thought to have basic and universal meanings. The list is intended to show the relationships between cognate languages by highlighting the differences and similarities between words of the same meaning. The list below, for example, shows us that the WCB. h often corresponds to IGM. s (compare hir with sìor 'long') and that WCB. p corresponds to IGM. c (e.g. pwy vs cé). We can also see lexical similarities, for example the word for 'big' is from the same etymon in all six languages (PC. *māros), but 'bone' is from different sources in Brythonic (PC. *askornos) and Goidelic (PC. *knāmis).

English	Welsh	Cornish	Breton	Irish	Scottish	Manx
I	mi	my	me	mé	mi	mee
thou	ti	ty	te	tú	thu	oo
we	ni	ni	ni	sinn	sinn	shin
this	hwnn	hemma	hemañ	seo	seo	shoh
that	hwnnw	henna	hennezh	sin	sin	shen
who	pwy	piw	piv	cé	cò	quoi
what	beth	pyth	petra	cad é	ciod	quoid
all	holl	oll	holl	uile	uile	ooilley
many	llawer	lower	kalz	go leor	iomadh	ymmodee
one	un	onan	unan	aon	aon	nane
two	dau	dew	daou	do	dà	daa
big	mawr	meur	meur	mór	mòr	mooar
small	bychan	byhan	bihan	beag	beag	beg
long	hir	hir	hir	síor	sìor	liauyr
short	byr	berr	berr	gearr	geàrr	giare
narrow	cul	kul	enk	cúng	cumhang	coon
thin	tenau	tanow	tanav	tanaí	tana	thanney
human	dyn	den	den	duine	duine	dooinney
wife	gwraig	gwreg	gwreg	bean	bean	ben
husband	gŵr	gour	gour	fear	fear (pòsda)	fer
fish	pysgodyn	pysk	pesk	iasc	iasg	eeast
bird	aderyn	edhen	evn	éan	eun	eean
dog	ci	ki	ki	cú	cù	coo
louse	lleuen	lowen	laouenn	miol cnis	mial	meeyl
tree	pren	gwedhen	gwezenn	crann	crann	billey
seed	had	hasen	had	síol	sìol	sheel
leaf	deilen	delen	delienn	duille	duilleag	duillag
root	gwreiddyn	gwreydhen	gwrizienn	fréamh	freumh	fraue
tree bark	rhisgl	risk	rusk	rúsc	rùsg	roost
skin	croen	krohen	kroc'hen	craiceann	craiceann	crackan
meat	cig	kig	kig	feoil	feòil	feill
blood	gwaed	goos	gwad	fuil	fuil	fuill
bone	asgwrn	askorn	askorn	cnámh	cnàimh	craue
fat	bloneg	blonak	druzoni	blonag	blonag	blennick
egg	ŵy	oy	vi	ubh	ugh	ooh
horn	corn	korn	korn	corn	còrn	eairk
tail	llost	lost	lost	eireaball	earball	arbyl
feather	pluen	pluven	pluñvenn	cleite	cleiteag	clooie
hair	gwallt	gols	blev	folt	falt	folt
head	pen	penn	penn	ceann	ceann	kione
ear	clust	skovarn	skouarn	cluas	cluas	cleaysh
eye	llygad	lagas	lagad	súil	sùil	sooill
nose	trwyn	tron	fri	srón	sròn	stroin
tooth	dant	dans	dant	déad	fiacail	feeackle
tongue	tafod	taves	teod	teanga	teanga	çhengey
claw	crafanc	kraban	kraban	crúb	crubh	croob
foot	troed	troos	troad	cos	cas	cass
knee	glin	glin	glin	glúin	glùn	glioon
hand	llaw	leuv	dorn	lámh	làmh	laue
belly	bol	tor	tor	bolg	balg	bolg
neck	gwddf	konna	gouzoug	muineál	muineal	mwannal
breast	bron	bronn	bronn	cíoch	cìoch	heeagh
heart	calon	kolon	kalon	croi	cridhe	cree
liver	afu	avi	avu	ae	adha	aane
drink	yfed	eva	evet	ól	òl	iu
eat	bwyta	dybri	debriñ	ith	ith	ee
bite	brathu	bratha	krogiñ	bain greim	thoir greim às	greim
see	gweld	gweles	gwelet	feic	faic	faik
hear	clywed	klewes	klevet	cluin	cluinn	cluin
know (fact)	gwybod	godhvos	gouzout	-	tuig	-
sleep	cysgu	koska	kousket	codail	caidil	caddil
die	marw	merwel	mervel	faigh bás	faigh bàs	fow baase
kill	lladd	ladha	lazhañ	maraigh	marbh	marroo
swim	nofio	neuvya	neuñviñ	snámh	snàmh	snaue
fly	ehedeg	neyja	nijal	eitil	itealaich	ettyl, etlagh
walk	cerdded	kerdhes	kerzhet	siúl	siubhail	shooill
come	dod	dos	dont	tar	tar	tar
lie down	gorwedd	gorwedha	gourvez	luigh	laigh	lhie
sit	eistedh	esedha	azezañ	suigh	suidh	soie
stand	sefyll	sevel	sevel	seas	seas	shass
give	rhoi	ri	reiñ	tabhair	tabhair	cur
say	dweud	leverel	lavaret	abair	abair	abbyr
sun	haul	howl	heol	grian	grian	grian
moon	lloer	loor	loar	gealach	gealach	eayst
star	seren	steren	sterenn	réalta	reult	rollage
sand	tywod	tewes	traezh	gaineamh	gaineamh	geinnagh
earth (soil)	daear	dor	douar	talamh	talamh	thalloo
cloud	cwmwl	komolen	koumoul	néal	neul	niaul
smoke	mwg	mog	moged	deatach	deatach	jaagh
fire	tân	tan	tan	tine	teine	çhenney
ash(es)	lludu	lidgow	ludu	luaith	luath	leoie
burn	llosgi	leski	leskiñ	dóigh	loisg	loshtey
path	llwybr	hyns	hent	cosán	casan	cassan
mountain	mynydd	menydh	menez	sliabh	sliabh	slieau
red	rhudd	rudh	ruz	rua	ruadh	ruy
yellow	melyn	melyn	melen	bui	buidhe	bwee
white	gwyn	gwynn	gwenn	fionn	fionn	fynn
black	du	du	du	dubh	dubh	doo
night	nos	nos	noz	oíche	oidhche	oie
hot	twym	tomm	tomm	te	te	çheh
cold	oer	or	yeyn	fuar	fuar	feayr
full	llawn	leun	leun	lán	làn	lane
new	newydd	nowyth	nevez	nua	nuadh	noa
good	da	da	da	maith	math	mie
round	crwn	krenn	krenn	cruinn	cruinn	cruinn
dry	sych	sygh	sec'h	tirim	tioram	çhirrym
name	enw	hanow	anv	ainm	ainm	ennym