From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
This is a Swadesh list of words in Maori , compared with definitions in English .
For further information, including the full final version of the list, read the Wikipedia article: Swadesh list .
American linguist Morris 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.
№
English
Māori
1
I
ahau , au
2
thou (singular)
koe
3
he
ia
4
we
māua , mātou , tāua , tātou
5
you (plural)
koutou
6
they
rātou
7
this
tēnei
8
that
tēnā , tērā
9
here
konei
10
there
konā , korā
11
who
wai
12
what
aha
13
where
hea
14
when
ahea , nōhea
15
how
pēhea
16
not
kāore , kīhai
17
all
katoa
18
many
maha
19
some
ētahi
20
few
ruarua , torutoru
21
other
ētahi atu
22
one
kotahi
23
two
rua
24
three
toru
25
four
whā
26
five
rima
27
big
nui , rahi
28
long
roa
29
wide
whānui
30
thick
mātotoru
31
heavy
taimaha , taumaha
32
small
iti , riki , paku
33
short
poto
34
narrow
whāiti
35
thin
hūai , hūoi
36
woman
wahine
37
man (adult male)
tāne
38
man (human being)
tangata
39
child (a youth)
tamaiti
40
wife
hoawahine
41
husband
hoatāne
42
mother
whaea
43
father
matua
44
animal
kararehe , kīrehe
45
fish
ika
46
bird
manu
47
dog
kurī
48
louse
kutu
49
snake
mokongata (seasnake), nēke (from English)
50
worm
noke , toke
51
tree
rākau
52
forest
ngahere , wao
53
stick (of wōd)
rākau
54
fruit
hua , huarākau
55
seed
kākano , pata , purapura
56
leaf
rau
57
root
aka
58
bark (of trē)
kiri
59
flower
pua , puāwai
60
grass
karaihe (from English), taru
61
rope
taura
62
skin (of a person)
hiako , kiri
63
meat (as in flesh)
kiko , mīti (from English)
64
blood
toto
65
bone
koiwi , iwi , wheua
66
fat (noun)
koiwi , iwi , wheua
67
egg
hua , huamanu , hēki (from English)
68
horn
pihi , tara , maire
69
tail
hiku , waero
70
feather (rather not down)
huru , huruhuru
71
hair
huruhuru , makawe
72
head
māhunga , mātenga , upoko
73
ear
taringa
74
eye
kanohi , karu , mata , whatu
75
nose
ihu
76
mouth
waha
77
tooth (rather not molar)
niho
78
tongue
arero
79
fingernail
kuku , maikuku
80
foot
wae , waewae
81
82
83
84
wing
parihau , parirau
85
belly
kōpū
86
guts
whēkau
87
neck
kakī
88
back
tuarā
89
breast
koumu
90
heart
ngākau , manawa
91
liver
ate
92
to drink
inu
93
to eat
kai , kamu
94
to bite
kati , ngau
95
to suck
mome , ngongo , ngote
96
to spit
tuha , tuwha
97
to vomit
ruaki
98
to blow (as wind)
puhi
99
to breathe
hā , ngā , whakangā
100
to laugh
kata
101
to see
kite
102
to hear
rongo
103
to know (a fact)
matau , mōhio
104
to think
mahara , whakāro
105
to smell (sense odor)
hongi
106
to fear
mataku , wehi
107
to sleep
moe
108
to live
ora
109
to die
hemo , mate
110
to kill
patu
111
to fight
riri , whawahi
112
to hunt (transitive)
whai , whakangau
113
to hit
patu
114
to cut
hae , motu , tapahi
115
to split
kōwhā , matata
116
to stab (or stick)
oka
117
to scratch (an itch)
raki , raku
118
to dig
kari , keri
119
to swim
kau , kauhoe
120
to fly
rere
121
to walk
haere , haere mā raro , wawake
122
to come
haere mai
123
to lie (as on one's side)
takoto
124
to sit
noho
125
to stand
tū
126
to turn (change direction)
huri
127
to fall (as in drop)
hinga , taka
128
to give
hoatu , hōmai , koha
129
to hold (in one's hand)
puri
130
to squeeze
whakatē
131
to rub
kōmiri , miri
132
to wash
horoi
133
to wipe
muku , ūkui
134
to pull
tō
135
to push
pana , pei
136
to throw
maka , makawhiu , whiu
137
to tie
here
138
to sew
tui
139
to count
tatau
140
to say
kī
141
to sing
waiata
142
to play
tākaro
143
to float
maunu , rewa
144
to flow
rere
145
to freeze
tio
146
to swell
kukune , pupuhi
147
sun
rā
148
moon
mahina , marama
149
star
whetū
150
water
wai
151
to rain
ua
152
river
awa , manga , wai
153
lake
moana , roto
154
sea (as in ocean)
moana , tai
155
salt
mātaitai , tote (from English)
156
stone
kāmaka , kōwhatu , pōwhatu
157
sand
kirikiri , one
158
dust
nehu , puehu , pūnehu
159
earth (as in soil)
whenua
160
cloud
ao , kapua
161
fog
kohu , pūkohu
162
sky
rangi
163
wind (as in brēze)
hau , matangi
164
snow
huka , hukarere
165
ice
kōpaka , huka , tio
166
smoke
auahi , pawa , pua
167
fire
ahi
168
ashes
pungarehu
169
to burn (intransitive)
kā , tahu , mura
170
road
ara , huarahi
171
mountain
maunga
172
red
whero
173
green
kākāriki , kirīni (from English)
174
yellow
kōwhai
175
white
mā
176
black
mangu , pango
177
night
pō
178
day (daytime)
rā
179
year
tau
180
warm (as in weather)
mahana
181
cold (as in weather)
makariri , mātao
182
full
kī , kikī
183
new
hou
184
old
tawhito
185
good
pai
186
bad
kino
187
rotten (as a log)
pirau , piro
188
dirty
paru , paruparu
189
straight
tika
190
round
kōtakataka , porotaka
191
sharp (as a knife)
koi
192
dull (as a knife)
pūhoi , pūhuki
193
smōth
māenēne
194
wet
mākū , mākūkū
195
dry (adjective)
maroke
196
right (correct)
tika
197
near
tata
198
far
mamao , pāmamao , tawhiti
199
right (side)
katau , matau
200
left (side)
kauī , māuī
201
at
a , hei , i , kei , ki
202
in
rō , roto
203
with (accompanying)
i
204
and
me
205
if
ina , kite , kitemea , mehe , mei , metemea
206
because
nātemea , nōtemea , tātemea , tōtemea
207
name
ingoa