Updated on March 6, 2024
Blankets are more than just a cozy addition to our homes. They represent warmth, comfort, and security in various cultures around the world. From keeping us toasty during cold winter nights to serving as a symbol of protection and love, blankets have a deep cultural significance. For instance, in Native American cultures, blankets are often given as gifts to symbolize honor and respect.
Given their importance, it's no surprise that people might want to know the translation of the word 'blanket' in different languages. After all, understanding the word in various languages can help us better connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
Stay tuned for a more comprehensive list of translations of the word 'blanket' in different languages!
Afrikaans | kombers | ||
Komber is the Afrikaans word for blanket and originates from the Dutch language. | |||
Amharic | ብርድ ልብስ | ||
In ancient Amharic, "brəd ləbs" was a garment worn on the back, hence its name, which means "back clothing". | |||
Hausa | bargo | ||
The Hausa word 'bargo' also refers to a type of fabric made from cotton or a combination of cotton and wool. | |||
Igbo | blanket | ||
Igbo language has words for different types of blankets, e.g., "akwa uwe" for bedspread and "akwa oyi" for a wrapper. | |||
Malagasy | bodofotsy | ||
The Malagasy word "bodofotsy" shares a root with the English word "bed". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | bulangeti | ||
In Nyanja, the word "bulangeti" is also used to refer to a type of traditional cloth worn by women. | |||
Shona | gumbeze | ||
"Gumbeze" may also refer to a type of dance or a style of clothing worn by women. | |||
Somali | buste | ||
The word "buste" is also used to refer to a mattress or a quilt. | |||
Sesotho | kobo | ||
The word 'kobo' in Sesotho also refers to a type of fabric used to make blankets. | |||
Swahili | blanketi | ||
`Blanketi` in Swahili also refers to a `bed` or `mattress`. | |||
Xhosa | ngengubo | ||
The Xhosa word 'ngengubo' also refers to a type of traditional Xhosa clothing worn like a blanket, consisting of a rectangular piece of fabric draped over the body and fastened at the shoulders. | |||
Yoruba | aṣọ ibora | ||
The word "aṣọ ibora" is said to be derived from the Yoruba phrase "aṣọ tí a gbó lórí ará," which means "cloth that is used to cover the body." | |||
Zulu | ingubo | ||
Ingubo, meaning blanket in Zulu, also refers to a type of traditional Zulu cloth used as clothing. | |||
Bambara | birifini | ||
Ewe | avɔtsɔtsɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | igitambaro | ||
Lingala | bulangeti | ||
Luganda | bulangiti | ||
Sepedi | lepai | ||
Twi (Akan) | dabua | ||
Arabic | بطانية | ||
The Arabic word "بطانية" comes from the Greek word "βλάντη," which originally referred to a shaggy fleece used as a cloak or blanket. | |||
Hebrew | שְׂמִיכָה | ||
The word "שְׂמִיכָה" derives from the root "שׂ.מ.ך" meaning "to cover" or "to spread out". | |||
Pashto | کمپلې | ||
The word "کمپلې" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "گلیم" (gelim), meaning "rug" or "carpet". | |||
Arabic | بطانية | ||
The Arabic word "بطانية" comes from the Greek word "βλάντη," which originally referred to a shaggy fleece used as a cloak or blanket. |
Albanian | batanije | ||
The Albanian word "batanije" is a loanword from the French "batanie", which itself is derived from the Latin "battanere" (to beat with a stick). | |||
Basque | manta | ||
The word 'manta' can also refer to a type of cape or cloak worn by women. | |||
Catalan | manta | ||
The word "manta" is also used to refer to a type of large marine ray, commonly known as a manta ray. | |||
Croatian | pokrivač | ||
The Croatian word "pokrivač" can also mean "roof" or "lid". | |||
Danish | tæppe | ||
The word tæppe is derived from the Old Norse word teppe, meaning "piece of cloth". | |||
Dutch | deken | ||
The word "deken" in Dutch can also refer to a religious leader (dean). | |||
English | blanket | ||
A 'blanket' could refer to an animal hide in Old English (e.g. 'bedde-hreafn' in 'Beowulf'). | |||
French | couverture | ||
Couverture, aside from its meaning as "blanket", can also be applied to "cover letter" or the chocolate coating on bonbons. | |||
Frisian | tekken | ||
The origin of the word “tekken” in Frisian is obscure and might be linked to the word for “tent”. | |||
Galician | manta | ||
The term "manta" in Galician also denotes a bedspread, a large sheet, or a coverlet. | |||
German | decke | ||
Decke comes from the Middle High German word 'decke', which meant 'cover' or 'protection' | |||
Icelandic | teppi | ||
In medieval Iceland, "teppi" also referred to a heavy woolen cloak worn by men. | |||
Irish | blaincéad | ||
The word "blaincéad" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*blanketos," meaning "piece of felt." | |||
Italian | coperta | ||
Coperta derives from Latin "cooperire," meaning "to cover," and can also refer to a bedspread, a book cover, or an envelope. | |||
Luxembourgish | decken | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Decken" can also mean "ceiling" or "roof". | |||
Maltese | kutra | ||
The word "kutra" is likely derived from the Arabic word "quṭrah", meaning "cloth" or "piece of cloth", or from the Italian word "coltre", meaning "bedspread" or "coverlet". | |||
Norwegian | teppe | ||
"Teppe" is related to the Swedish "täcke" and the English "thatch". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cobertor | ||
The Portuguese word "cobertor" originates from the Old French "covertoir", meaning "to cover" or "bedspread". | |||
Scots Gaelic | plaide | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "plaide" derives from the Latin "pallium", meaning "cloak" or "mantle". | |||
Spanish | manta | ||
The term "manta" can also refer to a large marine creature belonging to the genus Mobula in the family Mobulidae. | |||
Swedish | filt | ||
The word "filt" in Swedish derives from the Old Norse word "feltr", meaning "skin" or "fur". | |||
Welsh | blanced | ||
In Welsh, the word 'blanced' has the same etymology as the English word 'blanket', referring to a woven woolen cover for a bed. |
Belarusian | коўдра | ||
"Коўдра" comes from the Polish word "kołdra", which in turn comes from the German word "Kolter" | |||
Bosnian | pokrivač | ||
The word "pokrivač" is derived from the verb "pokriti" meaning "to cover" and originally referred to any type of covering, not just blankets. | |||
Bulgarian | одеяло | ||
The word "одеяло" can also refer to a thick, quilted bedspread or a coverlet. | |||
Czech | deka | ||
"Deka" can also mean "decade" and is used colloquially to refer to a large sum of money. | |||
Estonian | tekk | ||
"Tekk" is cognate with the Finnish "tekko" meaning "fur", "skin" or "hide". | |||
Finnish | viltti | ||
"Viltti" is likely related to the Germanic *wilti- ( | |||
Hungarian | takaró | ||
The Hungarian word "takaró" originally referred to a type of cloth used to cover goods during transport or storage. | |||
Latvian | sega | ||
The word "sega" is derived from Indo-European "*seg-h-", meaning "covering" or "concealment". | |||
Lithuanian | antklodė | ||
In a 1673 dictionary, "antklodė" was equated with "šiltalodis" ("warm cover"), possibly having the archaic meaning of a coarse woolen blanket. | |||
Macedonian | ќебе | ||
The word "ќебе" is commonly used in Macedonian specifically to refer to a thicker, quilted blanket, often used during the winter months. | |||
Polish | koc | ||
The word "koc" initially described a piece of cloth used to wrap up a baby or a young child, and only later started to mean a bed covering. | |||
Romanian | pătură | ||
In Dacian, "pătură" meant both "blanket" and "piece of land," reflecting the importance of sheep farming in the region and the dual purpose of blankets in protecting both humans and animals from the cold. | |||
Russian | покрывало на кровать | ||
Покрывало на кровать is sometimes used in Russian to refer to a bedspread. | |||
Serbian | ћебе | ||
The word "ћебе" derives from the Turkish word "çepe", meaning "piece of cloth". In ancient Persian, it denoted a "cloak" | |||
Slovak | deka | ||
The word "deka" in Slovak, also has the meaning of "fabric". | |||
Slovenian | odeja | ||
Odeja, 'blanket' in Slovenian, is a derivative of the Indo-European root *h₂ed- ('to cover'). | |||
Ukrainian | ковдра | ||
The word "ковдра" originates from the Proto-Slavic word "kovdrъ", which means "a piece of thick woven fabric". |
Bengali | কম্বল | ||
The word "কম্বল" ultimately derives from Persian word "Kamblan" and is related to the Arabic word "khimār" referring to a scarf or covering for the head and neck, worn by women. | |||
Gujarati | ધાબળો | ||
In Gujarati, ધાબળો (dhābaḷo) is originally derived from the Sanskrit word 'dhabalka' and refers to a coarse cloth worn by mendicants, which later came to mean a blanket. | |||
Hindi | कंबल | ||
Originating in Sanskrit as 'kambala', 'kambhal' means 'wool' or 'shearing'. | |||
Kannada | ಕಂಬಳಿ | ||
"കംബളി " (kambali) also denotes an untrimmed coconut leaf in Malayalam. | |||
Malayalam | പുതപ്പ് | ||
Marathi | ब्लँकेट | ||
The word 'ब्लँकेट' can also refer to a white sheet used to cover a bed or a thin layer of something spread over a surface. | |||
Nepali | कम्बल | ||
The word 'कम्बल' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'कम्बल' meaning 'animal skin' or 'coverlet'. | |||
Punjabi | ਕੰਬਲ | ||
It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kambala', meaning 'a hair blanket' | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පොරවනය | ||
The word "පොරවනය" can also refer to a thin mat used for sleeping or a cloth spread on the ground. | |||
Tamil | போர்வை | ||
The word போர்வை derives from the Tamil root 'porvai', meaning 'to cover', and can refer to various types of coverings such as bedsheets, shawls, or even umbrellas. | |||
Telugu | దుప్పటి | ||
"దుప్పటి" also means a sheet of cloth spread on the head of a person | |||
Urdu | کمبل | ||
The Urdu word کمبل is derived from the Arabic word “kamla” meaning “to envelop” or “to wrap up” and is also related to the Sanskrit word “kambala” meaning “woollen blanket”. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 毯 | ||
The character "毯" is also used to refer to a type of carpet or rug. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 毯 | ||
毯, also pronounced Tǎn, is a type of long, narrow carpet used for covering the floor or as a decorative wall hanging. | |||
Japanese | 毛布 | ||
"毛" means "fur" and "布" means "cloth". | |||
Korean | 담요 | ||
The word "담요" can also refer to a type of traditional Korean bedding called a "mat quilt". | |||
Mongolian | хөнжил | ||
The word "хөнжил" in Mongolian also refers to a type of traditional Mongolian felt rug used for sleeping or sitting on, and is related to the word "хөв" (fur) | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စောင် | ||
စောင် (pronounced "sawn") likely derives from the Mon or Pali word "san" and also means "curtain". |
Indonesian | selimut | ||
The word "selimut" comes from the Sanskrit word "selma" meaning "cover" or "wrap". | |||
Javanese | kemul | ||
Kemul is also a term used to describe the steam or smoke that rises from a hot substance, such as boiling water or a fire. | |||
Khmer | ភួយ | ||
The word "ភួយ" can also mean "to cover" or "to wrap up" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ຜ້າຫົ່ມ | ||
In addition to its literal meaning, "ຜ້າຫົ່ມ" (blanket) can also be used figuratively in Lao to describe a close and supportive relationship between two people or groups. | |||
Malay | selimut | ||
**'Selimut' also means 'cover' or 'curtain' in some contexts. | |||
Thai | ผ้าห่ม | ||
The word "ผ้าห่ม" (blanket) in Thai literally means "wrapped cloth" or "cloth for wrapping". | |||
Vietnamese | cái mền | ||
"Cái mền" can also mean "a bed spread" or "a curtain." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kumot | ||
Azerbaijani | yorğan | ||
"Yorğan" also refers to any type of thick, heavy cloth used for warmth or protection. | |||
Kazakh | көрпе | ||
The Kazakh word 'көрпе' is derived from the Mongolian word 'көрвөк', meaning 'felt' or 'cover'. It is related to the Turkic word 'körpü', meaning 'bridge' or 'cover', and the Persian word 'gorof', meaning 'cover' or 'blanket'. | |||
Kyrgyz | жууркан | ||
Жууркан is also the Kyrgyz word for a type of traditional felt mat used for sleeping on the floor. | |||
Tajik | кӯрпа | ||
The Tajik word "кӯрпа" can also refer to a type of thick cotton fabric used to make bedding. | |||
Turkmen | ýorgan | ||
Uzbek | adyol | ||
"Adyol" is derived from the Old Turkic word "adyg", meaning "to cover" or "to wrap". | |||
Uyghur | ئەدىيال | ||
Hawaiian | kāwili | ||
The word "kāwili" also means "to fold" or "to wrap up" in Hawaiian, reflecting its use as a blanket. | |||
Maori | paraikete | ||
The Maori word 'paraikete' initially referred to woven sleeping mats before being used to describe European-introduced blankets. | |||
Samoan | palanikeke | ||
Palalnikeke originated from the word "fa'alanikeke" meaning "to hug"} | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kumot | ||
"Kumot" also means "cloud" in Tagalog, highlighting the close association between the two. |
Aymara | ikiña | ||
Guarani | ahoja | ||
Esperanto | litkovrilo | ||
The Esperanto word "litkovrilo" is cognate with "coverlet" in English and "couverture" in French. | |||
Latin | stratum | ||
'Stratum' can mean layer, rank, or bed |
Greek | κουβέρτα | ||
The word 'κουβέρτα' derives from the medieval Latin word 'cooperta', which means 'covered' | |||
Hmong | daim pam | ||
The word "daim pam" means "blanket" in Hmong, but it can also refer to a type of cloth used to make blankets or other items. | |||
Kurdish | lihêv | ||
The Kurdish word "lihêv" derives from the Old Persian word "*rəθβu-," meaning "to cover," and has similar cognates in Armenian and Greek. | |||
Turkish | battaniye | ||
In Turkish, "battaniye" can also refer to an item of bedding used to cover oneself while sleeping. | |||
Xhosa | ngengubo | ||
The Xhosa word 'ngengubo' also refers to a type of traditional Xhosa clothing worn like a blanket, consisting of a rectangular piece of fabric draped over the body and fastened at the shoulders. | |||
Yiddish | פאַרדעקן | ||
The Yiddish word "פאַרדעקן" (fardékn) is derived from the German word "vordecken" (to cover up) and specifically refers to a large thick covering for a bed. | |||
Zulu | ingubo | ||
Ingubo, meaning blanket in Zulu, also refers to a type of traditional Zulu cloth used as clothing. | |||
Assamese | কম্বল | ||
Aymara | ikiña | ||
Bhojpuri | कंबल | ||
Dhivehi | ރަޖާގަނޑު | ||
Dogri | कंबल | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kumot | ||
Guarani | ahoja | ||
Ilocano | ules | ||
Krio | kɔba | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەتانی | ||
Maithili | कंबल | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯝꯄꯣꯔ | ||
Mizo | puankawp | ||
Oromo | uffata qorraa halkanii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କମ୍ବଳ | ||
Quechua | lliklla | ||
Sanskrit | कम्बल | ||
Tatar | одеял | ||
Tigrinya | ኮቦርታ | ||
Tsonga | nkumba | ||