Desert in Different Languages
Discover 'Desert' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Deserts are some of the most fascinating and extreme environments on our planet. They are known for their harsh conditions, unique wildlife, and stunning landscapes. But did you know that the word 'desert' has different meanings in different contexts? In one sense, it refers to a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. However, in another sense, it can also mean to abandon or leave someone or something, as in the phrase 'to desert a sinking ship'.
The cultural importance of deserts cannot be overstated. They have been home to human civilizations for thousands of years, and continue to be important sources of natural resources such as minerals and oil. Deserts also hold great spiritual significance for many cultures, and are often associated with mysticism, silence, and contemplation.
Given the global nature of our audience, it's interesting to note that the word 'desert' is translated differently in various languages, reflecting the diverse ways in which different cultures understand and relate to these unique environments. Here are some translations of the word 'desert' in different languages:
Desert
Desert in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | woestyn | ||
| The word "woestyn" in Afrikaans ultimately derives from the Old French word "vastine", meaning "wasteland". | |||
| Amharic | ምድረ በዳ | ||
| The word "ምድረ በዳ" ("desert") in Amharic originates from the Ge'ez language, where it means "an uninhabited country, a wilderness". In addition to its literal meaning, it can also be used metaphorically to refer to a desolate or barren place. | |||
| Hausa | hamada | ||
| The word "hamada" is derived from the Arabic word "hamad," meaning "bare, stony ground". | |||
| Igbo | ọzara | ||
| The Igbo word "ọzara" can also mean "outback" or "bush".} | |||
| Malagasy | efitra | ||
| The Malagasy word "EFITRA" is derived from the Arabic word "sahara," which means "desert." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chipululu | ||
| The word "chipululu" can also refer to a type of barren, sandy soil found in some areas of Malawi. | |||
| Shona | gwenga | ||
| The word 'gwenga' in Shona is also used to describe a dry, barren place or a period of drought. | |||
| Somali | lamadegaanka | ||
| "Lamadegaan" is also used to refer to uninhabited, barren land that is not necessarily a desert. | |||
| Sesotho | lehoatata | ||
| In Sesotho, 'lehoatata' refers to an arid region and has alternate meanings including 'wilderness' and 'solitude'. | |||
| Swahili | jangwa | ||
| Jangwa is also the Swahili word for a 'wilderness' or 'forest' located away from human habitation. | |||
| Xhosa | entlango | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "entlango" also refers to a barren or uncultivated area of land. | |||
| Yoruba | aṣálẹ̀ | ||
| In archaic Yoruba, "aṣálẹ̀" originally meant an un-grassed field, and then gradually came to be synonymous with the modern meaning of "desert" as a dry, sandy place devoid of sustainable plant life. | |||
| Zulu | ehlane | ||
| The Zulu word "ehlane" comes from the Nguni word "elane," meaning "a place where cattle graze." | |||
| Bambara | cɛncɛnkungo | ||
| Ewe | dzogbe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubutayu | ||
| Lingala | mabele ekauka | ||
| Luganda | eddungu | ||
| Sepedi | leganata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpaprɛ | ||
Desert in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صحراء | ||
| The word "صحراء" (desert) in Arabic also means "open space" or "wilderness". | |||
| Hebrew | מִדבָּר | ||
| The Hebrew word מִדבָּר also means 'region or wilderness outside Jewish habitation', a meaning it shares with the related Arabic word بادية (bādiya). | |||
| Pashto | صحرا | ||
| In Pashto, "صحرا" ("Sahra") not only means "desert" but also refers to a "plain" or "open space". | |||
| Arabic | صحراء | ||
| The word "صحراء" (desert) in Arabic also means "open space" or "wilderness". | |||
Desert in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shkretëtirë | ||
| The word "shkretëtirë" (desert) may come from the Albanian word "shkreto" (to destroy) or the Arabic word "sahra" (desert). | |||
| Basque | basamortua | ||
| The Basque word "basamortua" ultimately derives from the Proto-Basque root "basa", meaning "dry" or "parched." | |||
| Catalan | desert | ||
| The word "desert" in Catalan ("desert") also has the secondary meaning of "unpopulated land". | |||
| Croatian | pustinja | ||
| The word "pustinja" in Croatian also means "wilderness" or "solitude". | |||
| Danish | ørken | ||
| The word "ørken" in Danish is cognate with the word "work" in English, reflecting the idea of a land that was once cultivated but is now abandoned. | |||
| Dutch | woestijn | ||
| De oorspronkelijke betekenis van het woord "woestijn" is een plek "niet bewoond door mensen". | |||
| English | desert | ||
| The term "desert" can also refer to a moral or spiritual barrenness, implying a lack of meaning or purpose. | |||
| French | désert | ||
| The French word "désert" can also refer to an unpopulated area in a city, which is similar in meaning to the English word "slums". | |||
| Frisian | woastyn | ||
| The Frisian word for 'desert' (woastyn) is a derivative of the Arabic word 'wastani,' meaning 'the middle.' | |||
| Galician | deserto | ||
| In Galician, the word "deserto" can also refer to an uninhabited place or a wilderness. | |||
| German | wüste | ||
| The word "Wüste" also means "waste" or "devastation" in German, reflecting its historical association with barren and inhospitable environments. | |||
| Icelandic | eyðimörk | ||
| The word "eyðimörk" comes from the Old Norse word "eiðimörk", meaning "wasteland" or "uninhabited area." | |||
| Irish | fásach | ||
| The Irish word "fásach" has the same root as the Latin word "vastus," and also means a wilderness, moor or wasteland. | |||
| Italian | deserto | ||
| The Italian word "deserto" can also mean "abandoned" or "lonely". | |||
| Luxembourgish | wüst | ||
| The word "Wüst" in Luxembourgish also means "wasteland" or "barren land". | |||
| Maltese | deżert | ||
| Maltese word | |||
| Norwegian | ørken | ||
| The word "ørken" can also refer to a barren or uncultivated area, including mountains and forests. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | deserto | ||
| In Portuguese, "deserto" can refer to both a geographical desert and to an uninhabited or abandoned place, such as a deserted building or a deserted town. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fàsach | ||
| The word "fàsach" also refers to a wilderness or uncultivated land. | |||
| Spanish | desierto | ||
| The Spanish word "Desierto" derives from the Latin "deserere", meaning "to abandon" or "to forsake". | |||
| Swedish | öken- | ||
| The word "öken" possibly derives from Old Norse and means "uninhabited" or "wasteland." | |||
| Welsh | anialwch | ||
| In 6th-century poetic manuscripts Anialwch is given as an epithet of God as the creator and upholder of the waste. | |||
Desert in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пустыня | ||
| " пустыня" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *pustosъ, meaning “empty” or “barren,” and also refers to a vast, treeless plain. | |||
| Bosnian | pustinja | ||
| "Pustinja" derives from the Old Slavic word "pusti", meaning "empty" or "desolate". | |||
| Bulgarian | пустинен | ||
| The word "пустинен" also means "uninhabitable" or "lonely" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | poušť | ||
| The word "poušť" in Czech has no alternate meanings and its etymology is uncertain but may be related to the Proto-Slavic word "pustŭ", meaning "empty" or "desolate." | |||
| Estonian | kõrb | ||
| The word "kõrb" in Estonian is derived from the same root as "korp" meaning "corpse" or "carrion". | |||
| Finnish | autiomaa | ||
| "Autiomaa" (desert) comes from the word "autios" (deserted), which in turn derives from the Proto-Finnic word "*awtijo" (empty). | |||
| Hungarian | sivatag | ||
| Sivatag originated from the Turkish 'sahra', meaning a salty place with no vegetation. | |||
| Latvian | tuksnesis | ||
| The Latvian word for "desert" (tuksnesis) originally referred to a "empty" or "abandoned" place, not necessarily a place with little rain or vegetation. | |||
| Lithuanian | dykuma | ||
| The Lithuanian word "dykuma" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "dheuh-", meaning "to blow" or "to smoke", and originally referred to a "arid, windy place". | |||
| Macedonian | пустината | ||
| The Macedonian word "пустината" ("desert") is also used to refer to "wilderness". | |||
| Polish | pustynia | ||
| The word "pustynia" in Polish can also mean "wilderness" or "barren land". | |||
| Romanian | deşert | ||
| The Romanian word "deşert" comes from the Latin "desertus" meaning "abandoned, deserted", and can also refer to a wilderness or uncultivated land. | |||
| Russian | пустыня | ||
| In Old Russian, "пустыня" also meant "monastery". | |||
| Serbian | пустиња | ||
| The word 'пустиња' (desert) originally referred to a barren area, but its meaning has expanded to include any isolated or uninhabited place. | |||
| Slovak | púšť | ||
| Púšť is related to the Old Church Slavonic word pustъ, which means empty, desolate. | |||
| Slovenian | puščava | ||
| In ancient times, the Slovene word "puščava" was used for any unpopulated area. | |||
| Ukrainian | пустеля | ||
| The Ukrainian word "пустеля" (desert) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *pustъ, meaning "empty" or "barren." | |||
Desert in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মরুভূমি | ||
| The word "মরুভূমি" (desert) in Bengali also translates to "wilderness" or "empty land". | |||
| Gujarati | રણ | ||
| The word "રણ" (ran) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "रण" meaning "battlefield" or "empty space." | |||
| Hindi | रेगिस्तान | ||
| The Hindi word 'रेगिस्तान' (desert) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'रिक्त' (empty) and the Persian suffix '-स्तान' (land). | |||
| Kannada | ಮರುಭೂಮಿ | ||
| ಮರುಭೂಮಿ is derived from the Sanskrit word 'marubhumi', meaning 'land of death'. | |||
| Malayalam | ഏകാന്ത | ||
| The word 'ഏകാന്ത' also means 'solitude', 'loneliness' or 'isolation' in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | वाळवंट | ||
| In Marathi, the word 'वाळवंट' (desert) also refers to an uninhabited or desolate wasteland. | |||
| Nepali | मरुभूमि | ||
| The word 'मरुभूमि' ('desert') in Nepali is of Sanskrit origin, and cognate with the English word 'mirage', denoting a deceptive appearance or illusion. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਾਰੂਥਲ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාන්තාරය | ||
| The Sinhala word "කාන්තාරය" also means "wilderness" and comes from the Sanskrit word "kanṭaka-āraṇya," meaning "thorny forest." | |||
| Tamil | பாலைவனம் | ||
| "பாலைவனம்" in Tamil can also refer to a dry, barren, or arid land, not necessarily a sandy desert | |||
| Telugu | ఎడారి | ||
| The word "ఎడారి" in Telugu can also mean a barren or desolate place, not necessarily a desert. | |||
| Urdu | صحرا | ||
| The word "صحرا" can also mean the Gangetic Plain region of northern India. | |||
Desert in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 沙漠 | ||
| 沙漠 originally meant 'sandy and barren' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 沙漠 | ||
| 沙 in "沙漠" also means "sand" and 漠 means "vast". Hence, 沙漠 can also mean "vast sands". | |||
| Japanese | 砂漠 | ||
| 砂漠 (sabaku) literally means "sandy field" in Japanese, and can also refer to any dry, barren land. | |||
| Korean | 사막 | ||
| The word "사막" can also refer to a barren field or a neglected place. | |||
| Mongolian | цөл | ||
| "Цөл" means not only "desert", but also "steppe", a large area of open grassland. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သဲကန္တာရ | ||
Desert in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gurun | ||
| The word 'gurun' likely originated from the Sanskrit word 'guruna' meaning 'weighty' or 'difficult', referring to the harsh and unforgiving nature of deserts. | |||
| Javanese | ara-ara samun | ||
| "Ara-ara samun" literally translates to "to search for sand", indicating the scarcity of vegetation in deserts. | |||
| Khmer | វាលខ្សាច់ | ||
| Lao | ທະເລຊາຍ | ||
| Malay | padang pasir | ||
| The word "padang pasir" can also refer to a grassy plain, battlefield, or clearing in a forest. | |||
| Thai | ทะเลทราย | ||
| ทะเลทราย translates to "Sea of Sand" in English. | |||
| Vietnamese | sa mạc | ||
| "Sa mạc" also means "sandy and uncultivated land" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | disyerto | ||
Desert in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səhra | ||
| The word "səhra" is derived from the Persian word "sahra", meaning "plain" or "open land." | |||
| Kazakh | шөл | ||
| The Kazakh word "шөл" not only means "desert", but also refers to an open, arid area that lacks trees or vegetation. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чөл | ||
| The word "чөл" can also refer to uncultivated land, wilderness or even a steppe. | |||
| Tajik | биёбон | ||
| The term "биёбон" not only refers to deserts but also to uninhabited places far from water sources. | |||
| Turkmen | çöl | ||
| Uzbek | cho'l | ||
| The word 'cho'l' in Uzbek may derive from the Proto-Turkic word '*tʃol' meaning 'grassland' or 'steppe' rather than 'desert'. | |||
| Uyghur | قۇملۇق | ||
Desert in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wao akua | ||
| Wao akua can also refer to a sacred or forbidden area, or to the domain of the gods. | |||
| Maori | ururua | ||
| The word 'ururua' also refers to a barren or uncultivated land, or a desolate place. | |||
| Samoan | toafa | ||
| The Samoan word "toafa" can also refer to a cleared or open space or an uncultivated area. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | disyerto | ||
| The word "disyerto" in Tagalog can also refer to a "wilderness" or "uninhabited area". | |||
Desert in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wasara | ||
| Guarani | yvymeme | ||
Desert in International Languages
| Esperanto | dezerto | ||
| The word "dezerto" comes from the Spanish word "desierto" which originally meant "uninhabited". | |||
| Latin | solitudinem | ||
| "Solitudo" also means "emptiness" or "a lonely place" in Latin, and in astronomy is the "Solar System." | |||
Desert in Others Languages
| Greek | έρημος | ||
| έρημος also means deserted, abandoned, or desolate in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | suab puam | ||
| The word "suab puam" can also mean "bald" or "shaved head" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | çol | ||
| In Kurdish, 'çol' also means 'much', 'many', or 'abundant'. | |||
| Turkish | çöl | ||
| The word "çöl" in Turkish can also mean "wilderness" or "uninhabited area". | |||
| Xhosa | entlango | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "entlango" also refers to a barren or uncultivated area of land. | |||
| Yiddish | מדבר | ||
| In Yiddish, "מדבר" (midbar) additionally means "wilderness" or a "sparsely populated area." | |||
| Zulu | ehlane | ||
| The Zulu word "ehlane" comes from the Nguni word "elane," meaning "a place where cattle graze." | |||
| Assamese | মৰুভূমি | ||
| Aymara | wasara | ||
| Bhojpuri | रेगिस्तान | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަޅު | ||
| Dogri | रेगिस्तान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | disyerto | ||
| Guarani | yvymeme | ||
| Ilocano | kadaratan | ||
| Krio | dɛzat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بیابان | ||
| Maithili | मरुभूमि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯔꯨꯚꯨꯃꯤ | ||
| Mizo | thlaler | ||
| Oromo | gammoojjii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମରୁଭୂମି | ||
| Quechua | aqu panpa | ||
| Sanskrit | मरुभूमिः | ||
| Tatar | чүл | ||
| Tigrinya | ምድረ በዳ | ||
| Tsonga | mananga | ||