This is aSwadesh list of words inLingala, compared with definitions inEnglish.
American linguistMorris 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.
| No. | English | Lingala lingála |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | ngáí, na- |
| 2 | you (singular) | yɔ̌, o- |
| 3 | he,she,it | yě, a-(person), e-(thing) |
| 4 | we | bísó, to- |
| 5 | you (plural) | bínó, bo- |
| 6 | they | bangó,[1] ba-(persons), e-/i-(things) |
| 7 | this | óyo |
| 8 | that | wâná |
| 9 | here | áwa |
| 10 | there | kúná,wâná |
| 11 | who | náni(interrogative) |
| 12 | what | níni(interrogative) |
| 13 | where | wápi(interrogative) |
| 14 | when | ntángo(interrogative) |
| 15 | how | bóní(interrogative) |
| 16 | not | ... tɛ́ |
| 17 | all | nyɛ́, tû |
| 18 | many | míngi |
| 19 | some | bɔ̌kɔ́ |
| 20 | few | mɔkɛ́mɔkɛ́ |
| 21 | other | mosúsu, -súsu |
| 22 | one | mɔ̌kɔ, -ɔ̌kɔ |
| 23 | two | míbalé, -íbalé |
| 24 | three | mísáto, -ísáto |
| 25 | four | mínei, -ínei |
| 26 | five | mítánɔ, -ítánɔ, mpáta |
| 27 | big | monɛ́nɛ, -nɛ́nɛ |
| 28 | long | monɛ́nɛ, -nɛ́nɛ, -laí |
| 29 | wide | -laí |
| 30 | thick | monɛ́nɛ, -nɛ́nɛ |
| 31 | heavy | bozitó, kiló, molito |
| 32 | small | mokɛ́, -kɛ́ |
| 33 | short | mokúsé, -kúsé |
| 34 | narrow | mokɛ́, -kɛ́ |
| 35 | thin | mokɛ́, -kɛ́ |
| 36 | woman | mwǎsí |
| 37 | man (adult male) | mobáli |
| 38 | man (human being) | moto |
| 39 | child | mwǎna |
| 40 | wife | bolóngani, mwǎsí |
| 41 | husband | bolóngani, mobáli |
| 42 | mother | mamá |
| 43 | father | tatá,papá |
| 44 | animal | nyama |
| 45 | fish | mbísi |
| 46 | bird | ndɛkɛ |
| 47 | dog | mbwá |
| 48 | louse | lonsili |
| 49 | snake | nyóka |
| 50 | worm | mpambó,mósɔ́pi,limpiká |
| 51 | tree | nzeté, mweté |
| 52 | forest | zámba |
| 53 | stick | nzeté |
| 54 | fruit | mbuma |
| 55 | seed | nyǎ,mbóto, bɔpɔ́ |
| 56 | leaf | nkásá |
| 57 | root | ntína |
| 58 | bark (of a tree) | lomposo |
| 59 | flower | fulɛ́lɛ,lómbé |
| 60 | grass | litíti |
| 61 | rope | nsi nga, moniɔlɔ́lɔ,likósi |
| 62 | skin | lomposo |
| 63 | meat | monsuni |
| 64 | blood | makilá |
| 65 | bone | monkúwa |
| 66 | fat (noun) | mafúta |
| 67 | egg | likeí,líki |
| 68 | horn | liséké,boséba |
| 69 | tail | mokɔndɔ́,mokíla |
| 70 | feather | lonsálá |
| 71 | hair | nsúki |
| 72 | head | motó |
| 73 | ear | litói |
| 74 | eye | líso |
| 75 | nose | zólo |
| 76 | mouth | mɔnɔkɔ |
| 77 | tooth | líno |
| 78 | tongue (organ) | lolému |
| 79 | fingernail | linzáka |
| 80 | foot | mopendé,lokolo |
| 81 | leg | lokolo |
| 82 | knee | libɔ́lɔ́ngɔ́,libɔ́ngɔ́ |
| 83 | hand | lobɔ́kɔ |
| 84 | wing | lipapú |
| 85 | belly | libumu |
| 86 | guts | nsɔpɔ́ |
| 87 | neck | nkíngó |
| 88 | back | mokɔngɔ |
| 89 | breast | ntólo |
| 90 | heart | motéma |
| 91 | liver | libale |
| 92 | todrink | -mɛlɛ |
| 93 | toeat | -lía |
| 94 | tobite | -swâ |
| 95 | tosuck | -nyúnya, -núnga |
| 96 | tospit | -bwáka nsɔ́i |
| 97 | tovomit | -sánza |
| 98 | toblow | -pémela, -pɛpɛ |
| 99 | tobreathe | -péma |
| 100 | tolaugh | -sɛkɛ |
| 101 | tosee | -mɔ́nɔ, -móna |
| 102 | tohear | -yóka |
| 103 | toknow | -yéba |
| 104 | tothink | -bánza, -kanisa |
| 105 | tosmell | -núsa |
| 106 | tofear | -bánga |
| 107 | tosleep | -lála |
| 108 | tolive | -vánda |
| 109 | todie | -kúfa |
| 110 | tokill | -boma |
| 111 | tofight | -bɛ́tɛnɛ, -bunda |
| 112 | tohunt | -bengana |
| 113 | tohit | -bɛ́tɛ |
| 114 | tocut | -kátakata, -káta |
| 115 | tosplit | -pasola |
| 116 | tostab | |
| 117 | toscratch | -kóta, -nyaka, -kpaka, -kpala |
| 118 | todig | -tímola |
| 119 | toswim | -nyanya, -túnga |
| 120 | tofly | -pimbwa |
| 121 | towalk | -támbola |
| 122 | tocome | -yâ, -yáa, -úta |
| 123 | tolie (as in a bed) | -lálisana(action) |
| 124 | tosit | -vánda, -kisa(action) |
| 125 | tostand | -lamuka, -télema(action) |
| 126 | toturn (intransitive) | -balula |
| 127 | tofall | -kpâ |
| 128 | togive | -pésa, -kaba |
| 129 | tohold | -kamata |
| 130 | tosqueeze | -kangisa |
| 131 | torub | -bísa |
| 132 | towash | -sukola |
| 133 | towipe | -pangwisa |
| 134 | topull | -bénda |
| 135 | topush | -tɔ |
| 136 | tothrow | -bwáka |
| 137 | totie | -kanga, -zínga, -línga |
| 138 | tosew | -sɔnɔ |
| 139 | tocount | -tánga |
| 140 | tosay | -loba |
| 141 | tosing | -yémba |
| 142 | toplay | -sakana, -sana |
| 143 | tofloat | -tetwa, -tepa |
| 144 | toflow | -támbola |
| 145 | tofreeze | |
| 146 | toswell | -vímba |
| 147 | sun | mói |
| 148 | moon | sánzá |
| 149 | star | monzɔ́tɔ |
| 150 | water | mái |
| 151 | rain | mbúla |
| 152 | river | mái,ebale |
| 153 | lake | etíma,nzálé |
| 154 | sea | mbú |
| 155 | salt | móngwa,mókpa |
| 156 | stone | libángá |
| 157 | sand | zɛ́lɔ |
| 158 | dust | putulú |
| 159 | earth | mabelé |
| 160 | cloud | lipata |
| 161 | fog | londendé |
| 162 | sky | likoló |
| 163 | wind | mompɛpɛ |
| 164 | snow | |
| 165 | ice | |
| 166 | smoke | mólinga |
| 167 | fire | mɔ́tɔ |
| 168 | ash | putulú |
| 169 | toburn | -pela, -zíka |
| 170 | road | balabála,nzɛlá |
| 171 | mountain | ngómbá |
| 172 | red | -táné |
| 173 | green | -bésu |
| 174 | yellow | -táne |
| 175 | white | mpɛ́mbɛ |
| 176 | black | molílí, -índo |
| 177 | night | butú |
| 178 | day | mokɔlɔ,mói |
| 179 | year | mbúla,mobú |
| 180 | warm | -tɔkɔ(to warm up) |
| 181 | cold | mpíɔ |
| 182 | full | má, mɛké |
| 183 | new | sika |
| 184 | old | kala |
| 185 | good | kitɔ́kɔ,malámu |
| 186 | bad | mabé |
| 187 | rotten | -pɔlɔ(to go rotten) |
| 188 | dirty | -bébisa(to make dirty) |
| 189 | straight | alimá |
| 190 | round | kílíkílí |
| 191 | sharp (as a knife) | -pela |
| 192 | dull (as a knife) | -túnú |
| 193 | smooth | patátálú, sɛ́lisɛ́li |
| 194 | wet | pɔlɔ |
| 195 | dry | -kauka(to dry) |
| 196 | correct | alimá, malongá, sémba, sɛló |
| 197 | near | mpɛmbɛ́ni |
| 198 | far | mosíká |
| 199 | right | _a mobáli |
| 200 | left | _a mwásí |
| 201 | at | o, na |
| 202 | in | káti, o ntéi,na |
| 203 | with | na |
| 204 | and | mpé |
| 205 | if | sɔ́kɔ́,sɔ́kí |
| 206 | because | zambí |
| 207 | name | nkómbó |
Orthography :