Deer in different languages

Deer in Different Languages

Discover 'Deer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Deer, known for their grace and agility, are one of the most admired creatures on the planet. They hold profound significance in various cultures, often symbolizing gentleness, sensitivity, and spiritual growth. For instance, in Celtic tradition, deer are revered as spiritual guides, while in Chinese culture, they represent abundance and prosperity.

Given their global distribution and cultural importance, understanding the translation of 'deer' in different languages can be a fascinating journey. For instance, in Spanish, 'deer' is 'ciervo'; in French, it's 'cerf'; in German, 'Reh' or 'Hirsch' depending on the species; and in Japanese, 'shika'.

Moreover, exploring these translations can provide insights into the unique relationships that different cultures have with this magnificent creature. So, let's delve into the world of 'deer' in various languages and cultures!

Deer


Deer in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanstakbokke
The Afrikaans word "takbokke" is thought to be a corruption of the Dutch term "tamme bok", meaning "tame goat".
Amharicአጋዘን
The Amharic word አጋዘን (deer) also means 'animal having a slender body and long legs' and 'an agile or swift-moving animal'
Hausabarewa
The word "barewa" is also used as a nickname or a term of endearment for someone who is tall and slender.
Igbomgbada
The word "mgbada" also means "a type of drum" and is sometimes used as an idiom to refer to a beautiful woman.
Malagasyserfa
The Malagasy word "serfa" (deer) likely derives from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word "*sarupa" (horse), as deer were not native to Madagascar until introduced by humans.
Nyanja (Chichewa)mbawala
"Mbawala" may also refer to an idiomatic expression meaning "a place of safety" or "a sanctuary."
Shonanondo
The word "nondo" may also refer to a totemic animal associated with the Moyo clan.
Somalideerada
In Somali, 'deerada' can also mean 'cattle', 'wealth' or 'property'.
Sesotholikhama
The word "likhama" can also refer to a type of antelope known as the kudu.
Swahilikulungu
In Swahili, 'kulungu' also denotes a wild goat or antelope.
Xhosaixhama
The word "Ixhama" in Xhosa can also refer to a type of antelope known as the impala.
Yorubaagbọnrin
"Agbonrin" is the Yoruba word for a deer, but it can also mean "something that is very fast" or "a hunter."
Zuluizinyamazane
The Zulu word "izinyamazane" shares the same root as the word for "star", implying a celestial connection to the animal.
Bambaraminan
Ewesẽ
Kinyarwandaimpongo
Lingalambuli
Lugandaempeewo
Sepeditshepe
Twi (Akan)wansane

Deer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicالغزال
The word الغزال is also used to refer to a slender man.
Hebrewצְבִי
The Hebrew word "צְבִי" (deer) also means "beauty" or "splendor" in biblical Hebrew.
Pashtoهرن
The word "هرن" can also mean "a long and slender tree" or "the horn of an animal".
Arabicالغزال
The word الغزال is also used to refer to a slender man.

Deer in Western European Languages

Albaniandreri
In Albanian, the word "dreri" can also refer to a "place covered with trees", or a "forest".
Basqueorein
Basque orein, "deer", may derive from the proto-Basque or proto-Indo-European roots for the concept of "mountain".
Catalancérvols
"Cérvol" is also an archaic name for a type of medieval crossbow or the wooden beam it rested on while aiming.
Croatianjelena
The word "jelena" also means "Helen" (the female given name) in Croatian.
Danishhjort
The word 'hjort' comes from the Proto-Germanic word 'herta', meaning 'deer'.
Dutchherten
"Herten" shares an etymology with the English word "horn," and is cognate with Old English "heorot" (stag).
Englishdeer
The word "deer" derives from Old English "dēor", a general term encompassing any non-domesticated hoofed animal inhabiting forests.
Frenchcerf
The word "cerf" in French comes from the Latin "cervus", which means "horned animal or beast".
Frisianhart
Frisian "hart" is cognate with the English word "heart" and originally meant "strong".
Galiciancervos
In Galician, "cervos" derives from Latin "cervus" (deer) but also designates the first vertebra in animals.
Germanhirsch
The word comes from Old High German
Icelandicdádýr
The Icelandic word "dádýr" derives from the Old Norse word "dáðýri" and could mean "fawn" or "roe deer" in addition to "deer".
Irishfianna
The word 'fianna' in Irish also means 'warband' or 'warrior' and is the root of the word 'fenian', referring to the Irish Republican movement.
Italiancervo
The Italian word "cervo" has cognates in several other Indo-European languages, including Latin "cervus," Irish "ceirb," and English "hart."
Luxembourgishréi
Réi is possibly derived from the Proto-Celtic words "reiksos" (king) or "reiks" (noble) that survive in Celtic languages as words referring to the male of an animal species or the male gender.
Malteseċriev
The word "ċriev" likely derives from the Arabic word "ahl", meaning "gazelle".
Norwegianhjort
The name 'hjort' is cognate to the English word 'hart', which refers specifically to a male deer, and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'hertuz' or 'hertuza'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)veado
Scots Gaelicfèidh
The word "fèidh" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a deer fence.
Spanishciervo
The word "ciervo" in Spanish can also refer to a constellation, a type of fish, and a mythical creature.
Swedishrådjur
In Sweden, "rådjur" also refers to the roe deer which belongs to the genus Capreolus.
Welshceirw
In addition to the general meaning of "deer", "ceirw" can also refer specifically to "stag" or "male fallow deer."

Deer in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianалені
"Алені" in Belarusian has been theorized to derive from the Proto-Slavic word *olьnь, which also meant deer.
Bosnianjelena
There are several words in Croatian and Serbian for "deer", including "jelen", "košuta", and "srna".
Bulgarianелен
The word "елен" in Bulgarian is derived from Proto-Slavic *olьnь, meaning "wild animal," and is cognate with the Latin "cervus," meaning "stag."
Czechjelen
The word "Jelen" in Czech has alternate meanings of a "stag" or a "lover"
Estonianhirved
The word "hirved" is derived from the Proto-Finnic root "*hirve" and also means "elk" in many Uralic languages
Finnishpeura
The word "peura" also refers to the "reindeer" species in Finnish.
Hungarianszarvas
In Hungarian, "szarvas" refers to both deer and the city of Szentendre, the latter likely due to the proliferation of red deer antlers found in the area.
Latvianbrieži
In Latvian, the word for "deer" can also refer to elk, moose, or other large ungulates.
Lithuanianelnias
The word "elnias" is cognate with the Latin "alces" and the Greek "ḗlakhos", meaning "elk" or "moose".
Macedonianелен
The Macedonian word "елен" (deer) derives from the Proto-Slavic word *jeleṇь, meaning "strong one".
Polishjeleń
"Jeleń" (deer) is also used in Polish to describe a kind of trap or a blockhead.
Romaniancerb
Cerb (''deer'') shares the same root word as the Latin ''cervus'', but can also refer to ''elk'' or ''stag'' in certain contexts.
Russianолень
The word "олень" can also refer to a type of chess piece analogous to the knight in western chess, a reindeer, or an elk.
Serbianјелена
"Јелена" is also a common Serbian female name derived from the same Indo-European root.
Slovakjeleň
The word "jeleň" is derived from a Proto-Slavic form meaning "horned animal".
Sloveniansrnjad
The Slovenian word "srnjad" is also used to refer to "game" in the sense of animals that are hunted for sport.
Ukrainianолень
The Ukrainian word "олень" is cognate with the Latin word "alces", which refers to the moose.

Deer in South Asian Languages

Bengaliহরিণ
"হরিণ" is derived from Sanskrit "harin," which also means a "golden-colored horse."
Gujaratiહરણ
The Sanskrit word 'harina' is the origin of the Gujarati word 'હરણ', which refers to deer and also to the constellation Orion.
Hindiहिरन
The word
Kannadaಜಿಂಕೆ
The Kannada word “ಜಿಂಕೆ” may be derived from Sanskrit "mrga", which means "beast" or "animal."
Malayalamമാൻ
The word "മാൻ" (deer) in Malayalam also means "pride, dignity, or self-respect."
Marathiहरिण
The Marathi word "हरिण" derives from Sanskrit and originally referred to either a horse or a deer.
Nepaliहिरण
The word 'हिरण' (hiran) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱr̥s-no-, meaning 'horned'. It is cognate with the Latin 'cornū', the Greek 'κέρας' (keras), and the English 'horn'.
Punjabiਹਿਰਨ
The word also refers to a kind of antelope in some dialects and a mythical being that resembles the griffin.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)මුවා
The word "මුවා" (deer) is also used to refer to the constellation Orion in Sinhala.
Tamilமான்
In Tamil, "மான்" (māṉ) can also refer to a type of grass; "மானம்" (māṉam) means "honour" or "self-respect".
Teluguజింక
The word "జింక" comes from the Proto-Dravidian word "*cinka", meaning "animal with horns".
Urduہرن
The Urdu word "ہرن" can also refer to a type of musical instrument used in classical music, specifically a stringed instrument similar to a violin.

Deer in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)鹿
"鹿" is pronounced as "lù" in Mandarin and also means "power" or "wealth".
Chinese (Traditional)鹿
The character "鹿" (deer) is also used as a radical in other Chinese characters related to animals or hunting.
Japanese鹿
The word "鹿" (deer) in Japanese can also be used to represent the Japanese zodiac sign of the same animal, which is associated with the element of wood.
Korean사슴
The word "사슴" (deer) is also used in Korean to refer to a constellation, a unit of measurement, and a traditional Korean dance.
Mongolianбуга
According to the book "Etymology of Mongolian Words" by Zundui, the root-word "буг" ("bug") means a "wild bull" (as in "bull of the wild") with its etymology likely tracing back to proto-Mongolic '*busun'. Alternatively, its etymology has been linked to '*buk', with '*busun' instead signifying "stag, elk".
Myanmar (Burmese)သမင်
"သမင်" also refers to a legendary deer-like creature in Burmese folklore believed to have magical powers and to be a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

Deer in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianrusa
In some regions, rusa can also refer to a type of large squirrel called a flying squirrel or a mouse deer (pelanduk).
Javanesekijang
In Javanese, "kijang" can also refer to a species of bird, the common emerald dove.
Khmerសត្វក្តាន់
Laoກວາງ
The Lao word "ກວາງ" ("deer") is also used to describe anything of great size or beauty.
Malayrusa
The Malay word "rusa" is cognate with the Sanskrit "ruru" and the Old Javanese "ruruś".
Thaiกวาง
The word "กวาง" can also refer to a kind of firework, a type of orchid, or a unit of measurement for precious stones.
Vietnamesecon nai
"Con nai" not only means "deer", but can also be used figuratively to refer to someone who is naive or gullible.
Filipino (Tagalog)usa

Deer in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanimaral
The word "maral" is of Proto-Turkic origin, meaning "wild goat".
Kazakhбұғы
The word "бұғы" can also refer to the female of a camel or horse.
Kyrgyzбугу
The word "бугу" can also be used to mean "a male mountain goat" or "a young ibex".
Tajikохуи
The Tajik word "охуи" can also mean "male deer".
Turkmensugun
Uzbekkiyik
The Uzbek word "kiyik" also means "bank" or "shore".
Uyghurبۇغا

Deer in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiandia
The word "dia" in Hawaiian also translates to "to look at" or "to admire the beauty of".
Maoritia
The Maori word 'tia' also refers to a mythological creature that guards the forest.
Samoanaila
The Samoan word "aila" can also refer to a kind of antelope native to Samoa.
Tagalog (Filipino)usa
The term "usa" can also refer to the meat of a deer as well as to the Philippine peso.

Deer in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarasirwu
Guaraniguasu

Deer in International Languages

Esperantocervoj
The word "cervoj" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "cervus", meaning "deer", and also shares a root with the English word "cervine", meaning "relating to deer".
Latinarietes
The Latin term "arietes," denoting deer, also alludes to a battering-ram, owing to their powerful antlers.

Deer in Others Languages

Greekελάφι
In ancient Greek, "ελάφι" could also refer to a type of wild goat or antelope, and was possibly derived from the word "άλφω" (alphō), meaning "to leap" or "to bound."
Hmongtus mos lwj
No information found on the alternate meanings and etymology of the word "tus mos lwj" in Hmong.
Kurdishahû
The word "ahû" may also refer to the colour white in Kurdish.
Turkishgeyik
The word "geyik" also means "foolish talk" or "nonsense" in Turkish slang.
Xhosaixhama
The word "Ixhama" in Xhosa can also refer to a type of antelope known as the impala.
Yiddishהירש
The Yiddish word "הירש" (deer) also shares a root with the German word "Hirsch" (stag).
Zuluizinyamazane
The Zulu word "izinyamazane" shares the same root as the word for "star", implying a celestial connection to the animal.
Assameseহৰিণা
Aymarasirwu
Bhojpuriहरिन
Dhivehiފުއްލާ
Dogriहिरन
Filipino (Tagalog)usa
Guaraniguasu
Ilocanousa
Kriodia
Kurdish (Sorani)مامز
Maithiliहरिन
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯁꯖꯤ
Mizosakhi
Oromobosonuu
Odia (Oriya)ହରିଣ
Quechuataruka
Sanskritमृग
Tatarболан
Tigrinyaድብ
Tsongamhala

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