Collective in Different Languages
Discover 'Collective' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'collective' holds a significant place in our linguistic and cultural landscape. Representing unity and collaboration, this term is often used to describe a group of entities working together towards a common goal. Its importance transcends boundaries, making it a valuable addition to any global citizen's vocabulary.
Throughout history, collective efforts have led to groundbreaking discoveries, revolutionary ideas, and societal progress. From the ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day cooperatives, the spirit of collectivism has shaped human civilization in profound ways.
Understanding the translation of 'collective' in different languages can open doors to cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper appreciation for the world's diverse linguistic and cultural tapestry.
For instance, in Spanish, 'collective' translates to 'colectivo,' while in French, it becomes 'collectif.' In Mandarin, the word '集体' (jí tǐ) captures the essence of this concept. Meanwhile, in Japanese, '集団' (shūdan) is the term used to convey the meaning of 'collective.'
Collective
Collective in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kollektief | ||
| The word 'kollektief' is derived from the Old French word 'collectif', which in turn is derived from the Latin word 'collectivus' meaning 'to gather or collect'. | |||
| Amharic | የጋራ | ||
| The word "የጋራ" (collective) derives from the verb "ጋር" (to be together), and can also mean "common" or "shared". | |||
| Hausa | gama kai | ||
| Hausa "gama kai" originally meant assembly or gathering before being extended to mean collective and is related to Gwari "gama". | |||
| Igbo | mkpokọta | ||
| Although the word "mkpokọta" means "collective" literally, it is also used to refer to a place where people gather for a common purpose, such as a market or a meeting place. | |||
| Malagasy | iombonana | ||
| "Iombonana," a word used in Madagascar to describe a collective, is a combination of the prefixes "iom" and "bona." "Iom" denotes the idea of a unified group, while "bona" refers to a shared purpose or understanding. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gulu | ||
| The word **gulu** was borrowed from **Zulu** and is similar to **'kwere**,' which refers to grouping animals or people during a traditional hunt. | |||
| Shona | seboka | ||
| The word “seboka” can also mean a group of people who gather to perform a specific task. | |||
| Somali | wadareed | ||
| "Wadareed" is also the Somali name for the constellation Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) | |||
| Sesotho | kopaneng | ||
| The word "kopaneng" can also refer to a physical gathering place. | |||
| Swahili | pamoja | ||
| The word 'pamoja' can also mean 'together', 'with' or 'in company'. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokudibeneyo | ||
| The word "ngokudibeneyo" is derived from the Xhosa word "dibane", meaning "to meet" or "to gather". | |||
| Yoruba | apapọ | ||
| 'Apapọ' also connotes a communal gathering for deliberation, worship, or other socio-cultural events. | |||
| Zulu | ngokuhlanganyela | ||
| The Zulu word "ngokuhlanganyela" is also used to refer to the act of getting married. | |||
| Bambara | jɛkuluba | ||
| Ewe | amehawo ƒe ƒuƒoƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | rusange | ||
| Lingala | lisanga ya bato | ||
| Luganda | okugatta awamu | ||
| Sepedi | kopanelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nnipa a wɔbom yɛ adwuma | ||
Collective in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جماعي | ||
| In Arabic, "جماعي" (collective) also refers to acts done in a group and implies a sense of shared responsibility, especially in the context of criminal offenses. | |||
| Hebrew | קולקטיבי | ||
| The Hebrew word "קולקטיבי" can also refer to a "collective agreement" or "joint agreement". | |||
| Pashto | ډله ایز | ||
| The Pashto word "ډله ایز" can also mean "public" or "group" depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
| Arabic | جماعي | ||
| In Arabic, "جماعي" (collective) also refers to acts done in a group and implies a sense of shared responsibility, especially in the context of criminal offenses. | |||
Collective in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kolektive | ||
| The word "kolektive" in Albanian can also refer to a group of people, a community, or a team. | |||
| Basque | kolektiboa | ||
| The word "kolektiboa" is derived from the Latin word "collectivus", meaning "gathered together". | |||
| Catalan | col·lectiu | ||
| In Catalan, "col·lectiu" also refers to public transport or services. | |||
| Croatian | kolektivna | ||
| The word 'kolektivna' in Croatian is also used to describe a collective noun, which refers to a group of people or things considered as a single unit. | |||
| Danish | kollektive | ||
| Kollektive or kollektiv in Danish also refers to public transportation and in this context it means “public transportation lines.” | |||
| Dutch | collectief | ||
| The Dutch word "collectief" can also refer to a group of people working together towards a common goal. | |||
| English | collective | ||
| The word "collective" derives from the Latin "colligere," meaning "to gather together" and also refers to a group of individuals with shared interests or goals. | |||
| French | collectif | ||
| The word "collectif" in French can also mean a shared taxi or a group of people working together on a project. | |||
| Frisian | kollektyf | ||
| The Frisian word "kollektyf" is derived from the Latin word "collectivus". It can also mean "collective farm". | |||
| Galician | colectivo | ||
| In Galician, "colectivo" can also refer to a taxi or minibus that follows a fixed route and makes frequent stops. | |||
| German | kollektiv | ||
| "Kollektiv" originally referred to a group of farmers working together, and is now used in German to refer to any type of collective or group of people. | |||
| Icelandic | sameiginlegur | ||
| Icelandic's "sameiginlegur" derives from Old Norse "sameiginn", meaning "shared" or "jointly owned". | |||
| Irish | comhchoiteann | ||
| The Irish word "comhchoiteann" is derived from the Proto-Celtic *kom-kʷeti-n meaning "togetherness" or "common bond". | |||
| Italian | collettivo | ||
| The Italian word "collettivo" can also refer to a group of people or things, such as a collective noun or a collective agreement. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kollektiv | ||
| The word "kollektiv" in Luxembourgish can also refer to an association or group. | |||
| Maltese | kollettiv | ||
| The Maltese word "kollettiv" derives from the Italian word "collettivo", meaning "collective", which in turn comes from the Latin word "collectivus". | |||
| Norwegian | kollektive | ||
| The Norwegian word "kollektive" can also refer to public transport. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | coletivo | ||
| In addition to the usual meaning of 'collective', in Portuguese the word 'coletivo' can also refer to a small bus or van for public transport. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cruinnichte | ||
| Cruinnichte can also refer to a collective such as a society or association of people. | |||
| Spanish | colectivo | ||
| In Latin America "colectivo" refers to a type of public transport vehicle used to travel between cities. | |||
| Swedish | kollektiv | ||
| The word "kollektiv" can also refer to public transportation in Swedish | |||
| Welsh | ar y cyd | ||
| The term can also be used to refer to a gathering or assembly, typically in the context of a social or political group. | |||
Collective in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | калектыўны | ||
| The word „калектыўны“ ("collective") in Belarusian comes from the Latin word „collectivus“ ("to collect"). | |||
| Bosnian | kolektivni | ||
| The word "kolektivni" in Bosnian can also mean "collective agreement" or "collective labor agreement". | |||
| Bulgarian | колективна | ||
| In Bulgarian, "колективна" also means "cooperative" | |||
| Czech | kolektivní | ||
| As an alternative meaning, "kolektivní" means "belonging to or done by a group of people or a community". | |||
| Estonian | kollektiivne | ||
| The word "kollektiivne" is derived from the Latin word "collectivus". It means "gathered" or "assembled". | |||
| Finnish | kollektiivinen | ||
| The Finnish word 'kollektiivinen' comes from the Latin word 'collectivus', meaning 'gathered together'. | |||
| Hungarian | kollektív | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "kollektív" can also refer to a type of folk dance. | |||
| Latvian | kolektīvs | ||
| The word "kolektīvs" in Latvian can also refer to a collective farm or a type of music performance. | |||
| Lithuanian | kolektyvas | ||
| In the 19th century, the word Kolektyvas was used to refer to a group of people who worked together on a project. | |||
| Macedonian | колективно | ||
| The word "колективно" in Macedonian can also mean "gather" or "assemble". | |||
| Polish | kolektyw | ||
| The Polish word "kolektyw" (collective) comes from the Latin word collectivus, which shares its root with "collect" and "collection" | |||
| Romanian | colectiv | ||
| The Romanian word "colectiv" also means "nightclub" or "club", referring to a place where people gather for entertainment or social activities. | |||
| Russian | коллектив | ||
| В русском языке слово "коллектив" имеет также значение "общность людей, объединённых общими интересами". | |||
| Serbian | колективни | ||
| In Serbian, "колективни" can refer to a group of people working towards a common goal or to the property of being owned or used by a group. | |||
| Slovak | kolektívne | ||
| The word "kolektívne" in Slovak can also refer to the collective unconscious, a concept in psychology introduced by Carl Jung. | |||
| Slovenian | kolektivni | ||
| While "kolektiv" also means "labor union" in Slovenian, "kolektivni" does not have this meaning. | |||
| Ukrainian | колективний | ||
| "Колективний" can mean "collective" or "collected" in Ukrainian. | |||
Collective in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সমষ্টিগত | ||
| সমষ্টিগত (collective) শব্দের ক্রিয়াধাতু অর্থ সংগ্রহ করা। | |||
| Gujarati | સામૂહિક | ||
| સામૂહિક (collective) is derived from the Latin word "collectivus," meaning "gathered together." | |||
| Hindi | सामूहिक | ||
| The Hindi word "सामूहिक" is a homonym with two different etymologies: "साम" meaning "all" and "उत्थान" meaning "upliftment" and "समुच्चाय" meaning "collection". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಮೂಹಿಕ | ||
| ಸಾಮೂಹಿಕ is said to have originated from the Sanskrit word 'samuha'. | |||
| Malayalam | കൂട്ടായ | ||
| The Malayalam word "കൂട്ടായ" derives from the Proto-Dravidian word "*kuṭi" meaning "assembly" or "company" | |||
| Marathi | सामूहिक | ||
| Nepali | सामूहिक | ||
| सामूहिक derives from the Sanskrit word 'samuha' meaning 'a heap', thus conveying the notion of gathering or accumulation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਮੂਹਿਕ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸਮੂਹਿਕ" (samuhik) has Sanskrit origins and can also mean "joint" or "associated with a group." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාමූහික | ||
| සාමූහික has other meanings in Sinhala such as "aggregate", "total", "amount", "heap", "sum", "collection", and "group". | |||
| Tamil | கூட்டு | ||
| The Tamil word 'கூட்டு' also refers to a type of vegetable soup or stew. | |||
| Telugu | సామూహిక | ||
| The word సామూహిక can also refer to a group of people acting together, or the state of belonging to a group. | |||
| Urdu | اجتماعی | ||
| The word "اجتماعی" also means "social" in Urdu, reflecting its roots in the Arabic word "اجتمع" meaning "to gather." | |||
Collective in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 集体 | ||
| In Buddhism, 集体 refers to a large gathering of Buddhist disciples or practitioners. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 集體 | ||
| The word 集體 can also mean 'group' or 'collection' in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 集団 | ||
| The term '集団' (collective) can also refer to a group of people sharing similar values, beliefs, or goals. | |||
| Korean | 집단 | ||
| 집단 consists of 집 'house' and 단 'a group of similar thing', and it implies the members having similar values and interests. | |||
| Mongolian | хамтын | ||
| The Mongolian word “хамтын” (collective) is related to the word “хамт” (together), and it also refers to sharing or doing something in common. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စုပေါင်း | ||
Collective in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kolektif | ||
| The Indonesian word "kolektif" is derived from the Dutch word "collectief", which in turn comes from the Latin word "collectivus", meaning "gathered together". | |||
| Javanese | kolektif | ||
| The Javanese word 'kolektif' not only means 'collective' in English but also signifies 'togetherness' and 'unison' in the Javanese cultural context. | |||
| Khmer | សមូហភាព | ||
| In Khmer, the word សមូហភាព not only means collective but also refers to the concept of unity and belonging to a group. | |||
| Lao | ການລວບລວມ | ||
| Malay | kolektif | ||
| The word "kolektif" in Malay can also refer to a group of people who share a common goal or purpose. | |||
| Thai | ส่วนรวม | ||
| "ส่วนรวม" originates from the word "รวม" (to combine), referring to a group of people or things that are combined as a whole. | |||
| Vietnamese | tập thể | ||
| The word "tập thể" in Vietnamese can also refer to a group of people who work or live together, such as a community or a team. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sama-sama | ||
Collective in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kollektiv | ||
| The word "kollektiv" can also refer to a group of people who work together or a group of animals that live together. | |||
| Kazakh | ұжымдық | ||
| ұжымдық originally meant | |||
| Kyrgyz | жамааттык | ||
| The word "жамааттык" derives from the Arabic word "jama'a", meaning "congregation" or "society". | |||
| Tajik | коллективона | ||
| В английском языке эквивалентом таджикского слова «коллективона» является слово «collective», которое в свою очередь происходит от латинского «collectivus» и буквально означает «собранный вместе». | |||
| Turkmen | köpçülikleýin | ||
| Uzbek | jamoaviy | ||
| The Uzbek word "jamoaviy" can also mean "social" or "public". | |||
| Uyghur | كوللىكتىپ | ||
Collective in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hui pū | ||
| The word "hui pū" in Hawaiian can also refer to a group organized for a specific purpose, such as a community or work team. | |||
| Maori | ngatahi | ||
| The word “ngatahi” emerged from Proto Polynesian and is shared with many other Polynesian languages in the form of its equivalent cognate words. | |||
| Samoan | tuʻufaʻatasi | ||
| The word "tuʻufaʻatasi" in Samoan is derived from the words "tuʻu" (to place) and "faʻatasi" (together), and can also refer to a gathering or assembly. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sama-sama | ||
| Sama-sama is a Tagalog word that derives from the Malay word 'sama' meaning 'together' and also carries the more specific meaning of 'same' and 'equal' in Tagalog. | |||
Collective in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tantachawi | ||
| Guarani | colectivo rehegua | ||
Collective in International Languages
| Esperanto | kolektiva | ||
| The Esperanto word "kolektiva" also has the meaning of "joint" or "shared". | |||
| Latin | collective | ||
| The Latin word "collectivus" also means "gathered together" or "assembled". | |||
Collective in Others Languages
| Greek | συλλογικός | ||
| Συλλογικός originated from the Ancient Greek word “συλλέγω” which means “collect”. | |||
| Hmong | sib sau ua ke | ||
| The term "sib sau ua ke" can also refer to a group of people who share a common ancestor. | |||
| Kurdish | kolektîf | ||
| The Kurdish word "kolektîf" is ultimately derived from the Latin "collectivus," meaning "gathered together," and shares a common etymology with the English "collect" and "collection." | |||
| Turkish | toplu | ||
| "Toplu" (collective) comes from the root "top" (gathering), also found in words like "toplantı" (meeting) and "toplamak" (to collect). | |||
| Xhosa | ngokudibeneyo | ||
| The word "ngokudibeneyo" is derived from the Xhosa word "dibane", meaning "to meet" or "to gather". | |||
| Yiddish | קאָלעקטיוו | ||
| The Yiddish word "קאָלעקטיוו" (kollektiv) can also mean "kollel" (a type of Jewish study hall). | |||
| Zulu | ngokuhlanganyela | ||
| The Zulu word "ngokuhlanganyela" is also used to refer to the act of getting married. | |||
| Assamese | সামূহিক | ||
| Aymara | tantachawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | सामूहिक रूप से बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޖަމާޢަތުގެ ގޮތުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | सामूहिक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sama-sama | ||
| Guarani | colectivo rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | kolektibo nga | ||
| Krio | kɔlektif | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەکۆمەڵ | ||
| Maithili | सामूहिक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯂꯦꯛꯇꯤꯕ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | mipui zawng zawng (collective) a ni | ||
| Oromo | waloo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାମୂହିକ | ||
| Quechua | huñusqa | ||
| Sanskrit | सामूहिक | ||
| Tatar | коллектив | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓባራዊ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | hi ku hlengeletiwa | ||