Defendant in Different Languages
Discover 'Defendant' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'defendant' carries significant legal weight, referring to the person or entity accused in a court of law. Its cultural importance is evident in the countless courtroom dramas that captivate audiences worldwide. Understanding the defendant's role is crucial for navigating legal systems and appreciating the intricacies of justice.
Delving into 'defendant' in different languages uncovers fascinating cultural nuances. For instance, in Spanish, it's 'el demandado' or 'la demandada,' depending on the gender. In German, it's 'der Angeklagte,' emphasizing the gravity of the accusation. In French, it's 'le prévenu,' reflecting the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Language and culture intertwine intriguingly when examining 'defendant.' For instance, in Japanese, the term 'tsuuchou sha' also applies to the accused in a criminal trial. In Russian, 'obviniaemyi' denotes the defendant, while in Chinese, 'bei su' carries the same meaning.
Join us as we explore 'defendant' in various languages, providing a global perspective on justice and cultural nuances.
Defendant
Defendant in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verweerder | ||
| Verweerder shares a common etymology with "defender", deriving from the Latin "defendere" (to protect). | |||
| Amharic | ተከሳሽ | ||
| The word "ተከሳሽ" can also mean "the one who is revealed" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | wanda ake kara | ||
| "wanda ake kara" in Hausa can also mean "one who is charged with a crime". | |||
| Igbo | onye ikpe | ||
| "Onye ikpe" can also refer to "a witness" and "a judge." | |||
| Malagasy | voampanga | ||
| The word "voampanga" can also refer to "the person who receives" or "the person who is given something". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wotsutsa | ||
| The term "wotsutsa" in Nyanja is also used to describe an accused person or a suspect in a crime. | |||
| Shona | mupomeri | ||
| Etymology: from the verb -mupomera - to defend (oneself) | |||
| Somali | eedaysanaha | ||
| The word "eedaysanaha" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "edna", meaning "to swear" or "to promise." | |||
| Sesotho | moqosuwa | ||
| The word "moqosuwa" in Sesotho is also used to refer to a person who is being accused or a suspect in a legal case. | |||
| Swahili | mshtakiwa | ||
| Mshtakiwa (defendant) comes from the verb 'shtaki' (to accuse), and can also be used to describe an 'accused' person. | |||
| Xhosa | ummangalelwa | ||
| In the Xhosa language, the word "ummangalelwa" carries additional meanings beyond "defendant," signifying someone who is subject to blame, criticism, or misfortune. | |||
| Yoruba | olugbeja | ||
| The word "olugbeja" also means "a person who answers on behalf of another" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ummangalelwa | ||
| The word "ummangalelwa" in Zulu also means "one who is accused or being sued, a respondent, and a subject of a law suit." | |||
| Bambara | jalakilen don | ||
| Ewe | amesi ŋu wotsɔ nya ɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | uregwa | ||
| Lingala | mofundami | ||
| Luganda | omuwawaabirwa | ||
| Sepedi | mosekišwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nea wɔde asɛm no kɔdan no | ||
Defendant in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المدعى عليه | ||
| The word "المدعى عليه" (defendant) derives from the root "دعوى" (claim) and its active participle "مدعٍ" (claimant). | |||
| Hebrew | נֶאְשָׁם | ||
| The word נֶאְשָׁם is derived from the verb נָאֵשׁ, meaning 'to be accused'. | |||
| Pashto | مدافع | ||
| The Pashto word "مدافع" can also be used to refer to a lawyer or an attorney. | |||
| Arabic | المدعى عليه | ||
| The word "المدعى عليه" (defendant) derives from the root "دعوى" (claim) and its active participle "مدعٍ" (claimant). | |||
Defendant in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i pandehur | ||
| "I pandehur", meaning "defendant", comes from the Latin verb "defendere" but also means "the accused" in some contexts. | |||
| Basque | auzipetua | ||
| The word "auzipetua" comes from the verb "auzi" ("to hear" or "to judge") and the suffix "-petua" ("one who is"), so it refers to the person that listens to or judges someone. | |||
| Catalan | acusat | ||
| The word "acusat" can mean "charged with a crime" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | optuženik | ||
| The Croatian word "optuženik" also has a second, more formal register, where it can be used to refer to someone who is being held in prison. | |||
| Danish | tiltalte | ||
| The word "tiltalte" means literally "one who is being prosecuted", from "tiltale", to prosecute. | |||
| Dutch | verweerder | ||
| The word 'verweerder' is derived from the Middle Dutch 'verweren,' meaning to defend, and can also refer to a respondent or opponent in a legal proceeding. | |||
| English | defendant | ||
| The word "defendant" originates from the Latin word "defendere," meaning "to ward off or protect." | |||
| French | défendeur | ||
| The word 'défendeur' is derived from the Latin word 'defendere', meaning 'to defend' or 'to protect'. | |||
| Frisian | foarroppene | ||
| The word "foarroppene" is derived from the Old Frisian word "forriucht", meaning "right before the law". | |||
| Galician | acusado | ||
| The word "acusado" in Galician has the same root as the word "accusare" in Latin, meaning "to accuse" or "to charge." | |||
| German | beklagte | ||
| The word "Beklagte" is derived from the verb "beklagen" (to complain), implying that the defendant has been complained against. | |||
| Icelandic | stefndi | ||
| The Icelandic word "stefndi" originally meant "one who is summoned (to court)" | |||
| Irish | cosantóir | ||
| The word "cosantóir" can also mean "protector" or "advocate". | |||
| Italian | imputato | ||
| The word "imputato" originally meant "accused" or "incriminated" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bekloten | ||
| The term "Bekloten" is derived from the Latin word "accusatus", meaning "one who is accused" or "defendant". | |||
| Maltese | akkużat | ||
| In Maltese, the word "akkużat" (defendant) derives from the Arabic word "al-qāḍī" (judge), indicating the adversarial nature of the legal process. | |||
| Norwegian | anklagede | ||
| The word "anklagede" is derived from the Old Norse word "ánklǫku", meaning "accusation", and is related to the English word "ankle". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | réu | ||
| The word réu derives from the Latin reus, meaning "guilty", and is cognate with the Spanish reo. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neach-dìon | ||
| The word neach-dìon also means 'one who is sheltered' in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | acusado | ||
| The Spanish word "acusado" comes from the Latin word "accusare," which means "to accuse or charge". | |||
| Swedish | svarande | ||
| In the past, 'svarande' has been used to describe both the accused in a criminal case and the defendant in a civil case. | |||
| Welsh | diffynnydd | ||
| In Welsh, the word "diffynnydd" can also refer to a "protector" or "defender". | |||
Defendant in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адказчык | ||
| The etymology of the word "адказчык" (defendant) in Belarusian is related to its role in legal proceedings, as the person who "отвечает" or responds to a claim in court. | |||
| Bosnian | okrivljeni | ||
| The word "okrivljeni" in Bosnian also has the meaning of "accused" or "indicted person". | |||
| Bulgarian | ответник | ||
| The word "ответник" (defendant) is derived from the Bulgarian word "ответ" (answer), and also means "respondent" in a legal context. | |||
| Czech | žalovaný | ||
| Žalovaný is derived from the Latin word "accusare," meaning "to accuse". The word can also mean "the accused" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | kaitstav | ||
| "Kaitstav" contains the root "kaitse-," which is also found in "kaitsekiri" (defense statement), and "kaitsekõne" (defense speech). | |||
| Finnish | vastaaja | ||
| The word "vastaaja" in Finnish also has the meaning of "answerer". | |||
| Hungarian | alperes | ||
| The word "alperes" in Hungarian can also refer to someone who is guilty or condemned. | |||
| Latvian | apsūdzētais | ||
| The word "apsūdzētais" in Latvian is derived from the word "apsūdzēt", which means "to accuse". It can also refer to a person who has been charged with a crime. | |||
| Lithuanian | atsakovas | ||
| "Atsakovas" is also used to refer to a person who responds or reacts to something. | |||
| Macedonian | обвинетиот | ||
| "Обвинетиот" stems from the Slavic root "vin-", meaning "guilt", and its original meaning was "the guilty one". | |||
| Polish | pozwany | ||
| The word 'pozwany' is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb 'poznati', meaning 'to recognize'. | |||
| Romanian | pârât | ||
| The Romanian word "pârât" is etymologically related to the French word "paraître", meaning "to appear". | |||
| Russian | ответчик | ||
| The word "ответчик" is derived from the verb "отвечать" (to answer), as the defendant is the person who is required to answer the allegations made in a lawsuit. | |||
| Serbian | окривљени | ||
| The word "окривљени" is derived from the verb "кривити" meaning "to blame" or "to accuse" and literally means "the one who is blamed" or "the one who is accused". | |||
| Slovak | obžalovaný | ||
| Obžalovaný originated in Church Slavonic as the one who has been accused, from the noun žaloba or žala and the suffix -n. | |||
| Slovenian | obdolženec | ||
| The Slovene word 'obdolženec' derives from the Proto-Slavic root *dolgъ, meaning 'debt', and initially referred to someone who had incurred a debt and could not repay it, making them legally liable. | |||
| Ukrainian | відповідач | ||
| The word "відповідач" in Ukrainian originally meant "one who answers" or "one who responds". | |||
Defendant in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিবাদী | ||
| "প্রতিবাদী" can also mean "protester" or "opponent" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રતિવાદી | ||
| The word 'પ્રતિવાદી' in Gujarati ultimately derives from Sanskrit, where it means 'one who opposes', 'adversary', or 'contestant'. | |||
| Hindi | प्रतिवादी | ||
| The word "प्रतिवादी" also means "respondent" in a legal context. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರತಿವಾದಿ | ||
| In addition to meaning "defendant" in legal contexts, "ಪ್ರತಿವಾದಿ" can also refer to an opponent or adversary in general. | |||
| Malayalam | എതൃകക്ഷി | ||
| The word "എതൃകക്ഷി" (defendant) comes from the Sanskrit "pratīkāra" meaning "resistance, opposition, retaliation". | |||
| Marathi | प्रतिवादी | ||
| The word 'प्रतिवादी' (defendant) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'प्रतिवाद' (denial) and means 'one who denies' or 'opponent'. | |||
| Nepali | प्रतिवादी | ||
| The word "प्रतिवादी" is derived from the Sanskrit words "प्रति" (against) and "वाद" (speech), meaning "one who speaks against". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਚਾਓ ਪੱਖ | ||
| The word "ਬਚਾਓ ਪੱਖ" literally translates to "defense side" in Punjabi, indicating the party that is defending itself in a legal case. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විත්තිකරු | ||
| The term 'විත්තිකරු' is rooted in Sanskrit and primarily means a 'disputant', 'opponent', or 'one who answers back'. | |||
| Tamil | பிரதிவாதி | ||
| The word | |||
| Telugu | ప్రతివాది | ||
| The Telugu word "ప్రతివాది" not only means "defendant" but also an "opponent," "rival," "adversary," or "antagonist." It derives from the Sanskrit word "prativadi," meaning "one who speaks against or contradicts." | |||
| Urdu | مدعا علیہ | ||
| The term comes from the Arabic word 'da'awa', meaning 'claim', and 'alayh', meaning 'upon him'. | |||
Defendant in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 被告 | ||
| In Chinese, the term "被告" (defendant) literally means "accuse or expose defendant" or "person accused or exposed". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 被告 | ||
| "被告" (defendant) is also used to refer to a witness who is summoned to court to provide testimony. | |||
| Japanese | 被告 | ||
| The word "被告" (higo) also means "accusation" or "complaint" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 피고 | ||
| "피고"(defendant) originally meant "one who is bound to the court", implying a person who is unable to escape from justice due to his or her crime. | |||
| Mongolian | яллагдагч | ||
| The word "яллагдагч" can also mean "plaintiff" in Mongolian legal contexts. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တရားခံ | ||
Defendant in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | terdakwa | ||
| The word "terdakwa" is derived from the Javanese word "dakwa", meaning "to accuse" or "to charge". | |||
| Javanese | didakwa | ||
| The term 'didakwa' is also used to denote 'accusers' in legal contexts, reflecting the Javanese legal principle of mediation, where parties involved in disputes are encouraged to reconcile rather than engage in adversarial proceedings. | |||
| Khmer | ចុងចោទ | ||
| ចុងចោទ is a compound word that literally means "tail of the accusation"} | |||
| Lao | ຈຳ ເລີຍ | ||
| The word "ຈຳ ເລີຍ" is the Lao word for "defendant" in legal cases, and also means "to remember" or "to keep in mind". | |||
| Malay | defendan | ||
| The Malay word "defendan" is derived from the English word "defendant" and retains its meaning in Malay legal contexts. | |||
| Thai | จำเลย | ||
| จำเลย was originally derived from the Sanskrit word `samalaya`, which also means "to complain". | |||
| Vietnamese | bị cáo | ||
| The word "bị cáo" also means "person accused" or "accused person". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nasasakdal | ||
Defendant in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şübhəli | ||
| "Şübhəli" also means "suspicious" in Azerbaijani, indicating the uncertain nature of the defendant's guilt or innocence. | |||
| Kazakh | сотталушы | ||
| "Сотталушы" derives from the Kazakh root "сотта- ("to try") and denotes a person accused of a crime or other offense." | |||
| Kyrgyz | соттолуучу | ||
| The word "соттолуучу" derives from the verb "соттолуу" meaning "to be accused" and literally means "one who is accused". | |||
| Tajik | айбдоршаванда | ||
| The word "айбдоршаванда" also means "accused", "charged", or "culprit" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | günäkärlenýän | ||
| Uzbek | sudlanuvchi | ||
| The word "sudlanuvchi" in Uzbek comes from the word "sud" meaning "court" and the suffix "-chi" indicating a person, thus literally meaning "one who is in court". | |||
| Uyghur | جاۋابكار | ||
Defendant in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea i hoʻopiʻi ʻia | ||
| Historically, "mea i hoʻopiʻi ʻia" referred to the person accusing another of a wrong or an offense. | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakapae | ||
| In Maori, kaiwhakapae can also refer to an opponent, an enemy, or an adversary in general. | |||
| Samoan | ua molia | ||
| "Ua molia" may also refer to an object of an action or a victim of a crime or accident. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | akusado | ||
| 'Akusado' is also used to refer to the person who has been accused of committing a sin, offense or crime. | |||
Defendant in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | juchanchata jaqi | ||
| Guarani | acusado rehegua | ||
Defendant in International Languages
| Esperanto | akuzito | ||
| "Akuzito" is derived from the Esperanto accusative case ending "o" and the verb "akuzi", meaning to accuse. | |||
| Latin | reus | ||
| "Reus" also means "guilty" in Latin. | |||
Defendant in Others Languages
| Greek | εναγόμενος | ||
| The verb εναγόμενος, which is the present passive participle of εναγω, means 'to lead or bring someone to trial.' | |||
| Hmong | tus tiv thaiv | ||
| "Tus Tiv Thaiv" is an idiomatic form in Hmong which originally means "the person who has been summoned to a trial." | |||
| Kurdish | gilîdar | ||
| The word "gilîdar" also means "criminal" or "culprit" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | sanık | ||
| "Sanık" sözcüğü aynı zamanda "tartılan", "ölçülen" ve "denenen" anlamlarına da gelir. | |||
| Xhosa | ummangalelwa | ||
| In the Xhosa language, the word "ummangalelwa" carries additional meanings beyond "defendant," signifying someone who is subject to blame, criticism, or misfortune. | |||
| Yiddish | דיפענדאַנט | ||
| The Yiddish word "דיפענדאַנט" also means "dependent" in English. | |||
| Zulu | ummangalelwa | ||
| The word "ummangalelwa" in Zulu also means "one who is accused or being sued, a respondent, and a subject of a law suit." | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিবাদী | ||
| Aymara | juchanchata jaqi | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रतिवादी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދައުވާ ލިބޭ ފަރާތެވެ | ||
| Dogri | प्रतिवादी ने दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | nasasakdal | ||
| Guarani | acusado rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | naidarum | ||
| Krio | difendant fɔ di pɔsin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تۆمەتبار | ||
| Maithili | प्रतिवादी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯤꯐꯦꯟꯁꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯄꯤꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | defendant a ni | ||
| Oromo | himatamaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଭିଯୁକ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | acusado nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रतिवादी | ||
| Tatar | гаепләнүче | ||
| Tigrinya | ተኸሳሲ | ||
| Tsonga | mumangaleriwa | ||