The Swadesh list ("Swadesh" is pronounced / ˈ s w ɒ d ɛ ʃ /) is a classic compilation of tentatively universal concepts for the purposes of lexicostatistics.Translations of the Swadesh list into a set of languages allow researchers to quantify the interrelatedness of those languages. The Swadesh list is named after linguist Morris Swadesh.It is used in lexicostatistics (the quantitative ...