Updated on March 6, 2024
An 'album' is a collection of songs, photographs, or artwork that are gathered together and presented as a single cohesive piece. The word itself has Latin roots, derived from the term 'albumen' which referred to a white blank tablet used for writing. This meaning evolved over time, eventually becoming the word we know today.
Albums hold immense cultural importance, allowing us to capture and share moments in time, express ourselves creatively, and communicate ideas in a unique and engaging way. From the first vinyl records to modern day digital playlists, albums have been a constant presence in our lives, shaping the way we consume and appreciate music and art.
Understanding the translation of the word 'album' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into the cultural nuances and linguistic differences that make our world so diverse and interesting. For example, in Spanish, 'album' is 'álbum', while in German it's 'Album' and in French, it's 'album'.
Join us as we explore the many different translations of the word 'album', shedding light on the rich history and cultural significance of this ubiquitous term.
Afrikaans | album | ||
The Afrikaans word "album" can also refer to an anthology or a collection of photographs. | |||
Amharic | አልበም | ||
The word "አልበም" in Amharic, derived from the Latin "album" meaning "white", refers to a type of notebook or register used to record information. | |||
Hausa | faifai | ||
Hausa word "faifai" can also mean "flat" or "thin", referring to the shape of an album. | |||
Igbo | album | ||
In Igbo, 'album' can also refer to the traditional Igbo wedding album featuring photos and stories documenting the union. | |||
Malagasy | raki-kira | ||
"Raki-kira" also means "to pick up" in Malagasy | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chimbale | ||
The word "Chimbale" can also refer to a "plate", a "disk" or a "flattened object". | |||
Shona | album | ||
'Album' in Shona also refers to a type of mushroom or a bundle of firewood. | |||
Somali | album | ||
In Somali, "album" also refers to a large, flat object used to spread out dough or batter. | |||
Sesotho | albamo | ||
The word 'albamo' in Sesotho is derived from the Portuguese word 'álbum', which means 'book'. | |||
Swahili | albamu | ||
The Swahili word "albamu" can also refer to an official document or record. | |||
Xhosa | icwecwe | ||
The Xhosa word "icwecwe" comes from the verb "ukucweba," which means "to be spread out," as the pages of an album can be. | |||
Yoruba | awo-orin | ||
The Yoruba word "awo-orin" can also mean "songbook" and refers to the practice of passing down traditional songs through oral tradition. | |||
Zulu | i-albhamu | ||
The Zulu word "i-albhamu" derives from the Greek word "album" through the Latin word "albus," meaning "white." | |||
Bambara | albamu (albamu) ye | ||
Ewe | album | ||
Kinyarwanda | alubumu | ||
Lingala | album | ||
Luganda | olutambi | ||
Sepedi | alebamo | ||
Twi (Akan) | album | ||
Arabic | الألبوم | ||
الألبوم is a word in Arabic that refers to a collection of music or a record, derived from the Latin word 'albus', meaning 'white' or 'bright', referring to the white pages used in early records. | |||
Hebrew | אַלבּוֹם | ||
The Hebrew word אַלבּוֹם, pronounced "al-boom," is derived from the Latin word "album," meaning "white" or "blank," and historically referred to a collection of blank pages bound together. | |||
Pashto | البم | ||
The word "album" in Pashto can also refer to a type of large, flat, round bread. | |||
Arabic | الألبوم | ||
الألبوم is a word in Arabic that refers to a collection of music or a record, derived from the Latin word 'albus', meaning 'white' or 'bright', referring to the white pages used in early records. |
Albanian | album | ||
The word 'album' also refers to a 'wedding album' or a 'photo album' in Albanian. | |||
Basque | albuma | ||
This word does not exist in Basque, the correct word for "album" is "diska" | |||
Catalan | àlbum | ||
The Catalan word "àlbum" comes from the Latin "album", meaning "white" or "tablet". | |||
Croatian | album | ||
In Croatian, "album" also refers to a collection of postage stamps or the blank pages of a passport. | |||
Danish | album | ||
The term 'album' originates from the Latin word for 'white' and has traditionally been used to describe a collection of photographs, stamps or records. | |||
Dutch | album | ||
In Dutch, "album" can also refer to a wedding or family photo album. | |||
English | album | ||
The word "album" derives from the Latin word for "white," a reference to the blank pages in a bound book intended to be filled with handwritten or pasted-in items. | |||
French | album | ||
The word "album" comes from the Latin word "albus," meaning "white," and originally referred to a blank book with white pages. | |||
Frisian | album | ||
The word "album" in Frisian can also mean "picture book" or "notebook". | |||
Galician | álbum | ||
"Álbum" in Galician can also refer to a set of songs, a collection of photographs, or the white part of an egg. | |||
German | album | ||
In German "Album" can refer to different body parts of animals or books for stamps, photos, or other collections. | |||
Icelandic | albúm | ||
In Icelandic, "albúm" can also refer to a list of names or other entries organized in a particular order. | |||
Irish | albam | ||
In Irish, "albam" can also refer to the white of an egg or the albumen of a milk plant. | |||
Italian | album | ||
In Italian, "album" can also mean a picture book or a register containing records. | |||
Luxembourgish | album | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Album" also refers to a "photo album" or a "scrapbook". | |||
Maltese | album | ||
The word "album" in Maltese can also refer to a book or a registry. | |||
Norwegian | album | ||
In Norwegian, an "album" can also refer to a collection of stamps in a commemorative book. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | álbum | ||
In Portuguese, "álbum" also refers to a collection of stamps or coins. | |||
Scots Gaelic | album | ||
In Scots Gaelic, an "album" (àlbum) can also refer to an "elegy" or a "dirge". | |||
Spanish | álbum | ||
In Spanish, "álbum" can also refer to a collection of postage stamps or trading cards. | |||
Swedish | album | ||
In Swedish, the word "album" can also refer to a type of bread. | |||
Welsh | albwm | ||
In Welsh, "albwm" can also refer to a set of photographs or a type of book with blank pages for keeping records or accounts. |
Belarusian | альбом | ||
In Belarusian, "альбом" can also refer to a large notebook for schoolwork or a scrapbook for collecting stamps or other memorabilia. | |||
Bosnian | album | ||
"Album" means "white" in Latin and was used to describe a book with blank pages for writing or drawing. | |||
Bulgarian | албум | ||
The Bulgarian word "албум" (album) derives from the Latin word "album", which originally referred to a white or blank tablet used for official records or writing exercises. | |||
Czech | album | ||
In Czech, "album" can also mean "a book of photographs or stamps". | |||
Estonian | album | ||
"Album" derives from the Latin root "albus," which means "white" or "blank," referring to the blank pages used for storing memories. | |||
Finnish | albumi | ||
Albumi derives from Latin but also refers to the white color of egg whites. | |||
Hungarian | album | ||
In Hungarian, "album" can also refer to a type of traditional calendar, often featuring religious imagery. | |||
Latvian | albumu | ||
The word "albumu" in Latvian is ultimately derived from the Latin word "album," which means "white" and was originally used to refer to a blank book or tablet. | |||
Lithuanian | albumas | ||
The word "albumas" in Lithuanian also refers to egg white or protein | |||
Macedonian | албум | ||
{"text": "The Macedonian word “албум" derives from Latin “album” meaning “white tablet”. In addition to the meaning “album,” “албум” can also mean “diary”."} | |||
Polish | album | ||
In Polish, "album" can also refer to a collection of stamps or coins, or a set of photographs organized by theme. | |||
Romanian | album | ||
In Romanian, "album" can also refer to a school yearbook or a scrapbook. | |||
Russian | альбом | ||
The word "альбом" is derived from the Latin word "albus", meaning "white" or "bright", and originally referred to a blank book with white pages for recording or drawing. | |||
Serbian | албум | ||
The Serbian word "албум" can also refer to an index or a document containing lists of names, entries, or other important information. | |||
Slovak | album | ||
The word "album" is also used in Slovak to refer to a photograph or stamp collection. | |||
Slovenian | album | ||
"Album" in Slovenian can also mean "notebook" or "sketchbook." | |||
Ukrainian | альбом | ||
In Ukrainian, "альбом" can also refer to a collection of stamps or other items, or a register of official documents. |
Bengali | অ্যালবাম | ||
The word "album" originates from the Latin word "albus", meaning "white", referring to the white pages used in early albums for storing photographs. | |||
Gujarati | આલ્બમ | ||
"આલ્બમ" is also the Gujarati word for "an internal wound or injury", with the same etymology as the English word "ulcer", from the Latin "ulcus". | |||
Hindi | एल्बम | ||
Hindi 'एल्बम' is derived from Latin 'albus' meaning 'white', referring to the white wooden tablets used in ancient Rome to record official documents and laws. | |||
Kannada | ಆಲ್ಬಮ್ | ||
The word 'ಆಲ್ಬಮ್' in Kannada is derived from the Portuguese word 'album', which originally referred to a book of blank pages for sketches or other artwork. | |||
Malayalam | ആൽബം | ||
In botany, 'ആൽബം' can refer to the reserve food material in seeds, typically composed of proteins and starch. | |||
Marathi | अल्बम | ||
अल्बम is originally a Latin word meaning 'white' and referred to small white tablets on which documents were written or to blank tablets which could be inscribed. | |||
Nepali | एल्बम | ||
The word 'album' originated in the Latin word 'albus' meaning 'white' and was originally used to describe a blank book for writing or drawing. | |||
Punjabi | ਐਲਬਮ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਐਲਬਮ" is derived from the Latin word "album", which means "white" and was used to describe a book with blank pages for recording information. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඇල්බමය | ||
Originally, "ඇල්බමය" could also mean "white" in Sinhala, having been derived from the Latin word "albus". | |||
Tamil | ஆல்பம் | ||
The word 'ஆல்பம்' in Tamil can also refer to the first 7 chapters of the Tirukkural, a renowned Tamil text, or to the petals of flowers. | |||
Telugu | ఆల్బమ్ | ||
The word "ఆల్బమ్" ("album") comes from the Latin word "albus," meaning "white," and was originally used to refer to a bound collection of white or blank pages. | |||
Urdu | البم | ||
Urdu 'البم' comes from Portuguese 'álbum', ultimately borrowed from Latin 'albus' meaning 'white'. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 专辑 | ||
The character "专" means "specialize" or "focus," while "辑" means "collect" or "compile." | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 專輯 | ||
專輯 (pronounced 'zhuān jí' in Mandarin) can also refer to a record, a collection of stamps, or a photographic album. | |||
Japanese | アルバム | ||
The Japanese word "album" (アルバム) can also refer to a "scrapbook" or "photo album". | |||
Korean | 앨범 | ||
The word '앨범' can also refer to an anthology or a collection of poems, essays, or other literary works. | |||
Mongolian | цомог | ||
The Mongolian word "цомог" can also mean "a collection of things" or "a group of people sharing a common interest or goal." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အယ်လ်ဘမ် | ||
The word 'album' in Myanmar can also refer to a book specifically for storing postage stamps. |
Indonesian | album | ||
"Album" derives from the Latin word "albus," meaning "white," and has historically signified a blank slate for writing and storing material. | |||
Javanese | album | ||
The Javanese word "album" comes from the Dutch word "album", but it can also mean "book" or "list". | |||
Khmer | អាល់ប៊ុម | ||
The word "album" in Khmer is also associated with traditional scrapbooks or photo albums, which are often adorned with intricate cover designs and used to store family photographs. | |||
Lao | ອັນລະບັ້ມ | ||
Malay | album | ||
In Malay, the word "album" can also refer to a scrapbook or a collection of poems. | |||
Thai | อัลบั้ม | ||
The word "อัลบั้ม" also refers to the "stomach" in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | album | ||
Trong tiếng Latinh, "album" có nghĩa là "màu trắng" hoặc "nền trắng", dùng để chỉ các bức tường tô trắng nơi người ta vẽ tranh hoặc viết lên. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | album | ||
Azerbaijani | albom | ||
The word "albom" in Azerbaijani also refers to a type of traditional carpet, usually featuring bold patterns and vibrant colors. | |||
Kazakh | альбом | ||
Альбом (Kazakh for "album") also means "notebook" or "exercise book". | |||
Kyrgyz | альбом | ||
The Kyrgyz word "альбом" also means "a book for recording official documents" | |||
Tajik | албом | ||
В русском языке, слово "альбом" может также означать "сборник грампластинок на 10-12 пластинок". | |||
Turkmen | albom | ||
Uzbek | albom | ||
"Albom" may also refer to the first section of the 30th juz (chapter) of the Quran consisting of verses (ayahs) which all start with the Arabic letter "alif", or to a particular type of fabric used in clothing such as robes and shirts. | |||
Uyghur | album | ||
Hawaiian | puka mele | ||
The 'Mele' in the word 'Puka Mele' refers to the traditional Hawaiian chanting or singing. | |||
Maori | pukaemi | ||
The word "pukaemi" can also refer to a book or a collection of photographs. | |||
Samoan | lipine | ||
The word is cognate with Fijian "rivini" (album) and is a borrowing from French "album" (album) | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | album | ||
The word 'album' in Tagalog (Filipino) also means a 'book' or 'notebook'. |
Aymara | álbum | ||
Guarani | álbum | ||
Esperanto | albumo | ||
The Esperanto word "albumo" comes from the Latin "album", which originally meant "white" or "blank". | |||
Latin | album | ||
The Latin word "album" can also refer to a whitened board or a public record. |
Greek | άλμπουμ | ||
The Greek term άλμπουμ (album), derived from the Latin word albus (white), initially denoted a white tablet used for note-taking or drawing, before evolving to signify a book or collection of photographs. | |||
Hmong | album | ||
The Hmong word "album" originally meant "a flat object," such as a piece of paper or a stone. | |||
Kurdish | albûm | ||
The Kurdish word "albûm" derives from an Arabic term for "an album" or "an empty space". | |||
Turkish | albüm | ||
The word "albüm" comes from the Latin word "albus," meaning "white," referring to the white pages of early albums used for storing photographs and other images. | |||
Xhosa | icwecwe | ||
The Xhosa word "icwecwe" comes from the verb "ukucweba," which means "to be spread out," as the pages of an album can be. | |||
Yiddish | אלבאם | ||
The Yiddish word "אלבאם" derives from the Latin "album" and originally meant a blank book with white pages. | |||
Zulu | i-albhamu | ||
The Zulu word "i-albhamu" derives from the Greek word "album" through the Latin word "albus," meaning "white." | |||
Assamese | এলবাম | ||
Aymara | álbum | ||
Bhojpuri | एल्बम के नाम से जानल जाला | ||
Dhivehi | އަލްބަމް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | एल्बम | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | album | ||
Guarani | álbum | ||
Ilocano | album | ||
Krio | albɔm we dɛn kɔl | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەلبووم | ||
Maithili | एल्बम | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯂꯕꯝ ꯑꯁꯤꯅꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | album tihchhuah a ni | ||
Oromo | albama | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଆଲବମ୍ | ||
Quechua | álbum | ||
Sanskrit | album | ||
Tatar | альбом | ||
Tigrinya | ኣልቡም | ||
Tsonga | album | ||