Democracy in different languages

Democracy in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

Democracy, a form of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives. This system of governance, which places a premium on equality and freedom, has shaped the cultural and political landscape of countless nations.

The significance of democracy extends far beyond its political implications. It is a concept that embodies the ideals of inclusivity, fairness, and representation, values that are cherished across cultures and time periods. From the ancient Athenian city-state to the modern nation-state, democracy has been a cornerstone of societies that strive for progress and prosperity.

Understanding the translation of democracy in different languages is a fascinating way to explore the cultural nuances of this universal concept. For instance, in Spanish, democracy is translated as 'democracia', in French as 'démocratie', and in German as 'Demokratie'. Each language offers a unique perspective on this timeless ideal, reflecting the history, values, and identity of the people who speak it.

In this article, we delve into the translations of democracy in a variety of languages, offering insights into the cultural significance of this powerful word. Join us on this journey of linguistic and cultural discovery!

Democracy

Democracy in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansdemokrasie
In Afrikaans, 'demokrasie' can also mean 'rule by the people' like the Greek word 'demokratia' it originates from.
Amharicዲሞክራሲ
ዲሞ from Greek "demos = people" + -κρασι from Greek "-kratia = power."
Hausadimokiradiyya
Derived from the Greek "demos" (people), "kratos" (power), meaning "power of the people".
Igboochichi onye kwuo uche ya
The phrase 'ochichi onye kwuo uche ya' literally means 'a gathering where everyone speaks their mind' and implies that everyone has the freedom to participate in government.
Malagasydemokrasia
In Malagasy, "demokrasia" also refers to a type of dance accompanied by traditional chanting.
Nyanja (Chichewa)demokalase
In Chichewa, ‘demokalase’, from English, is closely associated with words like ‘freedom’ that have come to be closely associated with western colonial practices
Shonademocracy
In Shona, 'democracy' translates to 'dhimokurasi,' a term adopted from the English language.
Somalidimuqraadiyadda
The term is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power).
Sesothodemokrasi
In Sesotho, 'demokrasi' is also used to refer to a 'gathering where issues are decided upon by consensus'
Swahilidemokrasia
In Swahili, the origin of the word “demokrasia” has an etymological link to an older Bantu-speaking people’s concept of the word which is “to bargain until an agreement is reached”.
Xhosaidemokhrasi
The Xhosa word "idemokhrasi" (democracy) has an alternate meaning, referring to the "ruling people", as in a chief or king.
Yorubaijoba tiwantiwa
The phrase “ijóbà tíiwàn-ti-wà” comes from “ijó to rule” + “tíiwàn” which was originally the Yoruba translation of “individual” or “free man”, but now means “cîtizen”.
Zuluintando yeningi
In Zulu, 'democracy' is translated as 'intando yeningi', which literally means 'the will of the many'.
Bambarabɛɛjɛfanga
Eweablɔɖegbadza
Kinyarwandademokarasi
Lingalademokrasi
Lugandademokulasiya
Sepeditemokrasi
Twi (Akan)kabimamenkabi

Democracy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicديمقراطية
ديمقراطية (dīmuqrāṭīyah) is related to the word "قمر" (qamar), which means "moon" in Arabic, suggesting a cosmic order and balance in its concept.
Hebrewדֵמוֹקרָטִיָה
משמעות המילה "דמוקרטיה" בעברית נגזרת משתי המילים "דמוס" (עם) ו"קרטוס" (כוח).
Pashtoډیموکراسي
In Pashto, the word "ډیموکراسي" can also refer to a type of traditional tribal council.
Arabicديمقراطية
ديمقراطية (dīmuqrāṭīyah) is related to the word "قمر" (qamar), which means "moon" in Arabic, suggesting a cosmic order and balance in its concept.

Democracy in Western European Languages

Albaniandemokraci
Albanian demokraci comes from the French démocratie and Greek demokratia, and can also be used to mean the 'rule of the majority'.
Basquedemokrazia
The word 'demokrazia' is a Basque loanword from Spanish, but also has a secondary meaning of "mob" or "rabble".
Catalandemocràcia
The term originated from Greek roots meaning “popular government.”
Croatiandemokracija
The Croatian word 'demokracija' comes from the Ancient Greek word 'δημοκρατία' (dēmokratiā), which was first used by Aristotle to describe the political system of ancient Greece.
Danishdemokrati
The word 'demokrati' in Danish comes from the Greek word 'dēmokratía', which means 'rule by the people'.
Dutchdemocratie
In Dutch, "democratie" also means "democracy", but it comes from the Greek word "dēmos" (people) and "kratos" (rule).
Englishdemocracy
The word "democracy" is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (rule), and originally referred to a system of government in which all citizens had an equal say in decision-making.
Frenchla démocratie
The word "la démocratie" also relates to ancient Sparta\u2019s demokratia, a term associated with the division of land among soldiers.
Frisiandemokrasy
Frisian "demokrasy" comes from the Greek "dēmokratia" but has other meanings like "the people as a whole" or "the people's rights".
Galiciandemocracia
No Galician, "democracia" is also a synonym for "party political activity."
Germandemokratie
In the German language the term 'Demokratie' can also refer to the 'people' or the 'nation'
Icelandiclýðræði
The word "lýðræði" is derived from the Old Norse word "lýðr", meaning "people", and "ræði", meaning "rule". It can also refer to a popular assembly or a form of government where power is vested in the people.
Irishdaonlathas
Daonlathas was a legal concept in ancient Irish law similar to the modern concept of 'due process'.
Italiandemocrazia
In Italian, the word 'democrazia' is a derivative of the Greek word 'demokratia', meaning 'rule by the people'.
Luxembourgishdemokratie
Demokratie is also used specifically for the democratic structure of the state or the state itself.
Maltesedemokrazija
"Demokrazija" derives from the classical Greek "dēmokratia" via French "démocratie" and ultimately means "rule of people".
Norwegiandemokrati
In Norwegian, demokrati can also refer to the majority vote in a group or committee.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)democracia
No português do Brasil, "democracia" também pode indicar uma espécie de doce regional.
Scots Gaelicdeamocrasaidh
The word "deamocrasaidh" comes from the Greek word "dēmokratía," meaning "rule by the people."
Spanishdemocracia
The word "democracia" comes from the Greek "dēmokratia," meaning "rule by the people."
Swedishdemokrati
The word 'demokrati' has its roots in the classical Greek terms 'demos', meaning the people, and 'kratos', meaning rule or strength.
Welshdemocratiaeth
The Welsh word "democratiaeth" is derived from the Greek word "dēmokratia", which means "rule of the people".

Democracy in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianдэмакратыя
The Belarusian word "дэмакратыя" means "democracy" and comes from the Greek word "δημοκρατία," which means "rule by the people."
Bosniandemokratija
The word 'demokratija' is derived from the Greek words 'demos' (people) and 'kratos' (power).
Bulgarianдемокрация
Българската дума “демокрация” идва от старогръцки и първоначално обозначава форма на държавно управление.
Czechdemokracie
The Czech word "demokracie" is derived from the Greek "demokratia", meaning "rule by the people".
Estoniandemokraatia
In 1865, "demokraatia" also referred to "popular power".
Finnishdemokratia
The word 'demokratia' comes from the Greek words 'demos', meaning 'people', and 'kratos', meaning 'power'.
Hungariandemokrácia
A "demokrácia" szó eredeti görög jelentése "népuralom", amely a görög "demosz" (nép) és "kratosz" (uralom) szavak összetételéből származik.
Latviandemokrātija
The Latvian word for democracy, “demokrātija”, originally meant "the power of the people".
Lithuaniandemokratija
The word "demokratija" is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power).
Macedonianдемократија
The word "демократија" (democracy) in Macedonian shares its etymology with the Greek word "δημοκρατία", which literally means "rule of the people".
Polishdemokracja
The Polish word «demokracja» can refer to both direct and indirect forms of democracy.
Romaniandemocraţie
The word "democraţie" is derived from the Greek word "demokratia" which means "rule by the people."
Russianдемократия
The word "демократия" in Russian, like the English word "democracy", is derived from the Ancient Greek word "δημοκρατία" (dēmokratía), meaning "rule of the people".
Serbianдемократија
The Serbian word „demokratija“ derives from the Greek terms „dēmos“ (people) and „kratēia“ (power), thus signifying “people power”.
Slovakdemokracia
V slovenčine slovo demokracia vzniklo z gréckeho demokratia, ale znamená aj vládu ľudu.
Sloveniandemokracija
In Slovene, "demokracija" not only means "democracy," but also "administration of property owned by local communities."
Ukrainianдемократія
The word "демократія" (democracy) in Ukrainian is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power), and can also refer to the power or rule of the majority.

Democracy in South Asian Languages

Bengaliগণতন্ত্র
The word "গণতন্ত্র" (democracy) in Bengali literally means "power of the people".
Gujaratiલોકશાહી
Derived from Greek "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power), it reflects people's power in decision-making.
Hindiजनतंत्र
जनतंत्र' शब्द संस्कृत के 'जन' (लोग) और 'तंत्र' (शासन) शब्दों से मिलकर बना है, जिसका अर्थ है 'लोगों का शासन'।
Kannadaಪ್ರಜಾಪ್ರಭುತ್ವ
Malayalamജനാധിപത്യം
Marathiलोकशाही
The word "लोकशाही" (democracy) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "लोक" (people) and "शासन" (rule), and can also refer to a type of government where the people have a say in how they are governed.
Nepaliप्रजातन्त्र
The word 'प्रजातन्त्र' (democracy) also refers to a political system in which the sovereign power is vested in the people who exercise it through representatives elected by them.
Punjabiਲੋਕਤੰਤਰ
लोकतंत्र शब्द की उत्पत्ति ग्रीक भाषा के 'लोकस' (लोग) और 'क्रटॉस' (शासन) शब्दों से हुई है।
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය
Tamilஜனநாயகம்
"Jana" means "people" and "ayagam" means "rule" in Tamil, hence the word "Janaayagam" translates to "people's rule".}
Teluguప్రజాస్వామ్యం
"ప్రజాస్వామ్యం" (prajAswAmyam) is a Sanskrit compound noun composed of "ప్రజ" (prajA), meaning "people" or "citizens", and "स्वाम्य" (swAmya), meaning "rule" or "sovereignty". It is synonymous with the Greek term "δημοκρατία" (dēmokratia) from which the modern word "democracy" originates.
Urduجمہوریت
جمہوریت is an Urdu word primarily meaning "democracy", but can also mean "republic", "body or assembly of people", "community", or "congregation" in different contexts.

Democracy in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)民主
民主, which comes from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (rule), literally means "rule of the people".
Chinese (Traditional)民主
民主 originated in ancient Greek as 'demos,' meaning people, and 'kratos,' meaning power, and was first translated as 'min zhu' in China in the 1890s, which literally translates to 'the people are masters'.
Japanese民主主義
The word "民主主義" (democracy) was coined in the Meiji era, and its original meaning was "government by the people".
Korean민주주의
The word "민주주의" is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power), meaning "power to the people"
Mongolianардчилал
ардчилал has historical meaning of 'democratic republic', although this specific meaning only recently found use
Myanmar (Burmese)ဒီမိုကရေစီ

Democracy in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiandemokrasi
Indonesian "demokrasi" also means "public opinion" or "people's right to speak their mind".
Javanesedemokrasi
"Demokrasi" berasal dari bahasa Sansekerta, "demos" yang artinya rakyat, dan "kratos" yang artinya kekuasaan.
Khmerប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ
Laoປະຊາທິປະໄຕ
Malaydemokrasi
The Malay word "demokrasi" is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (rule) and refers to a system of government in which all or many citizens can participate.
Thaiประชาธิปไตย
"ประชาธิปไตย" also means "sovereign power of the people" in Thai.
Vietnamesedân chủ
Vietnamese "dân chủ" can also mean "the right to autonomy"
Filipino (Tagalog)demokrasya

Democracy in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanidemokratiya
"Demokratiya" comes from the Greek "dēmos" (people) and "kratos" (power).
Kazakhдемократия
Слово “демократия” в казахском языке имеет более широкое значение, обозначая не только форму правления, но и справедливость, равенство и социальную гармонию.
Kyrgyzдемократия
Слово «демократия» произошло от греческих слов «demos» («народ») и «kratos» («власть»).
Tajikдемократия
В таджикском языке слово «демократия» заимствовано из греческого через русский и имеет значение «народное правление».
Turkmendemokratiýa
Uzbekdemokratiya
The Uzbek word "demokratiya" is derived from the Greek word "dēmokratía", meaning "rule by the people".
Uyghurدېموكراتىيە

Democracy in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianaupuni kemokalaka
The word "aupuni kemokalaka" literally means "government of the common people" in Hawaiian.
Maorimanapori
The word "manapori" is also related to the concepts of power, influence, and authority.
Samoantemokalasi
"Temokalasi" is derived from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power), hence meaning "power of the people".
Tagalog (Filipino)demokrasya
Demokrasya in Tagalog is derived from the Greek words 'demos' ('people') and 'kratos' ('power'), implying people having control over government matters, and connotes an egalitarian distribution of political privileges.

Democracy in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarademocracia
Guaranijekupyty

Democracy in International Languages

Esperantodemokratio
"Demokratio" is derived from the same root as "demos" (people) and "kratein" (to rule), but in Esperanto it also refers to the system in which the people are the ones who decide.
Latindemocratiam
The word "democratiam" comes from the Greek word "dēmokratía," which means "rule by the people."

Democracy in Others Languages

Greekδημοκρατία
"Δημοκρατία" is a compound Greek word meaning "rule of the people".
Hmongkev ywj pheej
The word "kev ywj pheej" can also refer to a traditional Hmong assembly where decisions are made through consensus.
Kurdishdimûqratî
The Kurdish word "dimûqratî" is derived from the Greek word "demokratia", meaning "rule by the people."
Turkishdemokrasi
The Turkish word "demokrasi" is derived from the Greek word "dēmokratia"}
Xhosaidemokhrasi
The Xhosa word "idemokhrasi" (democracy) has an alternate meaning, referring to the "ruling people", as in a chief or king.
Yiddishדעמאקראטיע
In Yiddish, 'דעמאקראטיע' can also refer to a lottery or raffle drawing.
Zuluintando yeningi
In Zulu, 'democracy' is translated as 'intando yeningi', which literally means 'the will of the many'.
Assameseগণতন্ত্ৰ
Aymarademocracia
Bhojpuriलोकतंत्र
Dhivehiޑިމޮކްރަަސީ
Dogriजम्हूरीयत
Filipino (Tagalog)demokrasya
Guaranijekupyty
Ilocanodemokrasia
Kriogɔvmɛnt fɔ di pipul
Kurdish (Sorani)دیموکراتیەت
Maithiliलोकतंत्र
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯒꯅꯇꯟꯇ꯭ꯔ
Mizomipui rorelna
Oromodimookiraasii
Odia (Oriya)ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ର
Quechuademocracia
Sanskritलोकतंत्र
Tatarдемократия
Tigrinyaዲሞክራሲ
Tsongademokrasi

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