Debate in Different Languages
Discover 'Debate' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Debate: it's a word that sparks curiosity and intrigue, invoking images of passionate arguments, intellectual discourse, and the clash of ideas. Its significance lies in its ability to facilitate critical thinking, encourage open-mindedness, and promote the free exchange of opinions. Throughout history, debates have shaped societies, influenced policies, and even determined the outcomes of elections.
The cultural importance of debate is undeniable, as it is a fundamental component of democratic societies and a cornerstone of intellectual growth. From political debates to philosophical discussions, this concept has been a catalyst for change and progress.
Understanding the translation of debate in different languages is not only a fascinating exploration of linguistic diversity but also a valuable tool for cross-cultural communication. For instance, the French translation of debate is 'débat,' the Spanish translation is 'debate,' and the German translation is 'Debatte.'
Join us as we delve into the multifaceted world of debate, discovering its translations in various languages and shedding light on the cultural nuances that shape this powerful concept.
Debate
Debate in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | debat voer | ||
| "Debat voer" is actually also a term used to describe animal feed. | |||
| Amharic | ክርክር | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ክርክር" also means "research" or "investigation." | |||
| Hausa | muhawara | ||
| The Hausa word "muhawara" also means "conversation" or "argument". | |||
| Igbo | arụmụka | ||
| "Arụmụka" (debate) is derived from the word "ọnụ" (mouth), suggesting the importance of verbal exchange and articulation in a debate. | |||
| Malagasy | adihevitra | ||
| The Malagasy word "adihevitra" shares its roots with the verb "hevitra", meaning "to think" or "to ponder". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutsutsana | ||
| 'Kutsutsana' is derived from the verb 'kutsutsuka,' meaning 'to argue' or 'to dispute'. | |||
| Shona | gakava | ||
| The word 'gakava' in Shona also means 'to make a noise' or 'to shout'. | |||
| Somali | dood | ||
| "Dood" also means "discussion", "argument", or "discourse" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ngangisano | ||
| The Sesotho word "ngangisano" derives from the verb "nganga" (to argue), and can also refer to a dispute or disagreement. | |||
| Swahili | mjadala | ||
| The word "mjadala" can also mean "a discussion between two or more people who have different opinions, especially in a formal setting". | |||
| Xhosa | mpikiswano | ||
| The term "mpikiswano" in Xhosa can also mean "controversy" or a "dispute". | |||
| Yoruba | ijiroro | ||
| "Ijiroro" is a Yoruba word that can also mean "argument" or "dispute." | |||
| Zulu | mpikiswano | ||
| The Zulu word "mpikiswano" can also refer to a verbal contest, argument, or quarrel. | |||
| Bambara | sɔsɔli | ||
| Ewe | nyahehe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impaka | ||
| Lingala | lisolo | ||
| Luganda | okuwakana | ||
| Sepedi | ngangišano | ||
| Twi (Akan) | gye kyin | ||
Debate in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | النقاش | ||
| The word 'النقاش' (al-niqash) can also refer to 'decoration' or 'engraving'. | |||
| Hebrew | עימות | ||
| The Hebrew word "עימות" is derived from the verb "עָמַת" which means "to face", "to confront", or "to oppose". | |||
| Pashto | بحث | ||
| The Pashto word "بحث" can also refer to a 'dissertation' or a 'disputation' | |||
| Arabic | النقاش | ||
| The word 'النقاش' (al-niqash) can also refer to 'decoration' or 'engraving'. | |||
Debate in Western European Languages
| Albanian | debat | ||
| The word | |||
| Basque | eztabaida | ||
| In 16th-century Lapurdian Basque literature, "eztabaida" was used for "dispute", "trial", "judgment", and "sentence". | |||
| Catalan | debat | ||
| The Catalan word "debat" evolved from the Occitan word "debat", meaning a public dispute or discussion, itself derived from the Latin "debattuere", meaning to beat down, or to fight. | |||
| Croatian | rasprava | ||
| "Rasprava" can also mean "liquidation" or "reprisal", reflecting the violent political climate of Croatian history. | |||
| Danish | debat | ||
| "Debat" can also mean "floor covering". | |||
| Dutch | debat | ||
| In Dutch, "debat" can also refer to a "debate club" or a "disputation". | |||
| English | debate | ||
| The word "debate" derives from the Old French word "debatre," meaning "to fight." | |||
| French | débat | ||
| "Débat" derives from the Old French "debatre," meaning "to fight" or "to dispute." | |||
| Frisian | debat | ||
| De term debat komt in het Fries ook voor in de betekenis van 'strijd'. | |||
| Galician | debate | ||
| "Debate" in Galician comes from the Latin "debattuere" (to beat down) and is used to describe an argument or contest. | |||
| German | debatte | ||
| Debatte is the German counterpart of the French word 'débat' and thus ultimately derived from the Latin word 'debattuere' (to beat down, fight, struggle). Today, the word refers to a public or formal dispute about a particular issue. | |||
| Icelandic | rökræður | ||
| The word "rökræður" comes from the Old Norse word "rókr" meaning "smoke" and "ræða" meaning "conversation" or "speech", possibly referring to the smoke from fires burning during debates in halls. | |||
| Irish | díospóireacht | ||
| The word "díospóireacht" also means "dispute" and may derive from a pre-Celtic *dis-pat- which means to "divide". | |||
| Italian | discussione | ||
| The Italian word "discussione" derives from Latin, where it meant to scatter, shake, or jolt something. | |||
| Luxembourgish | debatt | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Debatt" also historically meant "fight" or "quarrel". | |||
| Maltese | dibattitu | ||
| The Maltese word "dibattitu" may derive from Arabic's "dabat", meaning "striking". | |||
| Norwegian | debatt | ||
| The word "debatt" in Norwegian can also refer to a discussion or conversation. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | debate | ||
| From Latin debattuere, meaning to “beat down,” debatendo, debating, arguing | |||
| Scots Gaelic | deasbad | ||
| The word 'deasbad' is derived from the Old Irish 'deisiud' meaning 'to decide' and 'bad' meaning 'to strike' or 'to kill'. | |||
| Spanish | debate | ||
| The Spanish word "debate" also means "fight" or "dispute". | |||
| Swedish | debatt | ||
| "Debatt" can also mean a small pond in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | dadl | ||
| The word "dadl" also derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dʰeh₁-", meaning "to put, set, do". | |||
Debate in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дыскусія | ||
| The word дыскусія has two roots in Old Belarusian, дышаць “breathe” and кут “angle” which gives a meaning similar to “a conversation from two opposing angles.” | |||
| Bosnian | debata | ||
| Debata also means 'squabble' or 'argument' in Bosnian, while the verb 'debatirati' means 'to squabble', 'to argue', or 'to debate'. | |||
| Bulgarian | дебат | ||
| In Bulgarian, "дебат" can also mean "dispute" or "argumentation". | |||
| Czech | rozprava | ||
| The Czech word "rozprava" also refers to a type of legal proceeding or trial. | |||
| Estonian | arutelu | ||
| "Arutelu" is a derived word from "aru", meaning "mind". | |||
| Finnish | keskustelu | ||
| "Keskustelu" is also used colloquially in Finnish to refer to a casual conversation or a chat, not just a formal or structured debate. | |||
| Hungarian | vita | ||
| The word 'vita' also means 'life' or 'fate' in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | debates | ||
| The word "debates" in Latvian, "debates", also means "discussions" or "arguments" | |||
| Lithuanian | diskusijos | ||
| The word "diskusijos" finds its roots in the term "discutio," a Latin verb meaning "to scatter, separate, or divide." | |||
| Macedonian | дебата | ||
| The word "дебата" in Macedonian also has the meaning of "discussion". | |||
| Polish | debata | ||
| In Polish, "debata" may refer to a formal dispute between opposing viewpoints or to the discussion of a topic in public. | |||
| Romanian | dezbate | ||
| In Romanian, "dezbate" can also refer to a type of traditional folk dance. | |||
| Russian | дебаты | ||
| The Russian word "дебаты" (debate) originates from the Old Slavonic "дьбати," meaning "dispute" or "controversy." | |||
| Serbian | расправа | ||
| The word "расправа" can also mean "massacre" in Serbian, highlighting its dual nature of both intellectual discourse and violence. | |||
| Slovak | debata | ||
| "Debata" also means "talk" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | razprava | ||
| "Razprava" also denotes an execution in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | дебати | ||
| The Ukrainian word "дебати" has multiple meanings, including "debate", "dispute", and "discussion". | |||
Debate in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিতর্ক | ||
| The word 'বিতর্ক' can also mean 'argument', 'dispute', 'controversy' or 'discussion'. | |||
| Gujarati | ચર્ચા | ||
| The word "ચર્ચા" (debate) in Gujarati originates from the Sanskrit word "चर्चा" (carcha), meaning "a discussion or conversation". | |||
| Hindi | बहस | ||
| In Hindi, "बहस" also means "discussion" or "argumentation". | |||
| Kannada | ಚರ್ಚೆ | ||
| The word 'ಚರ್ಚೆ' is not native to Kannada, it is a recent borrowing from English or Hindi. | |||
| Malayalam | ചർച്ച | ||
| The Malayalam word "ചർച്ച" is also used to refer to a "religious lecture". | |||
| Marathi | वादविवाद | ||
| The word 'वादविवाद' in Marathi comes from 'Vaad', meaning a case, argument, or lawsuit, and 'Vivad', meaning a dispute or quarrel. | |||
| Nepali | बहस | ||
| "बहस" is derived from the Sanskrit word "वाद" (vāda), which means "argument" or "discussion" | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਹਿਸ | ||
| "Bahs" or "debate" in Punjabi came to be during the 19th century and is ultimately of Persian origin, deriving from "bahs", meaning the act or art of argument or discussion of a subject to establish truth | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විවාදය | ||
| විවාදය comes from the Sanskrit word 'vividha', meaning 'different' or 'varied', and refers to a discussion involving different opinions or arguments. | |||
| Tamil | விவாதம் | ||
| The Tamil word "விவாதம்" is derived from Sanskrit "विवाद" (vivid), meaning "to know" or "to distinguish." | |||
| Telugu | చర్చ | ||
| The word "చర్చ" (debate) in Telugu can also mean "discussion". | |||
| Urdu | بحث | ||
| The word "بحث" (bahs) also carries the meaning of "dissertation" or "investigation" in the context of academic research. | |||
Debate in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 辩论 | ||
| 辩论 can also mean 'argument' or 'discourse' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 辯論 | ||
| The word "辯論" originally meant "to judge" but came to mean "debate" during the Qing dynasty. | |||
| Japanese | ディベート | ||
| The word "ディベート" (debate) is derived from the Latin word "debattuere," meaning "to beat down or thresh out." | |||
| Korean | 논쟁 | ||
| The word '논쟁' (debate) in Korean can also mean 'argument' or 'dispute'. | |||
| Mongolian | мэтгэлцээн | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အငြင်းအခုန် | ||
Debate in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perdebatan | ||
| The Indonesian word "perdebatan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "vivaada", meaning "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
| Javanese | debat | ||
| The Javanese word "debat" can also refer to a traditional Javanese dance. | |||
| Khmer | ការជជែកវែកញែក | ||
| Lao | ການໂຕ້ວາທີ | ||
| The Lao word for 'debate', ການໂຕ້ວາທີ, is closely related to the Thai word 'vitavat', which has a similar meaning but can also refer to a 'controversy' or a 'dispute'. | |||
| Malay | perbahasan | ||
| Perbahasan, derived from the Sanskrit word 'paribhasa', originally meant 'explanation' or 'exposition' before acquiring its current meaning in Malay. | |||
| Thai | อภิปราย | ||
| อภิปราย originates from Sanskrit word "abhiprāy" which means intention, purpose and opinion. | |||
| Vietnamese | tranh luận | ||
| "Tranh" means "to fight" and "luận" means "to discuss". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | debate | ||
Debate in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mübahisə | ||
| The word "mübahisə" is derived from the Arabic word "mubahasa", which means "discussion" or "argumentation". It can also mean "dispute" or "quarrel". | |||
| Kazakh | пікірталас | ||
| The first element means "to search" and the second one refers to a "word". | |||
| Kyrgyz | дебат | ||
| 'Дебат' is a loanword from French that first appeared in Kyrgyz in the early 20th century. | |||
| Tajik | мубоҳиса | ||
| The verb “мубоҳиса” comes from the Middle Persian verb “mōhītan” which means “to make clear”. | |||
| Turkmen | jedel | ||
| Uzbek | munozara | ||
| The Uzbek word "munozara" can also refer to a "discussion" or "conversation". | |||
| Uyghur | مۇنازىرە | ||
Debate in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paio | ||
| "Paio" also refers to a traditional form of chanting and poetry in ancient Hawaii. | |||
| Maori | tautohe | ||
| The word 'tautohe' can also refer to a 'disagreement, dispute, or disagreement'. | |||
| Samoan | finauga | ||
| The word 'finauga' may derive from 'finau' (to compete) and 'ga' (collective noun), suggesting a competitive discussion or contest of ideas. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | debate | ||
| The Tagalog word "debate" is derived from the Spanish word "debate", which in turn is derived from the Latin word "debattere", meaning "to fight down." | |||
Debate in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aruskipawi | ||
| Guarani | ñembohovake | ||
Debate in International Languages
| Esperanto | debato | ||
| The term "debato" in Esperanto also translates to "argument" or "dispute" in English. | |||
| Latin | disputandum | ||
| Disputandum (debate) is also used to refer to a formal academic exercise involving argumentation and disputation. | |||
Debate in Others Languages
| Greek | δημόσια συζήτηση | ||
| The Greek word "δημόσια συζήτηση" comes from the words "δημόσια" (public or common) and "συζήτηση" (conversation), referring to a public or group conversation where ideas are exchanged and discussed. | |||
| Hmong | sib cav tswv yim | ||
| The phrase "sib cav tswv yim" can also refer to a group of people or an institution charged with carrying out a debate. | |||
| Kurdish | berhevdan | ||
| The term 'berhevdan' may also refer to 'controversy', 'argument', 'disagreement', or an 'intellectual confrontation'. | |||
| Turkish | tartışma | ||
| Tartışma comes from the Arabic word "tarh", meaning "to throw out" or "to propose". | |||
| Xhosa | mpikiswano | ||
| The term "mpikiswano" in Xhosa can also mean "controversy" or a "dispute". | |||
| Yiddish | דעבאַטע | ||
| The Yiddish word “דעבאטן” (“debatan”) is derived from the French word “débattre,” meaning "to discuss". | |||
| Zulu | mpikiswano | ||
| The Zulu word "mpikiswano" can also refer to a verbal contest, argument, or quarrel. | |||
| Assamese | তৰ্ক | ||
| Aymara | aruskipawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बहस | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަހުސްކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | बैहस | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | debate | ||
| Guarani | ñembohovake | ||
| Ilocano | debate | ||
| Krio | agyu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دیبەیت | ||
| Maithili | वाद-विवाद | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯩ ꯌꯦꯠꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | inhnialna | ||
| Oromo | falmii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିତର୍କ | ||
| Quechua | rimanakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | विवादः | ||
| Tatar | бәхәс | ||
| Tigrinya | ኽትዕ | ||
| Tsonga | njekanjekisano | ||