Written in news 
(http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~chao/info/gaean-language/gaean-top100.txt):
"Here is the list of 100 [200] words of the Basic Core Vocabulary, as
set out by Morris Swadesh, from "Archaeology and Language" by Colin
Renfrew.

It's meant to be a list of 100 [200] key concepts that all languages,
irrespective of cultural differences, are most likely to have words for,
and are least likely to have borrowed from other languages. Note that
the list in English contains at first glance only two words of
Latin/Romance origin (person and mountain).  I can also spot two
Scandinavian ones (skin and egg), though there may be a few more there.

Using this list of "stable" words, glottochronologists believed they
could calculate the approximate amount of time that had passed between
the split-up of two related languages.  Unfortunately, language, unlike
C-14, does not seem to change at a constant rate. The word list and the
formulas to use it will accurately show that the Romance languages
started to split up about 2000 years ago, but I wouldn't be surprised if
the formulas were fine-tuned to Romance rates of change in the first
place (what else would you first check against?)."

THE LIST (Swadesh list word criteria) [from other source]
-----------
 001 ALL
 002 AND
 003 ANIMAL
 004 ASHES
 005 AT
 006 BACK
 007 BAD
 008 BARK (OF A TREE)
 009 BECAUSE
 010 BELLY
 011 BIG
 012 BIRD
 013 TO BITE
 014 BLACK
 015 BLOOD
 016 TO BLOW (WIND)
 017 BONE
 018 TO BREATHE
 019 TO BURN (INTRANSITIVE)
 020 CHILD (YOUNG)
 021 CLOUD
 022 COLD (WEATHER)
 023 TO COME
 024 TO COUNT
 025 TO CUT
 026 DAY (NOT NIGHT)
 027 TO DIE
 028 TO DIG
 029 DIRTY
 030 DOG
 031 TO DRINK
 032 DRY (SUBSTANCE)
 033 DULL (KNIFE)
 034 DUST
 035 EAR
 036 EARTH (SOIL)
 037 TO EAT
 038 EGG
 039 EYE
 040 TO FALL (DROP)
 041 FAR
 042 FAT (SUBSTANCE)
 043 FATHER
 044 TO FEAR
 045 FEATHER (LARGE)
 046 FEW
 047 TO FIGHT
 048 FIRE
 049 FISH
 050 FIVE
 051 TO FLOAT
 052 TO FLOW
 053 FLOWER
 054 TO FLY
 055 FOG
 056 FOOT
 057 FOUR
 058 TO FREEZE
 059 FRUIT
 060 TO GIVE
 061 GOOD
 062 GRASS
 063 GREEN
 064 GUTS
 065 HAIR
 066 HAND
 067 HE
 068 HEAD
 069 TO HEAR
 070 HEART
 071 HEAVY
 072 HERE
 073 TO HIT
 074 HOLD (IN HAND)
 075 HOW
 076 TO HUNT (GAME)
 077 HUSBAND
 078 I
 079 ICE
 080 IF
 081 IN
 082 TO KILL
 083 KNOW (FACTS)
 084 LAKE
 085 TO LAUGH
 086 LEAF
 087 LEFT (HAND)
 088 LEG
 089 TO LIE (ON SIDE)
 090 TO LIVE
 091 LIVER
 092 LONG
 093 LOUSE
 094 MAN (MALE)
 095 MANY
 096 MEAT (FLESH)
 096b MOON
 097 MOTHER
 098 MOUNTAIN
 099 MOUTH
 100 NAME
 101 NARROW
 102 NEAR
 103 NECK
 104 NEW
 105 NIGHT
 106 NOSE
 107 NOT
 108 OLD
 109 ONE
 110 OTHER
 111 PERSON
 112 TO PLAY
 113 TO PULL
 114 TO PUSH
 115 TO RAIN
 116 RED
 117 RIGHT (CORRECT)
 118 RIGHT (HAND)
 119 RIVER
 120 ROAD
 121 ROOT
 122 ROPE
 123 ROTTEN (LOG)
 124 RUB
 125 SALT
 126 SAND
 127 TO SAY
 128 SCRATCH (ITCH)
 129 SEA (OCEAN)
 130 TO SEE
 131 SEED
 132 TO SEW
 133 SHARP (KNIFE)
 134 SHORT
 135 TO SING
 136 TO SIT
 137 SKIN (OF PERSON)
 138 SKY
 139 TO SLEEP
 140 SMALL
 141 TO SMELL (PERCEIVE ODOR)
 142 SMOKE
 143 SMOOTH
 144 SNAKE
 145 SNOW
 146 SOME
 147 TO SPIT
 148 TO SPLIT
 149 TO SQUEEZE
 150 TO STAB (OR STICK)
 151 TO STAND
 152 STAR
 153 STICK (OF WOOD)
 154 STONE
 155 STRAIGHT
 156 TO SUCK
 157 SUN
 158 TO SWELL
 159 TO SWIM
 160 TAIL
 161 THAT
 162 THERE
 163 THEY
 164 THICK
 165 THIN
 166 TO THINK
 167 THIS
 168 THOU/YOU
 169 THREE
 170 TO THROW
 171 TO TIE
 172 TONGUE
 173 TOOTH (FRONT)
 174 TREE
 175 TO TURN (VEER)
 176 TWO
 177 TO VOMIT
 178 TO WALK
 179 WARM (WEATHER)
 180 TO WASH
 181 WATER
 182 WE
 183 WET
 184 WHAT
 185 WHEN
 186 WHERE
 187 WHITE
 188 WHO
 189 WIDE
 190 WIFE
 191 WIND (BREEZE)
 192 WING
 193 WIPE
 194 WITH (ACCOMPANYING)
 195 WOMAN
 196 WOODS
 197 WORM
 198 YE
 199 YEAR
 200 YELLOW