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Appendix:Old Chinese basic vocabulary

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Old Chinese basic vocabulary (250 items) in the Baxter-Sagart reconstruction (version 1.1.), from Sagart & Ma (2020):[1]

Sagart & Ma (2020)

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No. English gloss Chinese character Old Chinese (Baxter and Sagart, v. 1.1.) notes
1 above *daŋʔ-s
2 all *[g]ˁr[ə]m
2 all *[b]rom
2 all *kˁrij
3 the ant *qʰˁ(r)oʔ
3 the ant *m-qʰ(r)ajʔ
4 the armpit *[ɢ](r)Ak
5 bad *ʔˁak
6 the bamboo *truk
7 the barley (Tibetan or highland)
8 to be alive *sreŋ Also ‘to be born’/‘to give birth’, the primary meaning
9 the belly *p(r)uk
10 below, under *gˁraʔ
11 big *lˁa[t]-s
12 the bird *tˁiwʔ
13 to bite *[d]e[t]-s
14 black *m̥ˁək
14 black *[ts]rə
15 the blood *m̥ˁik
16 to blow (of wind) *tʰo[r]
17 the body hair (hair or fur) *C.mˁaw
18 the bone *kˁut
19 the branch *ke
20 the breast (female) *noʔ Also ‘milk
21 to burn (intransitive) *C.na[n] See #96 ‘hot
22 to buy *mˁrajʔ
23 to chew *[dz]ewk-s
24 the child (young human) *ŋe
25 the cloud *[ɢ]ʷə[n]
26 cold (of temperature) *[r]ˁeŋʔ
26 cold (of temperature) *Cə.[g]ˁa[n]
26 cold (of temperature) *C.raŋ
26 cold (of temperature) *[tsʰ]ˁaŋ
26 cold (of temperature) *[tsʰ]eŋ-s
27 to come *mə.rˁək MC reflects a variant form *mə.rˁə
28 correct (right) *treŋ May have to be amended to *t⟨r⟩eŋ in view of the probable word-family relationship to below.
28 correct (right) *teŋ-s
29 to count *s-roʔ
30 to weep *k-r̥əp
31 dark *qˁum-s
32 the daughter *nraʔ More generally ‘woman, female’ (# 242)
33 the dew *p.rˁak-s
34 to die *sijʔ
35 to dig *[g]ˁut
35 to dig *[g]ot, *[g]ut
36 dirty *qʷˁra
37 the dog *[k]ʷʰˁ[e][n]ʔ
38 the dream *C.məŋ-s
39 to drink *q(r)[u]mʔ
40 dry *[k]ˁar
41 the dust *[d]rə[n]
42 the ear *C.nəʔ
43 early *Nə.tsˁuʔ
44 the earth (soil) *tʰˁaʔ
45 the earthworm *[ɢ](r)ə[r]ʔ
46 to eat *mə-lək
47 the egg (no char.) *tʰu[r] Cantonese tʃʰœn¹ ‘egg’ < *tʰu[r] (cp. tʃʰœn¹ ‘spring’); Hakka (Meixian, Lufeng) tʃʰun¹ ‘eggs of birds, reptiles; roe of fish’ (cp. tʃʰun¹ ‘spring’); Yizhang 宜章 patois sei¹ ‘egg’ (cp. sei¹ ‘spring’); and other locations in Guangzhou, Jiangxi and Guangxi.
47 the egg *k.rˁorʔ
48 eight *pˁret
49 the eye *C.m(r)[u]k
50 far *C.ɢʷanʔ
51 the father *[N-p](r)aʔ
52 the feather *[ɢ]ʷ(r)aʔ
53 to fight *tˁok-s
54 the fire *[qʷʰ]ˁəjʔ The initial could be *m̥-.
55 firewood *[s]i[n]
56 the fish *[r.ŋ]a
57 five *C.ŋˁaʔ
58 the flea *tsˁuʔ
59 to float *pʰ(r)[o]m-s
59 to float *m.b(r)u
59 to float *[N-]ru
60 to flow *ru
61 the flower *N-qʷʰˁra
62 to fly (move through air) *Cə.pə[r]
63 the fog *kə.m(r)[o]k-s
64 the foot *[ts]ok
64 the foot *[k]ak
65 the forest *[r]əm
66 to forget *maŋ Cognate with *maŋ ‘flee; disappear; die’.
67 four *s.li[j]-s
68 the fox *[g]ʷˁa
69 the frog *qʷˁre Onomatopoeia
70 the front (front side) *[dz]ˁen
71 the frost *[s]raŋ
72 the fruit *mə.li[t]
73 full *tʰuŋ
73 full 滿 *mˁ[o][n]ʔ
73 full *leŋ (< *liŋ?)
74 to give *pi[t]-s
75 the goat *ɢaŋ
76 good *qʰˁuʔ
76 good *kˁ⟨r⟩aj
76 good *[ts]ˁaŋ
76 good *[r]aŋ
76 good *[k]ˁre
76 good *[g]e[n]ʔ
77 the grass *Cə.tsˁə[r]-s
77 the grass *[tsʰ]ˁuʔ
78 green *pə.rok
78 green *[tsʰ]ˁaŋ
79 the hail *sˁ[e]r-s
79 the hail *C.[b]ˁruk
80 the hair (of the head) *pot
81 the hand *n̥uʔ
82 hard *kˁi[ŋ]
82 hard *kˁaŋ
83 he or she (third person singular) *gə Also plural
83 he or she (third person singular) *tə Object pronoun. Also plural
84 the head *l̥uʔ The main word in this meaning
84 the head *[ŋ]o[r]
85 to hear *mu[n]
86 the heart *səm
87 heavy *N-t⟨r⟩oŋʔ
88 here *[tsʰ]e(j)ʔ Also ‘this
89 to hide (conceal) *nr[ə]k
89 to hide (conceal) *[ʔ](r)ə[n]ʔ
90 high / tall *tˁrawk
90 high / tall *Cə.[k]ˁaw Related to below.
90 high / tall *[N-k](r)aw
91 to hold *[t]ip
91 to hold *[d]rə
92 the hoof = *tˁek
93 horizontal *C.gʷˁraŋ
94 the horn (keratinized skin) *C.[k]ˁrok
95 the horse *mˁraʔ A loan from a more westerly Sino-Tibetan language, see Sagart et. al. 2019.
96 hot *C.nat
97 the house *qˁok
98 hundred *pˁrak
99 to hunt *s.tuʔ-s Related to *s.tʰu(ʔ)-s ‘(wild) animal
99 to hunt *r[a]p
99 to hunt *lˁiŋ Cognate with *lˁiŋ ‘field
100 the husband *p(r)a Also ‘adult man’, the original meaning
101 I (first person singular) *ŋˁa
102 the ice *p.rəŋ
103 inside *nˁ[u]p-s Related to *n[u]p ‘enter
104 to kill *s⟨r⟩at
105 to knead
106 the knee *s-tsik
107 knife *C.tˁaw
108 to know (something) *tre
109 the lake *[g]ˁa
110 late *m[o][r]ʔ
111 to laugh *[s-l]aw-s
112 the leaf *l[a]p
113 to learn *m-kˁruk m-volitional of *kˁruk ‘be aware
114 left *tsˁa[j]ʔ Also ‘to assist’, the primary meaning
115 to lick *Cə.leʔ
116 to lie down *[ŋ]ˁ[o]j-s
117 light (of weight) *[kʰ]eŋ
118 the lip (the lips) *sə.dur
119 the liver *s.kˁa[r]
120 long *Cə-[N]-traŋ
121 the louse *srik
122 the lung *pʰo[t]-s
123 the man (male human) *nˁ[ə]m
124 many *[t.l]ˁaj
125 to marry (a man marries a woman) *[ts]ʰoʔ-s Etymologically from *tsʰoʔ ‘take
126 the meat *k.nuk
127 middle *ʔaŋ
127 middle *truŋ
128 the moon *[ŋ]ʷat
129 morning *[d]ər
130 the mosquito *C.mə[r]
131 the mother *məʔ
132 the mountain *s-ŋrar
133 the mouse or rat *[l̥]aʔ
134 the mouth *kʰˁ(r)oʔ
135 the mud *C.nˁ[əj]
136 the nail (fingernail or claw) *[ts]ˁ⟨r⟩uʔ
137 the name *C.meŋ
138 narrow = *[ts]ˁrak
138 narrow *N-kˁ⟨r⟩ep Cognate with *m-kˁep ‘clasp’, *C.kˁ⟨r⟩ep ‘chopsticks’, etc.
139 near *n[ə][r]ʔ
139 near *N-kərʔ
140 the neck *kə.dˁok-s
140 the neck *[r]eŋʔ
141 the needle (for sewing) *t.[k]əm
142 new *s.tsʰi[n]
143 nine *[k]uʔ
144 the nit
145 noon *[m].qʰˁaʔ A cyclical sign in the Shang oracular inscriptions, acquiring the meaning ‘noon’ in late Zhou.
146 the nose *m-bi[t]-s
147 old (of person) *C.rˁuʔ
148 one *ʔi[t]
149 the otter *r̥ˁat, *[m-r̥]ˁat
150 outside *[ŋ]ʷˁa[t]-s
151 the pig *l̥ajʔ
152 to plant (vegetables, rice) *[ts]ˁə
152 to plant (vegetables, rice) *(mə-)toŋʔ-s
153 to play *[ŋ]ˁo[n]-s
154 to pull *l[a]t
155 to push *tʰˁuj
156 the rain *C.ɢʷ(r)aʔ
157 the rainbow *m-kˁoŋ, *kˁroŋ-s
158 red *to
158 red *t-kʰreŋ
158 red *N-rˁu[m]
158 red *[t-qʰ](r)Ak
159 to reside (live) *m-tˁ⟨r⟩ak
160 the rice plant *[l]ˁuʔ
161 right *[ɢ]ʷəʔ
162 the river *s.turʔ Also ‘water’, see # 229
163 the road *Cə.rˁak-s
164 the root *[k]ˁə[r]
165 the rope *Cə-m.rəŋ
166 round = *ɢʷ⟨r⟩en
167 to run *[ts]ˁoʔ
167 to run *pˁur
168 the salt *N-[ts]ˁaj
168 the salt *[ɢr][o]m
169 salty *Cə.[g]ˁr[o]m
170 the sand *sˁraj
171 to scratch *s-[ts]ˁu
172 the sea *m̥ˁəʔ
173 to see *[k]ˁen-s
174 the seed *k.toŋʔ
175 seven *[tsʰ]i[t] Possibly *s.n̥i[t]
176 sharp *C.ri[t]-s
177 the sheep *ɢaŋ
178 to shoot (an arrow) *Cə.lAk-s
179 short *tˁorʔ
180 the shoulder *[k]ˁe[n]
181 shy
182 the sickle *[r]em
183 to sing *[k]ˁaj
184 six *k.ruk
185 the skin *pra
185 the skin *m-[p](r)aj
186 the sky *l̥ˁi[n]
187 to sleep *mi[t]-s
187 to sleep *[tsʰ]imʔ
188 small *məj
188 small *[s]ˁe(k)-s
188 small *[s]ewʔ
189 to smell (perceive odor) (transitive) *qʰu(ʔ)-s
190 the smoke *[q]ˁi[n]
191 smooth *Nə-gˁrut
192 the snake *Cə.lAj
193 the snow *[s]ot
194 soft *nu
195 the son *tsəʔ More generally ‘son (or daughter) of’. Cognate with *mə-dzə(ʔ)-s ‘breed
196 the sparrow *[ts]ewk
197 the spider 蜘蛛 *tre-tro
198 to spit *tʰˁoj-s
199 to stand *k.rəp
200 the star *s-tsʰˁeŋ Related to *tsʰeŋ ‘clear (adj.)’
201 to steal *[d]ˁaw(k)-s
202 the stick *m-[t]raŋʔ
203 the stone (a piece of) *dAk
204 straight *N-t⟨r⟩ək
205 the sun *C.nik
206 the tail *[m]əjʔ
207 ten *t.[g]əp
208 that *pajʔ
209 there *pajʔ
210 thick *Cə.[g]ˁ(r)oʔ
211 the thigh *kʷˁaʔ
212 thin (object) *pˁe[r]ʔ
213 to think (reflect) *[s]ə
213 to think (reflect) *[s]aŋʔ
214 this *[tsʰ]e(j)ʔ
215 thou (second person singular) *nˁ[ə][r]ʔ
215 thou (second person singular) *naʔ
216 three *s.rum
217 to throw *[d]ˁo
218 the thunder *C.rˁuj
219 the tiger *qʰˁraʔ
220 today *[k]r[ə]m More generally ‘now
221 tomorrow *mraŋ Also ‘bright, clear’, the primary meaning
222 the tongue *mə.lat
223 the tooth (front) *t-[k]ʰə(ŋ)ʔ or *t.ŋ̊əʔ
224 the tree *C.mˁok
225 twenty 二十 *ni[j]-s t.[g]əp two-ten’ (fused variant of the preceding)
225 twenty 廿 *n[ə]p
226 two *ni[j]-s
227 to vomit *qˁ(r)oʔ
228 to walk *Cə.[g]ˁraŋ Also ‘to go
229 the water *s.turʔ Also ‘river’, see # 162
230 we (first person plural inclusive)
231 wet *[qʰ]ip
232 what *[g]ˁaj
232 what *[g]ˁa Perhaps a reduced form of the preceding
233 the wheat *m-rˁək
234 where *ɢʷa[n]
235 white *bˁrak Also ‘clear’, the original meaning
236 who *[d]uj
237 the wife *mə.bəʔ
237 the wife *[tsʰ]ˁəj
238 the wind *prəm
239 the wing *s-kʰe-s
240 to wipe *l̥ək
241 the wolf *[r]ˁaŋ
242 the woman *nraʔ See # 32 ‘daughter
243 the wood (material) *[dz]ˁə
244 to sow (broadcast, scatter seeds) *pˁar-s
245 the year *C.nˁi[ŋ] Also ‘harvest’, the primary meaning
246 yellow *N-kʷˁaŋ Cognate with *kʷˁaŋ ‘light, brightness
247 yesterday *[dz]ˁak
248 you (second person plural)
249 young *[ʔ](r)iw-s
250 the shit, excrement *[qʰ]ijʔ

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sagart, Laurent; Ma, Kun (2020). “A 250-item list of Old Chinese vocabulary in the Baxter-Sagart reconstruction”, in Cahiers de Linguistique Asie Orientale, volume 49, number 1, 2020, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 92–105.
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