Authority in Different Languages
Discover 'Authority' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Authority is a powerful word that holds great significance across cultures and languages. It refers to the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. This concept is deeply ingrained in our societies, influencing our political, social, and economic structures. Throughout history, the quest for authority has shaped the course of human events, from the rise and fall of empires to the development of modern democracies.
Understanding the translation of authority in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and exercise power. For instance, in Spanish, authority translates to 'autoridad,' while in French, it is 'autorité.' In German, the word for authority is 'Autorität,' and in Japanese, it is 'authority' (yes, it's the same in English and Japanese!).
Exploring the many translations of authority can help us appreciate the richness and diversity of human cultures and languages. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of authority in different languages!
Authority
Authority in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gesag | ||
| Although "gesag" typically means "authority," it can also refer to "a saying" or "a rumor." | |||
| Amharic | ባለስልጣን | ||
| The Amharic word for authority, "ባለስልጣን," also translates to "one who bears a heavy burden". | |||
| Hausa | hukuma | ||
| "Hukuma" comes from Arabic, where it also means "government". The root word in Arabic means "to govern." | |||
| Igbo | ikike | ||
| "Ikike" also means "power," but not in the physical sense. Rather, it is power to accomplish one's purpose. | |||
| Malagasy | fahefana | ||
| The word "fahefana" also means "power" and "right". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ulamuliro | ||
| The word "ulamuliro" can also mean "control, supervision, jurisdiction, governance, or command" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | chiremera | ||
| The word "chiremera" in Shona also means "the one who is the first to speak" or "the one who speaks on behalf of the group". | |||
| Somali | maamulka | ||
| Maamulka derives from the Arabic word 'ma'amul', meaning 'to be in charge'. | |||
| Sesotho | bolaoli | ||
| The word "bolaoli" in Sesotho also means "chief" or "head of a village or town" | |||
| Swahili | mamlaka | ||
| In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, "mamlaka" can also refer to a local "chiefdom". | |||
| Xhosa | igunya | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "igunya" also denotes "the power to speak" and "the power of speech." | |||
| Yoruba | aṣẹ | ||
| The Yoruba word "aṣẹ" can also refer to power, command, or effectiveness. | |||
| Zulu | igunya | ||
| The Zulu word "igunya" also refers to "a power or force that is beyond human control" or "a guardian or protector of tradition or customs" | |||
| Bambara | fanga | ||
| Ewe | ŋusẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubutware | ||
| Lingala | mokonzi | ||
| Luganda | obuyinza | ||
| Sepedi | taolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tumi | ||
Authority in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | السلطة | ||
| In Arabic, the word "السلطة" (as-sulṭa) can also refer to a type of salad, particularly one made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. | |||
| Hebrew | רָשׁוּת | ||
| The Hebrew word " רשות " can also mean "permission" or "access". | |||
| Pashto | واک | ||
| The word "واک" is an abbreviation of the Arabic word "وکیل" (wakīl), meaning "agent" or "representative". It also has a secondary meaning of "power". | |||
| Arabic | السلطة | ||
| In Arabic, the word "السلطة" (as-sulṭa) can also refer to a type of salad, particularly one made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. | |||
Authority in Western European Languages
| Albanian | autoriteti | ||
| The word "autoriteti" is derived from the Latin word "auctoritas", which means "influence or power". | |||
| Basque | autoritatea | ||
| The Basque word "autoritatea" can also mean "commandment" or "precept". | |||
| Catalan | autoritat | ||
| }The Catalan word "autoritat" derives from the Latin "auctoritas", meaning "influence", "prestige", or "power" | |||
| Croatian | autoritet | ||
| The alternate meaning of "autoritet" is a person or an entity that possesses knowledge and experience on a specific subject, or who holds respect or prestige in society. | |||
| Danish | myndighed | ||
| The Danish word "myndighed" shares a root with the Old Norse word for "mind". | |||
| Dutch | gezag | ||
| The Dutch word "Gezag" can also refer to the authority of a person, institution, or idea. | |||
| English | authority | ||
| The word "authority" derives from the Latin word "auctoritas," meaning "influence or prestige." | |||
| French | autorité | ||
| The French word "autorité" also means "source of information" or "person who has special knowledge or experience." | |||
| Frisian | autoriteit | ||
| In Frisian, "autoriteit" can also mean "expertise" or "credibility" rather than solely "authority" like in English. | |||
| Galician | autoridade | ||
| The word "autoridade" in Galician also refers to the power or right to act. | |||
| German | behörde | ||
| The German word "Behörde" stems from the Middle High German word "gebieten" which referred to a legal command. | |||
| Icelandic | yfirvald | ||
| The word 'yfirvald' comes from the Old Norse phrase 'yfir valda', meaning 'to have control over' or 'to rule over', and is also related to the Old English term 'ofer-wealdan'. | |||
| Irish | údarás | ||
| It derives from the Latin "auctoritas", meaning "influence, power, advice", from "auctor", meaning "author". | |||
| Italian | autorità | ||
| "Autorità" is a word that derives from the Latin "auctoritas", which originally meant "increase, growth". It is also related to the word "author", which refers to someone who creates or originates something. | |||
| Luxembourgish | autoritéit | ||
| Maltese | awtorità | ||
| "Awtorità" derives from the Latin "auctoritas", meaning "influence" or "prestige". | |||
| Norwegian | autoritet | ||
| Autoritet can also mean "creditor" or "mortgage holder". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | autoridade | ||
| The Portuguese word "autoridade" can also mean "source of information" or "person with influence or expertise in a particular field." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ùghdarras | ||
| Scots Gaelic 'ùghdarras' derives from Gaelic 'ùghdar' ('author') + '-as' (nominal suffix), and therefore originally meant 'authorship' before taking on the broader meaning of 'authority'. | |||
| Spanish | autoridad | ||
| The word "autoridad" in Spanish derives from the Latin word "auctoritas," also meaning "authority," and is related to the verb "augere," meaning "to increase" or "to grow." | |||
| Swedish | auktoritet | ||
| In Swedish, the word "auktoritet" is derived from the Latin "auctoritas", meaning "power to increase" or "to cause to grow". | |||
| Welsh | awdurdod | ||
| Welsh 'awdurdod' also means 'the ability to control or influence the conduct of'} | |||
Authority in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | аўтарытэт | ||
| The word "аўтарытэт" in Belarusian comes from the Latin word "auctoritas", which means "power, influence, or prestige". | |||
| Bosnian | autoritet | ||
| The word 'autoritet' originates from the Latin word 'auctoritas', meaning 'influence or prestige' | |||
| Bulgarian | власт | ||
| In Bulgarian, "власт" can also mean "power" or "rule" and derives from the Slavic word for "volition" or "will." | |||
| Czech | orgán | ||
| Orgán in Czech may also refer to an official body as well as a musical instrument. | |||
| Estonian | asutus | ||
| The Estonian word "asutus" (authority) can also refer to an institution, establishment, or government agency. | |||
| Finnish | viranomainen | ||
| The word "viranomainen" is derived from the word "virka", which means "office" or "position". Thus, the term "viranomainen" initially referred to the position of a person holding a high-ranking office. | |||
| Hungarian | hatóság | ||
| The word 'hatóság' derives from the verb 'hat', meaning 'to act', and originally referred to a judicial or administrative body, but later acquired a broader meaning of 'authority'. | |||
| Latvian | autoritāte | ||
| 'Autoritāte' is a borrowed word from Latin, meaning 'authority,' 'power,' or 'influence,' and is related to the word 'auctor,' meaning 'author,' 'creator,' or 'originator'. | |||
| Lithuanian | autoritetas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "autoritetas" derives from the Latin word "auctoritas," which carries a wider range of meanings, including "influence," "prestige," and "moral force." | |||
| Macedonian | авторитет | ||
| The word "авторитет" (authority) in Macedonian is derived from the Latin word "auctoritas", meaning "influence" or "power". | |||
| Polish | autorytet | ||
| Autorytet also means "prestige" and derives from the Latin word "auctoritas," meaning "influence." | |||
| Romanian | autoritate | ||
| Autoritate, which comes from Latin and is cognate with auctoritate, can also mean "author". | |||
| Russian | орган власти | ||
| The word "орган власти" can also refer to a musical instrument. | |||
| Serbian | управа | ||
| The word "Управа" can also refer to a local government office or a department within a larger organization. | |||
| Slovak | orgánu | ||
| The Slovak word “orgán” comes from the Greek “organon” and denotes the material means by which anything is done, or any instrument used by the body for a particular function. | |||
| Slovenian | oblasti | ||
| The word "oblasti" in Slovenian also refers to an administrative region, such as a province or county. | |||
| Ukrainian | авторитет | ||
| The word "авторитет" ultimately derives from the Latin "auctoritas", meaning "influence or power." | |||
Authority in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কর্তৃত্ব | ||
| "কর্তৃত্ব" is the Bangla word for "authority" derived from Sanskrit term "karta", which means "doer" or "maker". | |||
| Gujarati | અધિકાર | ||
| The word "authority" or "અધિકાર" in Gujarati, is derived from Sanskrit and has multiple meanings, including "right", "power", or "jurisdiction." | |||
| Hindi | अधिकार | ||
| The word "अधिकार" derives from the Sanskrit word "अधि" (above) and "क्रिया" (action), implying a superior position with the power to act. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಧಿಕಾರ | ||
| The word 'ಅಧಿಕಾರ' ('authority') comes from the Sanskrit word 'adhyakṣara', meaning 'a chief' or 'a superintendent'. | |||
| Malayalam | അധികാരം | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit, the word "അധികാരം" initially denoted authority in terms of rights or entitlements in medieval inscriptions. | |||
| Marathi | अधिकार | ||
| In Marathi, "अधिकार" also means "right" or "entitlement." | |||
| Nepali | अधिकार | ||
| The word "अधिकार" can also refer to "right", "power" or "entitlement" in a legal or social context. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਧਿਕਾਰ | ||
| The word 'अधिकार' (authority) is derived from the Sanskrit root 'अधृ' (to support), and also means 'right' or 'power'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධිකාරිය | ||
| The word "අධිකාරිය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अधिकार", which has the same meaning in both languages. | |||
| Tamil | அதிகாரம் | ||
| The word "அதிகாரம்" not only means "authority" but also denotes "command," "chapter," "book," or "section." | |||
| Telugu | అధికారం | ||
| Urdu | اقتدار | ||
| The noun "اقتدار" (authority) is derived from the infinitive "قدر" (to be able or to have authority), which is used in many related terms like "مقادر" (fate), "قدرتی" (powerful), "تقدیر" (destiny), and "مقدر" (destined). | |||
Authority in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 权威 | ||
| "权威"一词在中文中的含义包括知识渊博或具有专业技能的人，以及权威机构或信息来源。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 權威 | ||
| 權威 can also mean 'reliable source', implying the possession of both authority and credibility. | |||
| Japanese | 権限 | ||
| 権限 (ken'i) also refers to a personal skill, such as driving a car, or the right or ability to do something. | |||
| Korean | 권위 | ||
| Another meaning of 권위 is "something that is accepted or believed to be true, not because of proof or evidence, but because of respect for a person or institution." | |||
| Mongolian | эрх мэдэл | ||
| While the word "эрх мэдэл" is most often translated into English as "authority," it can also refer to the concept of "power" or "jurisdiction." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခွင့်အာဏာ | ||
Authority in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | wewenang | ||
| The Indonesian word “wewenang” originates from Sanskrit, and originally referred to “power delegated by God.” | |||
| Javanese | panguwasa | ||
| In Javanese, the word "panguwasa" also means "king" or "ruler". | |||
| Khmer | សិទ្ធិអំណាច | ||
| Lao | ສິດ ອຳ ນາດ | ||
| Malay | kewibawaan | ||
| The Malay word "kewibawaan" can also mean "prestige" or "charisma." | |||
| Thai | อำนาจ | ||
| One of the possible derivations of the Thai word "อำนาจ" ("authority") is the Sanskrit word "आज्ञा" ("command or order"). | |||
| Vietnamese | thẩm quyền | ||
| The word "thẩm quyền" can also refer to the authority or jurisdiction of an organization or person. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | awtoridad | ||
Authority in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səlahiyyət | ||
| The word "səlahiyyət" is derived from the Arabic word "salah", meaning "right" or "ability". | |||
| Kazakh | билік | ||
| The Kazakh word "билік" can also refer to knowledge, wisdom, or power. | |||
| Kyrgyz | бийлик | ||
| The word "бийлик" also means "court" and "judicial authority" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | ваколат | ||
| The word "ваколат" in Tajik is cognate with the word "вакыф" in Persian, with a root meaning of "to be acquainted with" or "to understand". | |||
| Turkmen | ygtyýarlyk | ||
| Uzbek | hokimiyat | ||
| The word "hokimiyat" is derived from the Arabic "hukm," meaning "power" or "command." | |||
| Uyghur | ھوقۇق | ||
Authority in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mana | ||
| 'Mana' is a Polynesian word meaning 'authority, prestige, power, influence', but it also has other meanings such as 'spiritual power' and 'effectiveness of a prayer'. | |||
| Maori | mana | ||
| Mana in Maori can also imply 'prestige', 'power', 'influence', or 'charisma'. | |||
| Samoan | pule | ||
| The word "pule" can be used as an umbrella term for both traditional and modern authorities in Samoan culture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | awtoridad | ||
| The Tagalog word "awtoridad" originates from the Spanish word "autoridad," which also means "power" or "jurisdiction." | |||
Authority in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | p'iqinchiri | ||
| Guarani | tendota | ||
Authority in International Languages
| Esperanto | aŭtoritato | ||
| The Esperanto word "aŭtoritato" is derived from the Latin "auctoritas", which means "influence" or "power." | |||
| Latin | auctoritatis | ||
| Auctoritatis, meaning "authority," shares its root with augur, meaning "priest," and means literally "authors of divine will." | |||
Authority in Others Languages
| Greek | εξουσία | ||
| The Greek word "εξουσία" (exousia) originally meant "power to act or perform," especially as granted by a higher power. | |||
| Hmong | txoj cai | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "txoj cai" can also refer to a person's ancestors or lineage. | |||
| Kurdish | erc | ||
| The word "erc" can also refer to a type of tree or a measure of weight. | |||
| Turkish | yetki | ||
| Yetki (authority) also means 'competence' and is derived from the Arabic word 'wukuf', meaning 'understanding' or 'knowledge'. | |||
| Xhosa | igunya | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "igunya" also denotes "the power to speak" and "the power of speech." | |||
| Yiddish | אויטאָריטעט | ||
| The word "אויטאָריטעט" ("authority") in Yiddish is derived from the Latin word "auctoritas," which means "power" or "influence". | |||
| Zulu | igunya | ||
| The Zulu word "igunya" also refers to "a power or force that is beyond human control" or "a guardian or protector of tradition or customs" | |||
| Assamese | কতৃপক্ষ | ||
| Aymara | p'iqinchiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | अधिकार | ||
| Dhivehi | ބާރުވެރި | ||
| Dogri | अथार्टी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | awtoridad | ||
| Guarani | tendota | ||
| Ilocano | autoridad | ||
| Krio | pawa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەسەڵات | ||
| Maithili | अधिकारी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯉꯝꯕ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | thuneitu | ||
| Oromo | taayitaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାଧିକରଣ | ||
| Quechua | kamachiq | ||
| Sanskrit | प्राधिकरण | ||
| Tatar | хакимият | ||
| Tigrinya | ምምሕዳር | ||
| Tsonga | vulawuri | ||