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What are Swadesh Lists?
Swadesh Lists, devised by linguist Morris Swadesh in the mid-20th century, comprise basic vocabulary from various languages, serving as a vital tool for comparative linguistic research and the analysis of language relationships. These lists, typically featuring 100-200 core words, enable linguists to evaluate the degree of relatedness between languages by examining cognates. The words in Swadesh Lists represent universal concepts and objects, such as body parts, colors, and natural phenomena.
How were these specific words chosen?
As languages evolve, some words undergo rapid transformation due to local circumstances or innovations, while others remain relatively stable. Morris Swadesh carefully curated the words in his lists, focusing on those least susceptible to change across languages and cultures. The chosen words encompass fundamental human experiences, including body parts, colors, and natural phenomena.
The relative stability of these words enables linguists and language enthusiasts to examine languages that may share a common ancestral language. Word comparison is a central technique in Comparative Linguistics and Historical Linguistics, facilitating the study of language evolution and relationships.