Advocate in Different Languages
Discover 'Advocate' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word advocate holds great significance in our lives, as it represents a powerful voice that speaks up for justice, equality, and change. Its cultural importance is evident in the many ways it has been incorporated into languages around the world. For instance, in Spanish, an advocate is known as 'un abogado' or 'una abogada,' reflecting the gender of the person taking on this crucial role. In French, the term is 'un avocat' or 'une avocate,' while in German, it's 'ein Anwalt' or 'eine Anwältin.'
But why should we care about the translation of advocate in different languages? Understanding this term in various languages can help us better connect with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It can also provide us with a deeper appreciation for the global impact of advocacy and the many forms it takes around the world.
Join us as we explore the translations of advocate in over 50 languages, from Arabic to Zulu, and discover the beauty and power of this word in a global context.
Advocate
Advocate in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | advokaat | ||
| The word 'advokaat' in Afrikaans originates from the Dutch word 'advocaat', which means 'lawyer' or 'attorney'. | |||
| Amharic | ተሟጋች | ||
| "ተሟጋች" (advocate) comes from "መሟገት" (to defend/protect), so it can also mean someone who stands up for others or defends their rights. | |||
| Hausa | gabatarwa | ||
| The Hausa word "gabatarwa" also refers to "presentation" in the context of submitting an issue, matter, or object. | |||
| Igbo | kwado | ||
| The Igbo word 'kwado' also refers to a wooden gong used to summon people to meetings or announce important news. | |||
| Malagasy | mpiaro | ||
| The ultimate origin of "mpiaro" is Proto-Austronesian *pe-qale, which also meant "to ask, to demand". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | loya | ||
| The word 'loya' in Nyanja can also mean 'to argue', 'to persuade', or 'to defend'. | |||
| Shona | mutsigiri | ||
| The word 'mutsigiri' in Shona can also refer to a person who gives advice or guidance, or to a legal representative. | |||
| Somali | u dooda | ||
| The word "u dooda" in Somali can also mean "to speak on behalf of someone" or "to defend someone in court." | |||
| Sesotho | buella | ||
| The word "buella" has an alternate meaning of someone who speaks at a meeting. | |||
| Swahili | wakili | ||
| In legal Swahili, 'wakili' can also refer to 'solicitor', whereas in Tanzanian politics, it is used for 'candidate'. | |||
| Xhosa | ummeli | ||
| The word "ummeli" in Xhosa originates from the verb "umela," meaning "to speak on behalf of someone." | |||
| Yoruba | alagbawi | ||
| The word "alagbawi" comes from the Yoruba root "agbawi", meaning "to speak on behalf of" or "to intercede for someone". | |||
| Zulu | ummeli | ||
| The noun ‘ummeli’ is commonly mistranslated as ‘advocate’, but its true meaning is closer to ‘a person who intervenes on someone else's behalf’. | |||
| Bambara | awoka | ||
| Ewe | nyaxɔɖeakɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kunganira | ||
| Lingala | kokotela | ||
| Luganda | omuwolerezi | ||
| Sepedi | mmoleledi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pere ma | ||
Advocate in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المؤيد | ||
| The Arabic word "المؤيد" (al-mu'ayyad) is derived from the root word "أيّد" (a-y-d), which means "to support" or "to strengthen." | |||
| Hebrew | עוֹרֵך דִין | ||
| The word עורך דין (''orekh din'') literally means 'arranger of judgment' in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | وکالت | ||
| The Pashto word "وکالت" also means "representation" or "agency". | |||
| Arabic | المؤيد | ||
| The Arabic word "المؤيد" (al-mu'ayyad) is derived from the root word "أيّد" (a-y-d), which means "to support" or "to strengthen." | |||
Advocate in Western European Languages
| Albanian | avokat | ||
| The Albanian word "avokat" originates from the Italian word "avvocato", which in turn comes from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to assist." | |||
| Basque | defendatzaile | ||
| The Basque word "defendatzaile" is related to the Latin "defendere" (to defend) and also means "shield". | |||
| Catalan | defensor | ||
| The Catalan word "defensor" derives from the Latin "defendere", meaning "to protect" or "to defend". | |||
| Croatian | zagovornik | ||
| The word "zagovornik" in Croatian originally meant "intercessor" and also has the archaic meaning of "conspiracy". | |||
| Danish | advokat | ||
| In Danish, "advokat" can also refer to a legal consultant or counselor. | |||
| Dutch | pleiten voor | ||
| Pleiten voor comes from the Old French word "pleder" meaning "to argue". | |||
| English | advocate | ||
| In English, 'advocate' shares its Latin root with the word 'voice', reflecting its meaning of 'one who speaks for another'. | |||
| French | avocat | ||
| In French, "avocat" can also refer to an avocado, a fruit from the avocado tree. | |||
| Frisian | bepleitsje | ||
| The word "bepleitsje" in Frisian derives from the Dutch word "pleitbezorger" meaning "spokesperson for someone's interests". | |||
| Galician | defensor | ||
| The Galician word "defensor" can also mean "defender" or "protector". | |||
| German | befürworten | ||
| The word "befürworten" derives from the Old High German "bi-furwortan", which literally means "to speak in favor of something with words". | |||
| Icelandic | talsmaður | ||
| The term "talsmaður" (advocate) in Icelandic comes from the Old West Norse "talsmaðr," meaning "spokesman" or "speaker." | |||
| Irish | abhcóide | ||
| The Irish word "abhcóide" originates from the Old Irish word "abacc", meaning "voice" or "cry." | |||
| Italian | avvocato | ||
| The Italian word "avvocato" derives from the Latin "advocare," meaning "to call to one's aid" or "to summon." | |||
| Luxembourgish | affekot | ||
| "Affekot" is likely a loanword from Old French "avouet". Possibly it is derived from the Latin word "advocatus". | |||
| Maltese | avukat | ||
| In some contexts, 'avukat' can also refer to a lawyer or a person who provides advice or support. | |||
| Norwegian | advokat | ||
| The Old Norse term 'aðalkæti' (legal aid) is derived from the Old English word 'ædlæht' (inheritance of the eldest) and is the root of the Norwegian word 'advokat' (lawyer). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | advogado | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "advogado" can also mean "lawyer," while in English it only means "advocate." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tagraiche | ||
| The term may also signify 'a pleader', 'intercessor' or 'supplicant' | |||
| Spanish | abogado | ||
| The word "abogado" in Spanish not only means "advocate" but also refers to a lawyer or an expert on a specific topic. | |||
| Swedish | förespråkare | ||
| Förespråkare means 'advocate', but originally meant 'one who speaks upfront'. | |||
| Welsh | eiriolwr | ||
| The word 'eiriolwr' can also refer to a 'spokesman', 'intercessor' or 'pleader'. | |||
Advocate in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адвакат | ||
| The Belarusian word "адвакат" (advocate) is derived from the Latin word "advocare", meaning "to call to one's aid". | |||
| Bosnian | advokat | ||
| The word "advokat" is derived from Latin "advocatus" meaning "one who is called to aid." | |||
| Bulgarian | застъпник | ||
| In Old Bulgarian, "застъпник" denoted a person interceding on behalf of another, as well as a saint considered a patron of a particular cause or place. | |||
| Czech | zastánce | ||
| The word "zastánce" can also refer to a "defender" or "supporter" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | advokaat | ||
| "Advokaat" is also Estonian for "egg liqueur" or "lawyer." | |||
| Finnish | edustaa | ||
| The word "edustaja" (representative) is related to the word "edustaa" (advocate) and the root "edus" (parliament). | |||
| Hungarian | ügyvéd | ||
| Ügyvéd is borrowed from German "Advokat" which has the same meaning and is further derived from the Latin word "advocatus" | |||
| Latvian | aizstāvis | ||
| The Latvian word "aizstāvis" comes from the verb "aizstāvēt" which means "to defend". It can also refer to a lawyer or a person who supports or defends a cause. | |||
| Lithuanian | advokatas | ||
| The word "advokatas" originally meant "a person who intercedes on behalf of another". | |||
| Macedonian | застапник | ||
| The word "застапник" in Macedonian has Slavic roots, derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "състапникъ", meaning "one who stands by or defends". | |||
| Polish | rzecznik | ||
| The word 'rzecznik' is derived from the Old Polish word 'rzecznik', meaning 'speaker' or 'spokesperson'. | |||
| Romanian | avocat | ||
| The Romanian word “avocat†derives from French and can also mean one's lawyer or "legal representative" | |||
| Russian | защищать | ||
| The word "защищать" also means "to protect" or "to defend". | |||
| Serbian | заговорник | ||
| The Serbian word 'заговорник' ('advocate') shares its root with 'говор' ('speech') and the verb 'говорити' ('to speak'). The word thus originally referred to someone who spoke in support of another person or cause. | |||
| Slovak | obhajca | ||
| As a female noun, obhajca means 'defender' in the context of sports. | |||
| Slovenian | zagovornik | ||
| The word "zagovornik" derives from the verb "zagovoriti", meaning "to defend" or "to plead for". It can also refer to a lawyer or attorney. | |||
| Ukrainian | адвокат | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "адвокат" not only means "advocate", but also "defender" in a broader sense, including military defense. | |||
Advocate in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উকিল | ||
| In Bengali, the word "উকিল" also means "representative" or "agent". | |||
| Gujarati | એડવોકેટ | ||
| The word "advocate" originates from the Latin word "advocare", meaning "to call to one's aid". | |||
| Hindi | वकील | ||
| The word "वकील" (vakīl) originally referred to a representative or agent, and still retains this meaning in some contexts. | |||
| Kannada | ವಕೀಲ | ||
| "ವಕೀಲ" (vakīla) is derived from the Sanskrit word "vak" meaning "speech" or "voice". | |||
| Malayalam | അഭിഭാഷകൻ | ||
| The word "അഭിഭാഷകൻ" (abhibhaashakan) in Malayalam has its roots in Sanskrit, where "abhi" means "towards" and "bhaasha" means "speech," hence an advocate is someone who speaks on behalf of others. | |||
| Marathi | वकिली | ||
| The word "वकिली" can also refer to the profession of law or the practice of law. | |||
| Nepali | अधिवक्ता | ||
| The word 'अधिवक्ता' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अधि' meaning 'over' and 'वक्तृ' meaning 'speaker', indicating a person who speaks for or on behalf of another. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਕੀਲ | ||
| The word "ਵਕੀਲ" (vakeel) is derived from the Persian-Arabic word "wakil", meaning "agent" or "representative." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධිනීති ate | ||
| The word 'අධිනීති ate' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'अधिनियति' (adhinīyati), meaning 'to act according to the law'. | |||
| Tamil | வக்கீல் | ||
| Telugu | న్యాయవాది | ||
| The Telugu word "న్యాయవాది" ('nyāyavādi') literally translates to "one who speaks justly", and can also refer to a lawyer. | |||
| Urdu | وکیل | ||
| The term "وکیل" also holds a connotation of delegation, as in a proxy or representative, akin to "attorney" or "agent" in English. | |||
Advocate in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 主张 | ||
| 主张 (zhǔzhāng) can also mean 'claim' or 'assertion'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 主張 | ||
| 主張 refers to an opinion or claim, and has the connotation of being strong and determined. | |||
| Japanese | 提唱する | ||
| 提唱, literally meaning "raise a proposition," may also mean, in some dialects, "to deny." | |||
| Korean | 대변자 | ||
| '대변자' (advocate) originally meant 'a person who speaks on behalf of another' (代言者) in Chinese, but its meaning has been expanded to include 'a person who supports or defends a cause'. | |||
| Mongolian | өмгөөлөгч | ||
| The Mongolian word "өмгөөлөгч" also means "intercessor", "patron", or "supporter", emphasizing the act of speaking on behalf of or supporting someone. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထောက်ခံသူ | ||
Advocate in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menganjurkan | ||
| The word "menganjurkan" derives from the root word "anjur" which means recommendation or advice. | |||
| Javanese | pengacara | ||
| "Pengacara" also means "leader" or "guide" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | តស៊ូមតិ | ||
| The word "តស៊ូមតិ" has roots in Pali and Sanskrit and originally meant "to fight for or defend an opinion or idea." | |||
| Lao | ສະ ໜັບ ສະ ໜູນ | ||
| Malay | penyokong | ||
| The Malay word "penyokong" is derived from the Javanese word "penyangkong", meaning "supporter" or "follower". | |||
| Thai | สนับสนุน | ||
| "สนับสนุน" (advocate) can also mean "to support" or "to promote". | |||
| Vietnamese | biện hộ | ||
| "Biện hộ" means both "to advocate" and "to justify." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tagapagtaguyod | ||
Advocate in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | vəkil | ||
| The term 'vəkil' can also refer to an authorized representative or a guardian in law. | |||
| Kazakh | адвокат | ||
| Kazakh "адвокат" originally referred to "lawyer speaking on behalf of defendants", but gained the current meaning of "lawyer in general" only during Soviet period. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жактоочу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жактоочу" can also mean "one who protects". | |||
| Tajik | ҳимоятгар | ||
| The word "ҳимоятгар" (advocate) in Tajik ultimately derives from the Arabic word "ḥimāyah" (protection, support). | |||
| Turkmen | aklawçy | ||
| Uzbek | advokat | ||
| «Advokat» (advocate) word has the same meaning in Uzbek, however, it could also mean «qisqa vaqtdagi» (“short-term”), «tez vaqtda» (“in a short time”). | |||
| Uyghur | ئادۋوكات | ||
Advocate in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea kākoʻo | ||
| The Hawaiian word "mea kākoʻo" literally translates to "supporting thing" or "supporting person." | |||
| Maori | kaitautoko | ||
| Kaitautoko, meaning "supporter" or "intercessor," is derived from the Maori words kaitau and toko, which mean "to stand" and "to support" respectively. | |||
| Samoan | fautua | ||
| In Samoan the word "fautua" can refer to either an advocate, an official orator for a high chief, or a village elder with advisory powers. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tagapagtaguyod | ||
| In Tagalog, 'tagapagtaguyod' comes from 'tagaguyod' meaning 'supporter', highlighting advocacy's role in providing backing to a cause or person. | |||
Advocate in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arxatiri | ||
| Guarani | pysyrõhára | ||
Advocate in International Languages
| Esperanto | advokato | ||
| The suffix -ad- in advokato means 'tending to', e.g., 'aminda' can mean 'loving' or 'friendly'. | |||
| Latin | advocatus | ||
| In Latin, "advocatus" originally referred to a person who stood beside or called upon another in a court of law or a public assembly. | |||
Advocate in Others Languages
| Greek | συνήγορος | ||
| The word "συνήγορος" derives from the Greek roots "σύν" (with) and "ἀγορεύω" (to speak), hence its primary meaning of "one who speaks with another". | |||
| Hmong | tus sawv cev | ||
| The word "tus sawv cev" can also mean "to speak up for someone" or "to represent someone's interests." | |||
| Kurdish | pêşnîyarkirin | ||
| The word "pêşnîyarkirin" derives from the Persian word "pīshnīh" (proposal) and means "to propose" or "to recommend". | |||
| Turkish | savunucu | ||
| The word "savunucu" originally meant "defender" in Turkish, but it has since taken on the additional meaning of "advocate". | |||
| Xhosa | ummeli | ||
| The word "ummeli" in Xhosa originates from the verb "umela," meaning "to speak on behalf of someone." | |||
| Yiddish | שטיצן | ||
| The word "שטיצן" can also mean "to prop up" or "to support" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ummeli | ||
| The noun ‘ummeli’ is commonly mistranslated as ‘advocate’, but its true meaning is closer to ‘a person who intervenes on someone else's behalf’. | |||
| Assamese | উকীল | ||
| Aymara | arxatiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | वकील | ||
| Dhivehi | އެހީތެރިން | ||
| Dogri | बकील | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tagapagtaguyod | ||
| Guarani | pysyrõhára | ||
| Ilocano | igandat | ||
| Krio | sɔpɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | داکۆکیکار | ||
| Maithili | वकील | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯀꯤꯜ | ||
| Mizo | sawisaktu | ||
| Oromo | kan namaaf dubbatu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଓକିଲ | ||
| Quechua | amachay | ||
| Sanskrit | अधिवक्ता | ||
| Tatar | яклаучы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጠበቓ | ||
| Tsonga | mulweri | ||