Swadesh list
Swadesh lists are compilations of universal terms for quantitative comparisons of adopted as genealogically related languages. It is named after the linguist Morris Swadesh U.S., the this in the 1950s made known in highly publicized articles. He frequently moved between various names, such as "basic list", " lexi / co ( statistical ) cal test list " or " diagnostic list", but this defined in 1955 in the above sense.
Authors and word sizes
Swadesh started with a list of 225 English words ( 1950:161 ), continued in the same place with 165 words of the Salish language, 1952:456 f with 215 words ( of which 16 are recommended for omission and added to on round 200 come ), 1955:127 again a " lexi ( costatisti ) cal test list " with 215 lexemes, of which 92 are marked with asterisks, plus eight added, and finally, in 1971 [ 1972 another edition ] published his last with 100 lexemes. Already Swadesh used earlier word lists of Franz Boas. A selection of other versions: R. B. 1953 Lees, John. A. Rea 1958:145 f, Dell Hymes 1960:6, WJ Samarin 1967:220 f, E. Cross 1964, 241 words, 1969 D. Wilson, 57 terms, M. L. Bender 1969, R. L. Oswald 1971 W. P. Lehmann 1984:35 f, D. Rings 1992, passim, various versions, approximately 300 terms, S. A. Starostin 1984, passim, completely different versions, W. 1994 S. Wang, M. Lohr 2000, 128 of the most stable terms in 18 languages , B. Kessler. Not because of its quality, but because of their availability on the Internet is often used the list of Isidore Dyen (1992, 200 lexemes from 95 language variants) 2002.
Selection principle
A common mistake is to assume that it constitutes a basic vocabulary in terms of language learning. A second mistake is to assume that words have been selected for their stability. This was never intended, but the vocabulary was chosen solely on the availability in as many word lists ( see, for example, Swadesh 1950:157 ). Moreover, is not possible, a uniform "stability" due to the distribution laws in natural languages (cf. eg Zipf 1949). From kladistischer view is a high "stability" (and thus a match in as many languages ) even counterproductive, since it is " uninformative ". Corresponding studies do not recognize these essential relationships.
Application
Such lists are used in the lexicostatistics to determine kinship and spin-off behavior of language families, as well as in the glottochronology to determine beyond the period since the separation genealogically related languages . It should be noted that it is anything but simple and can be controversial thoroughly to determine the number of related words in the list because they look similar does not automatically, and the identification of related words an in-depth technical knowledge of grammar and sound shift rules of the respective languages requires. That even while undermined linguists significant errors, some Albanian test lists turned out the example. Due to stochastic laws allow direct comparisons of total no reliable conclusion about the relationship of languages.
Current valid original Swadeshliste ( posthumously 1971:283 ) with German equivalents
Clarification of ambiguities, according to Swadesh in 1952 and 1955 ( Hans J. Holm )
Relevant Literature by M. Swadesh
- Swadesh, M. ( 1952). Lexico - statistic dating of prehistoric ethnic contacts: With special reference to north american indians and eskimos. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 96 (4) :452 - 463rd
- Morris Swadesh ( posthumously edited by Joel Sherzer. ): The origin and diversification of language. Aldine, Chicago 1971. ( Page 283 contains the unfortunately not reproduced final 100 word list)