Custom in Different Languages
Discover 'Custom' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'custom' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting traditions, cultural practices, and personal preferences that make us unique. Its significance spans across various aspects of society, shaping our behaviors, values, and identity. From regional festivals to individual quirks, customs form an integral part of our global cultural tapestry.
Delving into the translations of 'custom' in different languages unveils a rich linguistic and cultural diversity. For instance, in Spanish, 'custom' is 'costumbre', while in French, it becomes 'coutume'. In German, it is 'die Gewohnheit', and in Japanese, it is '習慣 (shūkan)'. These translations not only reflect linguistic nuances but also offer insights into how different cultures perceive and preserve traditions.
Understanding the word 'custom' in various languages can enrich our cross-cultural communication and foster a deeper appreciation for global diversity. Join us as we explore the fascinating world of 'custom' in multiple languages!
Custom
Custom in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | persoonlike | ||
| "Persoonlike" is derived from the Dutch word "persoonlijk," meaning "personal" or "of a person." | |||
| Amharic | ብጁ | ||
| The word "ብጁ" (custom) in Amharic can also mean "habitual practices, norms" or "rituals, ceremonies." | |||
| Hausa | al'ada | ||
| The Hausa word for 'custom', 'al'ada', also refers to a system of social norms and values passed down through generations | |||
| Igbo | omenala | ||
| "Omenala" also refers to a set of principles that guide Igbo people's social and moral conduct. | |||
| Malagasy | fanao | ||
| In ancient Malagasy, "fanao" had the meaning of "grave" or "tomb," due to its connection to the ancestral cult. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwambo | ||
| "Mwambos" are customary practices, such as funeral rites, weddings, and initiations, that are essential to Nyanja culture. | |||
| Shona | tsika | ||
| The word "tsika" can also refer to traditional laws, beliefs, and practices. | |||
| Somali | caado | ||
| The word 'caado' can alternatively mean 'the act of drinking'. | |||
| Sesotho | tloaelo | ||
| A second meaning for the word Tloaelo is: “a place or gathering or a council meeting”. | |||
| Swahili | desturi | ||
| In Kiswahili, the word “desturi” also denotes a practice or habit. | |||
| Xhosa | isiko | ||
| The word 'isiko' can also refer to a traditional taboo or a sacred practice. | |||
| Yoruba | aṣa | ||
| Asa (custom) relates to the Yoruba concept of "ise" (work and life's purpose) and "orun" (heaven). | |||
| Zulu | inkambiso | ||
| In Zulu, 'inkambiso' also refers to a ceremony where a prospective son-in-law brings gifts to the bride's family. | |||
| Bambara | laada | ||
| Ewe | dekᴐnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gakondo | ||
| Lingala | momeseno | ||
| Luganda | empisa | ||
| Sepedi | tlwaelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | amaneɛ | ||
Custom in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مخصص | ||
| In Arabic, "مخصص" (custom) shares a root meaning "divide" or "distribute", hinting at its role in distinguishing specific practices from general norms. | |||
| Hebrew | המותאם אישית | ||
| The Hebrew word "המותאם אישית" ("custom") is derived from the same root as the word "מנהג" ("tradition"), suggesting a connection between custom and tradition. | |||
| Pashto | دود | ||
| The Pashto word “دود” has a variety of meanings, including 'custom', 'habit', and 'manner', and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dhe- meaning 'to set' or 'put'. | |||
| Arabic | مخصص | ||
| In Arabic, "مخصص" (custom) shares a root meaning "divide" or "distribute", hinting at its role in distinguishing specific practices from general norms. | |||
Custom in Western European Languages
| Albanian | me porosi | ||
| In ancient Greek, the word "poros" meant "passage", a meaning that passed into Latin as "porus," and hence into Albanian as "me porosi." | |||
| Basque | pertsonalizatua | ||
| The word "pertsonalizatua" derives from the Latin word "persona", meaning "mask" or "character", and was originally used to describe something made or tailored to a specific person. | |||
| Catalan | personalitzat | ||
| "Personalitzar" in Catalan comes from the Late Latin "personalisare" and has the same root as the English words "person" and "persona" | |||
| Croatian | prilagođen | ||
| The word “prilagođen” is derived from the Old Slavic verb "prilagati," meaning "to apply" | |||
| Danish | brugerdefinerede | ||
| The word "brugerdefinerede" comes from the Danish words "bruger" (user) and "defineret" (defined), and it means "custom" or "user-defined". | |||
| Dutch | op maat | ||
| "Op maat" literally means "on measure" referring to something tailored or made to specific dimensions. | |||
| English | custom | ||
| The word 'custom' originates from the Latin word 'consuetudo' meaning 'usage' or 'practice', and is related to the words 'habit' and 'costume'. | |||
| French | douane | ||
| The word "douane" in French is derived from the Arabic word "diwan", meaning "office". It also has the alternate meaning of "chamber of accounts". | |||
| Frisian | oanpast | ||
| Oanpast in Frisian ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European root of an- ( | |||
| Galician | personalizado | ||
| Although the most common meaning of "personalizado" is "custom", in Galician it can also mean "private" or "confidential". | |||
| German | benutzerdefiniert | ||
| Benutzerdefiniert is derived from 'Benutzer' meaning 'user' and 'definiert' from 'definieren' meaning 'to define'} | |||
| Icelandic | sérsniðin | ||
| The Icelandic word “sérsniðin” comes from “ser” (“separate”) and “snið” (“cut”), which together mean “custom-made”. | |||
| Irish | saincheaptha | ||
| Saincheaptha (custom) derives from sen-chep ('old way'), referring both to law and to custom. | |||
| Italian | personalizzato | ||
| "Personalizzato" also means "personalized," likely based on the concept of tailoring to the needs of an individual. | |||
| Luxembourgish | personaliséiert | ||
| The word "personaliséiert" is derived from the French word "personnalisé", which means "customized" or "made to order". | |||
| Maltese | drawwa | ||
| The Maltese word 'drawwa' is derived from the Arabic root 'daraja', meaning 'step' or 'degree', and can refer to custom, habit, or tradition. | |||
| Norwegian | tilpasset | ||
| The word "tilpasset" derives from the Norwegian word "tilpasse" which means to "adapt" or "fit". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | personalizadas | ||
| "Personalizadas" comes from the Latin "personalis," meaning "of a person" or "individual." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gnàthaichte | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word 'gnàthaichte' can also refer to a habitual action or a customary right. | |||
| Spanish | personalizado | ||
| "Personalizado" in Spanish also refers to being personalized for someone. | |||
| Swedish | beställnings- | ||
| The word 'beställnings' in Swedish is a compound of 'beställa', meaning 'to order', and '-ning', a derivational suffix indicating an action or process. | |||
| Welsh | arferiad | ||
| The term 'arferiad' is derived from the Welsh word 'arfer', which carries meanings of 'habit', 'usage', or 'practice' | |||
Custom in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | звычай | ||
| The Belarusian word "звычай" (custom) derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*světъ", meaning "light", suggesting a connection between social norms and the idea of enlightenment. | |||
| Bosnian | običaj | ||
| The word "običaj" also refers to a traditional Bosnian folk dance and music genre. | |||
| Bulgarian | персонализиран | ||
| "Персонализиран" is cognate with "personalis" in Latin (personal). | |||
| Czech | zvyk | ||
| In the Czech language, the word 'zvyk' also refers to 'a habit' or 'a manner' of behavior. | |||
| Estonian | kohandatud | ||
| In Estonian, the word "kohandatud" can refer to the adjustment of something to make it suitable, or to the tradition or practice of a community. | |||
| Finnish | mukautettu | ||
| The Finnish word "mukautettu" also means "trained" or "educated" | |||
| Hungarian | egyedi | ||
| The word "egyedi" is a combination of the Hungarian words "egy" (one) and "edi" (piece). | |||
| Latvian | pasūtījuma | ||
| Pasūtījuma derives from the verb 'pasūtīt', meaning 'to order' or 'to ask for something to be made', suggesting a custom-made item. | |||
| Lithuanian | paprotys | ||
| "Paprotys" also means a "fern" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | обичај | ||
| In Macedonian, the etymology of the word обичај derives from the Old Slavic оби-чай (obi-čaj) and its original meaning was 'habit', 'way of life'. Today it usually denotes a set of traditional rules or practices that are followed by a community. | |||
| Polish | zwyczaj | ||
| The word "zwyczaj" can also refer to "habit", "tradition", or "practice" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | personalizat | ||
| The Romanian word "personalizat" derives from the Latin word "personalis", meaning "relating to an individual person" or "private." | |||
| Russian | обычай | ||
| The word "обычай" originates from the Old Church Slavonic word "обычь", meaning "order", "usage", or "law". | |||
| Serbian | обичај | ||
| "Обичај" ('običaj') is a polysemic word with numerous meanings; originally 'usage', now mostly 'custom' or 'law', but also 'fashion' or 'rule' (of a game), occasionally even 'ceremony' or 'ritual'. | |||
| Slovak | zvyk | ||
| Zvyk derives from the Proto-Slavic word "suti", meaning "to be" or "to exist". | |||
| Slovenian | po meri | ||
| The word po meri can also mean 'according to measure' or 'as ordered'. | |||
| Ukrainian | на замовлення | ||
| The Ukrainian word "на замовлення" literally means "on order", reflecting its historical usage in referring to goods or services made to a customer's specifications. | |||
Custom in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রথা | ||
| In some cases, the word "প্রথা" can also refer to "the practice of a profession" | |||
| Gujarati | વૈવિધ્યપૂર્ણ | ||
| Hindi | रिवाज | ||
| The word 'रिवाज' is derived from the Arabic word 'rawaj', meaning 'circulation, currency, or usage'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಸ್ಟಮ್ | ||
| "ಕಸ್ಟಮ್" is also a homonym, which means two different words are pronounced the same but differ in origin, meaning and sometimes spelling, like the English terms "seal" (wax) and "seal" (animal)" | |||
| Malayalam | ഇഷ്ടാനുസൃതം | ||
| The word 'ഇഷ്ടാനുസൃതം' in Malayalam can also mean 'as desired' or 'according to one's wishes'. | |||
| Marathi | सानुकूल | ||
| The word "सानुकूल" in Marathi is derived from the words "स अनुकूल," meaning "to be favorable." | |||
| Nepali | कस्टम | ||
| Custom can also refer to duties or taxes levied on goods imported or exported. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਥਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਪ੍ਰਥਾ" (prathā) is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रथा" (prathā), which originally meant "tradition, usage, or practice."} | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සිරිත | ||
| The word "සිරිත" (sirita) in Sinhala can also mean "law", "rule", "tradition", or "habit". | |||
| Tamil | தனிப்பயன் | ||
| "தனிப்பயன்" (custom) derives from "தனி" (single) and "பயன்" (profit), and originally meant "one's own private advantage" or "the particular way something benefits someone or something." | |||
| Telugu | కస్టమ్ | ||
| The Telugu word "కస్టమ్" can also refer to a duty or tax imposed on goods being imported or exported. | |||
| Urdu | اپنی مرضی کے مطابق | ||
Custom in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 习俗 | ||
| The traditional meaning of "习俗" is to follow the ancients, imitate the saints, and act in accordance with the way of heaven and earth. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 習俗 | ||
| "習俗" (custom) in Chinese (Traditional) is a combination of two words: "習", meaning "habit" or "practice", and "俗", meaning "common" or "folk". It can also refer to "rites" or "conventions". | |||
| Japanese | カスタム | ||
| The word "カスタム" can also mean "tailor-made" or "bespoke" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 커스텀 | ||
| "커스텀"(custom) 본래 뜻은 "관습", "전통"이나 "의상", "옷"을 뜻하는 말 | |||
| Mongolian | заншил | ||
| In Old Mongolian, the word "заншил" also meant "gift", "tribute", or "fine". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထုံးစံ | ||
Custom in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | adat | ||
| The term 'adat' in Indonesian also encompasses legal, traditional, and communal norms and practices. | |||
| Javanese | adat | ||
| In Javanese, 'adat' also connotes the ethical principles that guide societal conduct and interactions. | |||
| Khmer | ទំនៀមទម្លាប់ | ||
| The word "ទំនៀមទម្លាប់" can also refer to traditions, habits, or practices that are passed down from generation to generation. | |||
| Lao | ປະເພນີ | ||
| Malay | adat | ||
| The word "adat" in Malay holds deep socio-cultural significance, denoting both customary laws and unwritten societal norms. | |||
| Thai | กำหนดเอง | ||
| กำหนดเอง (custom) means both a practice or thing established by tradition and a tax or duty charged on imported goods. | |||
| Vietnamese | tập quán | ||
| The word "tập quán" in Vietnamese comes from the Chinese word "習慣", which means "habit" or "usual practice". It is also closely related to the word "tập", which means "to accumulate" or "to gather". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaugalian | ||
Custom in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | adət | ||
| In some Turkic languages, the word "adət" also means "justice" or "law". | |||
| Kazakh | әдет | ||
| The word "әдет" also refers to the habit of a horse to graze in a meadow. | |||
| Kyrgyz | салт | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "салт" also means "manner" or "behavior". | |||
| Tajik | одати | ||
| In Tajik, "одат" can also refer to a specific type of law or regulation. | |||
| Turkmen | adat | ||
| Uzbek | odatiy | ||
| The word "odatiy" has a secondary meaning: "good-natured, gentle" | |||
| Uyghur | ئادەت | ||
Custom in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maa | ||
| Maa, meaning "custom," originates from the Proto-Austronesian word "mama," which also means "mother." | |||
| Maori | ritenga | ||
| The word 'ritenga' is a Polynesian term also used in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, and Hawaii to refer to traditional practices. | |||
| Samoan | tu ma aga | ||
| "Tu ma aga" can also refer to a "law" or "tradition". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pasadya | ||
| The word 'pasadya', or custom in Tagalog, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'prasāda', which refers to a gift, favor, or blessing given to a devotee by a god. | |||
Custom in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | isinaka | ||
| Guarani | jepokuaa | ||
Custom in International Languages
| Esperanto | kutimo | ||
| "Kutim'-o" has the same root as "kutim'-i", meaning "to work", and refers to the way things are done in a particular group or community. | |||
| Latin | more | ||
| The Latin word "mos" (more) can also refer to a whim or caprice. | |||
Custom in Others Languages
| Greek | έθιμο | ||
| The word "έθιμο" is derived from the Greek root "ethos," meaning "character" or "habit," and shares a common origin with the English word "ethics." | |||
| Hmong | kev cai | ||
| The Hmong word 'kev cai' is also used to refer to 'culture' and 'tradition'. | |||
| Kurdish | hûnbunî | ||
| The word "hûnbunî" can also be used to refer to a person's temperament, behaviour or habits.} | |||
| Turkish | özel | ||
| The word "özel" also means "special" in Turkish, and is related to the Arabic word "wusul" (وصول), meaning "arrival". | |||
| Xhosa | isiko | ||
| The word 'isiko' can also refer to a traditional taboo or a sacred practice. | |||
| Yiddish | מנהג | ||
| The Yiddish word "מנהג" also means "portion, serving," from the Hebrew verb "לנהוג," meaning "to lead, conduct." | |||
| Zulu | inkambiso | ||
| In Zulu, 'inkambiso' also refers to a ceremony where a prospective son-in-law brings gifts to the bride's family. | |||
| Assamese | অনুকুলন কৰা | ||
| Aymara | isinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | रिवाज | ||
| Dhivehi | ސަޤާފަތް | ||
| Dogri | रवाज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kaugalian | ||
| Guarani | jepokuaa | ||
| Ilocano | naibagay | ||
| Krio | wetin kɔmɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باو | ||
| Maithili | परिपाटी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯠꯅꯕꯤ | ||
| Mizo | chindan | ||
| Oromo | aadaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଷ୍ଟମ୍ | ||
| Quechua | chullachasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | आचारः | ||
| Tatar | гадәт | ||
| Tigrinya | ቅቡል ልምዲ | ||
| Tsonga | ntolovelo | ||