Butter in Different Languages
Discover 'Butter' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Butter, a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream, is a staple in kitchens around the world. Its rich, creamy texture and versatile flavor make it a beloved ingredient in various cuisines, from baking delicate pastries to sautéing savory dishes. Beyond its culinary significance, butter holds cultural importance, symbolizing prosperity and tradition in many societies.
Did you know that the word 'butter' has origins in an Old English word 'butere,' which means 'cow cheese'? Or that, in ancient India, ghee, a type of clarified butter, was used not only in cooking but also in religious ceremonies? Such fascinating facts reveal the deep-rooted history of butter in our human story.
Understanding the translation of 'butter' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exchange and appreciation. Here are a few examples: French - beurre, Spanish - mantequilla, German - Butter, Russian - maslo, Japanese - バター (bataa), Chinese - 奶油 (nǎiyóu), and Arabic - zebda.
Butter
Butter in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | botter | ||
| The word "botter" in Afrikaans likely originated from the Old French word "bouter," meaning "to shove" or "to push." | |||
| Amharic | ቅቤ | ||
| "ቅቤ" can also mean 'foam' (e.g. shaving foam) | |||
| Hausa | man shanu | ||
| Hausa word man shanu also means "cow butter" or "clarified butter" | |||
| Igbo | bọta | ||
| Bọta, meaning 'butter' in Igbo, also refers to 'fat' or 'margarine' in other contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | dibera | ||
| Malagasy word "dibera" also means "cream" and is cognate with the Malay word "mentega" of the same meaning. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | batala | ||
| The word "batala" also means "oily", "fatty", or "unctuous". | |||
| Shona | ruomba | ||
| The Shona word "ruomba" also denotes "grease", "fat", "oil", "cream", and "milk", and is used in some phrases to depict the quality of cattle. | |||
| Somali | subag | ||
| Subag is also the term for an object that acts as a vessel; specifically a wooden bowl used to hold liquids or as a place for the kneading (and fermentation) of bread dough. | |||
| Sesotho | botoro | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "botoro" originally referred to the foam that forms on the surface of freshly-brewed traditional beer. | |||
| Swahili | siagi | ||
| The Swahili word "siagi" is cognate with other Bantu languages, such as the Proto-Bantu *saǵa. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhotolo | ||
| A variant of the word 'ibhotolo' is 'utywala', meaning 'beer', emphasizing the cultural significance of livestock and dairy products in Xhosa society. | |||
| Yoruba | bota | ||
| The word 'bota' can also refer to a type of leather bag or a small container used for carrying liquids in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ibhotela | ||
| Ibhotela also refers to the frothy layer on fermented beer. | |||
| Bambara | naare | ||
| Ewe | bᴐta | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amavuta | ||
| Lingala | manteka | ||
| Luganda | siyaagi | ||
| Sepedi | potoro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔta | ||
Butter in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زبدة | ||
| "Butter” comes from a root of the verb “Zubd,” or "to foam." | |||
| Hebrew | חמאה | ||
| The word חמאה ultimately derives from the Akkadian word for "milk, cream or butter" (ḫam'atu). | |||
| Pashto | کوچ | ||
| The word "کوچ" (butter) in Pashto is also figuratively used to refer to "cream" or "elite". | |||
| Arabic | زبدة | ||
| "Butter” comes from a root of the verb “Zubd,” or "to foam." | |||
Butter in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjalpë | ||
| The term "gjalpë" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*gʰalp-e", found also in Slavic languages (e.g. Serbian "žup", Bulgarian "джупа", Slovene "župca"). | |||
| Basque | gurina | ||
| The word “gurina” comes from the Latin word for cheese, “caseus”. | |||
| Catalan | mantega | ||
| The Catalan word for butter, "mantega," is a cognate of Latin "butyrum" which is derived from Ancient Greek "βούτυρον" (boútyron), itself originating from a pre-Greek substrate. | |||
| Croatian | maslac | ||
| The word 'maslac' is derived from the Proto-Slavic term 'maslo', meaning both 'butter' and 'oil'. | |||
| Danish | smør | ||
| The word "smør" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "smeurjon", meaning "fat". | |||
| Dutch | boter | ||
| Dutch "boter" comes from Proto-Germanic "butraz", meaning "thick liquid", and is also related to English "bottle". | |||
| English | butter | ||
| In Old English, 'butere' referred to butter made from goat or sheep milk, while 'buttor' was cow butter. | |||
| French | beurre | ||
| "Beurre" can also refer to a shade of yellow similar to the color of butter. | |||
| Frisian | bûter | ||
| The Frisian word "bûter" is derived from the Old English word "butere" and has the alternate meaning of "to smear". | |||
| Galician | manteiga | ||
| In Galician, "manteiga" is both butter and an adjective meaning "soft" or "gentle." | |||
| German | butter | ||
| In German, the word "Butter" is also used to refer to the butterfly, stemming from its yellow color and fluttering wings resembling butter. | |||
| Icelandic | smjör | ||
| Smjör is derived from the Proto-Germanic **smerþan** ('to smear') and is cognate with the English 'smear'. | |||
| Irish | im | ||
| The Irish word "im" is cognate with the Welsh word "menyn" and the Latin word "butyrum". | |||
| Italian | burro | ||
| The Italian word "burro" is also used in some rural areas to mean "butter churn" | |||
| Luxembourgish | botter | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Botter" also refers to a large piece of bread with a hole in it. | |||
| Maltese | butir | ||
| The Maltese word "butir" is derived from the Arabic "butir" meaning "small pieces" and in this context refers specifically to butter grains. | |||
| Norwegian | smør | ||
| Norwegian "smør" can also refer to goose fat, lard, or the fat of various marine mammals | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | manteiga | ||
| In Portuguese, "manteiga" can also mean "smoothness" or "delicacy". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ìm | ||
| The Gaelic word for butter, "ìm," can also refer to buttercups, or be used affectionately to mean "my dear." | |||
| Spanish | mantequilla | ||
| The Spanish word "mantequilla" originally referred to an ointment, and is cognate with the English word "mantle". | |||
| Swedish | smör | ||
| In Swedish, smör also refers to a layer of grease on top of a liquid, like soup or sauce. | |||
| Welsh | menyn | ||
| The Welsh word "menyn" shares a root with the word "meinyddau" (mountains) | |||
Butter in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сметанковае масла | ||
| The word "сметанковае масла" in Belarusian is derived from the word "сметана" (sour cream), which is used in its production, and "масла" (oil). | |||
| Bosnian | puter | ||
| In Bosnian, 'puter' also refers to butter produced from animal fat or vegetable oil. | |||
| Bulgarian | масло | ||
| The word "масло" has the same Proto-Slavic root as the English "maslo", which means "ointment" or "oil". | |||
| Czech | máslo | ||
| "Máslo" also means "money" in Czech slang. | |||
| Estonian | või | ||
| The Estonian word "või" is cognate with the Finnish word "voi", both originating from the Proto-Finnic word *woi. | |||
| Finnish | voita | ||
| The word "voita" may derive from the Proto-Germanic word "*waitjaną" meaning "to hunt" or "to watch". | |||
| Hungarian | vaj | ||
| The Hungarian word "vaj" (butter) derives from the Proto-Uralic word *woje "fat". | |||
| Latvian | sviests | ||
| Sviests is likely rooted in the ancient Lithuanian word "sviesti" or the similar term "sviescas", both meaning "grease". | |||
| Lithuanian | sviesto | ||
| The word "sviesto" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʰwen-s-/*gʰwēn-s-/, which also means "to shine" or "to be white." | |||
| Macedonian | путер | ||
| The word "путер" in Macedonian is of German origin, coming from "Butter". Besides its main meaning, it's also used colloquially to mean laziness, slowness or doing things without much care. | |||
| Polish | masło | ||
| The word "masło" can also refer to a cream-like substance or a spreadable fat. | |||
| Romanian | unt | ||
| In Romanian, "unt" can also refer to axle grease or ointment, derived from the Latin "unctus" (fatty). | |||
| Russian | масло | ||
| The Russian word "масло" (butter) also refers to a thick paint used in icon painting, and in a figurative sense, can mean "flattery" or "bribery". | |||
| Serbian | путер | ||
| The Serbian word "путер" (butter) is derived from the Slavic word for "milk (fat)", and has a related meaning in various other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovak | maslo | ||
| The word "maslo" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*maslo", meaning "fat" or "oil". | |||
| Slovenian | maslo | ||
| Maslo is also used as a slang term for money in Slovenia, potentially originating from the Italian word "maso" meaning "stack". | |||
| Ukrainian | вершкового масла | ||
| Ukrainian "вершкового масла" comes from the Old Slavonic word "връхъ", meaning "peak", and refers to the skimmed top layer of milk after churning. | |||
Butter in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মাখন | ||
| The word "মাখন" (butter) also refers to the fat or cream that separates from milk during boiling. | |||
| Gujarati | માખણ | ||
| The word 'માખણ' (butter) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मक्खन' (makṣa), which means 'to stir or churn'. | |||
| Hindi | मक्खन | ||
| In Hindi, the word "मक्खन" (makkhan) is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "मधु" (madhu), meaning "honey". | |||
| Kannada | ಬೆಣ್ಣೆ | ||
| The term "ಬೆಣ್ಣೆ" is an etymological cognate of the Sanskrit "वर्ण" or "varna." Both words are derived from Proto-Indo-European root "*weren-" meaning "to cover," signifying butter's role as a protective layer for foods. | |||
| Malayalam | വെണ്ണ | ||
| "വെണ്ണ" is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "ven" meaning "fat" or "oil". | |||
| Marathi | लोणी | ||
| The word "लोणी" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "लवण," meaning "salt". | |||
| Nepali | मक्खन | ||
| "मक्खन" (butter) is also a slang term for "flattery" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੱਖਣ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බටර් | ||
| The word "බටර්" (butter) in Sinhala (Sinhalese) is derived from the Sanskrit word "batra" meaning "foam" or "churned liquid", and is also related to the Hindi word "batter" meaning "a mixture of flour and liquid used for making cakes or bread". | |||
| Tamil | வெண்ணெய் | ||
| Telugu | వెన్న | ||
| The word "వెన్న" also means "foam" in Telugu, possibly because butter is formed when milk foams. | |||
| Urdu | مکھن | ||
| The word "مکھن" (butter) is derived from the Sanskrit word "मक्षिका" (makṣikā), meaning "fly," as butter was traditionally made by churning milk with a stick on which flies had settled. | |||
Butter in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 牛油 | ||
| "牛油" (niúyóu) can also refer to cocoa butter. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 牛油 | ||
| 牛油 can mean not only "butter" but also "tallow" or "margarine" depending on the context | |||
| Japanese | バター | ||
| The word "バター" (bata) originated from the Portuguese word "manteiga", which itself derived from the Latin word "butyrum", meaning "cow dung" | |||
| Korean | 버터 | ||
| "버터" can mean both "butter" and "fudge" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | цөцгийн тос | ||
| The term "цөцгийн тос" directly translates to "breast oil," and can also refer to breast milk. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထောပတ် | ||
| The word "ထောပတ်" (butter) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Pali word "dhavapāta", which means "to spread". It can also refer to the process of churning milk to make butter. | |||
Butter in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mentega | ||
| The word "mentega" is derived from the Portuguese word "manteiga", which in turn comes from the Latin word "butyrum" meaning "butter". | |||
| Javanese | mentega | ||
| In Javanese, 'mentega' is also used as a term to refer to the 'essence' of something valuable, e.g. 'mentega ilmu' (the essence of knowledge). | |||
| Khmer | ប៊ឺ | ||
| ប៊ឺ can also mean "cream" or "milk fat" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ມັນເບີ | ||
| The Lao word for "butter," "ມັນເບີ," is a loanword from English and French, and is ultimately derived from the Greek word for "cow." | |||
| Malay | mentega | ||
| The word 'mentega' derives from the Portuguese word 'manteiga', which is cognate with the Latin word 'butyrum', meaning 'butter' or 'cow's fat'. | |||
| Thai | เนย | ||
| The word "เนย" (butter) in Thai is derived from the Sanskrit word "navanīta" meaning "fresh butter". | |||
| Vietnamese | bơ | ||
| The Vietnamese word "bơ" originally referred to a type of avocado in the Mon-Khmer language, but was later borrowed into Vietnamese to describe dairy butter. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mantikilya | ||
Butter in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kərə yağı | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "kərə yağı" has Turkic roots and is related to the Persian word "kereh," which also means "butter." | |||
| Kazakh | май | ||
| "Май" can also refer to oil or fat in general in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | май | ||
| The word "май" in Kyrgyz also refers to the month of May, and is related to the verb "маюу" meaning "to rub". | |||
| Tajik | равған | ||
| Равған, besides meaning 'butter,' also refers to a type of wild rue plant. | |||
| Turkmen | ýag | ||
| Uzbek | sariyog ' | ||
| The word "sariyog'" is also used to refer to "ghee", a type of clarified butter. | |||
| Uyghur | ماي | ||
Butter in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pata | ||
| Pata can also refer to 'a stick used to beat or stir' or the 'stalk of a plant' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | pata | ||
| In Maori, the word 'pata' can also refer to fat, oil, or a creamy substance. | |||
| Samoan | pata | ||
| The Samoan word "pata" can also refer to a type of ointment made from coconut oil and turmeric. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mantikilya | ||
| The Tagalog word "mantikilya" is derived from the Sanskrit "manthana" meaning "to churn" and originally referred to any type of fat extracted from plants or animals. | |||
Butter in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | lik'i | ||
| Guarani | kyramonarã | ||
Butter in International Languages
| Esperanto | butero | ||
| The Esperanto word "butero" also means "grease" and is derived from the Latin "butyrum". | |||
| Latin | butyrum | ||
| In Late Latin, "butyrum" also referred to "cow dung", but this usage is rare. | |||
Butter in Others Languages
| Greek | βούτυρο | ||
| "βούτυρο" derives from the Ancient Greek "βουτύριον," which in turn stems from the Proto-Indo-European "*ghwut-ro-," meaning "cow's fat". | |||
| Hmong | butter | ||
| The Hmong word "puaj" can also refer to ointment, lotion, or salve. | |||
| Kurdish | runê nîvişk | ||
| Turkish | tereyağı | ||
| "Tereyağı" means both "butter" and "sweating fat" in Turkish, but the latter is now considered derogatory slang. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhotolo | ||
| A variant of the word 'ibhotolo' is 'utywala', meaning 'beer', emphasizing the cultural significance of livestock and dairy products in Xhosa society. | |||
| Yiddish | פּוטער | ||
| The word "פּוטער" can also refer to a type of pastry filled with butter, known as a "pâte feuilletée" in French. | |||
| Zulu | ibhotela | ||
| Ibhotela also refers to the frothy layer on fermented beer. | |||
| Assamese | মাখন | ||
| Aymara | lik'i | ||
| Bhojpuri | माखन | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަޓަރު | ||
| Dogri | मक्खन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mantikilya | ||
| Guarani | kyramonarã | ||
| Ilocano | mantikilya | ||
| Krio | bɔta | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پەنیر | ||
| Maithili | मक्खन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯠꯇꯔ | ||
| Mizo | butter | ||
| Oromo | dhadhaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲହୁଣୀ | ||
| Quechua | wira | ||
| Sanskrit | नवनीत | ||
| Tatar | май | ||
| Tigrinya | ጠስሚ | ||
| Tsonga | botere | ||