Attorney in Different Languages
Discover 'Attorney' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An attorney, also known as a lawyer, is a professional who provides legal advice and represents clients in court. The role of an attorney is significant in many cultures, as they help to uphold the law and protect the rights of individuals and organizations. The word 'attorney' has roots in the Old French word 'aturney,' which means 'a deputy, agent, or substitute.'
Understanding the translation of 'attorney' in different languages can be useful for a variety of reasons. For instance, if you're traveling to a foreign country and need legal assistance, knowing the local term for 'attorney' can help you find the help you need. Or, if you're studying a foreign language, learning the term for 'attorney' can be a useful vocabulary word.
Here are a few translations of the word 'attorney' in different languages: Spanish - 'abogado'; French - 'avocat'; German - 'Anwalt'; Italian - 'avvocato'; Chinese - '律师' (lǜshī); Japanese - '弁護士' (bengoshi); and Russian - 'адвокат' (adвоkat).
Attorney
Attorney in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | prokureur | ||
| The word "prokureur" is derived from the Dutch word "procurator", which means "agent" or "representative". | |||
| Amharic | ጠበቃ | ||
| "ጠበቃ" is of Ge'ez origin and is related to "ጠበቀ","to guard'' in Amharic | |||
| Hausa | lauya | ||
| The word 'lauya' is derived from the Arabic word 'wlayat', meaning "authority" or "power". | |||
| Igbo | ọka iwu | ||
| The Igbo word "ọka iwu" can also refer to a judge or magistrate. | |||
| Malagasy | attorney | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "attorney" ("mpiaro soa") also refers to a mediator or someone who provides advice and guidance. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | loya | ||
| The word "loya" can also refer to a legal advisor or a person who represents another in legal matters. | |||
| Shona | gweta | ||
| The word 'gweta' can also refer to a 'clever' or 'wise' person. | |||
| Somali | qareen | ||
| "Qareen" also refers to a jinn or devil that accompanies and tempts a human being. | |||
| Sesotho | mmuelli | ||
| The word "mmuelli" also means "judge". | |||
| Swahili | wakili | ||
| "Wakili" derives from the Arabic root "wakala" and originally meant "to appoint or entrust to someone else". | |||
| Xhosa | igqwetha | ||
| The word 'igqwetha' in Xhosa originally referred to a person who spoke for the chief or king in a court setting. | |||
| Yoruba | agbẹjọro | ||
| Etymology: Derived from the Yoruba words "agbẹ", meaning "advocate or mediator", and "ọ̀jọ́", meaning "a court case or legal matter." | |||
| Zulu | ummeli | ||
| The isiZulu word "ummeli" derives from the verb "mela", meaning "to defend" or "to plead." | |||
| Bambara | avoka ye | ||
| Ewe | senyala | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwunganira | ||
| Lingala | avocat ya monganga | ||
| Luganda | munnamateeka | ||
| Sepedi | ramolao wa molao | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmaranimfo | ||
Attorney in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محامي | ||
| The word 'محامي' literally means 'someone who praises' in Arabic and can also refer to a person who defends someone in court. | |||
| Hebrew | עו"ד | ||
| The Hebrew word "עו"ד" can also refer to "notary public" or "legal advisor", and derives from the root "עד" ("witness"). | |||
| Pashto | څارنوال | ||
| "څارنوال" (attorney) is derived from the Persian word "سارنوال" (attorney), which in turn is derived from the Arabic word "سارن" (investigation). | |||
| Arabic | محامي | ||
| The word 'محامي' literally means 'someone who praises' in Arabic and can also refer to a person who defends someone in court. | |||
Attorney in Western European Languages
| Albanian | avokati | ||
| "Avokati" is a loanword from the Italian word "avvocato", which in turn comes from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Basque | prokuradorea | ||
| The word 'prokuradorea' in Basque derives from the Latin 'procurator', meaning 'one who acts on behalf of another'. | |||
| Catalan | advocat | ||
| The word "advocat" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to assist". | |||
| Croatian | odvjetnik | ||
| The word 'odvjetnik' (attorney) comes from the Slavic root 'vet' (knowledge), suggesting someone who has knowledge of the law. | |||
| Danish | advokat | ||
| The word 'advokat' comes from the Latin word 'advocare,' meaning 'to call to one's aid.' It can also refer to someone who provides legal counsel or advice. | |||
| Dutch | advocaat | ||
| In Dutch, "advocaat" can also refer to a sweet alcoholic beverage made with eggs, sugar, and brandy. | |||
| English | attorney | ||
| Historically, “attorney” referred to persons acting on behalf of others in dealings with third parties, e.g., as an agent or proxy. | |||
| French | avocat | ||
| The word "avocat" derives from the Latin "advocatus," meaning "one who is called to aid," and has also been used to refer to a defendant's legal representative in a criminal case. | |||
| Frisian | advokaat | ||
| It can also refer to a sweet cream-based egg liqueur that originated from the Netherlands. | |||
| Galician | avogado | ||
| In Galician, 'avogado' can also refer to a type of pear, a fruit tree, or a fruit-seller. | |||
| German | rechtsanwalt | ||
| Originally, the term 'Rechtsanwalt' meant 'someone who gives legal advice', not only an attorney or barrister. | |||
| Icelandic | lögmaður | ||
| In Old Norse, the word 'lögmaður' has the broader meaning of 'law speaker', one who speaks the law in courts and assemblies | |||
| Irish | aturnae | ||
| The Irish word "aturnae" originally meant "spokesperson" or "deputy". | |||
| Italian | avvocato | ||
| The Italian word "avvocato" derives from the Latin word "advoco," meaning "to call upon for support." | |||
| Luxembourgish | affekot | ||
| The word "Affekot" can also refer to a representative before a court | |||
| Maltese | avukat | ||
| In Maltese, "avukat" also means "lawyer", with the latter term being used more often in everyday conversation. | |||
| Norwegian | advokat | ||
| The word "advokat" in Norwegian has the same root as the word "advocate" in English, deriving from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | advogado | ||
| The word also means "called" or "invited" in Portuguese, a reference to being called to be an advocate | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neach-lagha | ||
| The word "neach-lagha" in Scots Gaelic, in addition to meaning "attorney", also refers to a "lawman" or a "judge". | |||
| Spanish | abogado | ||
| The word "abogado" can also refer to an avocado in Spanish, derived from the Nahuatl word "ahuacatl". | |||
| Swedish | advokat | ||
| In Swedish, the word advokat comes from the Latin word 'advoco', meaning 'to call to one's aid'. | |||
| Welsh | atwrnai | ||
| The word 'atwrnai' in Welsh can also refer to an advocate or representative in a legal matter. | |||
Attorney in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адвакат | ||
| The word "адвакат" is ultimately derived from French, where its cognate word means "to speak for" or "to plead". | |||
| Bosnian | advokat | ||
| Bosnian word 'advokat' derives from the Latin term 'advocatus', a word which was originally used to describe someone who spoke up for another person in court. | |||
| Bulgarian | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" can also refer to a lawyer or solicitor in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | advokát | ||
| The word "advokát" originally meant "advocate" in Czech, but now it specifically refers to a legal professional who represents clients in court. | |||
| Estonian | advokaat | ||
| "Advokaat" in Estonian can also refer to a sweet egg liqueur similar to eggnog. | |||
| Finnish | asianajaja | ||
| The word "asianajaja" derives from the Finnish word "asia," meaning "matter" or "case" | |||
| Hungarian | ügyvéd | ||
| The word "ügyvéd" in Hungarian literally translates to "one who solves cases". | |||
| Latvian | advokāts | ||
| The word "advokāts" is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to another's aid." | |||
| Lithuanian | advokatas | ||
| The term "advokatas" is a borrowing from the Russian term "advokat", which in turn originates from the Latin "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Macedonian | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" also means "advocate", "lawyer", and "counselor" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | adwokat | ||
| The Polish word "adwokat" comes from the German "Advokat", which in turn comes from the Latin "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Romanian | avocat | ||
| The word "avocat" derives from the French word for "advocate" and is also used to refer to the fruit "avocado" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | поверенный | ||
| The word 'поверенный' can also mean 'confidant' or 'trustee' in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" also means "devil's advocate" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | právnik | ||
| "Právnik" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "pravda", meaning "justice", and its suffix "nik", denoting a person associated with something. | |||
| Slovenian | odvetnik | ||
| "Odvetnik" is derived from the Slovene "odvet", meaning "to defend" or "to reply". | |||
| Ukrainian | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
Attorney in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অ্যাটর্নি | ||
| অ্যাটর্নি শব্দটি দুটি ল্যাটিন শব্দ “ad” (অদ) ও “tornare” (টর্নেয়ার) থেকে এসেছে যার অর্থ “কথার প্রতিনিধিত্ব করা”। | |||
| Gujarati | એટર્ની | ||
| The word 'એટર્ની' (attorney) comes from the Old French word 'atorné', meaning 'one appointed or authorized' and is related to the word 'attorn' meaning 'to turn over to'. It originally referred to a person appointed or authorized to act on someone else's behalf, especially in legal matters, and still holds this meaning in many jurisdictions. | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिनिधि | ||
| The Hindi word "प्रतिनिधि" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pratinidhi," which means "substitute" or "representative." | |||
| Kannada | ವಕೀಲ | ||
| The Kannada word for attorney, 'vakila', is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vakil', which means 'agent, deputy, spokesman, or speaker' and is related to the root 'vak', which means 'to speak'. | |||
| Malayalam | അറ്റോർണി | ||
| In Malayalam, 'അറ്റോർണി' ('attorney') is also used as a respectful term of address for a judge or magistrate. | |||
| Marathi | मुखत्यार | ||
| The word "मुखत्यार" in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word "मुख" (face) and "पत्र" (paper), and can also mean "representative" or "authorized agent". | |||
| Nepali | वकील | ||
| The word "वकील" originates from Arabic and may also refer to a lawyer, representative, or advocate in some contexts. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਕੀਲ | ||
| In Punjabi, "ਵਕੀਲ" (vakīl) can also refer to a legal advisor or a representative of a religious or political group. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නීති orney | ||
| Etymology: from the anglo-french turnei, turner, turn "turn," from the noun tour "turn." | |||
| Tamil | வழக்கறிஞர் | ||
| The Tamil word 'வழக்கறிஞர்' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'व्यवहारिक' meaning 'legal practitioner' and has similar connotations in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | న్యాయవాది | ||
| The term "న్యాయవాది" is derived from the Sanskrit words "nyaya" (justice) and "vadi" (speaker), indicating someone who speaks in support of justice. | |||
| Urdu | مختار | ||
| The word "مختار" (attorney) is derived from the Arabic root "ختر" meaning "to choose", and can also refer to a village headman or a person with authority to make decisions. | |||
Attorney in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 律师 | ||
| 律师's etymology refers to officials who can represent others in litigation and handle public affairs. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 律師 | ||
| 律師 ('律' = law, '師' = teacher) originally referred to a law tutor and later evolved to mean a practicing lawyer. | |||
| Japanese | 弁護士 | ||
| The word "弁護士" can also mean "lawyer" or "legal professional" in Japanese | |||
| Korean | 변호사 | ||
| The word "변호사" can also mean "defense counsel" or "lawyer." | |||
| Mongolian | өмгөөлөгч | ||
| The word "өмгөөлөгч" can also be used to refer to a lawyer or a legal representative. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှေ့နေ | ||
| The word "ရှေ့နေ" originally meant "one who stands in front" and was used to refer to a leader or a representative. | |||
Attorney in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pengacara | ||
| The Indonesian word "pengacara" comes from the Sanskrit word "pandita" meaning "learned scholar" or "wise person". | |||
| Javanese | pengacara | ||
| In Javanese, 'pengacara' derives from 'acara', a ceremonial meeting, suggesting the lawyer's role in coordinating legal affairs. | |||
| Khmer | មេធាវី | ||
| The word "មេធាវី" is also used to refer to a person who is clever or intelligent, in addition to its primary meaning of "attorney." | |||
| Lao | ທະນາຍຄວາມ | ||
| Malay | peguam | ||
| The word 'peguam' is derived from the Arabic word 'faqiha', which means a learned man or scholar of religious law. | |||
| Thai | อัยการ | ||
| "อัยการ" แปลว่า "ผู้ยื่นคำร้อง" หรือ "ผู้กล่าวหา" มาจากคำเขมรว่า "อจฺการ" ซึ่งแปลว่า "ผู้ฟ้องร้อง" หรือ "ผู้ร้องทุกข์" | |||
| Vietnamese | luật sư | ||
| "Luật sư" also means "lawyer" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | abogado | ||
Attorney in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müvəkkil | ||
| The word "müvəkkil" is derived from the Arabic word "vakil", meaning "representative" or "agent". | |||
| Kazakh | адвокат | ||
| The Russian loanword "адвокат" means both "attorney" and "lawyer" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" can also refer to a lawyer or legal representative in Russian. | |||
| Tajik | адвокат | ||
| In Tajik, "адвокат" is derived from the Arabic word "adakah", meaning "witness" or "intercessor". | |||
| Turkmen | aklawçysy | ||
| Uzbek | advokat | ||
| The word "advokat" is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to assist". | |||
| Uyghur | ئادۋوكات | ||
Attorney in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loio | ||
| "Loio" also refers to law in general and can mean "law-maker" as well as "judge". | |||
| Maori | roia | ||
| "Roia" is a Maori term borrowed from English, via New Zealand English, and is the Maori equivalent of "attorney". | |||
| Samoan | loia | ||
| The word "loia" in Samoan can also refer to a "counselor" or an "adviser". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | abugado | ||
| "Abuogado" is also a type of edible seaweed in the Philippines. | |||
Attorney in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | abogado ukhamawa | ||
| Guarani | abogado rehegua | ||
Attorney in International Languages
| Esperanto | advokato | ||
| In Esperanto, “advokato” comes from the French word “avocat,” which originally meant “one who speaks.” | |||
| Latin | advocatus | ||
| The Roman word "advocatus" originally meant "one who was called upon" or "a spokesman without special legal qualifications." | |||
Attorney in Others Languages
| Greek | δικηγόρος | ||
| The Greek word "δικηγόρος" (dikigoros) originally meant "one who speaks for another in court". | |||
| Hmong | kws lij choj | ||
| The word "kws lij choj" can also be used to refer to someone who assists in legal matters, such as a paralegal or legal assistant. | |||
| Kurdish | parêzvan | ||
| The word "parêzvan" in Kurdish has a rich etymology, originating from the Old Persian word "para" (meaning "before") and "ban" (meaning "to stand, guard"). | |||
| Turkish | avukat | ||
| The word "avukat" in Turkish is derived from the Persian word "vakil", meaning "representative" or "intermediary". | |||
| Xhosa | igqwetha | ||
| The word 'igqwetha' in Xhosa originally referred to a person who spoke for the chief or king in a court setting. | |||
| Yiddish | אדוואקאט | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "אדוואקאט" (advocate) can also mean "spokesperson" or "lawyer". | |||
| Zulu | ummeli | ||
| The isiZulu word "ummeli" derives from the verb "mela", meaning "to defend" or "to plead." | |||
| Assamese | এটৰ্নী | ||
| Aymara | abogado ukhamawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | वकील के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަކީލެވެ | ||
| Dogri | वकील ने दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | abogado | ||
| Guarani | abogado rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | abogado | ||
| Krio | atɔna | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پارێزەر | ||
| Maithili | वकील | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯦꯇꯣꯔꯅꯤ ꯍꯥꯌꯅꯥ ꯈꯉꯅꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | attorney a ni | ||
| Oromo | abbaa seeraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଓକିଲ | ||
| Quechua | abogado | ||
| Sanskrit | वकीलः | ||
| Tatar | адвокат | ||
| Tigrinya | ጠበቓ | ||
| Tsonga | gqweta | ||