Updated on March 6, 2024
Afrikaans | omstredenheid | ||
The word "omstredenheid" comes from the Dutch word "omstreden", meaning "disputed" or "controversial". | |||
Amharic | ውዝግብ | ||
The Amharic word ውዝግብ ( | |||
Hausa | rigima | ||
The word "rigima" (meaning "controversy") can also refer to "obstinacy" or "stiffness"} | |||
Igbo | esemokwu | ||
The Igbo word "esemokwu" can also mean "to discuss," "a discussion," "a topic," or "an issue." | |||
Malagasy | adihevitra | ||
The Malagasy word "adihevitra" can also refer to a "legal action". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutsutsana | ||
A derivative of the word 'kusutsana' meaning to tear each other apart | |||
Shona | gakava | ||
The word "gakava" in Shona is derived from the verb stem "-kava," which means "to quarrel or argue." | |||
Somali | muran | ||
Murun also means disagreement or dispute | |||
Sesotho | phehisano | ||
The word "phehisano" is derived from the verb "pheha" (to argue), and it literally means "a dispute" or "an argument" | |||
Swahili | utata | ||
"Utata" is derived from the verb "tata", meaning "to debate, argue, or dispute", and is related to the word "tatoa," meaning "to declare" and "to explain." | |||
Xhosa | impikiswano | ||
In Xhosa, "impikiswano" signifies a public dispute between two or more opposing parties. | |||
Yoruba | ariyanjiyan | ||
In Yoruba, the term 'ariyanjiyan' can have connotations of a disagreement, debate, or a matter that has multiple perspectives. | |||
Zulu | impikiswano | ||
It is a combination of the prefix 'impi-' and the root '-kiswano', with '-kiswano' coming from the verb 'ukukiswa' which means 'to be stirred up'. Hence the meaning of impikiswano as 'controversy' or 'dispute' | |||
Bambara | sɔsɔli min bɛ kɛ | ||
Ewe | nyaʋiʋli | ||
Kinyarwanda | impaka | ||
Lingala | ntembe oyo ebimaki | ||
Luganda | okusika omuguwa | ||
Sepedi | ngangišano | ||
Twi (Akan) | akyinnyegye | ||
Arabic | الجدل | ||
The word "الجدل" can also mean "dialectic," indicating a method of philosophical inquiry based on debate and discussion. | |||
Hebrew | מַחֲלוֹקֶת | ||
The Hebrew word "מַחֲלוֹקֶת" (machloket) literally means "division" or "separation" | |||
Pashto | تناقض | ||
The word تناقض (``tenaqod``) also means "argument" | |||
Arabic | الجدل | ||
The word "الجدل" can also mean "dialectic," indicating a method of philosophical inquiry based on debate and discussion. |
Albanian | polemika | ||
The word "polemika" is related to the Greek word "polemos", which means "war" or "battle". | |||
Basque | polemika | ||
The Basque word "polemika" derives from the Greek word "polemos" meaning "war". | |||
Catalan | polèmica | ||
The Catalan word "polèmica" derives from the Greek "polemos" (war), and refers not only to a controversy but also to a debate or dispute. | |||
Croatian | polemika | ||
''Polemika'' is a loanword from Ancient Greek and can mean a ''conversation'', ''speech'', or ''discourse'' beside its main meaning of ''controversy''. | |||
Danish | kontrovers | ||
The word "kontrovers" is derived from the Latin word "controversia", meaning "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
Dutch | controverse | ||
The Dutch word "controverse" can also refer to a specific type of debate held at Dutch universities in the 16th and 17th centuries. | |||
English | controversy | ||
The word "controversy" is derived from the Latin "controversus", meaning "turned against" or "disputed." | |||
French | controverse | ||
**Contrariety** and **vers** (lat.), toward. Contrariety toward someone or something. | |||
Frisian | kontroverse | ||
The Frisian word "kontroverse" comes from the Dutch word "controverse" meaning "controversy". | |||
Galician | polémica | ||
In Galician, "polémica" is also used to refer to a type of poem in which two individuals debate a specific topic. | |||
German | kontroverse | ||
In German, "Kontroverse" originally meant "dance" and "debate". | |||
Icelandic | deilur | ||
The word "deilur" originally meant "a part" or "a share", and is related to the English word "deal". | |||
Irish | conspóid | ||
In Irish, the word "conspóid" can also refer to a "disagreement" or a "dispute". | |||
Italian | controversia | ||
In Italian, "controversia" can also mean "dispute" or "litigation". | |||
Luxembourgish | kontroverse | ||
The Luxembourgish word "kontroverse" is derived from the French word "controverse", which in turn comes from the Latin word "controversus", meaning "turned against". | |||
Maltese | kontroversja | ||
The term "kontroversja" is a borrowing from Latin, meaning both "controversy" and "quarrel." | |||
Norwegian | kontrovers | ||
The Norwegian word 'Kontrovers' comes from the French word 'controverse' and the Latin word 'controversia', meaning a heated discussion or dispute. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | controvérsia | ||
The word "controvórsia" comes from the Latin word "controversia", which means "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
Scots Gaelic | connspaid | ||
The term "connspaid" in Scots Gaelic also refers to a "stirring up" or the process of creating a commotion. | |||
Spanish | controversia | ||
"Controversia" originally meant a heated debate about theological matters rather than its modern use | |||
Swedish | kontrovers | ||
Kontrovers is derived from the Latin word "controversia", meaning "dispute" or "argument". | |||
Welsh | dadl | ||
The word "dadl" in Welsh can also refer to a quarrel or dispute, or a lawsuit. |
Belarusian | спрэчка | ||
Спрэчка is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sporъ, meaning 'argument' or 'dispute'. | |||
Bosnian | kontroverza | ||
Kontroverza is borrowed from the Italian word "controversia", which in turn comes from the Latin word "controversia", meaning "dispute". | |||
Bulgarian | противоречие | ||
The Bulgarian word "противоречие" is a derivative of the Old Church Slavonic word "противорѣчити" which means "to speak against or to contradict". | |||
Czech | kontroverze | ||
The Czech word "kontroverze" is derived from the Latin word "controversia", which means "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
Estonian | poleemikat | ||
The Estonian word "poleemikat" ultimately derives from the Greek word "polemikos" meaning "hostile". | |||
Finnish | kiista | ||
Kiista derives from the Proto-Finnic verb *kiiste- and is cognate with Estonian kist and Karelian kišta, all meaning 'to quarrel'. | |||
Hungarian | vita | ||
The Hungarian word "vita" (meaning "controversy") can also mean "life" in Latin and "vine" in Italian, which is also its original meaning in Hungarian. | |||
Latvian | strīds | ||
The Latvian word "strīds" also has the meaning "dispute" in English. | |||
Lithuanian | polemika | ||
Polemika derives from the Greek word "polemos" ("war"), and implies a verbal battle or heated dispute. | |||
Macedonian | полемика | ||
The word "полемика" can also refer to a public debate or discussion. | |||
Polish | spór | ||
"Spór" in Polish can also mean a "bet" or a "dispute", originating from the Proto-Slavic "*sporъ", meaning "quarrel, conflict". | |||
Romanian | controversă | ||
Controversă shares its roots with "conversation" and "controverse" in French, and it can mean "discussion" or "dispute" in Romanian. | |||
Russian | полемика | ||
The word "полемика" (controversy) in Russian originates from the Greek word "polemos" (war), implying a heated or combative exchange of ideas. | |||
Serbian | полемика | ||
The term 'полемика' derives from the Greek word 'polemos' meaning 'war' or 'battle' | |||
Slovak | kontroverzia | ||
The word "kontroverzia" in Slovak comes from the Latin word "controversia", meaning "dispute" or "argument". | |||
Slovenian | polemika | ||
The word polemika is derived from the Greek word "polemos", meaning "war" or "conflict". | |||
Ukrainian | суперечка | ||
The word 'суперечка' in Ukrainian comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'suporъ', meaning 'dispute' or 'argument'. |
Bengali | বিতর্ক | ||
The word "বিতর্ক" comes from the Sanskrit word "vitarka," which means "argumentation" or "discussion." | |||
Gujarati | વિવાદ | ||
"વિવાદ" can also refer to a dispute or debate, especially in a legal context. | |||
Hindi | विवाद | ||
The word "विवाद" can also mean "disputes" or "argument". | |||
Kannada | ವಿವಾದ | ||
The word "ವಿವಾದ" comes from the Sanskrit word "vivada", meaning "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
Malayalam | വിവാദം | ||
The word "വിവാദം" (vivadam) comes from the Sanskrit word "vivāda," which means "dispute" or "quarrel." | |||
Marathi | विवाद | ||
The Marathi word "विवाद" also means dispute, conflict or quarrel | |||
Nepali | विवाद | ||
"विवाद" originally means 'disputation, argument, debate' but now also means 'quarrel, conflict, controversy' | |||
Punjabi | ਵਿਵਾਦ | ||
The word 'ਵਿਵਾਦ' in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vivāda', which means 'dispute' or 'argument'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මතභේදය | ||
Tamil | சர்ச்சை | ||
"சர்ச்சை" is a word in Tamil that is borrowed from the English word "controversy". It is used to refer to a public debate or dispute, especially one that is protracted and heated. | |||
Telugu | వివాదం | ||
The word "వివాదం" can also refer to a lawsuit or dispute | |||
Urdu | تنازعہ | ||
تنازعہ can also mean 'dispute', 'argument', or 'conflict'. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 争议 | ||
争议一词来源于争讼,既可以指争执和辩论,也可以指不同意见的对抗和冲突。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 爭議 | ||
爭議 is used to refer to a legal dispute, and not a general dispute, in which case 論爭 would be more appropriate. | |||
Japanese | 論争 | ||
The word 論争 also means "debate" and "argumentation" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 논쟁 | ||
"논쟁" originally meant "a dispute" or "a debate" in Middle Korean. | |||
Mongolian | маргаан | ||
In Mongolian folklore, 'маргаан' also refers to a mythological creature associated with quarrels and disputes. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အငြင်းပွားဖွယ်ရာ | ||
Indonesian | kontroversi | ||
The word comes from the Latin 'controversia', meaning 'dispute' or 'argument'. | |||
Javanese | kontroversi | ||
The Javanese word "kontroversi" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kontroversi" which means "dispute". | |||
Khmer | ភាពចម្រូងចម្រាស | ||
It also refers to a situation where two or more parties hold opposing views or positions on a particular issue. | |||
Lao | ການຖົກຖຽງ | ||
Malay | kontroversi | ||
The Malay word "kontroversi" is derived from the Portuguese word "controversia", which itself derives from the Latin "controversia" meaning "dispute, difference of opinion, quarrel". | |||
Thai | การโต้เถียง | ||
The Thai word "การโต้เถียง" can also mean "debate" or "dispute". | |||
Vietnamese | tranh cãi | ||
"Tranh cãi" means both "dispute" and "painting" in Vietnamese, which is a homophone. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kontrobersya | ||
Azerbaijani | mübahisə | ||
The word "mübahisə" ultimately comes from the Arabic word "bahth", meaning "to argue" or "to discuss". | |||
Kazakh | дау-дамай | ||
“Дау-дамай” is a phrase with Persian origin that consists of two morphemes: “дау” (“dispute”) and “дамай” (“agreement”), creating an internal contradiction. | |||
Kyrgyz | талаш-тартыш | ||
"Талаш-тартыш" in Kyrgyz is also used to refer to "legal dispute". | |||
Tajik | ихтилоф | ||
The word "ихтилоф" derives from the Arabic word "ikhtilāf", meaning "difference" or "disagreement". | |||
Turkmen | jedel | ||
Uzbek | tortishuv | ||
The word 'tortishuv' originates from the Persian word 'tarāsh' which means dispute, argument. | |||
Uyghur | تالاش-تارتىش | ||
Hawaiian | paio | ||
"Paio" also means "a dispute" or "a quarrel" and is a common term in Hawaiian language newspapers. | |||
Maori | tautohenga | ||
It originated from the Maori word "tau" (to challenge) and "tanga" (to agree). | |||
Samoan | feteʻenaʻiga | ||
The word "feteʻenaʻiga" in Samoan is derived from the words "feteʻe" (to fight) and "naʻiga" (a group of people), and it can also refer to a dispute or disagreement among a group. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kontrobersya | ||
In Tagalog, the word "kontrobersya" can also refer to a heated argument or disagreement. |
Aymara | ch’axwañanaka | ||
Guarani | polémica rehegua | ||
Esperanto | diskutado | ||
The word "diskutado" can also refer to a heated debate or argument. | |||
Latin | controversia | ||
In Latin, controversia also means 'conversation' or 'dispute' and is derived from controvertere ('to turn against'). |
Greek | αμφισβήτηση | ||
"Αμφισβήτηση" derives from Greek "άμφω," meaning "both," and "στάσις," meaning "standing," indicating a state of suspension between two opposed positions. | |||
Hmong | kev sib cav | ||
The Hmong word "kev sib cav" is comprised of the words "kev" meaning "to argue," "sib" meaning "with," and "cav" meaning "each other." | |||
Kurdish | pirsa mûnaqaşê | ||
The word "pirsa mûnaqaşê" is derived from the Persian word "pirsa" meaning "question" and the Arabic word "mûnaqaşê" meaning "discussion or debate." | |||
Turkish | tartışma | ||
"Tartışma" also means "weighing" in Turkish, reflecting the idea of weighing different viewpoints in a controversy. | |||
Xhosa | impikiswano | ||
In Xhosa, "impikiswano" signifies a public dispute between two or more opposing parties. | |||
Yiddish | סיכסעך | ||
From the Hebrew words 'sichsach' ('to argue') and 'machlokes' ('dispute'). | |||
Zulu | impikiswano | ||
It is a combination of the prefix 'impi-' and the root '-kiswano', with '-kiswano' coming from the verb 'ukukiswa' which means 'to be stirred up'. Hence the meaning of impikiswano as 'controversy' or 'dispute' | |||
Assamese | বিতৰ্ক | ||
Aymara | ch’axwañanaka | ||
Bhojpuri | विवाद के माहौल बनल बा | ||
Dhivehi | ކޮންޓްރޯވަރސް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | विवाद पैदा कर दे | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kontrobersya | ||
Guarani | polémica rehegua | ||
Ilocano | kontrobersia | ||
Krio | kɔntroversi we dɛn kin gɛt | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | مشتومڕ و مشتومڕ | ||
Maithili | विवाद | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯟꯠꯔꯣꯕꯔꯁꯤꯇꯤ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | inhnialna a awm | ||
Oromo | falmii kaasuun ni danda’ama | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ବିବାଦ | | ||
Quechua | ch’aqway | ||
Sanskrit | विवादः | ||
Tatar | бәхәс | ||
Tigrinya | ክትዕ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
Tsonga | njhekanjhekisano | ||
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