Ancient in Different Languages
Discover 'Ancient' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ancient, a word that evokes a sense of mystery and awe, takes us on a journey through time. It signifies something that is old, having existed for a very long time or belonging to a time that is long past. The cultural importance of the word 'ancient' is immense, as it connects us to our roots and gives us a glimpse into the lives of our ancestors.
Delving into the world of 'ancient' is like opening a treasure trove of historical contexts and interesting facts. For instance, did you know that the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, around 2560 BC? Or that the ancient Greeks were responsible for the foundations of Western philosophy, literature, and government?
Understanding the translation of 'ancient' in different languages can provide us with a unique perspective on how various cultures perceive and value their history. Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- Latin: antiquus
- Greek: ἀρχαῖος (archaîos)
- Chinese: 古老的 (gǔ lǎo de)
- Japanese: 古代 (kodai)
- Arabic: عتيق (ʿatīq)
Ancient
Ancient in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | antieke | ||
| The Afrikaans word "antieke" is derived from Greek and Latin and can also mean "antique" or "old-fashioned" in addition to "ancient". | |||
| Amharic | ጥንታዊ | ||
| The word 'ጥንታዊ' in Amharic also refers to ancient times, history, or the past. | |||
| Hausa | tsoho | ||
| The word "tsoho" is also used in Hausa to describe something that is outdated or traditional, like a custom. | |||
| Igbo | ochie | ||
| The Igbo word "ochie" also has meanings like "early", "venerated", "ancient times" and even "past tense". | |||
| Malagasy | fahiny | ||
| The word "FAHINY" can also refer to something that is respected, venerable, or sacred. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wakale | ||
| The word "wakale" in Nyanja (Chichewa) ultimately derives from the Proto-Bantu word *kala*, meaning "long time ago" or "old." | |||
| Shona | yekare | ||
| Derived from a verb stem meaning 'to come upon something by chance' or 'to meet accidentally', the word 'yekare' can also refer to the unexpected or to anything strange and wondrous. | |||
| Somali | qadiim ah | ||
| The word "qadiim ah" in Somali is also used figuratively to describe something that is out of date or no longer in use. | |||
| Sesotho | boholo-holo | ||
| While "boholo-holo" means "ancient," it can also refer to being or feeling very old. | |||
| Swahili | kale | ||
| "Kale" can also mean "first" or "original" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | mandulo | ||
| The word "mandulo" also means "forefather" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | atijọ | ||
| "Àtijọ" in Yoruba refers to "the olden days" and "old age". | |||
| Zulu | lasendulo | ||
| The word 'lasendulo' in Zulu can also refer to something that has been passed down through generations or that is regarded as traditional. | |||
| Bambara | kɔrɔlen | ||
| Ewe | xoxo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kera | ||
| Lingala | kala | ||
| Luganda | -kadde | ||
| Sepedi | kgalekgale | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tete | ||
Ancient in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عتيق | ||
| The word "عتيق" in Arabic can also mean "noble" or "freed from slavery". | |||
| Hebrew | עָתִיק | ||
| The Hebrew word "עָתִיק" ("ancient") also refers to something or someone who is very old and wise. | |||
| Pashto | لرغونی | ||
| The word "لرغونی" may also refer to a type of traditional Pashto song. | |||
| Arabic | عتيق | ||
| The word "عتيق" in Arabic can also mean "noble" or "freed from slavery". | |||
Ancient in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i lashte | ||
| The word "i lashte" is also used to refer to something that is very old or outdated. | |||
| Basque | antzinakoa | ||
| Antzinakoa means "forefather" in Basque and is related to "ancestor" in some dialects. | |||
| Catalan | antiga | ||
| The word "antiga" in Catalan comes from the Latin "ante" (before) and "agere" (to do), and can also mean "former" or "old-fashioned". | |||
| Croatian | antički | ||
| The word 'antički' can also refer to a style of architecture or art from the ancient period. | |||
| Danish | gammel | ||
| Gammel is derived from the Middle Low German "gamal" which can also mean "old", but it can also be used to refer to something that is "experienced". | |||
| Dutch | oude | ||
| The Dutch word "oude" can also mean "aged", as in "aged cheese". | |||
| English | ancient | ||
| In addition to its chronological meaning, "ancient" is also used figuratively to describe things that are old-fashioned or outdated. | |||
| French | ancien | ||
| In French, "ancien" can mean not only "ancient" but also "former" when referring to a position or title. | |||
| Frisian | âld | ||
| In Old Frisian, "âld" could also mean "noble" or "worthy of respect." | |||
| Galician | antiga | ||
| Antiga comes from the Latin word “antiquus”, which also refers to old things, objects, or situations | |||
| German | uralt | ||
| The word "uralt" comes from the Middle High German word "uralte" meaning "very old, ancient". | |||
| Icelandic | fornt | ||
| In Icelandic, 'forn' can also refer to a person of noble descent or a mythological being. | |||
| Irish | ársa | ||
| Although 'ársa' is usually understood to mean 'ancient', it may also mean 'slow' or 'elderly'. | |||
| Italian | antico | ||
| "Antico" also means "old-fashioned" or "outdated" in Italian, just like the English word "antique". | |||
| Luxembourgish | antike | ||
| The word "antike" can also refer to an auction or a second-hand shop in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | antika | ||
| The word "antika" can also refer to an antique or an anachronism. | |||
| Norwegian | eldgamle | ||
| The word "eldgamle" in Norwegian can also refer to something that is very old-fashioned or outdated. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | antigo | ||
| The word 'antigo' also means 'old-fashioned', 'outdated' or 'obsolete' in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àrsaidh | ||
| The Gaelic word for ‘ancient’ (àrsaidh) also refers to the spirits of the dead who dwell in ancient places. | |||
| Spanish | antiguo | ||
| The word 'antiguo' originally meant 'old age' and referred to the period of life after youth and before senescence. | |||
| Swedish | gammal | ||
| The Swedish word "gammal" originates from the Old Norse "gamall", which means "old" or "aged." | |||
| Welsh | hynafol | ||
| "Hynafol" also refers to an archaic or old-fashioned word or phrase. | |||
Ancient in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | старажытны | ||
| The word "старажытны" in Belarusian originates from the Proto-Slavic word "starъ", meaning "old" or "ancient". | |||
| Bosnian | drevni | ||
| Drevni means 'ancient' in Bosnian, but it also has the alternate meaning of 'tall' or 'long'. | |||
| Bulgarian | древен | ||
| The word "древен" can also mean "primeval" or "archaic" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | starověký | ||
| Starověký derives from the Czech words "starý" (old) and "věk" (age), and can also refer to historical periods such as the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages. | |||
| Estonian | iidne | ||
| The word "iidne" can also mean "old-fashioned" or "traditional" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | muinainen | ||
| The word "muinainen" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*muina" meaning "old", and is related to the Estonian word "muinane" and the Karelian word "muinoin". | |||
| Hungarian | ősi | ||
| The term "ősi" also denotes an ancient noble lineage, with which one could claim the right to hold certain offices or the right to hunt on a royal estate. | |||
| Latvian | senais | ||
| Senais is also used to describe something old-fashioned or outdated. | |||
| Lithuanian | senovės | ||
| Lithuanian "senovės" derives from the Proto-Baltic root *sen- "old" and the suffix *-ov- "abstraction". | |||
| Macedonian | антички | ||
| The word "антички" could also refer to "antique" or "vintage" objects. | |||
| Polish | starożytny | ||
| The Polish word "starożytny" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "stàrů", meaning "old". | |||
| Romanian | vechi | ||
| The term "vechi" ultimately derives from the Latin word "vetus" meaning "old". | |||
| Russian | древний | ||
| The word "древний" also means "primordial" or "ancient" in the sense of belonging to the very beginning of time. | |||
| Serbian | прастаре | ||
| The word "прастаре" is a combination of the Slavic roots "пра" (meaning "first" or "foremost") and "старе" (meaning "old"), which together signify something that is "oldest" or "existing from the very beginning." | |||
| Slovak | starodávny | ||
| The word "starodávny" in Slovak also means "old-fashioned" or "outdated". | |||
| Slovenian | starodavni | ||
| The root of "starodavni" means "to give" and the suffix "-n" indicates the agent of an action, thus the word originally meant "one who gives". | |||
| Ukrainian | древній | ||
| "Древній" can be used as a noun meaning "the past" or "the days of old." | |||
Ancient in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রাচীন | ||
| The word "প্রাচীন" can also mean "of long standing" or "venerable". | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રાચીન | ||
| The word “પ્રાચીન” comes from the Sanskrit word “प्राची’ (prācī) meaning ‘east’. It has come to mean ‘ancient’ because in ancient times, India was considered to be the easternmost part of the world. | |||
| Hindi | प्राचीन | ||
| "प्राचीन" can also mean "eastern", "venerable", "old", or "forefather" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಾಚೀನ | ||
| The word "ಪ್ರಾಚೀನ" in Kannada is also used to refer to traditional or conventional practices and ideas. | |||
| Malayalam | പുരാതന | ||
| The word "പുരാതന" can also refer to someone or something that is worthy of respect or honor. | |||
| Marathi | प्राचीन | ||
| Prachin also means "eastern" or "ancient" and is often used to refer to India's ancient Vedic texts. | |||
| Nepali | पुरानो | ||
| पुराना can also mean old, former, or out of date. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ | ||
| The word "ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ" (praachin) is also used to refer to something that is venerable or respected, or to something that is traditional or customary. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පුරාණ | ||
| The word "පුරාණ" can also mean "long-established" and "old-fashioned" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | பண்டைய | ||
| The Tamil word "பண்டைய" also means "early" or "former" and is related to the word "பந்து" meaning "ball". | |||
| Telugu | ప్రాచీన | ||
| The word "ప్రాచీన" can also refer to the "east" or "ancient times." | |||
| Urdu | قدیم | ||
| The word "قدیم" ("ancient") in Urdu can also mean "eternal" or "old". | |||
Ancient in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 古 | ||
| The character "古" can also mean "music" and is used as a prefix for many musical terms. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 古 | ||
| 古 means not only ancient, but also old, former, or the past | |||
| Japanese | 古代 | ||
| In Japanese, "古代" also refers to the period of Japanese history from the 6th to the 9th centuries, the "Asuka" and "Nara" periods. | |||
| Korean | 고대 | ||
| In Korean, the term "고대" (godae) originally meant "long ago", but it later acquired the connotation of "ancient times" and is now commonly used to describe historical periods. | |||
| Mongolian | эртний | ||
| The word "эртний" can also mean "old" or "bygone". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှေးဟောင်း | ||
Ancient in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kuno | ||
| The word "kuno" can also refer to something that is out-of-date or obsolete. | |||
| Javanese | kuna | ||
| The word "kuna" in Javanese is derived from Sanskrit and also means "old" or "aged". | |||
| Khmer | បុរាណ | ||
| The second most common meaning of the word is "ancient" with the implication that the object in question is also valuable or venerable. | |||
| Lao | ວັດຖຸບູຮານ | ||
| Malay | kuno | ||
| In the Malay language the word "kuno" also means "old-fashioned" and "outdated". | |||
| Thai | โบราณ | ||
| The word “โบราณ” derives from Old Khmer “*braḥm” and “*ācān”, meaning “Brahman” and “teacher”, respectively, and was adopted into Thai during the Middle Khmer era | |||
| Vietnamese | cổ xưa | ||
| "Cổ xưa" có nghĩa là có từ thời xa xưa hoặc mang phong cách của thời xa xưa. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sinaunang | ||
Ancient in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qədim | ||
| The word "qədim" is also used to refer to "old age" or "antiquity" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | ежелгі | ||
| Ежелгі's other meanings are 'old-fashioned' and 'traditional'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | байыркы | ||
| The word "байыркы" can also mean "old" or "traditional" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | қадимӣ | ||
| The Persian-derived word "кадимӣ" means "past" in modern Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | gadymy | ||
| Uzbek | qadimiy | ||
| The word 'qadimiy' also means 'antiquated' or 'venerable'. | |||
| Uyghur | قەدىمكى | ||
Ancient in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kahiko | ||
| Kahiko also refers to the traditional form of hula, Hawaiian music, and martial arts. | |||
| Maori | tawhito | ||
| Tawhito also means "ancestor" in Maori, and is closely related to the word "tipuna". | |||
| Samoan | anamua | ||
| In Samoan, 'anamua' also refers to 'in the past' or 'formerly'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sinaunang | ||
| "Sinaunang" is the Tagalog word for "ancient," but it can also mean "old-fashioned" or "outdated." | |||
Ancient in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | nayrja | ||
| Guarani | ymaguare | ||
Ancient in International Languages
| Esperanto | antikva | ||
| "Antikva" in Esperanto also refers to a type of typeface used to set Roman script. | |||
| Latin | antiquorum | ||
| The Latin word "antiquorum" can refer to both "ancient things" and "ancestors". | |||
Ancient in Others Languages
| Greek | αρχαίος | ||
| The word 'αρχαίος' also means 'original' or 'primitive' in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | thaum ub | ||
| The word "thaum ub" is also used to describe things that are mysterious or magical. | |||
| Kurdish | kevnar | ||
| The word "kevnar" also denotes something that is "great" or "magnanimous". | |||
| Turkish | antik | ||
| In Turkish, "Antik" can also refer to a valuable or collectible object. | |||
| Xhosa | mandulo | ||
| The word "mandulo" also means "forefather" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אלטע | ||
| In Yiddish, "אלטע" can also mean "elderly woman." | |||
| Zulu | lasendulo | ||
| The word 'lasendulo' in Zulu can also refer to something that has been passed down through generations or that is regarded as traditional. | |||
| Assamese | পৌৰাণিক | ||
| Aymara | nayrja | ||
| Bhojpuri | पुरान | ||
| Dhivehi | އިހު ޒަމާނުގެ | ||
| Dogri | प्राचीन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sinaunang | ||
| Guarani | ymaguare | ||
| Ilocano | daan | ||
| Krio | ol | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆن | ||
| Maithili | पुरातन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hmanlai | ||
| Oromo | dur | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାଚୀନ | ||
| Quechua | ñawpaq | ||
| Sanskrit | पुरातनः | ||
| Tatar | борынгы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥንታዊ | ||
| Tsonga | khale | ||