Boundary in Different Languages
Discover 'Boundary' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'boundary' holds great significance in our lives, often representing the limits and edges that define our physical and abstract spaces. From property lines to personal space, boundaries provide structure and order in our world. Culturally, boundaries can take on various meanings, such as societal norms, traditional customs, or even personal beliefs that distinguish one group from another. Understanding the translation of 'boundary' in different languages can offer valuable insights into how diverse cultures perceive and interact with their surroundings.
For instance, in Spanish, 'boundary' translates to 'límite,' which also means 'limit.' In German, it's 'Grenze,' reflecting a sense of border or frontier. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'boundary' is '国境 (kokkyō),' directly referring to national borders. These translations not only show linguistic diversity but also highlight the unique cultural perspectives on boundaries.
Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of 'boundary' translations in various languages, providing a glimpse into the rich tapestry of cultural perceptions and language nuances.
Boundary
Boundary in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | grens | ||
| "Grens" comes from the Dutch "grens" (boundary) and is cognate with the English "grin" (a boundary mark). | |||
| Amharic | ወሰን | ||
| The root ውስ means 'within or inside', so ወሰን ('boundary') literally means 'where inside ends'. | |||
| Hausa | iyaka | ||
| The word “iyaka” also means “the end of something.” | |||
| Igbo | ókè | ||
| In the Igbo language, "ókè" also refers to the "edge" of something or a "border". | |||
| Malagasy | sisin-tany | ||
| The word "sisin-tany" in Malagasy also means "boundary between two tribes or peoples". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | malire | ||
| The word 'malire' can also refer to the boundary between two districts or provinces. | |||
| Shona | muganhu | ||
| The word "muganhu" can also refer to a geographical border or a boundary between two different cultures or groups of people. | |||
| Somali | soohdinta | ||
| The Somali word "soohdinta" also means "to encircle" or "to surround". | |||
| Sesotho | moeli | ||
| In the context of a court of law, it also refers to the boundary of one's knowledge or understanding | |||
| Swahili | mpaka | ||
| Mpaka can also refer to a line separating different colors in a textile | |||
| Xhosa | umda | ||
| In Xhosa, "umda" also means "that which is put down" or "something that stands erect", both related to the concept of a boundary. | |||
| Yoruba | ààlà | ||
| "Ààlà" is etymologically related to the words "ìlà" or "àgbàlà", all of which mean "fence" or "enclosure" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umngcele | ||
| In Zulu, the word "umngcele" can also refer to a "borderline" or "limitation." | |||
| Bambara | dancɛ | ||
| Ewe | liƒo dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbibi | ||
| Lingala | ndelo ya ndelo | ||
| Luganda | ensalosalo | ||
| Sepedi | mollwane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔhye so | ||
Boundary in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الحدود | ||
| "الحدود" can mean "eyebrows" as well as "boundary" in Arabic, both related to the concept of "separation". | |||
| Hebrew | גְבוּל | ||
| The word "gvuhl" (boundary) also means "measure", as in "to measure one's words". | |||
| Pashto | حدود | ||
| The word "حدود" (boundary) in Pashto comes from the Arabic word "حد" (limit), which is a cognate of the Hebrew word "גד" (fence). | |||
| Arabic | الحدود | ||
| "الحدود" can mean "eyebrows" as well as "boundary" in Arabic, both related to the concept of "separation". | |||
Boundary in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kufiri | ||
| The word "kufiri" is also used to refer to a border crossing. | |||
| Basque | muga | ||
| The Basque word "muga" has the alternate meaning of "mark" or "sign". | |||
| Catalan | límit | ||
| The Catalan word "límit" also means "limitation" in both a physical and a figurative sense. | |||
| Croatian | granica | ||
| The word "granica" also has the meaning of "edge" or "limit" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | grænse | ||
| The word "grænse" derives from the Old Norse word "grand" meaning "to mark or separate". | |||
| Dutch | grens | ||
| The Dutch word "grens" (boundary) is cognate with the English "grain" and refers to a linear or natural division. | |||
| English | boundary | ||
| The word "boundary" stems from the Old French "bo(u)ndier" and the Latin "bonda," meaning "limit, boundary, frontier." | |||
| French | frontière | ||
| The French word "frontière" ultimately derives from the Latin word "frons" (forehead), referring to the boundary of something's physical or conceptual space. | |||
| Frisian | skieding | ||
| The Frisian word 'skieding' is also an archaic Dutch word for the strip of land along a dike separating the dike from the area to be protected | |||
| Galician | límite | ||
| The word "límite" in Galician also refers to a landmark or milestone. | |||
| German | grenze | ||
| The German word "Grenze" originates from the Old High German word "grinza", meaning "line, ridge, or border". | |||
| Icelandic | mörk | ||
| "Mörk" can also mean "forest" or "woodland" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | teorainn | ||
| "Teorainn" also means "horizon", "limit", or "edge" and comes from the Proto-Celtic root "*termen" (meaning "border"). | |||
| Italian | confine | ||
| In Italian, the word "confine" derives from Latin and can also refer to a neighbor or a border city. | |||
| Luxembourgish | grenz | ||
| Maltese | konfini | ||
| The word "konfini" in Maltese also refers to the demarcation of an area or territory | |||
| Norwegian | grense | ||
| "Grense" (boundary) has cognates in Germanic languages like " Grenze" (German), "granica" (Polish), and "grens" (Dutch), suggesting shared etymology. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fronteira | ||
| The word "fronteira" comes from the Latin word "frons", meaning "forehead" or "boundary". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | chrìoch | ||
| Originally, "chrìoch" meant the "end" or "edge" of something, which has evolved to encompass the broader notion of demarcation. | |||
| Spanish | perímetro | ||
| The Spanish word "perímetro" originates from the Greek "περίμετρον" (perimetron), meaning "measure around". | |||
| Swedish | gräns | ||
| "Gräns" (boundary) also translates to "brink" and even to "borderline situation" with a connotation of peril | |||
| Welsh | ffin | ||
| Although written with the digraph "ff", "ffin" is pronounced with a simple "f" sound and is not related to the word "ffwrn" (an oven). | |||
Boundary in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мяжа | ||
| The word 'мяжа' is cognate with the Russian 'межа', the Polish 'miedza', and the Lithuanian 'mežė', all of which also mean 'boundary'. | |||
| Bosnian | granica | ||
| The word "granica" comes from the Old Slavic word "granь" meaning "edge" or "border". | |||
| Bulgarian | граница | ||
| The word "граница" can also mean "border," "frontier," or "edge" | |||
| Czech | hranice | ||
| The word "hranice" in Czech is also used for "borderline", "frontier" and "limit". | |||
| Estonian | piir | ||
| The word "piir" is also used figuratively to refer to the limits of something. | |||
| Finnish | raja | ||
| In addition to meaning "boundary", "raja" can also mean "border", "frontier", "limit", or "line of demarcation." | |||
| Hungarian | határ | ||
| The word "határ" in Hungarian also means "limit" or "frontier". | |||
| Latvian | robežu | ||
| The word “robeža” is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *reg-, meaning “to stretch out” or “to be straight | |||
| Lithuanian | riba | ||
| Lithuanian "riba" shares its origin with the Slavic word "rubiti" meaning "to mark". | |||
| Macedonian | граница | ||
| The word "граница" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *gradъ, meaning "town" or "fortress". | |||
| Polish | granica | ||
| The word "granica" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*gordъ" meaning "hedge" or "fence", but can also refer to a "limit" or "borderline". | |||
| Romanian | limite | ||
| The word "limită" originates from the Latin word "limes", which means "boundary line" or "frontier". | |||
| Russian | граница | ||
| The word "граница" can also refer to the frontier or a line separating two sides. | |||
| Serbian | граница | ||
| The word "граница" ("boundary") in Serbian shares its root with the verb "градити" ("to build"), reflecting the concept of a boundary as a physical demarcation or construction. | |||
| Slovak | hranica | ||
| In its etymology, "hranica" also refers to a place for storing goods or to a pile of things. | |||
| Slovenian | meja | ||
| The word meja is cognate with 'metja' in Serbo-Croatian and 'medza' in Bulgarian and Macedonian, with all of which it shares the meaning of 'boundary'. | |||
| Ukrainian | кордон | ||
| The word "кордон" in Ukrainian can also mean a "cordon" or "military patrol". | |||
Boundary in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সীমা | ||
| "সীমা" also means 'limit' or 'extreme point' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | બાઉન્ડ્રી | ||
| The word | |||
| Hindi | सीमा | ||
| सीमा (Seema) shares its origin with the English word 'seam' originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *si- 'to bind, tie'. | |||
| Kannada | ಗಡಿ | ||
| The word "ಗಡಿ" in Kannada, meaning "boundary" in English, derived from "ಗಡಿಸು" ("gadisu"), meaning "to enclose," and "ಗಡ್ಡ" ("gaddu"), meaning "a limit." | |||
| Malayalam | അതിർത്തി | ||
| The word 'അതിർത്തി' in Malayalam is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word '*aṟi-' meaning 'edge' or 'border'. | |||
| Marathi | सीमा | ||
| The word "सीमा" in Marathi is cognate to the Sanskrit word "सीमा" meaning "limit, boundary". | |||
| Nepali | सीमा | ||
| The word "सीमा" (pronounced "Seema") in Nepali can also refer to a "limit", "frontier", or "borderline". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੀਮਾ | ||
| "ਸੀਮਾ" (boundary) is related to "सीमान्त" (border) in Hindi and has the alternate meaning of "limit" | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මායිම | ||
| The word "මායිම" is derived from the Sanskrit word "माया" meaning "illusion" or "appearance". | |||
| Tamil | எல்லை | ||
| எல்லை (el-lai) is derived from the Old Tamil word 'எல்' (el), meaning 'to separate' or 'to enclose'. | |||
| Telugu | సరిహద్దు | ||
| సరిహద్దు's origin is from Sanskrit, where it means "a limit, boundary, or frontier." It can also refer to a "row, line, or arrangement" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | حد | ||
| The word "حد" also means "limit, moderation, extent, quantity, degree, or measure" in Urdu. | |||
Boundary in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 边界 | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "边界" can also refer to limits or restrictions. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 邊界 | ||
| In addition to "boundary," "邊界" also means "frontier" or "marge." | |||
| Japanese | 境界 | ||
| 境界 can also mean "borderline between life and death" or "zone of demarcation". | |||
| Korean | 경계 | ||
| The Korean word "경계" (boundary) also has the alternate meaning of "warning" or "caution." | |||
| Mongolian | хил хязгаар | ||
| The Mongolian word "хил хязгаар" can also refer to a "boundary line" or "frontier". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နယ်နိမိတ် | ||
Boundary in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | batas | ||
| The word "batas" in Indonesian also has alternate meanings such as "limit" and "rule". | |||
| Javanese | wates | ||
| The word "wates" in Javanese has an alternate meaning of "place where something is planted". | |||
| Khmer | ព្រំដែន | ||
| The word "ព្រំដែន" (boundary) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "pradāna", meaning "gift" or "donation". | |||
| Lao | ເຂດແດນ | ||
| 'ເຂດແດນ' is a Lao word meaning 'border' or 'boundary' that is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kṣetra', which means 'field' or 'territory'. | |||
| Malay | sempadan | ||
| The word "sempadan" is also used in Malay to refer to the geographic areas where different ethnic groups live, or to the political borders between countries. | |||
| Thai | ขอบเขต | ||
| ขอบเขต (kŏb-kʰɛ̀t) is also used to mean scope, range, or limit. | |||
| Vietnamese | ranh giới | ||
| Ran h giới is a Sino-Vietnamese compound word meaning "where the sky meets the land" or "the horizon". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hangganan | ||
Boundary in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sərhəd | ||
| The word "sərhəd" is derived from the Persian word "sarhad", which itself is derived from the Arabic word "hadd", meaning "limit" or "boundary". | |||
| Kazakh | шекара | ||
| The Kazakh word "шекара" (shekara) can also refer to the border of a country, a river, or a lake. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чек | ||
| The word "чек" also means "edge" or "rim" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | сарҳад | ||
| Сарҳад (boundary) derives from the Persian word "sarhad" which means "border, frontier" and is cognate with the English word "horizon". | |||
| Turkmen | araçäk | ||
| Uzbek | chegara | ||
| Uzbek chegara, meaning “boundary,” derives ultimately from Mongolian ceker, meaning “to bound.” | |||
| Uyghur | چېگرا | ||
Boundary in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palena | ||
| The word "palena" can also refer to the boundary of a forest or the edge of a cliff. | |||
| Maori | rohe | ||
| Although the Maori word "rohe" translates to "boundary," it also signifies an area of influence. | |||
| Samoan | tuaoi | ||
| "Tuaoi" is a word in Samoan that means "edge, border, side, extremity, rim, verge, or limit." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hangganan | ||
| The Tagalog word "hangganan" also means "edge" and "limit." | |||
Boundary in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukax mä límite ukhamawa | ||
| Guarani | límite rehegua | ||
Boundary in International Languages
| Esperanto | limo | ||
| "Limo" can also mean the citrus drink of that same name that originated in France in 1932. | |||
| Latin | terminus | ||
| The word 'terminus' comes from the Latin verb 'terminare', meaning 'to limit' or 'to fix a boundary' | |||
Boundary in Others Languages
| Greek | όριο | ||
| "Όριο" is cognate with the English word "horizon," which originally denoted the boundary line separating the earth from the sky. | |||
| Hmong | thaj tsam | ||
| The word "thaj tsam" in Hmong can also mean "limit" or "frontier" | |||
| Kurdish | tixûb | ||
| The word "tixûb" is closely related to the verb "tixûn, | |||
| Turkish | sınır | ||
| "Sınır" is also Turkish for "to limit" or "to restrict". | |||
| Xhosa | umda | ||
| In Xhosa, "umda" also means "that which is put down" or "something that stands erect", both related to the concept of a boundary. | |||
| Yiddish | גרענעץ | ||
| The Yiddish word "גרענעץ" ("boundary") also means "frontier" in German, and has a similar meaning in Polish and Russian. | |||
| Zulu | umngcele | ||
| In Zulu, the word "umngcele" can also refer to a "borderline" or "limitation." | |||
| Assamese | সীমা | ||
| Aymara | ukax mä límite ukhamawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | सीमा के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބައުންޑަރީ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | सीमा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hangganan | ||
| Guarani | límite rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | beddeng | ||
| Krio | bɔda we de na di bɔda | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سنوور | ||
| Maithili | सीमा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯃꯈꯩꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | ramri (boundary) a ni | ||
| Oromo | daangaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସୀମା | ||
| Quechua | lindero nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | सीमा | ||
| Tatar | чик | ||
| Tigrinya | ዶብ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ndzilakano | ||