Jew in Different Languages
Discover 'Jew' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'Jew' holds immense significance in history and culture, often referring to a member of the religious group descended from the ancient Hebrews. With an estimated 14 million Jews worldwide, this word represents a rich tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and customs. The term has been translated into various languages, reflecting its global reach and influence.
Did you know that the word 'Jew' comes from the Latin 'Iudaeus,' which in turn originates from the Greek 'Ioudaios?' Both terms mean 'Judean' or 'from Judea.' This etymology highlights the deep roots of Judaism in the region of Judea, now part of Israel.
Understanding the translation of 'Jew' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and historical contexts of Jewish communities around the world. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: 'Judio'
- French: 'Juif'
- German: 'Jude'
- Russian: 'еврей' ('evrey')
- Chinese: '犹太人' ('Yóutài rén')
Jew
Jew in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | of | ||
| In Afrikaans, "Of" has two meanings, including "of" as it would appear in English, and also "Jew" | |||
| Amharic | ወይም | ||
| The word ወይም can also mean "other" or "another" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | ko | ||
| Though “Ko” was used in pre-colonial times to refer to people of Jewish origin, it is often used to mean “stranger” or “guest” in modern Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ma ọ bụ | ||
| As a Igbo-Hebrew name, it may refer to the biblical tribe of Judah, or God. | |||
| Malagasy | na | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "na" also means "person" or "individual". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kapena | ||
| The word "Kapena" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to refer to a type of traditional beer or to something that is worthless or of little value. | |||
| Shona | kana | ||
| Kana also refers to the Jewish community in Zimbabwe. | |||
| Somali | ama | ||
| The term 'Ama' can also refer to a person with a Jewish appearance. | |||
| Sesotho | kapa | ||
| Kapa also means 'infidel' and originally referred to any foreigner. | |||
| Swahili | au | ||
| The Swahili word "Au" can also mean "a small round object" or "a kind of bean" | |||
| Xhosa | okanye | ||
| In Xhosa, 'Okanye' literally means 'one who belongs to the house of Judah', a phrase associated with the Israelites of Old Testament times. | |||
| Yoruba | tabi | ||
| The term "Tabi" in Yoruba has multiple meanings, including "circumcised" and "foreigner", and is not exclusive to Jews. | |||
| Zulu | noma | ||
| The word "Noma" in Zulu is also used to refer to a white person, a foreigner, or an outsider. | |||
| Bambara | walima | ||
| Ewe | alo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | cyangwa | ||
| Lingala | to | ||
| Luganda | oba | ||
| Sepedi | goba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anaasɛ | ||
Jew in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أو | ||
| The word أو (''ʾaw'') can also mean "owner" in some dialects of Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | אוֹ | ||
| The Hebrew word "אוֹ" has various etymologies and alternative meanings, depending on its context. | |||
| Pashto | یا | ||
| The Pashto word "یا" has historically been used to refer to non-Muslim traders, particularly Hindus and Sikhs, in addition to its meaning as "Jew". | |||
| Arabic | أو | ||
| The word أو (''ʾaw'') can also mean "owner" in some dialects of Arabic. | |||
Jew in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ose | ||
| "Ose" is derived from Persian word "Oz" | |||
| Basque | edo | ||
| The word "Edo" in Basque is also used to refer to the biblical Edomites or Idumeans. | |||
| Catalan | o bé | ||
| Also referred to as "the Israelite" or "the Hebrew". | |||
| Croatian | ili | ||
| In the Balkan Sprachbund languages, which include Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Bosnian, and Romani, it may also refer to any non-Orthodox Christian, such as a Catholic, Protestant, or even a Muslim. | |||
| Danish | eller | ||
| The Danish word "Eller" can also refer to an alder tree or to a brook. | |||
| Dutch | of | ||
| The word "Of" in Dutch can also mean "or" or "from". | |||
| English | jew | ||
| The word "Jew" originates from the Hebrew word "Yehudi," meaning "inhabitant of Judah," the ancient kingdom of Israel. | |||
| French | ou | ||
| The term 'Juif' ('Jew') in French comes from the Hebrew term 'Yehudi,' meaning 'inhabitant of Judah' | |||
| Frisian | of | ||
| In Frisian, "Of" can also refer to a type of bread or a measure of land. | |||
| Galician | ou | ||
| The Galician word "ou" has its origin in the Latin "augurium" (omen, prophecy) | |||
| German | oder | ||
| Oder, a word used to refer to Jews in German, is closely related to the word 'Ord' (meaning luck, or destiny), and shares the same roots with the English word 'ordain'. | |||
| Icelandic | eða | ||
| Eða also serves as a term for the Icelandic letter "E". | |||
| Irish | nó | ||
| The Irish word "Nó" also refers to a member of the ancient Irish legal class or to a literary satire or mocking poem. | |||
| Italian | o | ||
| The word "O" in Italian, which refers to someone of Jewish descent, is derived from the Latin word "Ocius," meaning "quick" or "nimble". This usage likely originated from a misunderstanding of the Hebrew word "Yehudi," which refers to a Jew. | |||
| Luxembourgish | oder | ||
| The word "Oder" in Luxembourgish also has the meaning of "serpent", stemming from the Proto-Germanic word "*uðra" meaning "otter". | |||
| Maltese | jew | ||
| The word "Jew" in Maltese, "Lhudi", may also refer to a type of bread or a person from Judea. | |||
| Norwegian | eller | ||
| The word "Eller" in Norwegian can also refer to the alder tree or the river alder. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ou | ||
| "Ou" can also mean "gold" or "either" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | air neo | ||
| Scots Gaelic “Air neo” (“Jew”) is likely derived from Anglo-Norman “juwe” or Old French “giu,” from Latin “Iudaeus” (“Judean”). | |||
| Spanish | o | ||
| In Spanish, “O” can also mean an object in the shape of a circle (i.e., a ring). | |||
| Swedish | eller | ||
| In Old Norse, 'eller' referred to an 'alder' tree or 'foreigner' and, later, came to mean 'Jew'. | |||
| Welsh | neu | ||
| The Welsh word "neu" (spelled "new" in English) has several meanings, including "or" and "if". | |||
Jew in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | альбо | ||
| The term Альбо is derived from the Hebrew word עַלִּוּף meaning "leader" or "noble one," and also referred to prominent members of the Jewish community during the medieval period. | |||
| Bosnian | or | ||
| In Bosnian, "Or" can also refer to a coin or a part of a plow. | |||
| Bulgarian | или | ||
| The word "Или" also means "or" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | nebo | ||
| The word "Nebo" in Czech also means "heaven" or "sky". | |||
| Estonian | või | ||
| The word "Või" also means "butter" in Estonian, deriving from the Proto-Finnic word "woi" meaning "fat". | |||
| Finnish | tai | ||
| In Finnish, the word "tai" can not only mean "Jew", but is also used in expressions and compound words meaning "or", "instead", or "either and" depending on the context. | |||
| Hungarian | vagy | ||
| The word "vagy" used to refer to "money" in Hungarian, likely originating from the Middle High German "wëchsel", meaning "exchange" or "currency". | |||
| Latvian | or | ||
| Lithuanian | arba | ||
| "Arba" is likely derived from the Arabic word "arab", meaning "nomad". | |||
| Macedonian | или | ||
| Polish | lub | ||
| The Polish word "Lub" is thought to be derived from the German word "Liebe", meaning "love", and was originally used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Romanian | sau | ||
| The Romanian word "Sau" meaning "Jew" in some contexts has the alternate meaning "elder" or "wise" in others. | |||
| Russian | или же | ||
| The word "Или же" in Russian can also mean "or else" or "otherwise". | |||
| Serbian | или | ||
| In Serbian, the word "Или" can also refer to a person from the Illyrian people, an ancient people who lived in the western Balkans. | |||
| Slovak | alebo | ||
| The word "Alebo" is also used in Slovak to mean "or" or "either". | |||
| Slovenian | ali | ||
| Ali is also the Slovenian word for “yes”, in both affirmative and interrogative sentences. | |||
| Ukrainian | або | ||
| The word 'Або' can also mean 'or' in Ukrainian, and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*abo'. | |||
Jew in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বা | ||
| The word "বা" can also refer to a type of bird called a "house sparrow". | |||
| Gujarati | અથવા | ||
| The Gujarati word "અથવા" ("Jew") can also refer to a type of cloth or a style of tailoring. | |||
| Hindi | या | ||
| "या" (Jew) in Hindi can also mean "one who worships" or "a follower of the Vedas". | |||
| Kannada | ಅಥವಾ | ||
| The word "ಅಥವಾ" is also used as the equivalent of "or". | |||
| Malayalam | അഥവാ | ||
| The word 'അഥവാ' can also mean 'or' or 'either' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | किंवा | ||
| The Marathi word "किंवा" (kinva) can also mean "or" in English. | |||
| Nepali | वा | ||
| "वा" also refers to air, especially moving air, as in the word "वायु". | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਾਂ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਜਾਂ" ("Jew") may also refer to a type of traditional wooden pestle. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හෝ | ||
| The word "හෝ" can also mean "or" in Sinhala, indicating a choice or possibility. | |||
| Tamil | அல்லது | ||
| The word “அல்லது”, meaning "Jew" in Tamil, can also refer to a non-believer. | |||
| Telugu | లేదా | ||
| The word "లేదా" ( "Jew" ) in Telugu is a cognate of the Sanskrit word "याजुषम्" ( "yāyuṣam" ), which means "priest" or "one who performs yajñas (sacrifices)". | |||
| Urdu | یا | ||
| The word "یا" is also used colloquially to refer to a shrewd or cunning person. | |||
Jew in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 要么 | ||
| The word "要么" (yāo2mó) can also mean "either" or "or", and is often used in conditional statements. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 要么 | ||
| Japanese | または | ||
| In Japanese, the word "または" (Jew) can also mean "to wait" or "to expect". | |||
| Korean | 또는 | ||
| Alternatively, "또는" can mean "or" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | эсвэл | ||
| The word "Эсвэл" in Mongolian can also mean "or" in addition to its meaning of "Jew". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒါမှမဟုတ် | ||
Jew in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | atau | ||
| The word "Atau" can also mean "or" or "otherwise" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | utawa | ||
| The word 'Utawa' in Javanese may also refer to 'a person who is cunning or deceitful'. | |||
| Khmer | ឬ | ||
| The word "ឬ" (Jew) in Khmer also means "foreigner" or "stranger". | |||
| Lao | ຫລື | ||
| Malay | atau | ||
| The word 'Atau' also has alternate meanings of 'father' or 'grandfather' in Javanese and other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Thai | หรือ | ||
| While the word "หรือ" in Thai is often used to mean "Jew," it originally meant "stranger." | |||
| Vietnamese | hoặc là | ||
| In Vietnamese, "Hoặc là" means "Jew", but it also means "or" in the sense of "either... or..." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | o kaya | ||
Jew in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | və ya | ||
| Və ya (Jew) is derived from the Middle Persian "Yahud" (Jew), and is used in Azerbaijani to refer to people of Jewish origin. | |||
| Kazakh | немесе | ||
| The Kazakh word "немесе" has its roots in the Persian word "namas" meaning "prayer". | |||
| Kyrgyz | же | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "Же" can also mean "people", "tribe", or "lineage", and may have been used in this sense historically. | |||
| Tajik | ё | ||
| The term "Ё" in Tajik refers primarily to the Cyrillic letter "Ё", which is used to represent the sound /jo/ in the Tajik language. | |||
| Turkmen | .a-da .a-da | ||
| Uzbek | yoki | ||
| In Uzbek, "Yoki" can refer to both a Jewish person and a type of pastry, possibly due to shared phonetic similarities. | |||
| Uyghur | ياكى | ||
Jew in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | a i ʻole | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'A i ʻole' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word *taio-le, meaning foreigner, stranger, or wanderer. | |||
| Maori | ranei | ||
| In Maori, the word "Ranei" has a dual meaning, referring both to "a Jew" and to "a small, brown seabird with a yellow bill." | |||
| Samoan | poʻo | ||
| Poʻo" is not the Samoan word for Jew, "Iutaia" is. "Poʻo" means Head in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | o kaya naman | ||
| The etymology of "O kaya naman" is unclear, but it can also refer to "money" or "expensive". | |||
Jew in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | o | ||
| Guarani | térã | ||
Jew in International Languages
| Esperanto | aŭ | ||
| Aŭ (Jew) can also reference religious and cultural traditions associated with Judaism | |||
| Latin | aut | ||
| Aut may also refer to the goddess Eos, the goddess of dawn. | |||
Jew in Others Languages
| Greek | ή | ||
| The word "Ή" in Greek originates from the Hebrew word "יהוה" (YHWH), the name of the Hebrew God. | |||
| Hmong | los yog | ||
| Los yog is also used to refer to people with European heritage | |||
| Kurdish | an | ||
| The word "An" in Kurdish can also refer to a type of traditional Kurdish dance or a unit of measurement for grain. | |||
| Turkish | veya | ||
| The word "Veya" also means "maybe" or "or" in Turkish, and is derived from the Arabic word "aw" with the same meaning. | |||
| Xhosa | okanye | ||
| In Xhosa, 'Okanye' literally means 'one who belongs to the house of Judah', a phrase associated with the Israelites of Old Testament times. | |||
| Yiddish | אָדער | ||
| The etymology of the Yiddish word "אָדער" (Jew) is uncertain, although it was likely borrowed from Low German (Dutch) "jude" around the 11th century, which, in turn, derives from the medieval Latin "iudaeus", ultimately from Hebrew "יְהוּדִי" (yehudi). | |||
| Zulu | noma | ||
| The word "Noma" in Zulu is also used to refer to a white person, a foreigner, or an outsider. | |||
| Assamese | অথবা | ||
| Aymara | o | ||
| Bhojpuri | अऊर | ||
| Dhivehi | ނުވަތަ | ||
| Dogri | जां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | o kaya | ||
| Guarani | térã | ||
| Ilocano | wenno | ||
| Krio | ɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | یان | ||
| Maithili | वा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯠꯇ꯭ꯔꯒ | ||
| Mizo | emaw | ||
| Oromo | yookaan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କିମ୍ବା | ||
| Quechua | utaq | ||
| Sanskrit | वा | ||
| Tatar | яисә | ||
| Tigrinya | ወይ | ||
| Tsonga | kumbe | ||
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