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 ISM s (compare hir with sìor ‘long’) and that WCB p corresponds to ISM 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).
| Welsh | Cornish | Breton | Irish | Scottish | Manx | Proto-Celtic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | mi | my | me | mé | mi | mee | *mī |
| thou | ti | ty | te | tú | thu | oo | *tū |
| we | ni | ni | ni | sinn | sinn | shin | *snīs(-snīs) |
| this | hwnn | hemma | hemañ | seo | seo | shoh | *sondo- *so |
| that | hwnnw | henna | hennezh | sin | sin | shen | *sindo- |
| who | pwy | piw | piv | cé | cò | quoi | *kʷei |
| what | beth | pyth | petra | cad é | ciod | quoid | *kʷezdi- *kʷid |
| all | holl | oll | holl | uile | uile | ooilley | *olyo- |
| many | llawer | lower | kalz | go leor | iomadh | ymmodee | *lawero- *imbeto- |
| one | un | onan | unan | aon | aon | nane | *oino- |
| two | dau | dew | daou | do | dà | daa | *dwāw |
| big | mawr | meur | meur | mór | mòr | mooar | *māro- |
| small | bychan | byhan | bihan | beag | beag | beg | *bekko- |
| long | hir | hir | hir | síor | sìor | liauyr | *sīro- |
| short | byr | berr | berr | gearr | geàrr | giare | *birro- *gerro- |
| narrow | cul | kul | enk | cúng | cumhang | coon | *koilo- *(kom-)angu- |
| thin | tenau | tanow | tanav | tanaí | tana | thanney | *tanawjo- |
| human | dyn | den | den | duine | duine | dooinney | *donjo- |
| wife | gwraig | gwreg | gwreg | bean | bean | ben | *wraki- *bena |
| husband | gŵr | gour | gour | fear | fear (pòsda) | fer | *wiro- |
| fish | pysgodyn | pysk | pesk | iasc | iasg | eeast | *ϕeisko- |
| bird | aderyn | edhen | evn | éan | eun | eean | *ϕatar *ϕetno- |
| dog | ci | ki | ki | cú | cù | coo | *kʷū |
| louse | lleuen | lowen | laouenn | miol cnis | mial | meeyl | *luwā |
| tree | pren | gwedhen | gwezenn | crann | crann | billey | *kʷrenno- *widu- *belyo- |
| seed | had | hasen | had | síol | sìol | sheel | *sato- *sīlo- |
| leaf | deilen | delen | delienn | duille | duilleag | duillag | *dolV- |
| root | gwreiddyn | gwreydhen | gwrizienn | fréamh | freumh | fraue | *wradi- *wrid(n)ā |
| tree bark | rhisgl | risk | rusk | rúsc | rùsg | roost | *rūsko- |
| skin | croen | krohen | kroc’hen | craiceann | craiceann | crackan | *krok(ke)no- |
| meat | cig | kig | kig | feoil | feòil | feill | *kīkā *weϕoli- |
| blood | gwaed | goos | gwad | fuil | fuil | fuill | *waito- *woli- |
| bone | asgwrn | askorn | askorn | cnámh | cnàimh | craue | *askornu- *cnāmi- |
| fat | bloneg | blonak | druzoni | blonag | blonag | blennick | ?*blonikā |
| egg | ŵy | oy | vi | ubh | ugh | ooh | *āwjo- |
| horn | corn | korn | korn | corn | còrn | eairk | *kornu- |
| tail | llost | lost | lost | eireaball | earball | arbyl | *lustā *erro-ballo- |
| feather | pluen | pluven | pluñvenn | cleite | cleiteag | clooie | (L. plūmen) |
| hair | gwallt | gols | blev | folt | falt | folt | *wolto- *blewo- |
| head | pen | penn | penn | ceann | ceann | kione | *kʷenno- |
| ear | clust | skovarn | skouarn | cluas | cluas | cleaysh | *kloustā |
| eye | llygad | lagas | lagad | súil | sùil | sooill | *lukato- |
| nose | trwyn | tron | fri | srón | sròn | stroin | *trognī *srego- *srognā |
| tooth | dant | dans | dant | déad | fiacail | feeackle | *danto- ?*weikkā |
| tongue | tafod | taves | teod | teanga | teanga | çhengey | *tangʷat- |
| claw | crafanc | kraban | kraban | crúb | crubh | croob | *krab(-ank-) |
| foot | troed | troos | troad | cos | cas | cass | *traget- *koxsā |
| knee | glin | glin | glin | glúin | glùn | glioon | *glūnos |
| hand | llaw | leuv | dorn | lámh | làmh | laue | *ϕlāmā *durno- |
| belly | bol | tor | tor | bolg | balg | bolg | *bolgo- *torrV- |
| neck | gwddf | konna | gouzoug | muineál | muineal | mwannal | ?*wudwV- *moni- |
| breast | bron | bronn | bronn | cíoch | cìoch | heeagh | *brusnjā *kīkā |
| heart | calon | kolon | kalon | croi | cridhe | cree | ?*kalonV- *kridjo- |
| liver | afu | avi | avu | ae | adha | aane | ?*awV- |
| drink | yfed | eva | evet | ól | òl | iu | *ϕib-o- *ϕotlo- |
| eat | bwyta | dybri | debriñ | ith | ith | ee | *beito- *ed-o- |
| bite | brathu | bratha | krogiñ | bain greim | thoir greim às | greim | ?*brasdo- *gremmen- |
| see | gweld | gweles | gwelet | feic | faic | faik | *wel-o- *ad-kʷis-o- |
| hear | clywed | klewes | klevet | cluin | cluinn | cluin | *klus-ī- *kli-nu- |
| know (fact) | gwybod | godhvos | gouzout | – | tuig | – | *weid-o- |
| sleep | cysgu | koska | kousket | codail | caidil | caddil | *kuϕsko- *kom-tol-ī- |
| die | marw | merwel | mervel | faigh bás | faigh bàs | fow baase | *marwo- *bāsto- |
| kill | lladd | ladha | lazhañ | maraigh | marbh | marroo | *slad-jo- *marwo- |
| swim | nofio | neuvya | neuñviñ | snámh | snàmh | snaue | *snāmo- |
| fly | ehedeg | neyja | nijal | eitil | itealaich | ettyl, etlagh | *exs-ϕet-o- *snātjo- |
| walk | cerdded | kerdhes | kerzhet | siúl | siubhail | shooill | *kerd-o- *xswib-ī- |
| come | dod | dos | dont | tar | tar | tar | *to-butā *to-ank-o- |
| lie down | gorwedd | gorwedha | gourvez | luigh | laigh | lhie | *wor-wed-o *leg-o- |
| sit | eistedh | esedha | azezañ | suigh | suidh | soie | *exs-dī-sed-o- *sed-o- |
| stand | sefyll | sevel | sevel | seas | seas | shass | *sta-bo- *si-sta- |
| give | rhoi | ri | reiñ | tabhair | tabhair | cur | *ro-dā- *to-ber-o- *kerd-o- |
| say | dweud | leverel | lavaret | abair | abair | abbyr | *to-wet- *labaro- *exs-ber-o- |
| sun | haul | howl | heol | grian | grian | grian | *sāwol- *gwrensnā |
| moon | lloer | loor | loar | gealach | gealach | eayst | *lugrā *gel-āko- *eiskjo- |
| star | seren | steren | sterenn | réalta | reult | rollage | *sterā |
| sand | tywod | tewes | traezh | gaineamh | gaineamh | geinnagh | |
| earth (soil) | daear | dor | douar | talamh | talamh | thalloo | *dijaro- *talamon- |
| cloud | cwmwl | komolen | koumoul | néal | neul | niaul | (L. cumulus) ?*nebulo- |
| smoke | mwg | mog | moged | deatach | deatach | jaagh | *mukV- *dwitākā |
| fire | tân | tan | tan | tine | teine | çhenney | *teϕnet- |
| ash(es) | lludu | lidgow | ludu | luaith | luath | leoie | *loutu- |
| burn | llosgi | leski | leskiñ | dóigh | loisg | loshtey | ?*losk- *degʷi- |
| path | llwybr | hyns | hent | cosán | casan | cassan | *sleikʷro- *sentu- *koxsā |
| mountain | mynydd | menydh | menez | sliabh | sliabh | slieau | *monijo- *sleibo- |
| red | rhudd | rudh | ruz | rua | ruadh | ruy | *roudo- |
| yellow | melyn | melyn | melen | bui | buidhe | bwee | *melino- *bodjo- |
| white | gwyn | gwynn | gwenn | fionn | fionn | fynn | *windo- |
| black | du | du | du | dubh | dubh | doo | *dubu- |
| night | nos | nos | noz | oíche | oidhche | oie | (L. nox) *adek(ʷ)ī |
| hot | twym | tomm | tomm | te | te | çheh | *teϕesmi- *teϕent- |
| cold | oer | or | yeyn | fuar | fuar | feayr | *ougro- |
| full | llawn | leun | leun | lán | làn | lane | *ϕlāno- |
| new | newydd | nowyth | nevez | nua | nuadh | noa | *nowjo- |
| good | da | da | da | maith | math | mie | *dago- *mati- |
| round | crwn | krenn | krenn | cruinn | cruinn | cruinn | *krundi- |
| dry | sych | sygh | sec’h | tirim | tioram | çhirrym | *sikko- *tīrsesmi- |
| name | enw | hanow | anv | ainm | ainm | ennym | *anman- |