Updated on March 6, 2024
A cabin, to many, brings to mind a cozy and tranquil retreat, nestled in the woods or perched on a mountainside. Its significance transcends borders and cultures, as a symbol of simplicity, relaxation, and a return to nature. From the rustic log cabins of North America to the charming mountain huts of Europe, these structures hold a special place in our collective imagination.
The cultural importance of cabins can be traced back through history, with early humans seeking shelter in caves and gradually developing more sophisticated structures as they formed communities. The concept of a cabin evolved over time, adapting to various climates, resources, and traditions. For instance, the traditional Scandinavian 'stuga' often features intricate wood carvings, while the Japanese 'koya' is designed for meditation and harmony with the natural environment.
Understanding the translation of 'cabin' in different languages not only broadens our vocabulary but also offers a window into diverse cultural perspectives. Here are a few examples:
Afrikaans | kajuit | ||
The word "kajuit" can also refer to a private room on a ship or plane. | |||
Amharic | ጎጆ | ||
The Amharic word 'ጎጆ' can also refer to a hut or a shed. | |||
Hausa | gida | ||
The word 'gida' can also mean 'hut' or 'dwelling' in Hausa, and is derived from the Proto-Chadic root *gìd- 'to build'. | |||
Igbo | ụlọ | ||
ụlọ derives from the Proto-Niger-Congo root *ŋɔŋɔŋɔ, meaning "house" or "dwelling." | |||
Malagasy | efitra | ||
The word "efitra" can also refer to a "box" or a "drawer". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kanyumba | ||
In Nyanja, 'kanyumba' also means 'family' or 'household' as a group of people who live together. | |||
Shona | kabhini | ||
The word 'kabhini' in Shona is also used to refer to the small room at the back of a traditional Shona hut. | |||
Somali | qol | ||
"Qol" may also refer to a temporary shelter made of sticks and grass used by nomadic herders. | |||
Sesotho | ntlo | ||
The word "ntlo" originates from the Bantu root *n-to* which has the general meaning of 'to cover' or 'to hide' | |||
Swahili | cabin | ||
The Swahili word "kibanda" can also mean "shack" or "hut". | |||
Xhosa | ndlwana | ||
In Xhosa, 'ndlwana' also means 'a small hut used as a storeroom'. | |||
Yoruba | agọ | ||
Agọ also refers to a place set up by Yoruba hunters in the wilderness for the purpose of hunting, or the act of hunting itself. | |||
Zulu | gumbi | ||
The Zulu word 'gumbi' also refers to a hidden or out-of-the-way place, as in 'ugumbi lokulala' (a hidden bedroom). | |||
Bambara | kabini | ||
Ewe | cabin | ||
Kinyarwanda | akazu | ||
Lingala | kabine | ||
Luganda | kabina | ||
Sepedi | khabinete | ||
Twi (Akan) | cabin no mu | ||
Arabic | الطائرة | ||
The Arabic word "الطائرة" can also refer to an airplane, with the root word "طير" meaning "to fly". | |||
Hebrew | תָא | ||
The Hebrew word "תא" (cabin) may also refer to a compartment, cell, or compartment in a living organism. | |||
Pashto | کیبین | ||
کیبین (cabin) may also refer to a private room in a dormitory. | |||
Arabic | الطائرة | ||
The Arabic word "الطائرة" can also refer to an airplane, with the root word "طير" meaning "to fly". |
Albanian | kabina | ||
The Albanian word "kabina" has no alternate meanings in Albanian, but it originates from the French word "cabine". | |||
Basque | kabina | ||
The Basque word "kabina" can also mean "telephone booth" or "cubicle". | |||
Catalan | cabina | ||
In Italian, "cabina" can also mean "telephone booth" | |||
Croatian | kabina | ||
The word "kabina" is a borrowing from the Italian word "cabina", which originally meant "a small room or chamber", and is also used in Croatian to refer to a "telephone booth" or "lift car". | |||
Danish | kabine | ||
The word "kabine" in Danish can also refer to a small private space or enclosure, such as a closet. | |||
Dutch | cabine | ||
In Dutch, "cabine" can also refer to a bathroom stall or telephone booth. | |||
English | cabin | ||
The word 'cabin' derives from Old Norse 'káfa' meaning a small room or enclosure. | |||
French | cabine | ||
In French, "cabine" can also refer to a changing room or voting booth. | |||
Frisian | kabine | ||
The word kabinet in Dutch, meaning 'office room', comes from this Frisian word. It is also a room on ships and planes. | |||
Galician | cabina | ||
"Cabina" also refers to a small house in the countryside with a barn and land for cultivation or grazing." | |||
German | kabine | ||
The word "Kabine" in German can also refer to a small room or booth, such as a toilet or a telephone booth. | |||
Icelandic | skála | ||
The Icelandic word "skála" also means "a building used for storing fish or other goods," as well as "a flat rock surface." | |||
Irish | cábáin | ||
The word "cábáin" derives from the Old Irish "caibhéan," meaning "little hut" or "small dwelling." | |||
Italian | cabina | ||
The Italian word "cabina" derives from "camera", meaning "room or chamber". | |||
Luxembourgish | kabine | ||
In Luxembourgish, 'Kabine' can also refer to a small room or closet, and is derived from the French word 'cabine'. | |||
Maltese | kabina | ||
The word "kabina" likely comes from the Arabic word "maghna bina" meaning "construction site." | |||
Norwegian | hytte | ||
The word “hytte” may derive from “huda”, a type of small, often windowless building used in the Middle Ages. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cabine | ||
In Portuguese, "cabine" also refers to a telephone booth or a voting booth. | |||
Scots Gaelic | caban | ||
In Scots Gaelic, 'caban' can also refer to a booth or hut. | |||
Spanish | cabina | ||
In Catalan, "cabina" also means "telephone booth", and in Portuguese it means "changing room" or "locker room". | |||
Swedish | stuga | ||
The Swedish word "stuga" originally referred to a room or chamber, and can still be used in that sense today. | |||
Welsh | caban | ||
In Welsh, 'caban' also means 'hut', 'shed', or 'booth'. |
Belarusian | каюта | ||
The word "каюта" in Belarusian can also refer to a small room or compartment on a boat or ship. | |||
Bosnian | kabina | ||
The word 'kabina' can also refer to a small room or a telephone booth in Bosnian. | |||
Bulgarian | кабина | ||
The word "кабина" has several meanings in Bulgarian, including "telephone booth", "lift car", and "control room". | |||
Czech | chata | ||
The word "chata" in Czech is derived from the German word "hütte" (hut) and originally meant a small, simple shelter. | |||
Estonian | salong | ||
The word "salong" in Estonian derives from the Swedish word "salong" meaning "living room" or "parlor". | |||
Finnish | mökki | ||
The word "mökki" is derived from the Swedish word "stuga" and ultimately from the German word "Stube" (room, chamber). | |||
Hungarian | kabin | ||
In Hungarian, the word kabin can also refer to a booth in a market or fair, a telephone box, or a cubicle in a public toilet. | |||
Latvian | kabīne | ||
This word is likely a loanword from Russian "кабина", which in turn derives from French "cabine". | |||
Lithuanian | kajutė | ||
"Kajutė" shares a root with "kaišýti" ("to insert") and "kaištis" ("peg, dowel") – it originally meant a "place inserted". | |||
Macedonian | кабина | ||
The word "кабина" in Macedonian can also refer to a taxi or a cockpit | |||
Polish | kabina | ||
The Polish word "kabina" can also refer to a small, enclosed space in a vehicle or a phone booth. | |||
Romanian | cabină | ||
The Romanian word "cabină" can also refer to a voting booth or a telephone box. | |||
Russian | кабина | ||
The word "кабина" is also used in Russian to refer to the cockpit of an aircraft or the driver's compartment of a vehicle. | |||
Serbian | кабина | ||
The word "кабина" in Serbian also refers to a small room in a vehicle or a telephone box. | |||
Slovak | kabína | ||
Slovak "kabína" also means a cockpit (in an aircraft), a lift (elevator) cabin or a changing room (in a sport center). | |||
Slovenian | kabina | ||
The word "kabina" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word for "cell" and is related to the word "kob" meaning "hide". | |||
Ukrainian | каюта | ||
Ukrainian word "каюта" derives from Turkish "kayık", meaning a small boat or rowboat. |
Bengali | কেবিন | ||
The word "cabin" derives from the Medieval Latin word "cabanna", meaning "hut" or "shelter". | |||
Gujarati | કેબીન | ||
In addition to meaning "cabin," "કેબીન" also can mean "closet." | |||
Hindi | केबिन | ||
"केबिन" (cabin) is the Hindi word of Persian origin, meaning "chamber" or "closet." | |||
Kannada | ಕ್ಯಾಬಿನ್ | ||
The Kannada word "ಕ್ಯಾಬಿನ್" (cabin) is ultimately derived from the Arabic "qubba" meaning "tent" and has come to mean a small room or shelter. | |||
Malayalam | ചെറിയമുറി | ||
"ചെറിയമുറി" (cabin) is derived from the Portuguese word "camara", meaning "room, chamber". It also refers to a small, enclosed space on a ship or airplane. | |||
Marathi | केबिन | ||
In its alternate sense, the Marathi word “केबिन” can refer to a horse's stable or enclosure. | |||
Nepali | केबिन | ||
The Nepali word ''केबिन'' is derived from the English word ''cabin'', which originally referred to a small room on a ship. | |||
Punjabi | ਕੈਬਿਨ | ||
The word "ਕੈਬਿਨ" derives from the Old German word "Chambare", meaning "a private room". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කැබින් | ||
In Sinhala, the word "කැබින්" (cabin) is also used to refer to a small, closed room in a train or ship. | |||
Tamil | கேபின் | ||
The Tamil word "கேபின்" ('cabin') is derived from the Portuguese word "cabana" and was initially introduced into Tamil through contact with Portuguese traders and missionaries. | |||
Telugu | క్యాబిన్ | ||
The word "క్యాబిన్" is derived from the French word "cabane", meaning "small hut". It can also refer to a small room on a ship or aircraft. | |||
Urdu | کیبن | ||
کیبن "cabin" is related to the medieval Latin root for a cabin-like room below deck on a ship, which ultimately goes back to ancient Semitic languages |
Chinese (Simplified) | 舱 | ||
"舱" can be used independently to mean "a space enclosed by bulkheads within a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft" or "a small, enclosed space for private use." | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 艙 | ||
艙 also means belly or womb in Chinese. | |||
Japanese | キャビン | ||
"キャビン" is sometimes used to refer to a passenger compartment on an aircraft, as in the phrase "キャビンアテンダント" (cabin attendant). | |||
Korean | 선실 | ||
"선실" can also mean a room in a traditional Korean house. | |||
Mongolian | бүхээгийн | ||
Бүхээгийн can refer to a log cabin, or to a dwelling with a mud roof and wooden foundation. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အခန်း | ||
The word “အခန်း” in Myanmar can also refer to an enclosure or compartment for animals or a stall in a market. |
Indonesian | kabin | ||
The Indonesian word "kabin" can also refer to a cabin at sea or an airplane cabin. | |||
Javanese | kabin | ||
The Javanese word "kabin" also means "room" or "house" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "kutir" meaning "hut". | |||
Khmer | កាប៊ីន | ||
The word កាប៊ីន (cabin) in Khmer is likely derived from the French word "cabine", meaning "small room" or "shelter", or from the English word "cabin", referring to a small dwelling or room on a ship or aircraft. | |||
Lao | ຫ້ອງໂດຍສານ | ||
ຫ້ອງໂດຍສານ also refers to a room in a hospital where patients are isolated for medical reasons, such as during an infectious disease outbreak. | |||
Malay | kabin | ||
The word "kabin" is derived from the Hindi word "kaban" meaning "small house" and in Malay it can also refer to a room used for confinement during childbirth. | |||
Thai | ห้องโดยสาร | ||
ห้องโดยสาร can also mean compartment, as in a train compartment compartment, or a ship's cabin. | |||
Vietnamese | cabin | ||
Tiếng Việt cũng có từ "cabin", với nghĩa là phòng ở trên máy bay hoặc trên tàu thủy. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | cabin | ||
Azerbaijani | kabin | ||
In Azerbaijani, | |||
Kazakh | кабина | ||
The word "кабина" (cabin) in Kazakh is also used to mean the cockpit of an aircraft or a ship. | |||
Kyrgyz | кабина | ||
In Kyrgyz, "кабина" also refers to a small room or compartment in a vehicle. | |||
Tajik | кабина | ||
The word "кабина" can also refer to a small room or compartment in Russian. | |||
Turkmen | kabinet | ||
Uzbek | idishni | ||
In Uzbek and other Turkic languages, "idishni" also means "house" and "home". | |||
Uyghur | كابىنكا | ||
Hawaiian | kāpena | ||
The Hawaiian word "kāpena" can also refer to a shelter or a place to rest. | |||
Maori | piha | ||
Piha also translates to 'bay' or 'harbour' in Te Reo Māori and is used to name multiple locations throughout New Zealand and the Pacific. | |||
Samoan | fale | ||
The word 'fale' in Samoan can also refer to a meeting house or a church. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kabin | ||
The word "kabin" in Tagalog (Filipino) comes from the Spanish word "cabaña" (shack) and can also refer to a cubicle, compartment, or the driver's compartment of a vehicle. |
Aymara | cabina | ||
Guarani | cabina rehegua | ||
Esperanto | kabano | ||
The Esperanto word "kabano" is derived from Russian "кабан" (boar) through Yiddish "קאַבאַן" (pigsty), and is also used metaphorically as a derogatory term for a "filthy place". | |||
Latin | cameram | ||
In ecclesiastical Latin, "cameram" can also refer to a vaulted area of a church, or a small room used for secret consultations. |
Greek | καμπίνα | ||
In Cypriot Greek, the word "καμπίνα" may also refer to a wooden shed for animals, while in Cretan Greek, it denotes a wooden hut used by shepherds. | |||
Hmong | cab ntoo | ||
The Hmong word "cab ntoo" can also refer to a room or a shelter. | |||
Kurdish | koz | ||
The word 'koz' in Kurdish is also used to refer to a small shelter or hut, often built in pastures or fields. | |||
Turkish | kabin | ||
The Turkish word "kabin" can also refer to a small room or cubicle, such as a telephone booth or changing room, and derives from the Arabic "qubbah" (dome) via Persian "kabina" (little dome). | |||
Xhosa | ndlwana | ||
In Xhosa, 'ndlwana' also means 'a small hut used as a storeroom'. | |||
Yiddish | כאַטע | ||
The Yiddish word "כאַטע" (khete), meaning "cabin" or "hut," is derived from the Low German word "Kate," also meaning "cabin". | |||
Zulu | gumbi | ||
The Zulu word 'gumbi' also refers to a hidden or out-of-the-way place, as in 'ugumbi lokulala' (a hidden bedroom). | |||
Assamese | কেবিন | ||
Aymara | cabina | ||
Bhojpuri | केबिन में बा | ||
Dhivehi | ކެބިން | ||
Dogri | केबिन | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | cabin | ||
Guarani | cabina rehegua | ||
Ilocano | kabina | ||
Krio | kabin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | کابینە | ||
Maithili | केबिन | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯦꯕꯤꯅꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | cabin ah a awm | ||
Oromo | kaabin | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କେବିନ୍ | ||
Quechua | cabina | ||
Sanskrit | केबिन | ||
Tatar | кабина | ||
Tigrinya | ካቢን | ||
Tsonga | khabini | ||