Ogden's Basic English
The FIRST SUPPLEMENT - Alphabetic
150 names of animals, plants and foods.
Draft. We are uncertain of the correct list.

We have not found Ogden's original list : in "Basic English" he says,

"The first supplement consists, therefore of the 150 names of animals, plants, and foods, which have no international distribution."


We had started to recreate this list from recommended word lists by other authorities; and from Richards use in "English Through Pictures, Book 3."

---

We have some confidence in the following 90 words and add them to the First Supplement to Basic:¹
• ape, bacterium/ germ, bear, beetle, butterfly, camel, clam, coral, crab, crocodile, deer, dinosaur, dolphin, duck, elephant, frog, giraffe, gull, hippopotamus, kangaroo, locust, mammal, mosquito, mouse, octopus, ostrich, rabbit, reptile, rhinoceros, roach, rodent, seal, shark, snail, spider, squirrel, tiger, turkey, turtle, whale;
• alfalfa, algae, apple, bamboo, bush, corn, daisy, fern, hay, magnolia, maize, oak, orchid, sprout, tomato, palm, pine, wheat, willow, yew;
• banana, bean, carrot, cabbage, cherry, cream, cucumber, dessert, drug, fig, flour, lemon, lettuce, maize, melon, mint, mushroom, onion, pea, pear, pepper, pie, pork, sandwich, sausage, soup/stew, spice, vinegar, yeast, yoke .

The following 50 words are possible, but NOT yet included in First Supplement.
• Animals : amoeba, bat, beaver, caterpillar, chicken, gorilla, flamingo, gopher, grasshopper, larvae, lice, mite, mold, moose, moth, otter, owl, parrot, pelican, pet, porcupine, stork, wasp, woodpecker ; {fish names} flounder, haddock, halibut, lobster, mackerel, oyster, perch, salmon, scallop, shrimp, tuna. {bird names}
• Plants : bush, cane, cedar, cereal, chicory, fir, flax, fungus, herb, lily, maple, moss, poplar, poppy, radish, rose, tulip, turnip, weed ; {tree, flower names}
• Foods : appetizer, beverage, cauliflower, cereal, chili, cinnamon, coconut, cookie, curry, custard, dinner, dish, dumpling, feed/fodder, gelatin, granola, margarine, molasses, fodder/feed, game, garlic, lunch, oats, pasta, peach/apricot/plum, pudding, sauce, shellfish =(clam, oyster, mussel), soy, spinach, squash, tofu, venison, yogurt. {vegetable names}

---

Sources of Guesses

"The Basic Dictionary" -- our logic was, if it is important it will be in the Basic Dictionary. Or, perhaps too difficult to define and not in the dictionary. Idea dropped.

"English Through Pictures, Book 3", adopted in full.
bean, beetle, corn, lamb, lemon, mouse, tomato, wheat

Film version of "English Through Pictures" contains:
birds, dogs, apples, milk, soup, cows, potato, plant, stem, leaf, flower, horse, pig, sheep, animal, ice, meal, eggs, butter, bread, cheese, meat, apple, orange, drink, fruit, food, salt, goat, fowls, lemons, bananas, grapes, berries, vegetables, cabbages, cauliflowers, cucumbers, beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, frozen(2nd), coffee, root, pine, fish, seed, worm, sugar, bees, honey, bear, flour, insects, spider, grain, mosquito, housefly, ostrich, monkey, cat, tea.

From Basic to Wider English ; Book Two
chicken, germ, reindeer, turkey

"Essential World English" suggests the addition of:
ale, ass, bat, camel, corn, drug, elephant, flax, flour, hemp, ox, pest, rubber, slime, trunk, wheat

"A General Service List", West / Longman
bush, garden, pet .   (new only)

"Radio Committee Recommended International Words.
bacillus, banana, cocoa, cricket, dahlia, dessert, eucalyptus, hor d'oeuvres, hyacinth, kangaroo, lion, methol, morphia, porridge, pudding, souffle, sphinx, steepe, tomato, unicorn, vermouth, waffle.

Popular Animals -- it will be hard to not include these children's favorites :
amoeba, butterfly, caterpillar, coral, crab, crocodile, dolphin, dinosaur, ape =(gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee, bono), flamingo, giraffe, grasshopper, gull, hippopotamus, kangaroo, moose, moth, octopus, ostrich, otter, owl, parrot, pelican, rhinoceros, seal, stork, woodpecker.

Wikipedia - Animals, to get one of each biological division, to be able to say "XXX-like".
aardvark("earth pig"), amphibian =(frog, toad, salamander, newt), anteater, antelope(deer-like?), armadillo, bacteria, crane(stork-like), hedgehog, llama/alpaca(So.Amer camel?), marsupial =(kangaroo, koala, (o)possum, wallaby), manatee, mole, mullusc/k =(snail, clam, oyster, scallop, mussel, abalone, limpet, conch, slugs) (shell(2nd,sci)fish?), peccaries (wild pig), platypus, pronghorn, rodents =(mouse, rat, squirrel, chipmunk, gopher, porcupine, beaver, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, marmots, prairie dog), shrew, sloth
• Complex words : starfish, jellyfish, silkworm
• Expansions : catfish, kingfisher, rayfish, seahorse,
• International ??: llama,

Plants -- Wikipedia
herbs, bushes, vines, ferns, mosses, algae, fungi, worts, lettuce, mistletoe, moss, mushroom, conifer, kudzu, cane, beet, gum, ginkgo, cannabis (marijuana), cocaine, opium, dandelion, pine, fir, rose, poppy, iris, lily, lotus, broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, crocus, clove, hops, marigold, nasturtium, chrysanthemum, carnation, cattail, honeysuckle, chicory, cornflower, sunflower, pansy, yew, magnolia*, sunflowers, petunia, buttercup, oak*, orchid*, palm*, daisy*, pea*, willow*, violet, strawberry, mold, bacterium, virus .
• Processes : breeding, photosynthesis, pollen, parasite,
• Related : annual, cell, cellulose, chlorophyll, deciduous, fertilizer, fixing, pollen, perennial, proteins, soil, starch, temperate, tropical, weed, agriculture, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, jungle, spread, bloom, blossom, spore,
• Complex and Extensions : evergreen, grassland, greenhouse, rainforest, rainwater, sunflower,
• Proper Nouns : Canna,
• International ?? : One may expect many flowers, etc. to be international -- maize, orchid,

Garden Catalog
cedar, cherry, garlic, lily, maple, melon, peach/apricot, pear/plum, poplar, poppy, radish, shrub(/bush), tulip, turnip, yew . - (new only)

Foods -- Cookbook
appetizer, bacon, batter, beverage, bologna, bran, candy, can(ned), cereal, chili, condiment, cookie, cracker, cream, crust, curry, custard, cutlet, dessert, diet, dip, dough, dressing, dumpling, fritter, frosting, gelatin, granola, grits, leavening, margarine, molasses, pasta, pie, pork, preservative, pudding, punch, sandwich, sauce, sausage, soy, spread, stew, veal, waffle, whey, yeast, yoke .
• Flavors and spices : cinnamon, fudge, ginger, mint, mustard, nutmeg., (a large link list is below.)
  Fruits & vegetables : (link to long lists below)
  Nuts & seeds : almond, caraway cashew, coconut, pecan, poppy, sesame, walnut.
• Sea foods : crab, flounder, haddock, halibut, lobster, mackerel, oyster, perch salmon, scallop, shrimp, tuna.
• Parts : brisket, chop, chuck, flank, rib, shell, shoulder(2nd), rump
• Processes : bake, barbecue, beat(2nd), braise, broil, freeze, fry, granulate, grill, grind/ground(2nd), pickle, poach, preserve, raw, refrigerate, render, roast, scald, scramble, sear, set, shred, simmer, stuff, substitute, tenderize.
• Complex words : buttermilk, cupcake, fruitcake, meatball, milkshake, swordfish, sunflower, teaspoon, tablespoon,
• Expansions : bar, butter, dressing, drop, fold, frier, grapefruit, greens, ground, hotdog, pancake, peanut, roll, round, smoke, steam, stock, topping, whole, whip, white
• International ??? : bouillon, calorie, canape, casserole, croissant, croquette, espresso, hors d'oeuvres, mayonnaise, oregano, taco, tort, tortilla, paprika, pizza, puree, quiche, rotisserie, sake, sauté, strudel, smorgasbord, souffle, spaghetti, sushi, vinaigrette, wiener
• Proper nouns : Bearnaise, French, Lyonnaise, Newburg, Porterhouse, etc.
• Notes :   date = dried fig , raisin = dried grape

Existing in the Basic English 850 words :
ANIMALS :   animal , ant , bee , bird , cat , cow , dog , fish , fly , fowl , goat , horse , insect , monkey , pig , sheep , snake , worm.
PLANTS :   cork, cotton , flower , grass , leaf , rubber (e), root , sponge , stalk , stem , tree , trunk , wood.
FOODS :   apple , berry , bread , butter , cheese , bitter , dressing (e), drink , egg , fat , food , fruit , grain , meat , milk , nut , orange , potato , rice , salt , seed , soup , sugar , wine , water.
SUPPORTING WORDS :   air , black , dry , earth , garden , hard , ice , jelly , leaf, leather , liquid , oil , paste , pest , poison , powder , roll , sea , silk , soft , solid , sweet , taste , thick , wax , wool
As in : blackbird , bluebird , earthworm , evergreen , jellyfish , seahorse , silkworm , songbird , wildfowl.
International Words:
alcohol , bar , beef , beer , cafe , champagne , chocolate , citron , cocktail , cognac , coffee , liqueur , macaroni, olive , omelet , penguin , rum , salad , sardine , tobacco , tapioca , tea , toast , vanilla , vodka , whisky , zebra .
    We suspect that others might now be added - pizza (cheese pie?), coke (soft drink?) - or not.
Special Word Lists -- These words will already be known to some learners.
The General Categories of
Verse (literature) adds : beast , bud , dove , eagle , feast , flock , fox , grape , hawk , honey , lamb , lark , lion , raven , rose , vine , wolf.
Science adds : melt.
The Specialty word lists of:
Religion adds : ass , cattle , cock , herd , locus , ox , thorn.
Biology adds : bark , sucker.

    There is much overlap between the categories of animals, plants and foods. Example: berry, nut, seed are parts of a plant and are also foods. The divisions above may be easily changed, but the general idea is that plants and animals are in the natural condition and foods in the processed state, i.e., cow vs. beef.
    This special list of 150 names needs to use the panoptic method. Whereas some specific things are listed, such as maize, rice, wheat, perhaps certain higher divisions such as the more general "cereals" might include the lesser grass seeds such as barley, millet, oats, rye. We also find grain in the 850 which includes cereals. Legume seems too broad such that the chief "editable seeds that grow in pods", such as beans and peas, must be listed, but might cover the other pods of lentil, peanuts, soy.

---

There is also the 350 First-Addenda Words.²  However, inclusion in the 350 list suggests that the words are not in this First Supplement 150 list : bud (350,ver,bio) , honey (350, verse) , juice (350) , stalk (350) , straw (350) , vegetable (350).
-----
1 . The 150 are labeled as [first]  in our translation dictionary and are subject to change.
2 . The 350 are labeled as [second] in our translation dictionary and are firm by Ogden.
LISTS:
• Animals
• Plants
•     flowers
•     trees
• Foods
•     vegetables
•     meat
•     seafood
•     fish
•     fruits
•     nuts & seeds
•     spices & herbs

---

Discussion:
    Are we too dependent on other lists? A whole list of necessary animals -- eagle, fox, lion, wolf -- are left off of this list because they are included in Verse. As are grape, honey, rose.

---

Back to :
The Basic Words - alphabetic
International Words
International Word Discussion
Ogden's "International" Words - alphabetic
Ogden's Basic English   or   Basic English Institute.
About this Page : word150.html -- Ogden's "First Supplement" of 150 Words -- names of common animals, plants and foods, put into alphabetical order.
Last updated on July 29, 2008 -- Add Basic to Wider,Bk 2. Work in progress. Send your thoughts.
July 3, 2006 -- reorganize
Original put forward because of "English Through Pictures", Book 3
URL: http://zbenglish.net/sites/basic/word150.html