Updated on March 6, 2024
The word community holds a special significance in our lives, signifying a group of people who share common interests, goals, or geographical proximity. It's a cultural melting pot where traditions, values, and ideas are exchanged, shaping the very fabric of our society.
Did you know that the term community has its roots in the Old French word commune, meaning 'commonness' or 'property held in common'? This historical context highlights the importance of shared resources and values in building a strong community.
Understanding the translation of community in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and connections. For instance, the German translation, Gemeinschaft, emphasizes the social and emotional bonds within a group, while the Spanish translation, comunidad, focuses on the sharing of common values and interests.
Explore the many facets of community by discovering its translations in various languages. Keep reading to uncover the unique cultural perspectives hidden within these translations!
Afrikaans | gemeenskap | ||
The 17th century Dutch word "gemenskap" meant "intercourse" or "society", as well as "community". | |||
Amharic | ማህበረሰብ | ||
The word "ማህበረሰብ" can also be broken down into its individual parts, with "ማህ" meaning "people" and "ሰብ" meaning "group". | |||
Hausa | jama'a | ||
The Hausa word 'jama'a' also refers to a group of people who are joined together by common ties, interests, or goals. | |||
Igbo | obodo | ||
'Obodo' originates from the word 'obodo-ukwu' which means 'a large city' | |||
Malagasy | fiaraha-monina | ||
The Malagasy word fiaraha-monina can also refer to a group of people who work together towards a common goal or a group of people who share a common identity. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | gulu | ||
In some contexts it may be better translated as "village" | |||
Shona | munharaunda | ||
The Shona word 'munharaunda' also has the meaning of 'a sense of community or belonging'. | |||
Somali | bulshada | ||
The word "bulshada" in Somali shares its root with "bulsho" meaning "society". | |||
Sesotho | sechaba | ||
The word "sechaba" ("community" in Sesotho) shares its root with "chaba" referring to the area inhabited by a society. | |||
Swahili | jamii | ||
The word "jamii" in Swahili also means "association", "club", or "group of people sharing a common goal". | |||
Xhosa | ekuhlaleni | ||
"Ekuhlaleni" can also refer to a homestead or a gathering place. | |||
Yoruba | agbegbe | ||
The word "agbegbe" in Yoruba also means "a place where people live" or "a country". | |||
Zulu | umphakathi | ||
The word "umphakathi" also means "the people" or "the nation" in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | sigida | ||
Ewe | hatsotso | ||
Kinyarwanda | umuryango | ||
Lingala | esika bofandi | ||
Luganda | ekyaalo | ||
Sepedi | setšhaba | ||
Twi (Akan) | mpɔtam | ||
Arabic | تواصل اجتماعي | ||
The Arabic word "تواصل اجتماعي" can also mean "social networking" or "social media". | |||
Hebrew | קהילה | ||
Derived from the root "קהל" (qa-hal), meaning "to gather" or "to assemble," the term "קהילה" (qehillah) originally referred to a religious assembly or congregation. | |||
Pashto | ټولنه | ||
The word "ټولنه" also means "society" and is derived from the Persian word "توله" meaning "group" or "crowd". | |||
Arabic | تواصل اجتماعي | ||
The Arabic word "تواصل اجتماعي" can also mean "social networking" or "social media". |
Albanian | bashkësia | ||
"Bashkësia" in Albanian derives from the Proto-Albanian "/bashki/", meaning both "together" and "to unite". | |||
Basque | komunitatea | ||
Komunitatea ultimately derives from the Latin word communitas, meaning "a group of people who have something in common". | |||
Catalan | comunitat | ||
The word "comunitat" in Catalan also means "municipality" or "town". | |||
Croatian | zajednica | ||
The word "zajednica" derives from the Slavic root "jedin", meaning "one" or "united", and is cognate with words like "edinstvo" (unity) and "jedinstveni" (unique) | |||
Danish | fællesskab | ||
The word 'fællesskab' can also refer to a shared responsibility or obligation. | |||
Dutch | gemeenschap | ||
The word 'gemeenschap' shares a root with the word 'gemeen' (common), and originally referred to a shared possession or property. | |||
English | community | ||
"Community" originally meant "a group of people sharing common interests or characteristics" and was only later applied to a place where such a group lives. | |||
French | communauté | ||
In French, “communauté” can also mean a group of people united in some common endeavor, such as a professional community or a religious community. | |||
Frisian | mienskip | ||
The word "mienskip" in Frisian also refers to the shared culture, traditions, and values of a group of people. | |||
Galician | comunidade | ||
The term "comunidade" in Galician derives from the Latin "communitatem" and can refer to both the concept of a community of people and the traditional communal lands and resources in rural Galician society. | |||
German | gemeinschaft | ||
In German, "Gemeinschaft" refers to an intimate, tightly-bonded community, but can also encompass a shared national identity or a spiritual communion. | |||
Icelandic | samfélag | ||
Samfélag is also used in Icelandic to denote a cooperative or an association. | |||
Irish | pobail | ||
The word 'pobail' shares an etymological root with 'people', 'populate', and 'public'. | |||
Italian | comunità | ||
"Comunità" can also refer to a group of people sharing a common identity or heritage in a particular location. | |||
Luxembourgish | communautéit | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Communautéit" also refers to a legal entity similar to a municipality, but with a more specific purpose, such as education or healthcare. | |||
Maltese | komunità | ||
Derived from the Latin word 'communitas', 'komunità' can also refer to a shared property or a communion service. | |||
Norwegian | samfunnet | ||
Norwegian 'samfunnet' is derived from the Old Norse word 'samfundr', meaning society, association, or partnership. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comunidade | ||
The word "comunidade" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) derives from the Latin word "communitas", meaning "a group of people living together in a common place". | |||
Scots Gaelic | choimhearsnachd | ||
The word "choimhearsnachd" in Scots Gaelic is cognate to the Welsh word "cymuned" and means "communion" or "fellowship". | |||
Spanish | comunidad | ||
The Spanish word "comunidad" derives from the Latin "communitas," meaning "fellowship" or "commonwealth." | |||
Swedish | gemenskap | ||
The word 'gemenskap' in Swedish originates from the Old Norse word 'geimskapr', which means 'common pasture' or 'common land'. | |||
Welsh | gymuned | ||
The word 'gymuned' comes from the Welsh word 'cymmun', meaning 'to share'. |
Belarusian | суполкі | ||
The word суполкі can also refer to the pillars that support a structure. | |||
Bosnian | zajednica | ||
The word "zajednica" in Bosnian can also refer to a "partnership" or "association". | |||
Bulgarian | общност | ||
The Bulgarian word "общност" originally meant "communion of the faithful" in a religious context but later acquired a broader sense encompassing the entirety of society. | |||
Czech | společenství | ||
The Czech word "společenství" originates from the Proto-Slavic word (*obšьtina), meaning "a group of people living together". | |||
Estonian | kogukond | ||
The word "kogukond" derives from the Proto-Estonian word *kogukond* meaning "settlement, village, household". | |||
Finnish | yhteisö | ||
The Finnish word "yhteisö" originally meant "belonging together" or "unity". | |||
Hungarian | közösség | ||
"Közösség" can also mean "commonness" in Hungarian, referring to the shared characteristics or experiences of a group. | |||
Latvian | kopiena | ||
The root of the word kopiena is related to the Sanskrit word 'samgraha', meaning 'gathering' or 'meeting place'. | |||
Lithuanian | bendruomenė | ||
In Proto-Baltic, "bendr-“ meant "together"; hence the term "bendruomenė" means "a group of people who come together." | |||
Macedonian | заедница | ||
"Заедница" shares the root "ед" ("one") with the word "единица" (English "unit"). | |||
Polish | społeczność | ||
"Społeczność" can also mean "society" or "commune" in Polish. | |||
Romanian | comunitate | ||
The Romanian word "comunitate" can also mean "company" or "corporation", and is derived from the Latin "communitas", meaning "a body of people united by a common interest or purpose." | |||
Russian | сообщество | ||
Russian word "сообщество" derives from "общество", meaning "society", thus reflecting its broader sense of a group of people sharing common interests or goals. | |||
Serbian | заједнице | ||
The word "заједнице" in Serbian can also mean "common" or "joint" ownership, or a "union" or "organization" of people with a common interest or purpose. | |||
Slovak | komunita | ||
The Slovak word 'komunita' is derived from the Latin 'communitas', meaning 'fellowship, body of citizens'. | |||
Slovenian | skupnosti | ||
The word "skupnosti" in Slovenian can also mean "communion" or "fellowship". | |||
Ukrainian | громада | ||
The word “громада” can also mean “throng” or “crowd” in Ukrainian. |
Bengali | সম্প্রদায় | ||
The Sanskrit word 'sampradāya' is derived from roots meaning 'tradition'. | |||
Gujarati | સમુદાય | ||
The word "community" originates from the Latin word "communitas," meaning "a group of people living in the same place or having a common interest." | |||
Hindi | समुदाय | ||
The word "समुदाय" can also mean "a collection of people living in the same area" or "a group of people who share a common interest or goal." | |||
Kannada | ಸಮುದಾಯ | ||
The word "ಸಮುದಾಯ" (samudāya) in Kannada means "a group of people having common interests, goals, or values" and can also refer to "a group of people living in the same area" or "a group of people who share a common culture or heritage". | |||
Malayalam | കമ്മ്യൂണിറ്റി | ||
Community (കമ്മ്യൂണിറ്റി) derives ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *k̂om-, meaning 'together' or 'with'. | |||
Marathi | समुदाय | ||
The Marathi word "समुदाय" ("samuday") originally referred to a group of islands or a confluence of rivers. | |||
Nepali | समुदाय | ||
The word समुदाय (samudāy) derives from the Sanskrit word समुद्र (samudra) meaning 'sea', and refers to a large body of people or things sharing common characteristics or interests. | |||
Punjabi | ਕਮਿ communityਨਿਟੀ | ||
The word "ਕਮਿ communityਨਿਟੀ" is derived from the Latin word "communitas", meaning "a group of people living in the same place or having a common interest". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රජාව | ||
The word "ප්රජාව" (prajaawa) in Sinhala can also refer to a group of people sharing a common interest or purpose. | |||
Tamil | சமூக | ||
The word "சமூக" derives from the Sanskrit word "samaj"," which means "assembly" or "society". In Tamil, it also has the connotation of "equality" or "leveling". | |||
Telugu | సంఘం | ||
A 'సంఘం' ('sangham') is a community or association, often formed for a specific purpose, such as religious, social, or cultural pursuits. | |||
Urdu | برادری | ||
Urdu word "برادری" also means "brotherhood" in English. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 社区 | ||
社区 literally means "public society" as "社" means "society" and "区" means "area or region". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 社區 | ||
社區 (traditional Chinese) means 'community' and can consist of a group of people or a geographic location. | |||
Japanese | コミュニティ | ||
In Japanese, コミュニティ (komyuniti) can also mean "social group" or "circle of acquaintances" | |||
Korean | 커뮤니티 | ||
The word "커뮤니티" is derived from the Latin word "communitas", meaning "a group of people living in the same place or having a common interest." | |||
Mongolian | олон нийтийн | ||
The word ``олон нийтийн'' (``community'') is etymologically related to the root ``олох'' (``to live'') and carries the connotation of a group living together. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရပ်ရွာ | ||
In its broader sense, ရပ်ရွာ can also refer to an organized collective of individuals, such as a group of people working towards a common goal or sharing a common interest. |
Indonesian | masyarakat | ||
'Masyarakat' can also mean 'public', 'society', or 'people', depending on the context. | |||
Javanese | komunitas | ||
Komunitas in Javanese can also refer to a social gathering or a group of people with shared interests or goals. | |||
Khmer | សហគមន៍ | ||
The word "សហគមន៍" can also refer to a group of people who share a common interest or goal. | |||
Lao | ຊຸມຊົນ | ||
ຊຸມຊົນ can also mean a 'group of people who work together in the same occupation' or 'a group of people who share a common interest or goal'. | |||
Malay | masyarakat | ||
The word masyarakat originally referred to a Malay kingdom or polity, with modern usage influenced by Dutch society. | |||
Thai | ชุมชน | ||
The Thai word "ชุมชน" derives from Sanskrit and originally meant "gathering or assembly," but now encompasses a broader sense of community or society. | |||
Vietnamese | cộng đồng | ||
The word "cộng đồng" literally translates to "join together" or "be together". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pamayanan | ||
Azerbaijani | icma | ||
The word "icma" is derived from the Arabic word "jam'a", meaning "gathering". It can also refer to a group of people who share a common interest or goal. | |||
Kazakh | қоғамдастық | ||
The word "қоғамдастық" can also mean "society", "association", or "public" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | жамаат | ||
"Жамаат" derives from an Arabic word with a similar meaning, and also refers to a Muslim congregation for prayer. | |||
Tajik | ҷомеа | ||
The word "ҷомеа" is derived from the Arabic word "جامعة" which means "university" or "gathering". | |||
Turkmen | jemgyýeti | ||
Uzbek | jamiyat | ||
The word "jamiyat" derives from the Arabic word "jama'ah," meaning "gathering" or "assembly." | |||
Uyghur | مەھەللە | ||
Hawaiian | kaiāulu | ||
The word "kaiāulu" originates from the Hawaiian words "kai" (sea) and "āulu" (growing together), symbolizing the interconnectedness of a community. | |||
Maori | hapori | ||
The word "hapori" can also mean "a group of people who have a common ancestor or who live in the same area." | |||
Samoan | nuu | ||
Nu'u can also refer to a village or a group of related villages | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pamayanan | ||
The root word of the Tagalog "pamayanan" is "bayan," which means "homeland," "town," or "country." |
Aymara | ayllu | ||
Guarani | avarekoha | ||
Esperanto | komunumo | ||
The word komunumo derives from the Latin word communitas, meaning "commonwealth", "communion", "community", "community of goods" | |||
Latin | civitas | ||
Civitas is derived from the root word civis, "citizen," and can also refer to citizenship, civic spirit, or a political community. |
Greek | κοινότητα | ||
The Greek word "κοινότητα" can also mean "fellowship" or "communion". | |||
Hmong | zej zog | ||
The Hmong word 'zej zog', meaning 'community', is also used to describe a communal gathering place, such as a village meeting house or a public square. | |||
Kurdish | civatî | ||
The Kurdish word 'civatî' can also refer to a group of people who share a common interest or goal. | |||
Turkish | topluluk | ||
The word 'topluluk' also means 'group' or 'crowd' in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | ekuhlaleni | ||
"Ekuhlaleni" can also refer to a homestead or a gathering place. | |||
Yiddish | קהילה | ||
The word קהילה (community) is also used in Yiddish to refer to a Jewish community or synagogue. | |||
Zulu | umphakathi | ||
The word "umphakathi" also means "the people" or "the nation" in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | সমুদায় | ||
Aymara | ayllu | ||
Bhojpuri | बेरादरी | ||
Dhivehi | މުޖުތަމަޢު | ||
Dogri | समुदाय | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pamayanan | ||
Guarani | avarekoha | ||
Ilocano | komunidad | ||
Krio | pipul na di eria | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆمەڵگە | ||
Maithili | समुदाय | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯟꯅꯥꯏ | ||
Mizo | khawtlang | ||
Oromo | hawaasa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସମ୍ପ୍ରଦାୟ | ||
Quechua | ayllu | ||
Sanskrit | समुदाय | ||
Tatar | җәмгыять | ||
Tigrinya | ማሕበረሰብ | ||
Tsonga | muganga | ||