Bird in Different Languages
Discover 'Bird' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Bird
Afrikaans voël | ||
Albanian zog | ||
Amharic ወፍ | ||
Arabic طائر | ||
Armenian թռչուն | ||
Assamese চৰাই | ||
Aymara jamach'i | ||
Azerbaijani quş | ||
Bambara kɔ̀nɔ | ||
Basque txoria | ||
Belarusian птушка | ||
Bengali পাখি | ||
Bhojpuri चिरई | ||
Bosnian ptice | ||
Bulgarian птица | ||
Catalan ocell | ||
Cebuano langgam | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 鸟 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 鳥 | ||
Corsican acellu | ||
Croatian ptica | ||
Czech pták | ||
Danish fugl | ||
Dhivehi ދޫނި | ||
Dogri पक्खरू | ||
Dutch vogel | ||
English bird | ||
Esperanto birdo | ||
Estonian lind | ||
Ewe xe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) ibon | ||
Finnish lintu | ||
French oiseau | ||
Frisian fûgel | ||
Galician paxaro | ||
Georgian ჩიტი | ||
German vogel | ||
Greek πουλί | ||
Guarani guyra | ||
Gujarati પક્ષી | ||
Haitian Creole zwazo | ||
Hausa tsuntsu | ||
Hawaiian manu | ||
Hebrew ציפור | ||
Hindi चिड़िया | ||
Hmong noog | ||
Hungarian madár | ||
Icelandic fugl | ||
Igbo nnụnụ | ||
Ilocano billit | ||
Indonesian burung | ||
Irish éan | ||
Italian uccello | ||
Japanese 鳥 | ||
Javanese manuk | ||
Kannada ಹಕ್ಕಿ | ||
Kazakh құс | ||
Khmer បក្សី | ||
Kinyarwanda inyoni | ||
Konkani सुकणें | ||
Korean 새 | ||
Krio bɔd | ||
Kurdish teyr | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) باڵندە | ||
Kyrgyz куш | ||
Lao ນົກ | ||
Latin avem | ||
Latvian putns | ||
Lingala ndeke | ||
Lithuanian paukštis | ||
Luganda akanyonyi | ||
Luxembourgish vugel | ||
Macedonian птица | ||
Maithili पक्षी | ||
Malagasy vorona | ||
Malay burung | ||
Malayalam പക്ഷി | ||
Maltese għasfur | ||
Maori manu | ||
Marathi पक्षी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯎꯆꯦꯛ | ||
Mizo sava | ||
Mongolian шувуу | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ငှက် | ||
Nepali चरा | ||
Norwegian fugl | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mbalame | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପକ୍ଷୀ | ||
Oromo simbirroo | ||
Pashto مرغۍ | ||
Persian پرنده | ||
Polish ptak | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) pássaro | ||
Punjabi ਪੰਛੀ | ||
Quechua pisqu | ||
Romanian pasăre | ||
Russian птица | ||
Samoan manulele | ||
Sanskrit पक्षी | ||
Scots Gaelic eun | ||
Sepedi nonyana | ||
Serbian птице | ||
Sesotho nonyana | ||
Shona shiri | ||
Sindhi پکي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කුරුල්ලා | ||
Slovak vták | ||
Slovenian ptica | ||
Somali shimbir | ||
Spanish pájaro | ||
Sundanese manuk | ||
Swahili ndege | ||
Swedish fågel | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) ibon | ||
Tajik парранда | ||
Tamil பறவை | ||
Tatar кош | ||
Telugu పక్షి | ||
Thai นก | ||
Tigrinya ዒፍ | ||
Tsonga xinyenyana | ||
Turkish kuş | ||
Turkmen guş | ||
Twi (Akan) anomaa | ||
Ukrainian птах | ||
Urdu پرندہ | ||
Uyghur قۇش | ||
Uzbek qush | ||
Vietnamese chim | ||
Welsh aderyn | ||
Xhosa intaka | ||
Yiddish פויגל | ||
Yoruba eye | ||
Zulu inyoni |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "voël" derives from the Proto-West-Germanic root "fuglaz", meaning both "bird" and "fly." |
| Albanian | The word 'zog' is derived from the Proto-Albanian root *zog-, meaning 'living creature'. |
| Amharic | The word "ወፍ" in Amharic also means "spirit" or "soul". |
| Arabic | Also used to mean a 'flying thing'. Used with its plural form in 'tair' ('omen'). |
| Armenian | The word "թռչուն" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *treḱ-, meaning "to run". Birds are so named because they are able to move quickly through the air. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "quş" in Azerbaijani not only means "bird," but also refers specifically to eagles, falcons, and hawks. |
| Basque | The Basque word "txoria" can also mean "soul" and "bird song". |
| Belarusian | The word "птушка" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pьtica". It also means "soul" or "departed spirit". |
| Bengali | The word "পাখি" can also mean "wing" or "feather" in Bengali. |
| Bosnian | The Bosnian word "ptice" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pti-ka", which also means "bird" and is related to the word "letjeti" ("to fly"). |
| Bulgarian | "Птица" is the Slavic cognate of the Sanskrit "patatram", meaning "fallen leaf." |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "ocell" derived from the Latin "aucellus", meaning "little bird". |
| Cebuano | There is a theory that the word "langgam" in Cebuano originated from the Sanskrit word "langka" which means "beautiful"} |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "鸟" can also mean "person" or "thing" in colloquial Chinese. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 鳥 is a bird pictogram depicting a bird with outstretched wings. |
| Corsican | The Corsican word 'acellu' also means 'birdcage' or 'nest' and is likely derived from the Latin word 'acellus', meaning 'little bird'. |
| Croatian | The Croatian word "ptica" also refers to a small mechanical bird used as a toy or decoration. |
| Czech | The word "pták" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "pъtakъ", which also means "cock". It is cognate with the Old Church Slavonic word "ptьcь", which also means "bird". |
| Danish | The Danish word "fugl" is cognate with the Old English "fugol," meaning both bird and waterfowl. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "vogel" may also refer to a ball used in various games, such as bowling or jeu de boules, or to a flaw or defect in a material or surface. |
| Esperanto | Esperanto 'birdo' and English 'bird' share the same Proto-Indo-European root, but may have been borrowed independently. |
| Estonian | The word "lind" in Estonian also means "a path in the taiga forest used as a shortcut". |
| Finnish | The Proto-Finnic word *lintu originally meant 'a flyer' or 'one that flies', not specifically a bird. |
| French | "Oiseau" is a derivative of the Latin word "avis" through the popular Latin form "aucellus" |
| Frisian | The word 'fûgel' in Frisian also means 'fish' in the context of angling. |
| Galician | The Galician word "paxaro" derives from the Latin "passer" and can also refer to an indiscreet or talkative person. |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "ჩიტი" can also refer to a small, quick-moving creature, such as a mouse or a squirrel. |
| German | The word “Vogel” derives from “fuglaz”, the term for “bird” in Old High German, which comes from the Proto-Germanic “*fuglaz”, and finally from “*peuǵ-“ in Proto-Indo-European. |
| Greek | In Cypriot Greek, “πουλί” can also refer to an airplane. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "પક્ષી" originates from the Sanskrit word "पक्षी" (pakṣī) and also means "side" or "wing" in ancient texts. |
| Haitian Creole | The word "zwazo" can also refer to a person who is always moving or flying around. |
| Hausa | The term "tsuntsu" (or "zunzu"), which means "bird," is also used in Hausa to denote a "flying insect," especially when the insect is small and black. |
| Hawaiian | In Maori, "manu" is also a term for an expert or a skilled person. |
| Hebrew | The word "ציפור" ("bird") in Hebrew is also used as a slang term to describe "a small person" or "a very young person." |
| Hindi | The word "चिड़िया" (bird) is derived from the Sanskrit word "चिट्" (chit), meaning "consciousness" or "awareness". |
| Hmong | The word "noog" can also mean "soul" in the context of Shamanism. |
| Hungarian | "Madár" is a Hungarian loanword from the Proto-Romance "*mat(t)ariu", which also gave rise to the French "matin" and Italian "mattino". |
| Icelandic | Fugl is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *fuglaz, meaning 'bird' or 'fowl'. |
| Igbo | Its diminutive, 'nnụnụ ntakpọ', is used to specifically refer to 'eagle', and can imply 'strength' or 'power' in figurative speech. |
| Indonesian | "Burung" is also known as "manuk" in Javanese and "manuk" in Balinese. |
| Irish | Irish 'éan' ('bird') continues the Celtic *ēin- ('bird'), with cognates in Latin avis ('bird') and in English 'eagle'. |
| Italian | The Italian word "uccello" can also refer to a philandering man or a gullible person. |
| Japanese | The character 鳥 in Chinese and Japanese represents not only birds, but also the concepts of "auspiciousness" and "freedom." |
| Javanese | The word manuk can also refer to an artificial flying object, such as a kite or airplane. |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಹಕ್ಕಿ" is also used to refer to "birds of prey" or "eagles" |
| Kazakh | Құс can also refer to a small or lightweight thing, like a toy or an airplane. |
| Khmer | បក្សី (paksi) literally means 'flying creature' and is etymologically related to 'bāk' (wing) and 'say' (fly), suggesting its original meaning encompassed all flying creatures, including bats and insects. |
| Korean | The Korean word 새 ('bird') originates from the Middle Korean term '세' which meant both 'bird' and 'animal'. |
| Kurdish | The word "teyr" in Kurdish can also mean "bird hunting" or "bird watching". |
| Kyrgyz | The Kyrgyz word "куш" can also refer to a specific type of bird called a "falcon". |
| Lao | "Nók" can also refer to various types of aircraft, in keeping with the Thai usage of “นก" (“nok") to mean “bird/aircraft". |
| Latin | The Latin word "avem" is also an accusative form of "avis," the "genitive" or possessive form of "avis" |
| Latvian | The term 'putns' comes from the Proto-Baltic '*putinas', which referred to 'young birds' or 'chicks'. Its possible cognates in other Indo-European languages include the Lithuanian 'putinas' and the Albanian 'pule' (all meaning 'bird'). |
| Lithuanian | In Indo-European languages, the word "bird" derives from the root "*peh₂-," meaning "to fly," which is shared with the Lithuanian "paukštis." |
| Luxembourgish | In older times the word 'Vugel' also meant 'bad person', likely related to the German 'Vogelfrei' (outlawed). |
| Macedonian | The word "птица" (bird) in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "ptica", which also means "chicken" or "fowl". |
| Malagasy | The word "vorona" in Malagasy is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "burung", also meaning "bird". |
| Malay | The word "burung" in Malay also has a secondary meaning of "animal" or "creature". |
| Malayalam | The term "പക്ഷി" also refers to the letter "K" in the Malayalam alphabet. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "għasfur" is thought to derive from the Semitic root *ʿSPR*, meaning "to fly" or "to be agile." |
| Maori | As a verb, "manu" in Maori can also mean to fly or to sail, highlighting the close connection between birds and Maori culture. |
| Marathi | "पक्षी" (bird) can also mean "partial" or "biased" in Marathi, likely due to its usage in expressions like "पक्षपाती" (biased). |
| Mongolian | The word "шувуу" in Mongolian also refers to a "group of airplanes". |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "ငှက်" can also refer to a "spirit inhabiting a tree", a "guardian nat", or a "spirit associated with a place"} |
| Nepali | In Sanskrit, चरा can also refer to an army formation or a group of dancers. |
| Norwegian | "Fugl" also refers to the male part of a flower in Norwegian. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In Chichewa, "mbalame" is also an archaic term for "child" and the verb "to dance". |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "مرغۍ" (marġai) also refers to an eagle. |
| Persian | In Persian, the word "پرنده" also refers to the "bird's flight", "feather" and "omen". |
| Polish | In Proto-Slavic *pъt-akъ likely initially meant 'flyer'. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | Pássaro in Portuguese derives from the Latin passer, meaning 'sparrow' or 'small bird', but it can also refer to any type of bird. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਪੰਛੀ" is a cognate of the Persian word "پرنده" (parandeh), both ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pet- "to fly". |
| Romanian | "Pasăre" also means "luck" in the context of the game "pasăre-piatră-foarfecă" (paper-rock-scissors). |
| Russian | Птица is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pьtica, which also means "feather". |
| Samoan | Samoan word for "bird", "manulele", originally meant "flying thing". |
| Scots Gaelic | In Scots Gaelic, "eun" also refers to a young hen, as well as a "chatterbox". |
| Serbian | In Serbian, the word "птице" can refer not only to birds in general, but also to certain species such as the eagle (орао) or the falcon (соко), as well as a flock of birds. |
| Sesotho | 'Nonyana' is one of the very few words that are not found in the related Nguni languages, and its origin is uncertain. |
| Shona | The Shona word "shiri" can also refer to a "chief" or "headman". |
| Sindhi | "پکي" can also mean "the bird" or "the birds" in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word 'kurullā' (bird) in Sinhala may also refer to an astrological symbol representing the crow. |
| Slovak | The Old Slavic root of "vták" ("bird" in Slovak), means "air" and the word is still used for "air" in several Slavic languages. |
| Slovenian | The origin of the word 'ptica' (bird) in Slovenian is uncertain, but it may be related to the Proto-Slavic word 'pьtica', which also means 'bird'. |
| Somali | The word "shimbir" in Somali has alternate meanings such as "airplane" and "helicopter". |
| Spanish | Apart from its primary meaning, "pájaro" can also refer to a lively, cheerful person or a clever, cunning individual. |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "manuk" can also refer to a type of edible freshwater fish. |
| Swahili | The Swahili word 'ndege' originally meant 'flyer,' referring to both birds and bats. |
| Swedish | The word 'fågel' is derived from the Old Norse word 'fugl' meaning 'bird' |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | "Ibon" also refers to a mythical bird-like creature. |
| Tajik | The word "парранда" in Tajik also refers to a type of folk music and dance performance. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word for 'bird', 'பறவை', is also a noun referring to a particular species of bird, such as a sparrow. |
| Telugu | The word "పక్షి" ("bird") in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "पक्ष" ("wing"), which refers to the primary characteristic of birds. |
| Thai | The word "นก" also refers to someone who makes a sound like a bird |
| Turkish | The word kuş also means "divination" (fal) and can refer to an omen or portent. |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word "птах" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*pьtьxъ", ultimately from the Indo-European root "*pet-/*pot-", meaning "to fly". |
| Urdu | The word "پرندہ" in Urdu derives from the Persian word "پرنده" meaning "flying being or thing". |
| Uzbek | The word "qush" can also refer to small, round, feathered animals, such as chicks or baby birds. |
| Vietnamese | The word "chim" in Vietnamese may also refer to people, especially those who are young, beautiful, or have certain qualities. |
| Welsh | The word "aderyn" also signifies a constellation, "Y Gath" (roughly corresponding to Ursa Major), possibly due to the resemblance of the pattern made by its stars and the form of a bird in flight. |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word "intaka" is a diminutive form of "taka," a verb meaning "to fly" or "to soar." |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, "פויגל" (bird) has also been used figuratively to mean "a person who is always flying around" or "a restless person". |
| Yoruba | In Yoruba, "eye" can also refer to a person's face or appearance. |
| Zulu | The Zulu word "inyoni" is cognate with the Nguni word for "bird" and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-nyi" meaning "to fly." |
| English | The word 'bird' shares etymological roots with the Dutch word 'vogel' and the German word 'vogel,' all of which may have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root 'ghew,' meaning 'to call out'. |