Updated on March 6, 2024
Cholesterol, a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many, is a waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all of our cells. It's vital for the production of hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids that help us digest fat. However, too much cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Throughout history, cholesterol has been a subject of fascination and study. In the 19th century, French chemist Eugène Chevreul first identified cholesterol, and since then, scientists have uncovered its many roles in the human body. Today, managing cholesterol levels is a crucial part of maintaining heart health.
Understanding the word 'cholesterol' in different languages can offer a unique cultural perspective. For instance, in Spanish, cholesterol is 'colesterol,' while in German, it's 'Cholesterin.' In French, cholesterol is 'cholestérol,' and in Japanese, it's 'チョレステロール (choresuterooru).'
Join us as we explore the translations of cholesterol in various languages, shedding light on how different cultures approach this essential yet sometimes dangerous substance.
Afrikaans | cholesterol | ||
The word "cholesterol" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), and refers to its role as a solid alcohol found in bile. | |||
Amharic | ኮሌስትሮል | ||
Hausa | cholesterol | ||
In Hausa, the word ''cholesterol'' derives from the Greek ''chole'' (bile) and ''stereos'' (solid), referring to its chemical composition. | |||
Igbo | cholesterol | ||
Cholesterol derives its name from the Greek word "chole", meaning "bile", and "stereos", meaning "solid". It was first isolated in 1784 by the French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul from gallstones. | |||
Malagasy | kolesterola | ||
The term "kolesterola" originates from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "steros" (solid), referring to its presence in the bile and its solid-like nature. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholesterol | ||
In Nyanja (Chichewa), the word "cholesterol" is used to describe both the medical term and the type of food that contains it, such as eggs and meat. | |||
Shona | cholesterol | ||
The word "cholesterol" derives from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), referring to its chemical composition. | |||
Somali | kolestarool | ||
The word "kolestarool" in Somali is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Sesotho | k'holeseterole | ||
The word 'k'holeseterole' is derived from the Greek word 'chole' meaning 'bile' and 'sterol' meaning 'solid alcohol'. It was first used in 1816 by the French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul to describe a substance found in gallstones. | |||
Swahili | cholesterol | ||
In Swahili, "cholesterol" is also known as "mafuta ya damu," which literally translates to "blood fat." | |||
Xhosa | icholesterol | ||
The Xhosa word "ikholestrol" is derived from the English word "cholesterol" and has the same meaning. | |||
Yoruba | idaabobo awọ | ||
The word "idaabobo awọ" is a compound word that literally means "hardened fat". | |||
Zulu | cholesterol | ||
'Cholesterol' is a loanword from European languages and has no Zulu etymology. | |||
Bambara | kolosinsinnan | ||
Ewe | ʋumemi ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | cholesterol | ||
Lingala | cholestérol oyo ezali na kati | ||
Luganda | kolesterol wa kolesterol | ||
Sepedi | kholeseterole | ||
Twi (Akan) | srade a ɛwɔ mogya mu | ||
Arabic | الكوليسترول | ||
'الكوليسترول'، في اللغة العربية، هي كلمة مُشتقة من الكلمة اليونانية 'chole'، التي تعني 'الصفراء'، و'stereos'، التي تعني 'صلب'، وذلك بسبب وجود المادة في حصوات المرارة. | |||
Hebrew | כולסטרול | ||
The Hebrew word כולסטרול (cholesterol) is derived from the Greek words chole (bile) and stereos (solid). | |||
Pashto | کولیسټرول | ||
It is derived from Greek: "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid) | |||
Arabic | الكوليسترول | ||
'الكوليسترول'، في اللغة العربية، هي كلمة مُشتقة من الكلمة اليونانية 'chole'، التي تعني 'الصفراء'، و'stereos'، التي تعني 'صلب'، وذلك بسبب وجود المادة في حصوات المرارة. |
Albanian | kolesteroli | ||
The word "kolesteroli" is borrowed from the French word "cholestérol", which in turn derives from the Greek words "khole" meaning "bile" and "stereos" meaning "solid". The term was originally coined by the French chemist Eugène Chevreul in 1815. | |||
Basque | kolesterola | ||
The Basque word "kolesterola" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Catalan | colesterol | ||
In Catalan, "colesterol" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), as it was first isolated from gallstones. | |||
Croatian | kolesterol | ||
U medicini, kolesterol se odnosi na sve sterole koji se nalaze u životinjskim tkivima i krvi i biljnom svijetu. | |||
Danish | kolesterol | ||
The word 'kolesterol' (cholesterol) originates from the Greek words 'chole' (bile) and 'stereos' (solid), referring to its discovery as a solid substance in bile. | |||
Dutch | cholesterol | ||
Cholesterol in Dutch also refers to "gallstones". | |||
English | cholesterol | ||
The word "cholesterol" originates from the Greek "chole," meaning "bile", and "stereos," meaning "solid." | |||
French | cholestérol | ||
En grec ancien, « χολή » signifie « bile » et « στερεός » signifie « solide ». | |||
Frisian | cholesterol | ||
The word “kolesteroal” entered Frisian from German in around the 1930s. | |||
Galician | colesterol | ||
German | cholesterin | ||
The German word "Cholesterin" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), reflecting its discovery in gallstones. | |||
Icelandic | kólesteról | ||
The Icelandic word "kólesteról" comes from the Greek word "chole," meaning "bile," and "stereos," meaning "solid." | |||
Irish | colaistéaról | ||
The word "colaistéaról" comes from the Greek words "chole" meaning "bile" and "stereos" meaning "solid". | |||
Italian | colesterolo | ||
The word "colesterolo" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), referring to its original discovery in gallstones. | |||
Luxembourgish | cholesterin | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Cholesterin" not only means "cholesterol", but also "bile". | |||
Maltese | kolesterol | ||
The word "kolesterol" used to be spelled "kolestrol" until a spelling reform in 1987. | |||
Norwegian | kolesterol | ||
Kolesterol er avledet fra de greske ordene "chole", som betyr "galle," og "sterol", som betyr "fast alkohol." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | colesterol | ||
Em português, a palavra "colesterol" deriva do grego "chole" (bile) e "stereos" (sólido) e também pode referir-se a um temperamento difícil ou mal-humorado. | |||
Scots Gaelic | cholesterol | ||
In Scots Gaelic, cholesterol is also called 'uisge-beatha', which literally translates to 'water of life'. | |||
Spanish | colesterol | ||
The Spanish word "colesterol" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Swedish | kolesterol | ||
In Swedish, "kolesterol" can also refer to the substance's crystalline structure. | |||
Welsh | colesterol | ||
In Welsh, "colesterol" is borrowed from the Greek word "chole" (meaning "bile") and "stereos" (meaning "solid"), referring to the compound's presence in bile and its waxy, fatty nature. |
Belarusian | халестэрын | ||
The word “халестэрын” comes from the Greek word “chole”, which means “bile” and “stereos”, which means “solid”. | |||
Bosnian | holesterola | ||
Bosnian word "holesterola" derives from the Greek words "khole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Bulgarian | холестерол | ||
Производна от гр. жов, жлъчка и στερεός, твърд, вкамененост. | |||
Czech | cholesterol | ||
In Czech, cholesterol is sometimes informally referred to as "cholesteron" or "cholesterín". | |||
Estonian | kolesterool | ||
Kolesterool is derived from the Greek word chole (bile) and stereos (solid). | |||
Finnish | kolesteroli | ||
The word "kolesteroli" is derived from the Greek word "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Hungarian | koleszterin | ||
"Koleszterin" means the substance present everywhere in cell membranes in Hungarian; this meaning is less frequent in English. | |||
Latvian | holesterīns | ||
In Latvian, "holesterīns" is borrowed from French "cholestérine", which itself is derived from Ancient Greek "χολή" ("bile") + "στερεός" ("solid"). | |||
Lithuanian | cholesterolio | ||
Cholesterolio is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile), "stereos" (solid), and "-ol" (alcohol), reflecting its chemical composition and its early discovery in gallstones. | |||
Macedonian | холестерол | ||
Polish | cholesterol | ||
The word "cholesterol" comes from the Greek words "chole" (meaning "bile") and "stereos" (meaning "solid"). | |||
Romanian | colesterol | ||
Colesterol is a Romanian word meaning "cholesterol", derived from the Greek word "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Russian | холестерин | ||
"Холестерин" произошло от греч. χολή — «желчь» + στερεός — «твердый». | |||
Serbian | холестерола | ||
In Serbian, 'холестерола' can mean both 'cholesterol' and 'gallstones' | |||
Slovak | cholesterolu | ||
The word "cholesterolu" is derived from the Greek word "chole", meaning "bile", and "stereos", meaning "solid". | |||
Slovenian | holesterola | ||
Holesterola is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), and refers to the solid, crystalline form of the substance found in bile and other animal tissues. | |||
Ukrainian | холестерин | ||
The word "холестерин" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). |
Bengali | কোলেস্টেরল | ||
The word "cholesterol" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Gujarati | કોલેસ્ટરોલ | ||
The term "cholesterol" was first coined by French scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1815 from the Greek words "chole" meaning "bile" and "stereos" meaning "solid." | |||
Hindi | कोलेस्ट्रॉल | ||
The word "colesterol" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), reflecting its original discovery in gallstones. | |||
Kannada | ಕೊಲೆಸ್ಟ್ರಾಲ್ | ||
The word "ಕೊಲೆಸ್ಟ್ರಾಲ್" (cholesterol) is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), due to its discovery in gallstones. | |||
Malayalam | കൊളസ്ട്രോൾ | ||
The Malayalam word "കൊളസ്ട്രോൾ" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), and refers to a type of fat that is found in the body and is essential for cell function. | |||
Marathi | कोलेस्टेरॉल | ||
Cholesterol, a term coined by the French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1815, is derived from the Greek words chole (bile) and stereos (solid). In Marathi, it is known as "कोलेस्टेरॉल" (kolestērol). | |||
Nepali | कोलेस्ट्रॉल | ||
The word "कोलेस्ट्रॉल" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), and was first used in 1816 to describe a substance found in gallstones. | |||
Punjabi | ਕੋਲੇਸਟ੍ਰੋਲ | ||
The word 'ਕੋਲੇਸਟ੍ਰੋਲ' comes from the Greek words 'chole', meaning 'bile', and 'stereos', meaning 'solid', alluding to its original discovery as a solid alcohol in gallstones. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කොලෙස්ටරෝල් | ||
The word “කොලෙස්ටරෝල්” is derived from the Greek words “chole” (bile), “steros” (solid), and “ol” (alcohol), reflecting its chemical composition and presence in bile. | |||
Tamil | கொழுப்பு | ||
The Tamil word "கொழுப்பு" comes from the Proto-Dravidian word *kolumpu, meaning "fat" or "grease." | |||
Telugu | కొలెస్ట్రాల్ | ||
Urdu | کولیسٹرول | ||
In Urdu, "کولیسٹرول" shares the same etymology as "cholesterol" in English, originating from Greek roots meaning "bile" and "solid". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 胆固醇 | ||
胆固醇一词来自希腊语,意为“固体胆汁”,因为它最早是从胆汁中分离出来的。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 膽固醇 | ||
膽固醇本意為「膽汁裡的固體」,後來才延伸為醫學裡指的膽固醇。 | |||
Japanese | コレステロール | ||
"コレステロール" was derived from the Greek "chole-" (bile) and "stereos" (solid) in 1886. | |||
Korean | 콜레스테롤 | ||
콜레스테롤은 그리스어로 'cholé' (담즙)와 'stereos' (고체)에서 유래했습니다. | |||
Mongolian | холестерол | ||
The word for 'cholesterol' in Mongolian, 'холестерол,' is derived from the Greek words 'chole' (bile) and 'stereos' (solid), reflecting its discovery as a solid substance in bile. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ကိုလက်စထရော | ||
Indonesian | kolesterol | ||
In Indonesian, the word "kolesterol" can also refer to an oily substance found in the blood. | |||
Javanese | kolesterol | ||
In Javanese, the word "kolesterol" can also refer to a type of traditional Javanese medicine made from fermented soybeans. | |||
Khmer | កូលេស្តេរ៉ុល | ||
The word "កូលេស្តេរ៉ុល" (cholesterol) in Khmer is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), referring to its discovery as a solid substance in bile. | |||
Lao | cholesterol | ||
The word "cholesterol" comes from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), referring to its chemical composition and physical state in the body. | |||
Malay | kolesterol | ||
The word 'kolesterol' is derived from the Greek word 'chole' meaning 'bile' and 'stereos' meaning 'solid'. Cholesterol is sometimes referred to as 'lemak lilin' or 'wax fat' in Malay. | |||
Thai | คอเลสเตอรอล | ||
The word "คอเลสเตอรอล" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid). | |||
Vietnamese | cholesterol | ||
Cholesterol có nguồn gốc từ tiếng Hy Lạp, gồm chole (mật) và steros (rắn), tức là một chất rắn màu vàng nhạt tìm thấy trong mật. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kolesterol | ||
Azerbaijani | xolesterol | ||
The word comes from the Greek word chole- "bile" and stereos "solid" | |||
Kazakh | холестерол | ||
Слово "холестерол" в казахском языке также означает "прочный, крепкий". | |||
Kyrgyz | холестерол | ||
The word "холестерол" (cholesterol) in Kyrgyz is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), and refers to the waxy substance found in animal tissues. | |||
Tajik | холестерин | ||
Слово «холестерин» в таджикском языке имеет то же значение и этимологию, что и в русском и английском языках. | |||
Turkmen | holesterin | ||
Uzbek | xolesterin | ||
The word "xolesterin" in Uzbek also means "a fatty substance in the blood that can clog arteries". | |||
Uyghur | خولېستېرىن | ||
Hawaiian | kolesterol | ||
In Hawaiian, "kolesterol" also means "wax like substance produced in the liver as part of digestion." | |||
Maori | konupuku | ||
In Maori, `konupuku` was originally a generic term for | |||
Samoan | suka | ||
Suka can also mean "fish entrails" or "guts". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kolesterol | ||
The word "kolesterol" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), reflecting its chemical composition as a solid substance found in bile. |
Aymara | colesterol ukaxa wali ch’amawa | ||
Guarani | colesterol rehegua | ||
Esperanto | kolesterolo | ||
"Kolesterolo" is a neologism coined from "kole" (bile) and the Esperanto suffix "-olo" (chemical substance). | |||
Latin | cholesterol | ||
The word "cholesterol" is derived from the Greek words "chole" (bile) and "stereos" (solid), referring to its physical properties. |
Greek | χοληστερίνη | ||
The word "χοληστερίνη" is derived from the Greek words "χολή" (bile) and "στερεός" (solid), referring to its initial discovery as a solid substance in bile. | |||
Hmong | roj | ||
The word "roj" in Hmong is derived from the Chinese word "ruòsèliáng", meaning "lard". | |||
Kurdish | kolesterol | ||
The word "kolesterol" in Kurdish, like in many other languages, ultimately derives from the Greek word "chole-," meaning "bile," and "stereos," meaning "solid." | |||
Turkish | kolesterol | ||
The word 'kolesterol' comes from the Greek 'chole' meaning 'bile', and 'stereos' meaning 'solid' or 'hard', due to its waxy, solid nature when extracted. | |||
Xhosa | icholesterol | ||
The Xhosa word "ikholestrol" is derived from the English word "cholesterol" and has the same meaning. | |||
Yiddish | קאַלעסטעראַל | ||
Zulu | cholesterol | ||
'Cholesterol' is a loanword from European languages and has no Zulu etymology. | |||
Assamese | কলেষ্টেৰল | ||
Aymara | colesterol ukaxa wali ch’amawa | ||
Bhojpuri | कोलेस्ट्रॉल के नाम से जानल जाला | ||
Dhivehi | ކޮލެސްޓްރޯލް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | कोलेस्ट्रॉल | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kolesterol | ||
Guarani | colesterol rehegua | ||
Ilocano | kolesterol nga | ||
Krio | di kɔlɔstrel | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆلیسترۆڵ | ||
Maithili | कोलेस्ट्रॉल | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯂꯦꯁ꯭ꯇꯦꯔꯣꯜ꯫ | ||
Mizo | cholesterol a ni | ||
Oromo | kolestroolii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କୋଲେଷ୍ଟ୍ରଲ | ||
Quechua | colesterol nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | कोलेस्टेरोल | ||
Tatar | холестерин | ||
Tigrinya | ኮለስትሮል ዝበሃሉ ምዃኖም ይፍለጥ | ||
Tsonga | cholesterol ya kholesteroli | ||