Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'county' is a geographical region with its own administration, often associated with a specific government body or official. Counties are a vital part of local governance in many countries, providing essential services and overseeing community development. The significance of counties extends beyond bureaucracy, as they often hold rich cultural importance and are deeply intertwined with a region's history, traditions, and identity.
Understanding the translation of 'county' in different languages can be a gateway to exploring the world's diverse cultures and administrative systems. For instance, in German, 'county' translates to 'Landkreis' (pronounced: lan-kryse), while in Spanish, it becomes 'condado' (pronounced: kon-dado). In French, the term is 'comté' (pronounced: com-tay), and in Italian, it is 'contea' (pronounced: cohn-tay-ah).
Delving into these linguistic nuances not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a fascinating glimpse into the unique ways different societies are organized and governed. Join us as we embark on this journey to learn the translations of 'county' in various languages, and in the process, discover more about the world around us!
Afrikaans | provinsie | ||
The Afrikaans word 'provinsie' comes from the Dutch word 'provincie', which in turn derives from the Latin word 'provincia', meaning 'conquered territory'. | |||
Amharic | ካውንቲ | ||
"ካውንቲ" is used in the Ethiopian legal context to refer to a judicial district or administrative unit, and it is not equivalent to the English "county". | |||
Hausa | gunduma | ||
The Hausa word 'gunduma', meaning 'county', also refers to a territorial subdivision within a larger district or region. | |||
Igbo | ime obodo | ||
The Igbo word "ime obodo" is a compound noun that literally means "land of the town" or "area of the town" and refers to a county or district. | |||
Malagasy | faritra | ||
The Malagasy word "faritra" also means "area" or "sector". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kata | ||
The word "kata" is thought to derive from the Proto-Bantu word "*kata", meaning "region" or "area". | |||
Shona | county | ||
In Shona, county is often used to refer to the area ruled by a Chief. | |||
Somali | gobolka | ||
The word "gobolka" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "qubla" meaning "region" or "district". | |||
Sesotho | setereke | ||
The word "setereke" in Sesotho, meaning "county," derives from the word "seteri," meaning "group of people or things." | |||
Swahili | kata | ||
The word "kata" can also refer to a "section" or "part" of something. | |||
Xhosa | isithili | ||
The word "isithili" in Xhosa also means "a place where people live" and "a homestead". | |||
Yoruba | igberiko | ||
The word "igberiko" can also mean "a territory within a kingdom or empire". | |||
Zulu | isifunda | ||
The word "isifunda" has various meanings depending on the context, including "administration", "government", and "jurisdiction". | |||
Bambara | marabolo | ||
Ewe | nutome | ||
Kinyarwanda | ntara | ||
Lingala | etuka | ||
Luganda | essaza ly’e | ||
Sepedi | setereke sa setereke | ||
Twi (Akan) | mantam mu | ||
Arabic | مقاطعة | ||
مقاطعة, in Arabic, also refers to مقاطعة (the act of boycotting). | |||
Hebrew | מָחוֹז | ||
The Hebrew word מָחוֹז is cognate to the term מֶחוֹז found in the Bible in the context of the division of the Promised Land between the Twelve Tribes of Israel. | |||
Pashto | کاونټ | ||
The word "کاونټ" can also mean "district" or "region" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | مقاطعة | ||
مقاطعة, in Arabic, also refers to مقاطعة (the act of boycotting). |
Albanian | qarku | ||
The Albanian word "qarku" (county) originates from the Turkish "kare," meaning "square" or "administrative district." | |||
Basque | konderria | ||
The word "konderria" is likely derived from the Late Latin word "comitarius", meaning "count". Alternatively, some scholars suggest it may be related to the Basque word "kontu", meaning "matter" or "affair". | |||
Catalan | comtat | ||
The word "comtat" also refers to the territory ruled by a count or duchess in the Middle Ages. | |||
Croatian | okrug | ||
The word 'okrug' is derived from the Slavic word for 'circle', and is still used in some contexts to indicate a circular area. | |||
Danish | amt | ||
The word "amt" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*gamaþjō", which also means "gathering". | |||
Dutch | provincie | ||
The Dutch word "provincie" can also refer to a subcontinent, such as the "Chinese provinces". | |||
English | county | ||
"County" ultimately derives from the Old French "conté," meaning "earldom" or "territory ruled by a count." | |||
French | comté | ||
The French word "comté" is etymologically derived from the Latin words "comes" (count) and "comitatus" (county), denoting a territory administered by a count. | |||
Frisian | county | ||
In Frisian, "county" can also mean "district." | |||
Galician | condado | ||
The word "condado" derives from the Latin "comitatus", meaning "accompaniment" or a group of followers around a leader. | |||
German | bezirk | ||
The word "Bezirk" derives from the Middle High German word "bezirken," meaning "to surround" or "to enclose." | |||
Icelandic | sýslu | ||
The word "sýslu" originates from the Old Norse "sýsla", which originally meant "official post" or "function". | |||
Irish | contae | ||
In Ireland, "contae" means county in English, however the origin of the word suggests an older meaning of "district." | |||
Italian | contea | ||
The Italian word "contea" derives from the Latin "comitatus", meaning "retinue" or "following". | |||
Luxembourgish | grofschaft | ||
The word Grofschaft in Luxembourgish also refers to a small administrative unit within a municipality. | |||
Maltese | kontea | ||
The Maltese word "kontea" is derived from the Italian "contea", ultimately from the Latin "comitatus", meaning "a body of companions". | |||
Norwegian | fylke | ||
The word fylke originally referred to a people or tribe and comes from the same root as the English word folk. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | município | ||
The Portuguese word "município" derives from the Latin "municipium", meaning "self-governing town". | |||
Scots Gaelic | siorrachd | ||
The word "siorrachd" derives from the Middle Irish "sír", meaning "district" or "territory", and the suffix "-achd", meaning "status" or "condition". | |||
Spanish | condado | ||
"Condado" is derived from the Latin word "comitatus," which originally meant "companion" or "retinue" and later came to refer to a territorial division. | |||
Swedish | grevskap | ||
The word "grevskap" can also refer to the rank or territory of a count or earl. | |||
Welsh | sir | ||
The Welsh word 'sir' also refers to the shire or county in England and a similar administrative division in Ireland. |
Belarusian | павета | ||
The word "павета" (county) in Belarusian stems from the Lithuanian word "pavietas," which also means "district" or "region." | |||
Bosnian | okrug | ||
Although 'okrug' usually means 'county', it can also refer to a military district or a territorial division in some Slavic countries. | |||
Bulgarian | окръг | ||
The word "окръг" (county) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *okrugъ, which originally meant "circle" or "region". In Bulgarian, the word can also refer to a "district" or "administrative division". | |||
Czech | okres | ||
The word "okres" is derived from the German word "Kreis", meaning "circle" or "district". | |||
Estonian | maakond | ||
The word "maakond" also means "land" or "country" in Estonian. | |||
Finnish | lääni | ||
The word "lääni" is derived from the Old Norse word "lend", meaning "land" or "territory". | |||
Hungarian | megye | ||
The Hungarian word "megye" ultimately derives from the Old Turkic word "bäg" meaning "prince" or "lord". | |||
Latvian | novads | ||
"Novads" can also refer to a type of rural municipality in Latvia. | |||
Lithuanian | apskrityje | ||
The word "apskrityje" in Lithuanian is derived from the German word "Kreis", which means "circle". | |||
Macedonian | округот | ||
The word "округот" can also refer to a district or region. | |||
Polish | hrabstwo | ||
Hrabstwo is derived from the Old Polish word "gród," which referred to a castle or stronghold. | |||
Romanian | județul | ||
The Romanian word «județul» was originally derived from «iudex», the Latin word for «judge», as the counties were originally the territory under the jurisdiction of a judge. | |||
Russian | округ | ||
"Округ" also means "surroundings" or "area" and shares its root with the word "around" (около). | |||
Serbian | округ | ||
The Serbian word “округ” (county) derives from the Proto-Slavic word *ǫgъrdъ, meaning “enclosure” or “fenced area”. | |||
Slovak | kraj | ||
"Kraj" is a Slovak word with Proto-Slavic origins, meaning "edge" or "border." | |||
Slovenian | okrožje | ||
The word 'okrožje' derives from the German word "Kreis", which means circle or circuit. | |||
Ukrainian | повіту | ||
The word "повіту" (county) comes from the verb "повивати" (to wrap), as historically, counties were administrative units that wrapped around a central point. |
Bengali | কাউন্টি | ||
কাউন্টি শব্দটি ফরাসি "কন্তে" থেকে এসেছে, যা আবার ল্যাটিন "কোমিস" থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ হল "কমেস" বা "প্রশাসক" | |||
Gujarati | કાઉન્ટી | ||
Hindi | काउंटी | ||
In Hindi, "काउंटी" can also mean a feudal estate governed by a count or earl. | |||
Kannada | ಕೌಂಟಿ | ||
The word | |||
Malayalam | കൗണ്ടി | ||
The Malayalam word "കൗണ്ടി" derives from the English word, and also means "jurisdiction, district, realm, estate". | |||
Marathi | परगणा | ||
"परगणा" (county) is derived from the Persian word "pargana" meaning "administrative division". | |||
Nepali | काउन्टी | ||
The word 'काउन्टी'('county') is also derived from the Latin word 'comes', meaning 'count'. | |||
Punjabi | ਕਾਉਂਟੀ | ||
The word "কাউণ্টি" can also refer to a group of four or more people, or to a particular region or locality. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රාන්තය | ||
Tamil | கவுண்டி | ||
The word 'கவுண்டி' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word 'scir', meaning 'a district'. | |||
Telugu | కౌంటీ | ||
The word "కౌంటీ" (county) in Telugu means "administrative division" but is also used to refer to a "district" or "region". | |||
Urdu | کاؤنٹی | ||
The word "کاؤنٹی" is derived from the Old French word "conte", which in turn comes from the Latin word "comes", meaning "companion". In England, the word "county" originally referred to the territory ruled by a count, but it later came to be used more generally to refer to any administrative division of a country. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 县 | ||
"县", in its original sense, refers to a star, which is used in the names of many counties in China. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 縣 | ||
The word "縣" can also mean "hanging" or "suspending" in Chinese. | |||
Japanese | 郡 | ||
"郡" can also refer to an ancient administrative district in Japan consisting of several villages or towns. | |||
Korean | 군 | ||
The term "군" also refers to a military division in Korean, equivalent to a regiment. | |||
Mongolian | хошуу | ||
The word "хошуу" can also be translated as "department", "office", or "ministry". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ခရိုင် | ||
Indonesian | daerah | ||
The word 'daerah' is also used in various languages like Javanese, Sundanese, etc., meaning 'area'. | |||
Javanese | kabupaten | ||
Though the kabupaten is the administrative equivalent of a county, the word is etymologically unrelated, instead originally referring to the area encompassing one's homestead garden. | |||
Khmer | ស្រុក | ||
The word "ស្រុក" can also refer to a district, or a rural area. | |||
Lao | ເຂດປົກຄອງ | ||
Malay | daerah | ||
The word 'Daerah' is derived from Sanskrit and has alternate meanings of 'area' or 'district' in Indonesian. | |||
Thai | เขต | ||
"เขต" also means "area" or "zone" in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | hạt | ||
"Hạt" shares its etymology with "hạt" (seed), and can also refer to a small division within a district or province. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | county | ||
Azerbaijani | ilçe | ||
The word "ilçe" has the same root as the Turkic word "il" (country), but it specifically refers to a subdivision of a province. | |||
Kazakh | округ | ||
In Kazakh, the word "округ" originally meant "circle or district". | |||
Kyrgyz | округ | ||
The Kyrgyz word "округ" is borrowed from the Russian language and originally meant "district" or "province". | |||
Tajik | шаҳристон | ||
In historical Farsi, the word meant "city" or "urban area," and is still used in Tajik in this sense. | |||
Turkmen | etrap | ||
Uzbek | okrug | ||
In Russian, the word "okrug" also means "district" or "area". | |||
Uyghur | ناھىيە | ||
Hawaiian | kalana | ||
In some contexts, kalana refers to an administrative subdivision of land, such as a district or parish. | |||
Maori | mataeinaa | ||
The word "mataeinaa" can also mean "the people of a county" or "the land of a county" in Maori. | |||
Samoan | itumalo | ||
The Samoan word 'itumalo' derives from the Proto-Polynesian root word '*tumalu' meaning 'region' or 'district'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lalawigan | ||
"Lalawigan" also means "wide" or "extensive" in Tagalog. |
Aymara | markanxa | ||
Guarani | condado-pe | ||
Esperanto | graflando | ||
Esperanto's "graflando" is derived from "grafo" (count) and shares a root with "grafiti" (writing) and "grand" (great) | |||
Latin | comitatus | ||
The Latin word "comitatus" originally referred to a group of companions or followers, and later came to mean a territorial division governed by a count. |
Greek | κομητεία | ||
Κομητεία (county) originates from the Latin 'comitatus', meaning 'companion' or 'entourage', referring to the companions of a count or earl. | |||
Hmong | county | ||
County in Hmong also means "group of people who live together". | |||
Kurdish | wîlayet | ||
The Kurdish word 'wîlayet' also refers to an administrative division in some Middle Eastern countries. | |||
Turkish | ilçe | ||
'İlçe' kelimesi, Moğolca 'küçük ülke' anlamına gelen 'ölge' sözcüğünden evrilmiştir. | |||
Xhosa | isithili | ||
The word "isithili" in Xhosa also means "a place where people live" and "a homestead". | |||
Yiddish | קאונטי | ||
'County' is sometimes pronounced קאנטי (countee) from the English pronunciation, or shortened to קאנט (cant), which can also mean a corner. | |||
Zulu | isifunda | ||
The word "isifunda" has various meanings depending on the context, including "administration", "government", and "jurisdiction". | |||
Assamese | কাউন্টি | ||
Aymara | markanxa | ||
Bhojpuri | काउंटी के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ކައުންޓީ އެވެ | ||
Dogri | काउंटी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | county | ||
Guarani | condado-pe | ||
Ilocano | kondado | ||
Krio | di kɔntri | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پارێزگا | ||
Maithili | काउंटी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯎꯟꯇꯤꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ ꯌꯨ.ꯑꯦꯁ | ||
Mizo | county-ah a awm a | ||
Oromo | koonyaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | କାଉଣ୍ଟି | | ||
Quechua | kitilli | ||
Sanskrit | काउण्टी | ||
Tatar | округ | ||
Tigrinya | ኣውራጃ | ||
Tsonga | xifundzhankulu | ||