Arab in Different Languages
Discover 'Arab' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'Arab' carries a rich significance that extends beyond mere linguistic boundaries. Denoting a person who speaks Arabic or hails from the Arab world, this term encompasses a vast cultural and historical importance. The Arab world, spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, is home to a multitude of languages, customs, and traditions. The term 'Arab' is of Semitic origin, and its usage can be traced back to ancient inscriptions and literature.
Given the vast expanse and diversity of the Arab world, understanding the word 'Arab' in different languages can be a fascinating exploration of cultural nuances and linguistic variations. For instance, in Spanish, 'Arab' translates to 'árabe', while in French, it becomes 'arabe'. In German, it's 'Araber', and in Russian, it's 'араб' (arab).
Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the translations of 'Arab' in various languages, offering you a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Arab culture and language.
Arab
Arab in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | arabier | ||
| The word "Arabier" in Afrikaans can also mean "a stallion" or "a horse with a white mane and tail". | |||
| Amharic | አረብ | ||
| The word 'አረብ' in Amharic also refers to the 'Arabica' coffee variety due to its historical associations with the Arabian Peninsula. | |||
| Hausa | balarabe | ||
| There is an alternate meaning of Bararabe which is "a kind of red dye". | |||
| Igbo | arab | ||
| In Igbo, the word "Arab" can also refer to a type of fabric or a type of dance. | |||
| Malagasy | arabo | ||
| The Malagasy word "Arabo" can mean both "Arab" and "Muslim", reflecting the historical connection between the two concepts in the region. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chiarabu | ||
| The word 'Chiarabu' in Nyanja has alternative meanings such as 'Somali' or 'foreigner from the east'. | |||
| Shona | chiarabhu | ||
| The word 'ChiArabhu' in Shona can also be used to refer to someone who is sly or deceptive. | |||
| Somali | carab | ||
| Somali word "Carab" is sometimes used to refer to "White People" or a "Caucasian Person". | |||
| Sesotho | searabia | ||
| Searabia is also used to refer to people from the Middle East | |||
| Swahili | kiarabu | ||
| The etymology of 'Kiarabu' is traced to the word 'Arab', the collective term for the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. | |||
| Xhosa | isiarabhu | ||
| The word ‘IsiArabhu’ is often used by the Xhosa people to refer to Arabs | |||
| Yoruba | arab | ||
| The Yoruba word "Arab" is a loanword from Hausa and primarily refers to Arab merchants. | |||
| Zulu | arab | ||
| The Zulu word "Arab" is also used to refer to Arabs and Arabic-speaking people in general. | |||
| Bambara | arabukan na | ||
| Ewe | arabgbetɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyarabu | ||
| Lingala | arabe | ||
| Luganda | omuwalabu | ||
| Sepedi | searabia | ||
| Twi (Akan) | arabfoɔ | ||
Arab in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عرب | ||
| The word "عرب" also refers to nomads or desert dwellers, regardless of their ethnicity. | |||
| Hebrew | ערבי | ||
| ערבי in Hebrew may refer to the Arab people, or to the evening, a distinction not made in the name's singular form. | |||
| Pashto | عرب | ||
| Pashto word "عرب" also refers to the bedouin or nomadic people who live in desert areas. | |||
| Arabic | عرب | ||
| The word "عرب" also refers to nomads or desert dwellers, regardless of their ethnicity. | |||
Arab in Western European Languages
| Albanian | arab | ||
| In Albanian, the word " Arab" also means "horse trader". | |||
| Basque | arabiarra | ||
| The word "Arabiarra" in Basque has also been linked to the ancient Roman province of Arabia or to the Hebrew word "Aribe" meaning "wanderer". | |||
| Catalan | àrab | ||
| In Catalan the word «Àrab» can be used for the language, as an ethnicity and, by extension and archaically to all that has an oriental appearance and / or Islamic culture. | |||
| Croatian | arapski | ||
| In Croatian, 'Arapski' can also refer to the Arabic language or culture. | |||
| Danish | arabisk | ||
| The word "Arabisk" can also refer to a type of card game. | |||
| Dutch | arabier | ||
| The word "Arabier" can also mean a type of horse or a species of parrot. | |||
| English | arab | ||
| The term "Arab" has been used to refer to the people of the Arabian Peninsula, their language, and their culture. | |||
| French | arabe | ||
| The French word "arabe" can also refer to the Arabic language, Arab culture, or even a type of horse. | |||
| Frisian | arabier | ||
| The word | |||
| Galician | árabe | ||
| The Galician word 'Árabe' also refers to an old copper Portuguese coin from the sixteenth century. | |||
| German | araber | ||
| The German word "Araber" can also refer to a type of horse breed. | |||
| Icelandic | arabar | ||
| The word "Arabar" in Icelandic can also refer to a type of horse from the Arabian Peninsula. | |||
| Irish | arabach | ||
| The word 'Arabach' can also refer to a type of boat used in the Aran Islands or a type of horse. | |||
| Italian | arabo | ||
| The Italian word "arabo" can also refer to a type of horse or a variety of coffee. | |||
| Luxembourgish | arabesch | ||
| The word 'Arabesch' can also refer to an intricate style of decoration used in architecture and art. | |||
| Maltese | għarbi | ||
| The word "Għarbi" can also refer to the Arabic language or culture. | |||
| Norwegian | arabisk | ||
| The word Arabisk ('Arab') in Norwegian originally referred to 'Moorish' or 'Muslim'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | árabe | ||
| The word "árabe" in Portuguese also refers to the Arabic language and to an ancient gold coin minted in the Iberian Peninsula. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | arabach | ||
| 'Arabach' has been suggested to mean 'charioteer' or 'ploughman' in Gaelic, though the etymology remains unclear. | |||
| Spanish | árabe | ||
| In Spanish, "árabe" can also refer to a type of dance or a breed of horse. | |||
| Swedish | arabiska | ||
| The word 'Arabiska', meaning 'Arabic', was originally used in Swedish to refer to astrology. | |||
| Welsh | arabaidd | ||
| The word "Arabaidd" in Welsh derives from the Latin "Arabicus", ultimately originating from the Greek "Άραψ" (Araps), meaning "inhabitant of Arabia". | |||
Arab in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | арабскі | ||
| The word "Арабскі" can also mean "Arabic numerals" or "Arabic gum" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | arap | ||
| While the word "Arap" means "Arab" when written with a lower-case "a" (arap), it also means "blackamoor" in a racist sense when written with an upper-case "A" (Arap). | |||
| Bulgarian | арабски | ||
| The Bulgarian word "Арабски" also means "Arabic coffee" and "Arabian gum", both related to the Arabs' role in the trade of these goods. | |||
| Czech | arab | ||
| Arab, v češtině, může znamenat také "nehodný", "zbabělý" nebo "špatný člověk". | |||
| Estonian | araabia | ||
| The word “Araabia” in Estonian may also refer to an old silver coin with a camel on the obverse | |||
| Finnish | arabi | ||
| Arabia is the Finnish word for the Arabian peninsula, while the word "arabialainen" means a person of Arab descent. | |||
| Hungarian | arab | ||
| In Hungarian, "arab" also means "small change" or "coins". | |||
| Latvian | arābu | ||
| In Latvian, "arābu" also means "Arabic" (language, not people) and "Arabian" (things related to Arabia). | |||
| Lithuanian | arabų | ||
| "Arabų" can also be an outdated Lithuanian term for "Muslim". | |||
| Macedonian | арапски | ||
| In Macedonian, “Арапски” can also refer to the color “dark green.” | |||
| Polish | arab | ||
| W XV wieku Polska nazwa dla arabskiego konia była "Arabczyk", a dopiero od XVI wieku używa się nazwy "Arab". | |||
| Romanian | arab | ||
| In Romanian, "arab" can also refer to a type of carriage, or a horse-drawn plow. | |||
| Russian | араб | ||
| In Russian, "Араб" can also refer to "gold coins". | |||
| Serbian | арапски | ||
| In Serbian, the word 'Арапски' ('Arab') can also refer to a type of horse or a dark-skinned person of any origin, not necessarily an Arab. | |||
| Slovak | arab | ||
| Arab je označenie pre príslušníka semitského národa alebo obyvateľa arabských krajín. | |||
| Slovenian | arabski | ||
| The word 'Arabski' can also refer to the Arabic language or alphabet, as well as to Arabic culture or customs. | |||
| Ukrainian | арабська | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "Arab," the Ukrainian word "Арабська" can also refer to the Arabian language or to Arabic culture. | |||
Arab in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আরব | ||
| আরব (Arab) শব্দটি আসলে 'গাড়োয়ানের জাত' অর্থে ব্যবহৃত হত, পরে তা আরব উপদ্বীপের জনগণকে বোঝাতে শুরু করে। | |||
| Gujarati | અરબ | ||
| The word "અરબ" (Arab) in Gujarati can also mean "a measure of weight equal to 1/4 of a seer". | |||
| Hindi | अरब | ||
| The word "अरब" also refers to the number "one billion" in the Indian numbering system. | |||
| Kannada | ಅರಬ್ | ||
| The word 'அரப್' ('Arab') comes from the Arabic word 'عرب', meaning 'bedouin' or 'nomad'. | |||
| Malayalam | അറബ് | ||
| The word "അറബ്" ("Arab") in Malayalam can also refer to traders in general, a particular caste of Hindu priests, or a certain species of snake. | |||
| Marathi | अरब | ||
| The word 'अरब' ('Arab') in Marathi also refers to a type of horse. | |||
| Nepali | अरब | ||
| The word अरब (Arab) in Nepali can also mean 'a large number', possibly derived from the Persian word 'arab', meaning 'group' or 'crowd'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਰਬ | ||
| The word "ਅਰਬ" (Arab) in Punjabi can also refer to an old copper coin with a value of half a paisa. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අරාබි | ||
| The word "අරාබි" ("Arab") in Sinhala can also refer to a type of horse or a type of cloth. | |||
| Tamil | அரபு | ||
| The word 'அரபு' can also mean 'noble horse' or 'warrior on a horse' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | అరబ్ | ||
| The word "అరబ్" can also refer to the Arabic language or the Arabian Peninsula. | |||
| Urdu | عرب | ||
| The word "عرب" (Arab) is cognate with the Hebrew word "ערבי" (erev), meaning "west" or "evening", which likely refers to the geographical location of the Arab tribes relative to the Hebrews. | |||
Arab in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 阿拉伯 | ||
| 在汉语语境中，“阿拉伯”既可指代阿拉伯民族，也可指代阿拉伯世界或阿拉伯文化。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 阿拉伯 | ||
| 其本意为“住在旷野里”或“来自沙漠”的人，泛指古代西亚、北非的游牧民族。 | |||
| Japanese | アラブ | ||
| 「アラブ」は、日本語では「アラブ」を指すことが多いが、「砂漠」や「荒れ地」などの意味も持つ。 | |||
| Korean | 아라비아 사람 | ||
| 아라비아 사람은 오늘날 아랍권 사람들뿐만 아니라 고대 중동의 모든 유목민들을 일컫는 말이었다. | |||
| Mongolian | араб | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "Араб" (Arab) is derived from the Sanskrit word "Araba" meaning "horse" or "chariot" and is not directly related to the ethnic group or language. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အာရပ် | ||
| The Burmese word for "Arab" can also mean "Muslim" or "Middle Eastern". | |||
Arab in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | arab | ||
| Istilah Arab dapat digunakan untuk menggambarkan orang-orang yang berasal dari jazirah Arab atau orang-orang yang berbicara bahasa Arab sebagai bahasa asli. | |||
| Javanese | wong arab | ||
| The term 'Wong Arab' (literally 'Arab people') is also used in Javanese to refer to people with Arab ancestry but not necessarily Muslim. | |||
| Khmer | អារ៉ាប់ | ||
| The word "អារ៉ាប់" can also refer to people from the Middle East or North Africa. | |||
| Lao | ແຂກອາຫລັບ | ||
| Malay | arab | ||
| The word Arab in Malay also has alternate meanings such as merchant, trader, or someone from a foreign land. | |||
| Thai | อาหรับ | ||
| คำว่า "อาหรับ" ในภาษาไทย มีรากศัพท์จากภาษาเปอร์เซีย หมายถึง ชาวตะวันตก | |||
| Vietnamese | ả rập | ||
| Ả Rập trong tiếng Việt gốc từ tiếng Sanskrit "dravida" chỉ vùng đất của người Dravida, sau dùng chỉ người phương Tây nói chung | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | arabo | ||
Arab in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ərəb | ||
| The word "Ərəb" can also refer to a type of wheat or a specific breed of horse in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | араб | ||
| In Kazakh, "Араб" can also refer to a type of fabric with a floral pattern. | |||
| Kyrgyz | араб | ||
| "Арап", помимо своего основного значения, также является устаревшим названием африканских и других темнокожих народов. | |||
| Tajik | араб | ||
| В таджикском языке «ароби хориҷӣ» — «иностранный араб». | |||
| Turkmen | arap | ||
| Uzbek | arab | ||
| Arab - an obsolete term for a merchant originating from foreign lands. | |||
| Uyghur | arab | ||
Arab in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻalapia | ||
| In Hawaiian, ʻAlapia can also refer to a person from the Middle East, North Africa, or Southwest Asia, including countries like Persia, Turkey, and Egypt. | |||
| Maori | arapi | ||
| The Maori word "Arapi" also carries connotations of "savage" or "uncivilised". | |||
| Samoan | arapi | ||
| The word 'Arapi' is also used to refer to people from the Middle East, North Africa, or South Asia, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | arabo | ||
| The Tagalog word "Arabo" has an alternate meaning: "Moor" | |||
Arab in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | árabe markanxa | ||
| Guarani | árabe | ||
Arab in International Languages
| Esperanto | araba | ||
| The Esperanto word "Araba" can also mean "carriage" or "chariot". | |||
| Latin | arabum | ||
| In Roman antiquity, "Arabum" primarily referred to the Arab traders who frequented the Roman province of Arabia Petraea, and it was not until the 4th century AD that it came to be used to denote the ethnic group. | |||
Arab in Others Languages
| Greek | άραβας | ||
| The word "Άραβας" (Arab) in Greek can also refer to a type of horse or a particular breed of greyhound. | |||
| Hmong | arab | ||
| The word 'Arab' can also refer to 'a person from Yemen' or 'a language of South Arabia', and has been used in this sense in Hmong since at least the 19th century. | |||
| Kurdish | erebî | ||
| In the Kurdish dialect of Sorani, | |||
| Turkish | arap | ||
| In Turkish, the word "Arap" can also refer to a type of traditional coffee or a type of horse breed. | |||
| Xhosa | isiarabhu | ||
| The word ‘IsiArabhu’ is often used by the Xhosa people to refer to Arabs | |||
| Yiddish | אַראַביש | ||
| The word "אַראַביש" can also refer to the language spoken by Arabs, known as Arabic. | |||
| Zulu | arab | ||
| The Zulu word "Arab" is also used to refer to Arabs and Arabic-speaking people in general. | |||
| Assamese | আৰব | ||
| Aymara | árabe markanxa | ||
| Bhojpuri | अरब के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | އަރަބި... | ||
| Dogri | अरब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | arabo | ||
| Guarani | árabe | ||
| Ilocano | arabo | ||
| Krio | arab pipul dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | عەرەبی | ||
| Maithili | अरब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯕ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | arab tawng a ni | ||
| Oromo | araba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆରବ | ||
| Quechua | arabe | ||
| Sanskrit | अरब | ||
| Tatar | гарәп | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓረብ | ||
| Tsonga | xiarabu | ||