Court in Different Languages
Discover 'Court' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'court' carries significant meaning and cultural importance across the world. Originating from the Old French word 'cort', it has evolved to signify various concepts in different languages and cultures. At its core, 'court' often refers to a formal assembly of people, such as a royal court or a court of law. However, it can also describe an enclosed area, like a tennis court, or a group of people who share a common interest, such as a court of public opinion.
Throughout history, courts have played a pivotal role in shaping societies and cultures. Royal courts have been the epicenter of power, politics, and culture, while courts of law have upheld justice and protected the rights of individuals. Moreover, the concept of court has been explored in literature, film, and art, further solidifying its cultural significance.
Given the term's rich history and diverse meanings, understanding its translations in different languages can offer valuable insights into various cultures. Here are a few examples:
- French: cour
- Spanish: corta
- German: Hof
- Mandarin: 法院 (fǎyuàn) or 庭 (tíng)
- Japanese: 裁判所 (saibansho)
- Russian: суд (sud)
Court
Court in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hof | ||
| The word "hof" in Afrikaans also means "farmyard" or "garden", and is derived from the Dutch word "hofstede", meaning "homestead". | |||
| Amharic | ፍርድ ቤት | ||
| In ancient Amharic the word 'ፍርድ ቤት' referred to a place where elders gathered to resolve disputes. | |||
| Hausa | kotu | ||
| 'Kotu' also refers to a traditional Hausa leader or ruler | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ ikpe | ||
| Malagasy | fitsarana | ||
| FITSARANA, in Malagasy, also means 'justice' and 'jurisdiction'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khothi | ||
| The word "khothi" in Nyanja can also refer to a royal palace or the chief's court. | |||
| Shona | dare | ||
| In Shona, "dare" can also refer to a type of traditional gathering where people come together for social and cultural activities. | |||
| Somali | maxkamadda | ||
| Maxkamadda comes from the Arabic word "mahkamah", meaning "place of judgment". | |||
| Sesotho | lekhotla | ||
| The word 'lekhotla' originally referred to a meeting place under a tree where elders would gather to discuss matters. | |||
| Swahili | korti | ||
| The Swahili word "korti" can also refer to the colonial legal system introduced by Europeans. | |||
| Xhosa | inkundla | ||
| The Xhosa word "inkundla" is also used to refer to a meeting or gathering, reflecting its broader role as a community forum. | |||
| Yoruba | kootu | ||
| Yoruba word "kootu" ("court") also means "restraint" or "control" depending on the context. | |||
| Zulu | inkantolo | ||
| The word "inkantolo" can also refer to a gathering place for a traditional ceremony or an assembly of people. | |||
| Bambara | kiritikɛso | ||
| Ewe | ʋᴐnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | rukiko | ||
| Lingala | esambiselo | ||
| Luganda | kooti y'amateeka | ||
| Sepedi | kgorotsheko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asɛnnibea | ||
Court in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محكمة | ||
| The word "محكمة" in Arabic can also mean a "legal authority" or a "place where judgment is rendered". | |||
| Hebrew | בית משפט | ||
| The Hebrew word "בית משפט" also means "house of judgment." | |||
| Pashto | محکمه | ||
| The word "محکمه" also means "place of judgment" and is used to refer to the Islamic courts. | |||
| Arabic | محكمة | ||
| The word "محكمة" in Arabic can also mean a "legal authority" or a "place where judgment is rendered". | |||
Court in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjykata | ||
| The Albanian word "gjykata" (court) derives from the Latin word "judicare" (to judge) and is cognate with words such as "justice", "judge", and "jurisprudence". | |||
| Basque | auzitegia | ||
| The Basque word "auzitegia" comes from Latin "audire" (to hear) and "-tegi" (place), meaning "place to hear" and "court of law." | |||
| Catalan | tribunal | ||
| The word "tribunal" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "tribunus", meaning "magistrate", and also refers to a raised platform or stage. | |||
| Croatian | sud | ||
| The word "sud" can also refer to a "process" or "instance" in legal or administrative contexts. | |||
| Danish | ret | ||
| In Old Norse, 'ret' also meant a lawsuit or a cause, and the plural form 'rætter' referred to legal cases or legal proceedings. | |||
| Dutch | rechtbank | ||
| The term Rechtbank, meaning 'court', originates from two German words: 'Recht' meaning 'right' and 'Bank' meaning 'bench'. | |||
| English | court | ||
| In tennis, 'court' can refer to both the playing area or a specific venue hosting the sport. | |||
| French | tribunal | ||
| The French word | |||
| Frisian | rjochtbank | ||
| The Frisian word "rjochtbank" originally referred to a bench where judgments were pronounced. | |||
| Galician | corte | ||
| The Galician word "corte" comes from the Latin "cohors", meaning "enclosed space" or "group of people", and can also refer to a feudal estate or a royal household. | |||
| German | gericht | ||
| The word "Gericht" in German also means "dish", as in a culinary dish, likely deriving its usage as a legal court from the historical convention of holding court gatherings around a dining table. | |||
| Icelandic | dómstóll | ||
| The Icelandic word "dómstóll" originates from the Old Norse words "dómr" (judgment) and "stóll" (seat), suggesting a place where judgments are made. | |||
| Irish | chúirt | ||
| "Chúirt" can also mean "yard" and is derived from the Old Gaelic word "cūrt," meaning "enclosure." | |||
| Italian | tribunale | ||
| The word "Tribunale" (court) in Italian derives from the Latin word "tribunal", which originally referred to a raised platform or seat where a judge or magistrate would sit. | |||
| Luxembourgish | geriicht | ||
| The word "Geriicht" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a municipality or a district, and is derived from the Old High German word "gerihte," meaning "assembly". | |||
| Maltese | qorti | ||
| Qorti is also a surname common in Malta and the etymology of that surname is Arabic (from قاضي (qāḍī), meaning 'judge'). | |||
| Norwegian | domstol | ||
| "Domstol" is a compound word of "домъ" (dom; house) and "столъ" (stol; table) and could therefore refer to a dining table as well as a courthouse | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quadra | ||
| The word "quadra" in Portuguese can also refer to a block of four city streets or a sports court. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cùirt | ||
| In Scottish Gaelic, the word "cùirt" can also refer to a circle, assembly, or meeting place. | |||
| Spanish | corte | ||
| The Spanish word "Corte" can also refer to a royal household or the entourage of a sovereign. | |||
| Swedish | domstol | ||
| The word 'domstol' can also refer to 'judgment' and 'jurisdiction' | |||
| Welsh | llys | ||
| The Welsh word 'llys' (court) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root '*pleh₂-' and is cognate with terms such as Latin 'placitum' (decree) and Sanskrit 'prakriti' (nature). | |||
Court in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | суд | ||
| The Belarusian word "суд" can also refer to "fate" or "judgment". | |||
| Bosnian | sud | ||
| The Bosnian word "sud" can also mean "lawsuit" or "trial". | |||
| Bulgarian | съдебна зала | ||
| The word "съдебна зала" can also refer to the building where a court is located, or to the room where a court hearing is held. | |||
| Czech | soud | ||
| The word "soud" in Czech comes from the Old Slavic word "sъditi", meaning "to judge". | |||
| Estonian | kohus | ||
| The word "kohus" also refers to a "meeting place" or a "place for judgment or arbitration," likely stemming from its Proto-Finnic root *koksu, meaning "to gather". | |||
| Finnish | tuomioistuin | ||
| "Tuomioistuin" comes from the root word "tuomita" meaning "to judge" and the suffix "-istuin" meaning "place", thus literally translating to "place for judging." | |||
| Hungarian | bíróság | ||
| Bíróság means court in Hungarian but also refers to the body of judges who make up the court, or the building where they work. | |||
| Latvian | tiesa | ||
| While "tiesa" means "court", it derives from "taisnība", meaning "justice". | |||
| Lithuanian | teismo | ||
| Teismo (court) likely derives from the verb teisti (to judge). | |||
| Macedonian | суд | ||
| The word "court" entered the Macedonian language from the Old Slavonic language, where it had several meanings, including "judgment", "punishment", and "tribunal". | |||
| Polish | sąd | ||
| "Sąd" in Polish comes from Proto-Slavic *sǫdъ, meaning "meeting" or "gathering". | |||
| Romanian | curte | ||
| The term "curte" is derived from the Slavic word "dvoro", meaning "enclosed place," which is analogous to the Latin root "hortus" meaning "garden." | |||
| Russian | суд | ||
| Суд can also mean 'fate' or 'judgment' in Russian, highlighting its association with determining outcomes. | |||
| Serbian | суд | ||
| "Суд" is also used in Serbian to denote "judgment," with this sense coming from the Proto-Slavic *sǫdъ, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱsodʰ-ó-m. | |||
| Slovak | súd | ||
| The word "súd" in Slovak has cognates in neighboring languages and also carries the meanings of "judgment" and "doom". | |||
| Slovenian | sodišče | ||
| The word "sodišče" is derived from the Old Slavic word "sǫditi", meaning "to judge". | |||
| Ukrainian | суд | ||
| Ukrainian "суд" (court) also means "Last Judgement" (a Christian religious concept), and is thus etymologically related to English "doomsday" | |||
Court in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আদালত | ||
| The word "আদালত" also means "justice" or "judgment" in Bengali and is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "ādāla" meaning "justice". | |||
| Gujarati | કોર્ટ | ||
| In French, the word "court" also means "short". | |||
| Hindi | कोर्ट | ||
| Hindi "कोर्ट" can mean not only a court of law, but also a tennis court or the household of a king or noble. | |||
| Kannada | ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯ | ||
| The Kannada word "ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯ" can also mean "a place where justice is administered", derived from the Sanskrit word "nyāya" (justice) and "ālaya" (place). | |||
| Malayalam | കോടതി | ||
| The word കോടതി can also refer to the space in front of a house or shop. | |||
| Marathi | कोर्ट | ||
| In Marathi, "कोर्ट" (court) can also refer to a space or place, such as an open area or courtyard. | |||
| Nepali | अदालत | ||
| The word "अदालत" derives from the Sanskrit term "आदालत" (ādalata), meaning "place of justice". | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੋਰਟ | ||
| The word "ਕੋਰਟ" ("court") in Punjabi also means "to cut" or "to sever". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධිකරණය | ||
| The word "අධිකරණය" can also mean "sphere of authority" or "jurisdiction" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | நீதிமன்றம் | ||
| The word 'நீதிமன்றம்' (court) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit words 'nyāya' (justice) and 'mandira' (hall). | |||
| Telugu | కోర్టు | ||
| The Telugu word "కోర్టు" also refers to certain areas of the body. | |||
| Urdu | عدالت | ||
| 'عدالت' ('court') in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word 'عدل' meaning 'justice', which also forms the root of the English word 'justice'. | |||
Court in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 法庭 | ||
| The word "法庭" is a compound of "法" (law) and "庭" (courtyard), which originally referred to the open space in front of a government building where trials were held. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 法庭 | ||
| "法庭" also means rule of law and method. | |||
| Japanese | 裁判所 | ||
| Originally, 裁判所 meant "place where truth is judged" or "place where a suit is arbitrated." | |||
| Korean | 법정 | ||
| The word "법정" (court) in Korean can also refer to a "court of law", "judicial court", or "courtroom". | |||
| Mongolian | шүүх | ||
| The word 'шүүх' also refers to the act of pouring a liquid, such as tea or milk. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားရုံး | ||
Court in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pengadilan | ||
| The Indonesian word "pengadilan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "prakriti", meaning "nature", and is related to the concept of "natural justice". | |||
| Javanese | pengadilan | ||
| Pengadilan is derived from the word "adi" meaning "justice" and "adil" meaning "fair" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | តុលាការ | ||
| The Khmer word "តុលាការ" (tŭləakakâr) is a Sino-Khmer compound word meaning "court of justice". | |||
| Lao | ສານ | ||
| In addition to "court", "ສານ" can also mean "a raised platform". | |||
| Malay | mahkamah | ||
| "Mahkamah" originates from the Arabic "mahkamah", meaning "place of judgment" or "tribunal". | |||
| Thai | ศาล | ||
| The Thai word "ศาล" (court), shares a cognate root with the Khmer word "ស្អរ"(saŏ), which means "to decide" or "to judge." | |||
| Vietnamese | tòa án | ||
| In Chinese, tòa án means to judge or sentence or the action of judging or sentencing which could be related to its Vietnamese interpretation | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hukuman | ||
Court in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | məhkəmə | ||
| The word "məhkəmə" can also refer to a trial or a place where justice is administered. | |||
| Kazakh | сот | ||
| In Medieval Turkic languages, "сот" meant "palace" not "court". | |||
| Kyrgyz | сот | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "сот" can also refer to a "trial" or a "judgment." | |||
| Tajik | суд | ||
| The word "суд" in Tajik also refers to the Last Judgment in religious contexts, where it is capitalized as "Суд". | |||
| Turkmen | kazyýet | ||
| Uzbek | sud | ||
| The word "sud" in Uzbek can also refer to a body of water, or a group of people convened for a particular purpose. | |||
| Uyghur | سوت | ||
Court in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale ʻaha | ||
| The term 'hale ʻaha' also refers to traditional religious and civic centers in ancient Hawaii. | |||
| Maori | kōti | ||
| The Maori word "kōti" is also used to describe a group of supporters or followers, particularly in a political or cultural context. | |||
| Samoan | fale faamasino | ||
| Fale faamasino, meaning "house of judgment," is a traditional Samoan village building where disputes are resolved. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | korte | ||
| Korte can also mean 'curtain' or 'drape' when used in the context of windows or a stage. | |||
Court in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kurti | ||
| Guarani | tekojoja'apoha aty | ||
Court in International Languages
| Esperanto | kortumo | ||
| The word "kortumo" stems from the German "Gericht" or the French "cour" both of which can mean "court" but can also mean "courtyard" or "garden"."} | |||
| Latin | atrium | ||
| The Latin word "atrium" originally referred to a central hall in a Roman house that served as a reception area and a place for family gatherings. | |||
Court in Others Languages
| Greek | δικαστήριο | ||
| The word "δικαστήριο" comes from the Greek word "δικάζω," meaning "to judge," and is related to the word "δίκη," meaning "justice." | |||
| Hmong | tsev hais plaub | ||
| The Hmong word "tsev hais plaub" can also refer to a traditional "justice house" | |||
| Kurdish | dadgeh | ||
| The word "dadgeh" in Kurdish also means "justice" or "fairness". | |||
| Turkish | mahkeme | ||
| "Mahkeme" in Turkish comes from the Arabic word "mahkama" which means meeting place or assembly. | |||
| Xhosa | inkundla | ||
| The Xhosa word "inkundla" is also used to refer to a meeting or gathering, reflecting its broader role as a community forum. | |||
| Yiddish | געריכט | ||
| In some uses, "געריכט" (gericht) is cognate to "gericht" in German, meaning "dish" instead. | |||
| Zulu | inkantolo | ||
| The word "inkantolo" can also refer to a gathering place for a traditional ceremony or an assembly of people. | |||
| Assamese | আদালত | ||
| Aymara | kurti | ||
| Bhojpuri | अदालत | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޯޓް | ||
| Dogri | कोर्ट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hukuman | ||
| Guarani | tekojoja'apoha aty | ||
| Ilocano | korte | ||
| Krio | kɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دادگا | ||
| Maithili | न्यायालय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯌꯦꯜꯁꯪ | ||
| Mizo | rorelna | ||
| Oromo | mana murtii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କୋର୍ଟ | ||
| Quechua | tribunal | ||
| Sanskrit | न्यायालयः | ||
| Tatar | суд | ||
| Tigrinya | ቤት ፍርዲ | ||
| Tsonga | khoto | ||