Here I present: Here I present: Gaston Dorren, “BABEL: Around the World in 20 Languages”, 2018. PART THREE (III).
INTRODUCTION.
Swahili is a language often studied by linguists, such as Gaston Dorren. Morris Swadesh lists of Swahili words are widely available (shown BELOW).
The linguist use basic vocabularies to develop a “language family tree” of classification shown ABOVE).
Rendering a language into a common script, such as IPA or Braille’ IPA makes it easier to show similarities between languages.
Braille’ Swahili is shown ATOP, with Latin letter equivalents.
| English | Swahili / Kiswahili | |
| A | all | -ote |
| and | na | |
| animal | mnyama | |
| ash | majivu | |
| at | pa | |
| B | back | mgongo |
| bad | -baya | |
| bark (of a tree) | gamba | |
| because | kwa kuwa | |
| belly | tumbo | |
| big | -kuu | |
| bird | ndege | |
| bite | -donoa | |
| black | -eusi | |
| blood | damu | |
| blow | -puliza | |
| bone | mfupa | |
| breast | kifua | |
| breathe | -pumua | |
| burn | -waka | |
| C | child | mtoto |
| cloud | wingu | |
| cold | baridi | |
| come | -ja | |
| correct | sahihi | |
| count | -hesabu | |
| cut | -kata | |
| D | day | siku |
| die | -fa | |
| dig | -chimba | |
| dirty | -chafu | |
| dog | mbwa | |
| drink | -nywa | |
| dry | -kavu | |
| dull (as a knife) | butu | |
| dust | vumbi | |
| E | ear | sikio |
| earth | ardhi | |
| eat | -la | |
| egg | yai | |
| eye | jicho | |
| F | fall | -anguka |
| far | mbali | |
| fat (noun) | mori | |
| father | baba | |
| fear | -ogopa | |
| feather | unyoya | |
| few | kidogo | |
| fight | -pigana | |
| fingernail | ukucha | |
| fire | moto | |
| fish | samaki | |
| five (5). | tano | |
| float | -elea | |
| flow | -tiririka | |
| flower | ua | |
| fly | -paa | |
| fog | ukungu | |
| foot | mguu | |
| forest | msitu | |
| four (4). | nne | |
| freeze | -ganda | |
| fruit | tunda | |
| full | -nene | |
| G | give | -pa |
| good | -ema | |
| grass | nyasi | |
| green | kijani | |
| guts | utumbo | |
| H | hair | nywele |
| hand | mkono | |
| he | yeye | |
| head | kichwa | |
| hear | -sikia | |
| heart | moyo | |
| heavy | -zito | |
| here | hapa | |
| hit | -gonga, -piga | |
| hold | -shika | |
| horn | pembe | |
| how | vipi (interrogative) | |
| hunt | -winda | |
| husband | mume | |
| I | I | mimi |
| ice | barafu | |
| if | kama | |
| in | bi, fi | |
| K | kill | -ua |
| knee | goti | |
| know | -fahamu | |
| L | lake | ziwa |
| laugh | -cheka | |
| leaf | jani | |
| left | kushoto | |
| leg | mguu | |
| lie (as in bed) | -gona (action) | |
| live | -ishi | |
| liver | ini | |
| long | -refu | |
| louse | chawa | |
| M | man (adult male) | mwanamume |
| man (human being) | mtu | |
| many | sana (very) / -ingi (numerous) | |
| meat | nyama | |
| moon | mwezi | |
| mother | mama | |
| mountain | mlima | |
| mouth | kinywa | |
| N | name | jina |
| narrow | -embamba | |
| near | karibu | |
| neck | shingo | |
| new | -pya | |
| night | usiku | |
| nose | pua | |
| not | si | |
| O | old | -zee |
| one (1). | moja | |
| other | ingine | |
| P | play | -cheza |
| pull | -vuta | |
| push | -guta | |
| R | rain | mvua |
| red | -ekundu | |
| right | kuume | |
| river | mto | |
| road | njia | |
| root | mzizi | |
| rope | kamba | |
| rotten | -bovu | |
| round | duara | |
| rub | -sugua | |
| S | salt | chumvi |
| sand | mchanga | |
| say | -sema | |
| scratch | -kuna, -parua | |
| sea | bahari | |
| see | -ona | |
| seed | mbegu | |
| sew | -shona | |
| sharp (as a knife) | chungu | |
| short | -fupi | |
| sing | -imba | |
| sit | -keti (action, state) | |
| skin | ngozi | |
| sky | mbingu | |
| sleep | -lala | |
| small | -dogo | |
| smell | -nukilia | |
| smoke | moshi | |
| smooth | -ororo | |
| snake | nyoka | |
| snow | theluji | |
| some | baadhi ya / chache | |
| spit | -tema | |
| split | -pasua | |
| squeeze | -kaba, -minya, -kamua | |
| stab | -choma | |
| stand | -amka (action) | |
| star | nyota | |
| stick | fimbo | |
| stone | jiwe | |
| straight | nyofu | |
| suck | -amwa | |
| sun | jua | |
| swell | -fura | |
| swim | -ogelea | |
| T | tail | mkia |
| that | lile, ule, yule, ile, kile | |
| there | pale | |
| they | wao | |
| thick | -nene | |
| thin | -anana | |
| think | -fikiri, -dhani, -waza | |
| this | lile, ule, yule, ile, kile | |
| three (3). | tatu | |
| throw | -tupa | |
| tie | -funga | |
| tongue | ulimi | |
| tooth | jino | |
| tree | mti | |
| turn | -pindua | |
| two (2). | mbili | |
| V | vomit | -tapika |
| W | walk | -tembea |
| warm | moto | |
| wash | -safisha | |
| water | maji | |
| we | sisi | |
| wet | kimaji | |
| what | nini (interrogative) | |
| when | lini (interrogative) | |
| where | wapi (no movement, interrogative) | |
| white | -eupe | |
| who | nani (interrogative) | |
| wide | -pana | |
| wife | mke | |
| wind | homu | |
| wing | bawa, ubawa | |
| wipe | -futa | |
| with | na | |
| woman | bibi, gashi | |
| worm | funza, uchango | |
| Y | year | mwaka |
| yellow | manjano | |
| you (plural) | nyinyi | |
| you (singular) | wewe |
