Assault in Different Languages
Discover 'Assault' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'assault' carries significant weight and importance in many cultures and languages around the world. It refers to an intentional act of threatened or actual violence, often causing harm or fear to another individual. Understanding the translation of this word in different languages is crucial for effective communication and legal purposes. For instance, in Spanish, 'assault' is translated as 'agresión,' while in French, it is 'agression.' In German, the translation is 'Angriff,' and in Japanese, it is '攻撃 (kougeki).'
Moreover, the concept of assault has been present throughout history, shaping laws and societal norms. For example, in ancient Rome, assault was considered a public crime, and the punishment varied depending on the status of the victim and the offender. In medieval Europe, assault was often handled through trial by combat, where the accused would duel the accuser to prove their innocence.
By learning the translations of assault in different languages, we can better understand cultural differences and similarities in how various societies approach and address this important issue.
Assault
Assault in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aanranding | ||
| The word "aanranding" derived from the Dutch verb "aandragen", meaning "bring up" or "raise". | |||
| Amharic | ጥቃት | ||
| "ጥቃት" can also refer to a penalty or punishment, such as a fine or imprisonment. | |||
| Hausa | hari | ||
| The word "hari" can also mean "to attack" or "to fight". | |||
| Igbo | wakpo | ||
| The Igbo word 'wakpo' can also refer to 'misbehavior' or 'lawlessness'. | |||
| Malagasy | fanafihana | ||
| The Malagasy term "fanafihana" is related to the Indonesian term "fana", meaning "death" or "destruction". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumenya | ||
| The etymology of kumenya is unclear, but it is possible that it derives from the verb kumenya 'to beat or strike', which is still used in the colloquial speech of some parts of Malawi. | |||
| Shona | kurwisa | ||
| The word 'kurwisa' can also mean to beat or defeat someone, or to overcome a challenge. | |||
| Somali | weerar | ||
| Somali word 'weerar' originates from 'weer' meaning 'to attack or hunt' and shares its root with 'weeraryahan' meaning 'attacker'. | |||
| Sesotho | tlhaselo | ||
| The word "tlhaselo" is also used to refer to the act of attacking someone with a weapon. | |||
| Swahili | shambulio | ||
| "Shambulio" is derived from the Arabic word "shamabu"," which means "to seize" or "to catch." | |||
| Xhosa | ukubetha | ||
| The term 'ukubetha' can also mean 'to beat' or 'to strike' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | sele si | ||
| The phrase "sele si" in Yoruba, meaning "assault," literally translates to "touch the head." | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlasela | ||
| The word 'ukuhlasela' can also mean 'to attack' or 'to strike'. | |||
| Bambara | binkani | ||
| Ewe | ƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gukubita | ||
| Lingala | kobundisa | ||
| Luganda | okutyobola | ||
| Sepedi | tlaiša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔtaa | ||
Assault in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الاعتداءات | ||
| "الاعتداءات" is also used to refer to a person's physical or verbal attacks on oneself. | |||
| Hebrew | תקיפה | ||
| In addition to "assault," "תקיפה" can also refer to a legal claim or a violent act. | |||
| Pashto | برید | ||
| In Pashto, the word "برید" (barid) can also mean "to tear" or "to separate". | |||
| Arabic | الاعتداءات | ||
| "الاعتداءات" is also used to refer to a person's physical or verbal attacks on oneself. | |||
Assault in Western European Languages
| Albanian | sulm | ||
| The word 'sulm' in Albanian is derived from the Latin word 'insultus', and can also mean 'insult' or 'attack'. | |||
| Basque | eraso | ||
| The Basque word "eraso" also means "attack" or "offend". | |||
| Catalan | assalt | ||
| In Catalan, the word "assalt" can also mean "burglary" or "robbery". | |||
| Croatian | napad | ||
| The word "napad" in Croatian also derives from the Proto-Slavic word *napadъ, meaning "attack" or "assault." | |||
| Danish | angreb | ||
| The noun “angreb” derives from the Old Norse word “andrapi”, which originally meant “the act of seizing and holding”. | |||
| Dutch | aanval | ||
| The Dutch word "aanval" can also refer to a sudden or unexpected occurrence, such as an attack of illness or a surprise visit. | |||
| English | assault | ||
| "Assault" derives from medieval Latin (ultimately from Lat. salire, "to leap"), thus sharing "assault"'s sense "spring upon"" | |||
| French | agression | ||
| The word "agression" in French can also refer to a legal action aimed at obtaining réparation for a wrong suffered. | |||
| Frisian | oanfal | ||
| The alternate definition of "oanfal" in Frisian is "attack". | |||
| Galician | asalto | ||
| In Galician, another meaning of "asalto" is "robbery", a word derived from the Latin word "assultus", which means "a leap upon". | |||
| German | angriff | ||
| "Angriff" can also mean "attack," "onslaught," or "charge." | |||
| Icelandic | líkamsárás | ||
| The term "líkamsárás" (assault) is derived from the Old Norse word "lík", meaning body, and "sár", meaning wound or injury. | |||
| Irish | ionsaí | ||
| The Irish term for 'assault', ionnsaí, also denotes an onset, an attack or a charge. | |||
| Italian | assalto | ||
| The word "assalto" in Italian, meaning "attack", derives from the French word "assaut" and ultimately from the Latin word "adsultus". | |||
| Luxembourgish | iwwerfalen | ||
| The word "iwwerfalen" is derived from the German word "überfallen", which means "to attack". | |||
| Maltese | attakk | ||
| The Maltese word "attakk" can also be defined as a "violent attack or onset". | |||
| Norwegian | overfall | ||
| Norwegian "overfall" can also mean "waterfall" or "ambush". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | assalto | ||
| In Portuguese, 'assalto' can also refer to a crime involving robbery or mugging. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ionnsaigh | ||
| The word "ionnsaigh" in Scots Gaelic has the alternate meaning of "onset, attack, or charge". | |||
| Spanish | asalto | ||
| "Asalto" can also mean robbery or attack in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | överfall | ||
| In Swedish, the word 'överfall' can also refer to the act of ambushing someone. | |||
| Welsh | ymosodiad | ||
| The word "ymosodiad" can also refer to an attack or invasion. | |||
Assault in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | штурм | ||
| "Штурм" originated from the German word "Sturm" meaning "storm" or "attack." | |||
| Bosnian | napad | ||
| The word 'napad' originally meant 'an unexpected or violent entry' and is related to the verb 'napasti' which means 'to fall upon or attack'. | |||
| Bulgarian | нападение | ||
| The word "нападение" has an alternate meaning which is "raid". | |||
| Czech | útok | ||
| "Útok" also has the archaic meanings of "attack", "accusation", and "misfortune" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | rünnak | ||
| Besides its primary meaning of "assault," "rünnak" also means "attack," "offensive," and "onslaught" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | hyökkäys | ||
| Finnish word "hyökkäys" (assault) stems from the verb "hyökätä" (to attack). | |||
| Hungarian | támadás | ||
| The word "támadás" also means "attack" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | uzbrukums | ||
| The Latvian term "uzbrukums" also denotes "a sudden illness". | |||
| Lithuanian | užpuolimas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "užpuolimas" also means "attack" or "aggression". | |||
| Macedonian | напад | ||
| The word "напад" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *napadъ, meaning "attack, assault". | |||
| Polish | atak | ||
| The word "atak" in Polish, meaning "assault" also has a secondary meaning of "heart attack." | |||
| Romanian | asalt | ||
| The Romanian word 'asalt' also means 'robbery'. | |||
| Russian | нападение | ||
| "Нападение" literally means "an attack", but it can also refer to a legal accusation or an unexpected event. | |||
| Serbian | напад | ||
| The word 'напад' can also mean 'attack' or 'raid' in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | napadnutie | ||
| The word "napadnutie" also means "attack" or "violence" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | napad | ||
| The word "napad" can also mean "attack" or "onslaught" in English. | |||
| Ukrainian | напад | ||
| The Ukrainian word "напад" also has the alternate meaning of "attack" | |||
Assault in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লাঞ্ছনা | ||
| The word "লাঞ্ছনা" is also used in some contexts to describe non-physical assault such as verbal or emotional torment. | |||
| Gujarati | હુમલો | ||
| Originating from the Persian word همله (hamla), meaning "attack" or "raid", the Gujarati word "હુમલો" (humalo) exclusively refers to the act of physical harm. | |||
| Hindi | हमला | ||
| हमला can also mean 'attack' in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ದಾಳಿ | ||
| The word "ದಾಳಿ" (assault) in Kannada also refers to a sudden attack or raid. | |||
| Malayalam | കയ്യേറ്റം നടത്തുക | ||
| The term has multiple meanings and can refer to an assault, a seizure of property, or an attempt to do so. | |||
| Marathi | हल्ला | ||
| The Marathi word "हल्ला" is also used to describe the act of calling out to or addressing someone, and is cognate with the Hindi word "हल्लो", which means "hello". | |||
| Nepali | आक्रमण | ||
| The word "आक्रमण" (aakraman) in Nepali shares its root with the Sanskrit word "आक्रम" (aakram), meaning "to attack" or "to invade", and is also related to the Hindi word "आक्रमण" (aakraman), meaning "assault" or "invasion". | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਮਲਾ | ||
| "ਹਮਲਾ" traces its roots back to the Sanskrit word "ā-krama," which signifies "a step towards" or "an approach." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පහරදීම | ||
| The term "පහරදීම" (assault) in Sinhala comes from the root word "පහර" which means "to strike" or "to attack". | |||
| Tamil | தாக்குதல் | ||
| The word 'தாக்குதல்' can also mean 'an attack' or 'an attempt' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | దాడి | ||
| "దాడి" (dādi) means not only an assault but also a "raid" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | حملہ | ||
| حملہ "assault" is cognate with "himmat" "courage" and "haal" "condition" and is derived from the root "hml" meaning "to carry","to bear" or "to attack". | |||
Assault in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 突击 | ||
| The word "突击" can also mean a surprise attack or a raid. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 突擊 | ||
| 突擊 in Chinese can also mean "to make a surprise attack" or "to raid." | |||
| Japanese | 暴行 | ||
| The term "暴行" (bōkō) in Japanese can also refer to other forms of harm, such as psychological trauma, verbal abuse, or threats that may not necessarily involve physical violence. | |||
| Korean | 폭행 | ||
| The word "폭행" is derived from the Chinese characters "暴" and "行", meaning "violent" and "action" respectively. | |||
| Mongolian | халдлага | ||
| The word 'халдлага' derives from the verb 'халах' ('to attack') and can also mean 'attack' or 'aggression'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိုက်ခိုက်ခြင်း | ||
Assault in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | serangan | ||
| The word "serangan" is derived from the Old Javanese word "sarang", meaning "to attack" or "to seize". | |||
| Javanese | nyerang | ||
| The Javanese word "nyerang" can also refer to the process of grinding or pulverizing something. | |||
| Khmer | ការរំលោភ | ||
| "ការរំលោភ" derives from the Sanskrit word "लम्भ" (lambha), which means "to obtain" or "to reach out", and in Khmer, it can also refer to an act of seizing or encroaching upon property. | |||
| Lao | ໂຈມຕີ | ||
| The word ໂຈມຕີ is derived from the Khmer word ចោមលើ (chomlaeu), meaning "to attack". | |||
| Malay | serangan | ||
| "Serangan" also means "an attack of illness". | |||
| Thai | จู่โจม | ||
| The word "จู่โจม" (assault) is derived from the Pali word "จูย" (attack) and the Thai word "โจม" (to rush). It can also mean "to attack" or "to storm". | |||
| Vietnamese | hành hung | ||
| In Vietnamese, the word "hành hung" not only means "assault" but also "to do something with violence or force". It has its roots in the words "hành" (act) and "hung" (violent). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-atake | ||
Assault in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | basqın | ||
| The word "basqın" (assault) derives from the Persian word "baskın" (raid), which shares the same meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | шабуылдау | ||
| The word "шабуылдау" in Kazakh also means "to attack" or "to raid". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кол салуу | ||
| The verb "кол салуу" can also refer to the act of "putting on one's hand", "placing one's hand on something" or "grabbing". | |||
| Tajik | ҳамла | ||
| The word ҳамла is ultimately derived from the Arabic word حَمل (ḥamal), "to bear". The same word also forms the base of the Tajik word бори ҳамла (bori ҳamla) "pregnancy". | |||
| Turkmen | hüjüm etmek | ||
| Uzbek | hujum | ||
| It is derived from the Arabic word "hujum", meaning "attack" or "charge". | |||
| Uyghur | ھۇجۇم قىلىش | ||
Assault in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | limanui | ||
| The Hawaiian word "Limanui" also means "forceful taking" or "seizure". | |||
| Maori | huaki | ||
| The term 'huaki' is also used in the context of a challenge, a provocation or a threat. | |||
| Samoan | faaoolima | ||
| The Samoan word "faaoolima" means "assault" and is also used figuratively to describe a harsh or critical attack. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pag-atake | ||
| The word "pag-atake" in Tagalog can also refer to an "attack" or an "onset". | |||
Assault in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | usuchjaña | ||
| Guarani | monda | ||
Assault in International Languages
| Esperanto | sturmo | ||
| Esperanto's "sturmo" is derived from the German "Sturm" meaning "storm, attack" and is also used figuratively for "a sudden, violent movement". | |||
| Latin | impetum | ||
| The word "impetum" in Latin also means "impetus", or a sudden, forceful movement. | |||
Assault in Others Languages
| Greek | προσβολή | ||
| The word "προσβολή" can also mean "approach" or "address". | |||
| Hmong | kev ntaus | ||
| The term "kev ntaus" originates from the Chinese phrase "kao n'taoũu," meaning "to rely on physical force against others." | |||
| Kurdish | êriş | ||
| The word "êriş" is derived from the Indo-European root *er- "to stir, set in motion, rise" | |||
| Turkish | saldırı | ||
| The word "saldırı" is derived from the Turkish verb "salmak", meaning "to launch" or "to attack". | |||
| Xhosa | ukubetha | ||
| The term 'ukubetha' can also mean 'to beat' or 'to strike' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אַטאַקע | ||
| The Yiddish word אַטאַקע can also be used to refer to a heart attack. | |||
| Zulu | ukuhlasela | ||
| The word 'ukuhlasela' can also mean 'to attack' or 'to strike'. | |||
| Assamese | আক্ৰমণ | ||
| Aymara | usuchjaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | मारपीट | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަމަލާދިނުން | ||
| Dogri | हमला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pag-atake | ||
| Guarani | monda | ||
| Ilocano | puroken | ||
| Krio | trɛtin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێرش | ||
| Maithili | हमला | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯟꯗꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | bei | ||
| Oromo | rukuttaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆକ୍ରମଣ | ||
| Quechua | suway | ||
| Sanskrit | वार | ||
| Tatar | һөҗүм | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥቕዓት | ||
| Tsonga | hlasela | ||