Swadesh list

Okay, kiddo, let's start by understanding what a Swadesh List is. Swadesh list is a list of basic words that are found in most languages. These words are essential because they help us understand how languages are related to one another.

For example, think of the word "water." This is a basic word, and it is essential to communication. Most languages have a word that means "water".

Now, let's say we made a list of all the basic words we can think of in English - like "water," "sun," "moon," "tree," "eat," and "sleep." Then, we make the same list for other languages. If we compare those lists with the English word list, we can observe the similarities and differences between the languages.

This is how the Swadesh List works. It compares the basic words of different languages, and it helps linguists study the relationship between them.

For instance, if two languages use the same word for "water," "sun," and "tree," it's likely that they have a closer relationship than if they have different words for those concepts.

Now you might be wondering, why do we need to study the relationship between languages? Good question! Studying the relationship between languages helps us understand how languages evolve over time. It can also help us reconstruct features of ancient and extinct languages, and understand how different cultures interacted with one another.

In summary, the Swadesh List is a list of basic words that are found in most languages. It helps linguists study the relationship between languages and how they evolve over time.