Controversy in Different Languages
Discover 'Controversy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Controversy
Controversy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| 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 | ||
Controversy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| 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. | |||
Controversy in Western European Languages
| 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. | |||
Controversy in Eastern European Languages
| 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'. | |||
Controversy in South Asian Languages
| 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'. | |||
Controversy in East Asian Languages
| 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 | ||
Controversy in South East Asian Languages
| 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 | ||
Controversy in Central Asian Languages
| 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 | ||
Controversy in Pacific Languages
| 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. | |||
Controversy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch’axwañanaka | ||
| Guarani | polémica rehegua | ||
Controversy in International Languages
| 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'). | |||
Controversy in Others Languages
| 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 | ||