Cheat Sheet - Building Blocks
A reference to Oravia's syllable-sound associations. The classes were discovered through word-embeddings of internet tokens.
cluster subcluster
cross-cluster root
A
anactionPIE *h₂en- (to breathe/live)
anestatic movementLatin manere (to remain/stay)
animovement towardsLatin animus (directed will); Japanese に ni (toward, di…
anomovement awayJapanese ano (that, over there)
apaphysical movementSanskrit apad (to move on foot)
asinvoluntary bodily functionsPIE *h₁es- (to be, to exist)
aseaffectionate contactSanskrit āśleṣa (embrace, close contact)
asiorifice intake and expulsionSanskrit āsya (mouth)
asuinvoluntary vocal actsSanskrit asu (breath, vital force)
B
betravelBengali বেড়ানো berano (to roam, travel)
beivehiclesMandarin 倍 (bèi = vehicle-related measure)
bohome interiorArabic بيت (bayt = house, dwelling); Hebrew בית (bayit …
boehouse spacesEnglish bower (chamber, private room), Korean bueok (ki…
bonfurnitureFrench banc (bench, table-like furniture)
borhouse structureEnglish bore/board (structural element); German Bord (b…
boshygiene fixturesMalay basuh (to wash)
C
caiflatSanskrit चय caya (flat layer)
caticonstraintLatin catena (chain, constraint); Hindi/Urdu कैद qaid (…
cewhat?Latin quid (what) and Romance que/ce
cisharpMandarin 刺 cì (to stab, prick, sharp); Arabic سكين sikk…
ciucreative productsEnglish creative, Latin creatus (produced)
cocommunicationLatin communicare (to communicate)
couwritten communicationFrench courier (mail, correspondence)
D
daevaluationArabic ذا dhā (this, that, referential)
daeepistemicJapanese 代 (dai = declaration, evidence, proposition); …
dalpatternSwahili dalili (sign, indication, pattern); Arabic دَلِ…
danemphasisMandarin 但 (dàn = but, emphatic contrast); Mandarin 单 (…
danoptionsMandarin 但 dàn (but, emphatic contrast); Mandarin 单 dān…
daoserious
daudistance
deorigin, fromLatin de (from, down from); Portuguese/Spanish de (from…
dellogicLatin delineare (to draw out logically); Greek δῆλος dē…
distripe, fingerSanskrit दिश् diś (direction, to point)
doregulationsMandarin 道 (dào = way, rule, principle); Japanese 道 (dō…
dohenforcementHausa dokar (regulation)
doiopposingArabic ضِدّ ḍidd (opposing, against)
domplaceLatin domus (house, place, domain); Russian дом dom (ho…
donshow
dorabondLatin adorare (to be bound in devotion)
durhardnessLatin durus (hard, tough); Spanish duro (hard); French …
E
elareligiousAramaic Elah (God)
eleself-expansionGreek ἐλεύθερος (eleutheros = free, self-expansion); La…
elivirtueGreek ἠθικός (ethikos = ethical)
eloprosocialLatin eloqui (to speak out)
eosocialGreek εὐ- (eu = good, social prefix)
eodsocial interactionsJapanese deau 出会う (meet); Greek hodos (route, visiting)
eomevents and gatheringsKorean moim (gathering, meeting)
F
fafamily relationshipsLatin familia (family)
faegender
faipartnership, marriageLatin foedus (pact, partnership)
falyoung onesLatin filia, filius (children)
fehaltingTurkish fren (brake)
fenerest
fiinsideSwahili -fika (to arrive, come)
foulackEnglish few
fulightnessMandarin 浮 fú (floating, light); Latin fumus (floating …
G
gaevaluationEnglish gauge
gaismallEnglish grain of sand
galicoffeeArabic قهوة qahwa (coffee)
ganrankingJapanese 格 (kaku/gan proximity = rank, grade)
gaovalue assessment
gefinancesProto-Germanic *geldan (to pay); German Geld (money); D…
geltradingGerman Geld/gelten (to be worth, to trade); Dutch gelde…
giboldness
gohalfJapanese 五 go (five, half of ten)
H
haimessageSwahili habari (news, message)
hefiction tropesGreek ἥρως (heros = hero, trope figure)
hehantagonist tropesEnglish hex
heiprotagonist tropes
helaprojecting outwardSanskrit हेल् hel (to throw, sport)
hemwarmth
heobackground
hisafirePolynesian root Hawaiian/Maori ahi (fire)
houshadowMandarin 后 hòu (behind, back)
huietherealMandarin 魂 hún (soul, spirit)
I
ilobjects of inquiryLatin ille (that thing, object of inquiry)
ilasharing informationArabic إلى (ilā = toward, sharing direction)
ilicognitionPortuguese/Spanish inteligencia (intelligence); Japanes…
ilowhen knowledge is uncertainEnglish illusion
J
jatoolsArabic jihāz (apparatus, equipment)
jaecontainerPortuguese/Spanish/Arabic جَرَّة jarra (large container…
jahcutting toolsJapanese 刃 (ha/ja = blade, edge)
jasgripping and fastening toolsJapanese hasamu (clamp, pinch)
jegeometricsMandarin 节 (jié = joint, geometric section)
jenlocationJapanese 前 (zen/jen front location); Mandarin 间 (jiān =…
jeogeometric positionsGreek γεω- geo (geography, geometry)
jomaterialsKorean 재료 jaeryo (material)
jolmaterial types
judeceiveHindi झूठ jhūṭh (lie, deception)
juitemporaryHindi/Urdu jugāṛ (makeshift, temporary fix)
L
lahappinessacross unrelated languages as an expression of happines…
lanbalanceHindi संतुलन saṁtulana (balance, equilibrium)
leenvironmentPIE *lendh- (open land, heath); English land, German La…
lealandscapeEnglish lea (open meadow, landscape type)
leiplantsMandarin 蕾 (lěi = flower bud, plant growth)
lemkeepingGreek λῆμμα lēmma (something taken and kept)
lenlongLatin longus (long); English longitude
lenogroundSpanish llano (flat ground)
litimeMandarin 历 / 曆 li (calendar)
liaresonantHindi लय laya (rhythm, resonance); Arabic لَحْن laḥn (m…
lilmuscleArabic لِيف līf (fiber); Persian لیف līf (fiber)
limeleveningArabic لَيْل layl (night)
liramarkLatin littera (letter, mark)
liteclock timeGreek λεπτό lepto (minute)
liuotherLatin alius (other)
loacompletenessHawaiian loa (very much, extremely)
luatmosphere, outsideLatin lux (light, sky phenomenon); Italian luce; French…
luaflowArabic لُجَّة lujja (deep flowing water)
luantongueArabic لِسَان lisān (tongue)
lufuairGerman Luft (air)
lunseasonsLatin luna (moon, seasonal cycle); French lune; Spanish…
M
macooking foodArabic مطبخ (matbakh = kitchen); Tamil மா (mā = flour, …
mamatterArabic مطبخ matbakh (kitchen); Tamil மா mā (flour, grou…
maetubers and grainsMandarin 米 (mǐ = rice, grain)
malbread and dairyGerman Mehl (flour); English malt (grain product for br…
masspices and seasoningsArabic مسالة (masāla = spice blend); Hindi मसाला (masāl…
mibigger animalsSwahili mnyama (animal, with m- animate class prefix)
miexistence, beingSwahili mnyama (animal, with m- animate class prefix)
mieappearanceMandarin 面 miàn (face, appearance)
miowild animalsHindi mṛg (wild animal)
miosupport
mirlots ofSanskrit मीर mīr (leader of many)
mofood, eatingHawaiian moku (to eat, archaic); Swahili mlo (meal); Ko…
moafruitsPolynesian languages moa (banana plants); Japanese 桃 (m…
molfood containers
musmaller animalsSwahili mdudu (insect, bug); Japanese 虫 (mushi = insect…
muhflying animalsPersian morgh (bird); Hindi murgā (rooster)
N
nagivingProto-Bantu *-nab-/*-na (to give); Hindi देना/ना denā (…
nalaurgencyArabic نَفَر nafara (urgent flight, alarm)
nequantifiersSwahili na (additive marker)
nenpower and violenceLatin imponens (imposing)
ninewHindi नया nayā (new); Sanskrit नव nava (new); Greek νέο…
niusomeTagalog niyon/niyun (that)
nofunction wordsLatin non (negation, downward movement in discourse); J…
nonpath
norrelation to referenceLatin norma (standard, reference point); English norm
noulow, fallingArabic نَوْم nawm (sleep, falling into sleep)
nulimitGreek νυ nu (particle marking limits in ancient poetry)
nyaemptySanskrit शून्य śūnya (nothingness, emptiness)
O
odutop
oifunYiddish/English oy (exclamation of feeling)
ommusicSanskrit om/aum (the primordial sound, universal vibrat…
oraidea
P
papaperLatin papyrus (paper); English paper (from papyrus)
paifootHindi पैर pair (foot); Tamil பாதம் pādam (foot)
parofrontLatin pro/prae (in front of, before); Spanish para (tow…
pilidelicate
pocomponentsEnglish portion; Latin portio (portion); Mandarin 部 bù …
poachemicalMandarin 泡 (pào = bubble, chemical reaction); Japanese …
pohenergyGreek πῦρ (pyr = fire); PIE *péh₂ur (fire)
poiliquids
popoechoonomatopoeia for hollow resonance/echo
puloss, sadnessPersian پوچ pūc (emptiness, loss)
punicommandLatin punire (to punish, command obedience); English pu…
pupiwater fallingonomatopoeia for falling water
R
rasocietySanskrit राष्ट्र rastra (state, polity, society)
raigovernanceHindi राज (rāj = rule, governance); Sanskrit राज (rāja …
ramsuddenLatin raptim (suddenly, rapidly)
ranmedia, public discourseHindi raṅgmanc (public stage)
rasabout societyArabic/Persian/Urdu rasm (social practice, tradition)
relup, highLatin relevare (to lift, raise up)
renhonorMandarin 仁 rén (benevolence, honor)
revaaccurateLatin revelare (to reveal)
rihhigher, rising
roknowledgeJapanese 論 (ron = argument, theoretical knowledge)
roeformal educationLatin rogare (formally proposing)
rouwritten knowledgeLatin rotulus (scroll, written scroll); Japanese 録 (rok…
rubendArabic رُكُوع rukūʿ (bowing, bending); Sanskrit रुज् ru…
rulhabitEnglish rule; Hindi रोल rol (role, habit)
S
sarhangTurkish sarkmak (to hang down)
sarisunSanskrit सूर्य sūrya (sun); Hindi सूरज sūraj (sun)
saustartHindi शुरू śurū (start, beginning)
semachinesMandarin 设备 (shèbèi = equipment)
selcodingEnglish select, cell
semsystemGreek σύστημα systema (system)
seriseriesLatin series (sequence, series)
siprocessesPIE *sekʷ- (to follow a sequence, to process in order)
siogamesLatin iocus (game, jest, play)
siodocumentLatin iocus (game, jest, play)
soispeed
sualongside
sushearingLatin auscultare (to listen, hear)
T
tahandLatin tangere (to touch with hand)
taiguideMandarin 带 dài (lead)
taldoorPersian طاق ṭāq (arch, doorway); Hindi ताला tālā (lock,…
talepassageWelsh taith (journey, passage)
tamoneArabic تَمَام tamām (whole, one complete); Persian تمام…
tanbigGreek titan (giant)
tarregulateArabic تَرْتِيب tartīb (regulation, arrangement); Hindi…
telimageEnglish television; Arabic تِلِيفِزْيُون tilifiziyūn (t…
telimoment
tercountLatin ter (three times); Greek τρεῖς treis (three times…
tiharm, damageTamil தீ (tī = fire, harm, danger); Hindi तीखा (tīkhā =…
tirafungus
tiutypes of harmSanskrit तीव्र (tīvra = severe, violent)
tosuffering, distressIndonesian tobat (remorse, suffering from wrongdoing); …
tohemotional sufferingEnglish torment
tosinterpersonal suffering
touphysical depletion
tuconflictLatin tumultus (conflict, violent disorder)
tulcrashEnglish tumble
tumweaponsIndonesian tombak (spear/weapon)
V
vacoreSanskrit वायु (vāyu = vital wind/breath)
vabocozy, body homeva (body) + bo (home)
valiceItalian valanga (snow mass), English/French avalanche
vanlimbsHindi बाँह (bāṃh = arm/limb); Arabic بَدَن (badan = bod…
vanprivate
varfaceSanskrit वक्त्रम् vaktram (face/mouth)
variback
veihealth issuesSanskrit वैद्य vaidya (physician)
velmedical treatmentsLatin valere (to be well/healthy)
versafetyGerman Wehr (defense, protection)
viinterior bodyProto-Bantu *-vim- (becoming thick); Latin vita (life f…
viochange, exchangeLatin via (road, path of change, exchange); Italian/Spa…
virorgansLatin viscera (internal organs)
virmethodLatin viscera (internal organs)
voaconstraintMandarin 围 wéi (enclose, surround)
vonexternal body
vorthreatEnglish horror
voscleaning actionsSwahili -osha (to wash/clean)
vumovementMandarin 步 bù (step, pace)
vusonslow movementvu (move) + son
W
wasea, water bodiesPolynesian root wai (water)
wigeographical orientationArabic وين (wayn = where?)
wilhuman made geographyLatin villa (human settlement); English village
wimnatural geography
wolwide
Y
yaobjective qualitiesSwahili -a (Bantu adjectival linker)
yarepresentation, invitationSwahili -a (Bantu adjectival linker)
yahtexture qualities
yalsize qualitiesArabic ṭawīl (long, tall, length)
yarlightArabic ضياء ḍiyāʾ (radiant light)
yeclothing and fabricTurkish yelken (sail/large expanse of fabric)
yeljoiningEnglish yoke
yenprintedMandarin 印 yìn (stamp, print mark)
yesgarments
yocolorsYoruba yọ (to emerge)
yolsky and ocean
yoyooscillateonomatopoeia for oscillation
yusubjective qualities
yunpersonal characteristics
yunmistMandarin 云 yún (cloud, mist)