Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'blade' is simple, yet holds great significance and cultural importance across the world. A blade is a thin, sharp piece of material, typically metal, used for cutting or as a weapon. From ancient tools to modern-day surgical instruments, blades have been essential to human development and progress.
Through history, blades have been more than just practical tools. They have been symbols of power, status, and cultural identity. In Japan, the samurai sword, or katana, is a national treasure, representing the country's rich heritage and warrior tradition. Meanwhile, in Native American cultures, the knife, or 'bisaasi', is a sacred object, used in ceremonies and rituals.
Understanding the translation of 'blade' in different languages can open up new cultural perspectives and insights. For instance, in Spanish, 'blade' translates to 'hoja', in German to 'Klinge', and in French to 'lame'. By learning these translations, we not only expand our vocabulary but also deepen our appreciation for the cultural significance of this versatile tool.
In the following list, discover how 'blade' is translated in various languages, from the familiar to the exotic. Explore the rich history and cultural importance of blades, and enhance your understanding of this simple, yet powerful, word.
Afrikaans | lem | ||
The word "lem" in Afrikaans can also refer to a sail, a wing, or a rudder. | |||
Amharic | ቢላዋ | ||
The word "ቢላዋ" ("blade") in Amharic derives from the verb "በላ" ("to cut" or "to shave"). | |||
Hausa | ruwa | ||
The word "ruwa" is the result of a split form from the base term "uwa," which denotes cutting and dividing in the Hausa language. | |||
Igbo | agụba | ||
Igbo nouns often have different prefixes and suffixes to specify their use; | |||
Malagasy | lelan | ||
The word "lelan" can also mean "a sharp edge" or "a cutting tool". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsamba | ||
The word "tsamba" can also refer to a type of grass or reed in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
Shona | blade | ||
In Shona, the word 'blade' can also refer to a sharp ridge on a hill or mountain. | |||
Somali | daab | ||
The term derives from the verb `daab` meaning to | |||
Sesotho | lehare | ||
The Sesotho word "lehare" can also refer to a kind of wild spinach or to a small, pointed animal horn. | |||
Swahili | blade | ||
In Swahili, the word “blade” is also used to describe a “leaf”. | |||
Xhosa | incakuba | ||
In Zulu, Xhosa and Nguni the word 'incakuba' is also used to describe the sun and light. | |||
Yoruba | abẹfẹlẹ | ||
Zulu | insingo | ||
The Zulu word for "blade", "in.si.ŋo", also translates to "the cutting edge of a sword". | |||
Bambara | murukisɛ | ||
Ewe | nulãnu | ||
Kinyarwanda | icyuma | ||
Lingala | mbeli | ||
Luganda | omusa | ||
Sepedi | legare | ||
Twi (Akan) | bleedi | ||
Arabic | شفرة | ||
The word "شفرة" is also used in Arabic to refer to "code" or "cipher". | |||
Hebrew | להב | ||
"להב" in Hebrew can also mean "a flame" or "a flash of light". | |||
Pashto | تیغ | ||
"تیغ" not only means "blade" in Pashto but also refers to "a small, sharp knife" or "a razor blade." | |||
Arabic | شفرة | ||
The word "شفرة" is also used in Arabic to refer to "code" or "cipher". |
Albanian | teh | ||
'Teh' in Albanian may derive from the Illyrian language or an unknown pre-Indo-European substratum. | |||
Basque | pala | ||
The Basque word "pala" also means "shovel", likely derived from the Latin "pala" for "stake" or "pole". | |||
Catalan | fulla | ||
The word "fulla" in Catalan not only means "blade" but also "leaf" or "sheet" of paper or metal. | |||
Croatian | oštrica | ||
The word "oštrica" also means "edge" and "crest" in Croatian. | |||
Danish | klinge | ||
In Danish, 'klinge' can also refer to the ringing sound of a glass or bell, as well as the blade of a sword or knife. | |||
Dutch | blad | ||
In Dutch the word "blad" not only means "blade", but also "leaf". The word "blad" is likely derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*bladaz", which meant "leaf" or "blade". | |||
English | blade | ||
The word 'blade' can also refer to a slim, flat surface, such as the blade of a knife or sword. | |||
French | lame | ||
In French, "lame" is commonly used to refer to both a tool (like a razor) and a physical disability. | |||
Frisian | blêd | ||
Frisian “blêd” can refer to leaves of grass as well as a blade or knife and might be related to English “blade” but also to “bleed.” | |||
Galician | folla | ||
"Folla" is also used to refer to a large group of people in Galician, similar to the English "crowd". | |||
German | klinge | ||
The word “Klinge” is derived from the Old High German word “klinga”, meaning “something that cuts”. | |||
Icelandic | blað | ||
The Icelandic word "blað" can also mean "leaf" or "page", and is related to the English word "blade". | |||
Irish | lann | ||
Lann also means "inclosure" and "church." | |||
Italian | lama | ||
Italian "lama" derives from the Greek word "láma" meaning "plate; blade of a knife, sword, razor." In modern Italian, "lama" commonly refers to single-edged blades, such as those found on knives, swords, or razors. | |||
Luxembourgish | blat | ||
The word "Blat" can also refer to a type of playing card or a flat, broad object that is sharpened for cutting. | |||
Maltese | xafra | ||
The word 'xafra' is derived from the Arabic 'safar,' meaning 'traveler' or 'warrior,' suggesting its historical association with weapons | |||
Norwegian | blad | ||
The Norwegian word "blad" is cognate with the English word "blade" and also means "leaf" or "page". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lâmina | ||
In Portuguese “lâmina” can also refer to a slide or microscope slide. | |||
Scots Gaelic | lann | ||
'Lann' also refers to a church or ecclesiastical settlement | |||
Spanish | espada | ||
The term espada in Spanish can also refer to a bullfighting matador with seniority. | |||
Swedish | blad | ||
The Swedish word "blad" can also refer to a leaf, a page of a book, or a sheet of paper. | |||
Welsh | llafn | ||
The word 'llafn' has an alternative root meaning 'wide', related to words such as 'llafnog' ('meadow') and 'afon' ('river'). |
Belarusian | лязо | ||
In some contexts, the word "лязо" also translates to "leg" or "thigh". | |||
Bosnian | oštrica | ||
The word "oštrica” derives from the Proto-Slavic word *ostrъ, meaning "sharp". It also shares a root with the word "oštar” ("sharp") and the name of the city of Ostrog in Montenegro. | |||
Bulgarian | острие | ||
The word "острие" also means "point" or "edge". | |||
Czech | čepel | ||
The word "čepel" in Czech is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čeplъ, meaning "handle" or "shaft". | |||
Estonian | tera | ||
In Finnish, the word "tera" also means "sharp" or "edge". | |||
Finnish | terä | ||
"Terä" also means sharp in Finnish | |||
Hungarian | penge | ||
It is cognate with its Finnish equivalent "penki", but also means "money" in Hungarian, so it may come from the German "Pfennig" | |||
Latvian | asmens | ||
The word "asmens" in Latvian also refers to a razor, a sharp edge, or a sword. | |||
Lithuanian | ašmenys | ||
"Ašmenys" shares etymology with "aštrus" which means "sharp" in Lithuanian, hence the translation. | |||
Macedonian | нож | ||
The word "нож" in Macedonian is also an archaic term for a small boat. | |||
Polish | nóż | ||
"Nóż" comes from Proto-Slavic *nozь, a cognate of Russian "нож" (nož) and likely also of German "Messer". | |||
Romanian | lamă | ||
In Romanian, "lamă" also refers to the cutting edge of a knife or sword. | |||
Russian | лезвие | ||
The word "лезвие" is cognate with the word "леза" meaning "edge", and is also related to the word "лес" meaning "forest", possibly due to the fact that knives and swords were originally made from wood. | |||
Serbian | сечиво | ||
In Serbian, "сечиво" also means cutting tool and instrument, or a set of instruments. | |||
Slovak | čepeľ | ||
There is also a small Hungarian town named Cepeľ located near Budapest on the Danube river. | |||
Slovenian | rezilo | ||
'Rezilo' is a cognate of the Serbo-Croatian 'rezilo' and the Old Church Slavonic 'razilo', all of which go back to the Proto-Slavic '*orьzьlь' meaning 'knife'. | |||
Ukrainian | лезо | ||
The word "лезо" is related to the Latin word "lamina", meaning "thin sheet" or "leaf." |
Bengali | ব্লেড | ||
"ব্লেড" can also mean 'hero' in the context of a drama or play. | |||
Gujarati | બ્લેડ | ||
The word 'blade' comes from the Old English word 'blæd', which means a 'leaf' or 'broad piece of wood' | |||
Hindi | ब्लेड | ||
The Hindi word "ब्लेड" (blade) can also refer to a person with exceptional skill or sharpness. | |||
Kannada | ಬ್ಲೇಡ್ | ||
The word "ಬ್ಲೇಡ್" (blade) can also refer to a type of sword called a "katti" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | ബ്ലേഡ് | ||
The word 'blade' in Malayalam also means 'grass' or 'leaf'. | |||
Marathi | ब्लेड | ||
In Marathi, "ब्लेड" (blade) also refers to a "sharp edge" or "cutting surface". | |||
Nepali | ब्लेड | ||
Blade (ब्लेड) is also the name of a town in Nepal, in the Kaski District of Gandaki Province, on the way to Pokhara by Prithvi Highway. | |||
Punjabi | ਬਲੇਡ | ||
In Punjabi, the word "ਬਲੇਡ" (blade) can also refer to a sharp or cutting edge or surface. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තලය | ||
In Sinhalese, the word 'තලය' (blade) originates from the Dravidian root 'tal', and is cognate with the Tamil word 'taḷai', both meaning 'blade' or 'sword'. | |||
Tamil | கத்தி | ||
The etymology is not definitively established. It has been compared with Sanskrit "kartri". The word "katthi" is mentioned by 3rd Century BCE Buddhist work Manimegalai. | |||
Telugu | బ్లేడ్ | ||
The word "blade" derives from the Old English word "blaed", which originally meant "leaf" or "green shoot". | |||
Urdu | بلیڈ | ||
The term "blade" can also refer to a type of grass in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 刀 | ||
The character "刀" (blade) was originally a pictogram of a metal blade with a wooden handle. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 刀 | ||
The Chinese character 刀 (blade) is also used to represent the concept of 'cut' or 'divide'. | |||
Japanese | 刃 | ||
The character 刃 (ha) can also refer to the cutting edge of a sword, knife, or other sharp object. | |||
Korean | 잎 | ||
"잎" in Korean has homophones meaning "leave" and is also used to describe the blade of a knife or sword. | |||
Mongolian | ир | ||
"Ир" can also refer to a horse's tail or a small stream, and its verb form means "to cut." | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဓါး | ||
The word "ဓါး" can also refer to a type of traditional Burmese dance. |
Indonesian | pedang | ||
The word 'pedang' also refers to a type of traditional sword in Indonesia. | |||
Javanese | agul-agul | ||
The word "agul-agul" in Javanese can also refer to a kind of traditional Javanese knife used for cooking or harvesting rice. | |||
Khmer | blade | ||
In Khmer "blade" refers to the blade part of many tools, weapons or body parts of animals. | |||
Lao | ໃບມີດ | ||
Another meaning of "ໃບມີດ" is a piece of paper inserted in a book to mark a place. | |||
Malay | bilah | ||
The Malay word "bilah" can also refer to a type of sword or knife used in traditional Malay martial arts | |||
Thai | ใบมีด | ||
The Thai word "ใบมีด" (blade) can also refer to a razor blade, a knife blade, or a sword blade. | |||
Vietnamese | lưỡi | ||
In Vietnamese, "lưỡi" can refer to animal tongues, the teeth of a saw, or the blade of a knife. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | talim | ||
Azerbaijani | bıçaq | ||
"Bıçaq" also means "pen" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
Kazakh | пышақ | ||
"Пышақ" also means "knife" in Kazakh, sharing a common origin with the English word "pike", likely descending from an ancient Proto-Indo-European root. | |||
Kyrgyz | бычак | ||
The name of a city in the south of the Kyrgyz Republic | |||
Tajik | корд | ||
The word "корд" "корд" is borrowed from Greek "χορδή" via Persian and Uzbek, where it originally meant "bowstring" but changed its meaning in Tajik to "blade". | |||
Turkmen | pyçak | ||
Uzbek | pichoq | ||
The word is possibly descended from Persian "pichaq", a long knife which was used by nomads and merchants. | |||
Uyghur | تىغ | ||
Hawaiian | pahi | ||
Hawaiian word "pahi" may also mean "sharp edge" or "to cut". | |||
Maori | mata | ||
In Maori, "mata" can also refer to an eye or face, reflecting the significance of eyesight in this culture.} | |||
Samoan | lau | ||
The word 'lau' in Samoan can also refer to a leaf or a chapter in a book. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | talim | ||
The word "talim" is also used figuratively to refer to a sharp or piercing remark or criticism. |
Aymara | kuchilla | ||
Guarani | kysepuku | ||
Esperanto | klingo | ||
Klingo is also used figuratively to mean "sharp wit" or "clever remark." | |||
Latin | ferrum | ||
The Latin word "ferrum" originally referred to iron, but later came to mean "blade" in the context of weapons. |
Greek | λεπίδα | ||
The word "λεπίδα" can also refer to the skin of a fruit or vegetable, or to the peel of a tree. | |||
Hmong | hniav | ||
Hniav can also be used as a metaphorical reference to something that is sharp or cutting in a non-physical sense. | |||
Kurdish | zîl | ||
The word "zîl" may originally be of Sumerian origin and is cognate with the Akkadian word "zulālu" for "sword" | |||
Turkish | bıçak ağzı | ||
The word "bıçak ağzı" literally means "knife's mouth" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | incakuba | ||
In Zulu, Xhosa and Nguni the word 'incakuba' is also used to describe the sun and light. | |||
Yiddish | בלייד | ||
In Yiddish, the word "בלייד" ("blade") has both its literal meaning as well as an alternative meaning of "a rascal" or "a wicked person." | |||
Zulu | insingo | ||
The Zulu word for "blade", "in.si.ŋo", also translates to "the cutting edge of a sword". | |||
Assamese | ব্লেড | ||
Aymara | kuchilla | ||
Bhojpuri | ब्लेड | ||
Dhivehi | ތިލަ | ||
Dogri | ब्लेड | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | talim | ||
Guarani | kysepuku | ||
Ilocano | tadem | ||
Krio | nɛf | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | نووک | ||
Maithili | पत्ती | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯌꯥ ꯄꯥꯟꯕ ꯊꯥꯡ | ||
Mizo | chem | ||
Oromo | qara | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ଲେଡ୍ | ||
Quechua | kuchuna | ||
Sanskrit | क्षुरपत्र | ||
Tatar | пычак | ||
Tigrinya | በሊሕ | ||
Tsonga | banga | ||