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{{Short description|List of 15 most linguistically stable words found}}
{{short description|List of 15 stable words}}


The '''Dolgopolsky list''' is a word list compiled by [[Aharon Dolgopolsky]] in 1964. It lists the 15 lexical items that have the most semantic stability, i.e. they are the 15 words least likely to be replaced by other words as a language evolves. It was based on a study of 140 languages from across [[Eurasia]].
The '''Dolgopolsky list''' is a word list compiled by [[Aharon Dolgopolsky]] in 1964 based on a study of 140 languages from across [[Eurasia]].<ref>Dolgopolsky, Aharon B. 1964. [https://cdstar.shh.mpg.de/bitstreams/EAEA0-F41D-6AB7-0B17-0/Dolgopolsky1964.pdf Gipoteza drevnejšego rodstva jazykovych semej Severnoj Evrazii s verojatnostej točky zrenija] [A probabilistic hypothesis concerning the oldest relationships among the language families of Northern Eurasia]. ''Voprosy Jazykoznanija'' 2: 53-63.</ref> It lists the 15 lexical items that he found have the most semantic stability, i.e. the 15 words least likely to be replaced.


==List==
==List==
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#dead
#dead


The first item in the list, ''I/me'', has been replaced in none of the 140 languages during their recorded history; the fifteenth, ''dead'', has been replaced in 25% of the languages.
The first item in the list, ''I/me'', has been replaced in none of the 140 languages during their recorded history; the fifteenth, ''dead'', has been replaced in 25% of the languages. The twelfth item, ''louse/nit'', is well kept in the [[North Caucasian languages]], Dravidian and Turkic, but not in some other proto-languages.


The [[Leipzig–Jakarta list]] of 100 lexical items includes all of these words with the exception of: two/pair, heart, nail (fingernail), tear, die/dead.
The twelfth item, ''louse/nit'', is well kept in the [[North Caucasian languages]], Dravidian and Turkic, but not in some other proto-languages.


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Leipzig–Jakarta list]]
*[[Swadesh list]]
*[[Swadesh list]]
*[[Comparative linguistics]]
*[[Comparative linguistics]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{Cite book|title=The dictionary of historical and comparative linguistics|first=Robert Lawrence|last=Trask|page=96|year=2000}}
*{{Cite book|title=The dictionary of historical and comparative linguistics|first=Robert Lawrence|last=Trask|page=96|year=2000}}



Latest revision as of 08:23, 21 October 2023

The Dolgopolsky list is a word list compiled by Aharon Dolgopolsky in 1964 based on a study of 140 languages from across Eurasia.[1] It lists the 15 lexical items that he found have the most semantic stability, i.e. the 15 words least likely to be replaced.

List

[edit]

The words, with the first being the most stable, are:

  1. I/me
  2. two/pair
  3. you (singular, informal)
  4. who/what
  5. tongue
  6. name
  7. eye
  8. heart
  9. tooth
  10. no/not
  11. nail (finger-nail)
  12. louse/nit
  13. tear/teardrop
  14. water
  15. dead

The first item in the list, I/me, has been replaced in none of the 140 languages during their recorded history; the fifteenth, dead, has been replaced in 25% of the languages. The twelfth item, louse/nit, is well kept in the North Caucasian languages, Dravidian and Turkic, but not in some other proto-languages.

The Leipzig–Jakarta list of 100 lexical items includes all of these words with the exception of: two/pair, heart, nail (fingernail), tear, die/dead.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dolgopolsky, Aharon B. 1964. Gipoteza drevnejšego rodstva jazykovych semej Severnoj Evrazii s verojatnostej točky zrenija [A probabilistic hypothesis concerning the oldest relationships among the language families of Northern Eurasia]. Voprosy Jazykoznanija 2: 53-63.
  • Trask, Robert Lawrence (2000). The dictionary of historical and comparative linguistics. p. 96.
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