Afrikaans vernietiging | ||
Albanian shkatërrimi | ||
Amharic ጥፋት | ||
Arabic تدمير | ||
Armenian ոչնչացում | ||
Assamese ধ্বংস | ||
Aymara tukjaña | ||
Azerbaijani məhv | ||
Bambara cɛnni | ||
Basque suntsiketa | ||
Belarusian разбурэнне | ||
Bengali ধ্বংস | ||
Bhojpuri विनाश | ||
Bosnian uništavanje | ||
Bulgarian унищожаване | ||
Catalan destrucció | ||
Cebuano kalaglagan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 破坏 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 破壞 | ||
Corsican distruzzione | ||
Croatian uništavanje | ||
Czech zničení | ||
Danish ødelæggelse | ||
Dhivehi ހަލާކު | ||
Dogri तबाही | ||
Dutch verwoesting | ||
English destruction | ||
Esperanto detruo | ||
Estonian hävitamine | ||
Ewe nugbegblẽ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) pagkawasak | ||
Finnish tuho | ||
French destruction | ||
Frisian ferneatiging | ||
Galician destrución | ||
Georgian განადგურება | ||
German zerstörung | ||
Greek καταστροφή | ||
Guarani mbyai | ||
Gujarati વિનાશ | ||
Haitian Creole destriksyon | ||
Hausa hallaka | ||
Hawaiian luku | ||
Hebrew הֶרֶס | ||
Hindi विनाश | ||
Hmong kev puas tsuaj | ||
Hungarian megsemmisítés | ||
Icelandic eyðilegging | ||
Igbo mbibi | ||
Ilocano panagdadael | ||
Indonesian penghancuran | ||
Irish scrios | ||
Italian distruzione | ||
Japanese 破壊 | ||
Javanese karusakan | ||
Kannada ವಿನಾಶ | ||
Kazakh жою | ||
Khmer ការបំផ្លាញ | ||
Kinyarwanda kurimbuka | ||
Konkani नाश | ||
Korean 파괴 | ||
Krio pwɛl | ||
Kurdish wêrankirin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) تێکدان | ||
Kyrgyz кыйратуу | ||
Lao ການ ທຳ ລາຍ | ||
Latin exitium | ||
Latvian iznīcināšana | ||
Lingala koboma | ||
Lithuanian sunaikinimas | ||
Luganda okuyonoona | ||
Luxembourgish zerstéierung | ||
Macedonian уништување | ||
Maithili बर्बादी | ||
Malagasy rava | ||
Malay kemusnahan | ||
Malayalam നാശം | ||
Maltese qerda | ||
Maori whakangaromanga | ||
Marathi नाश | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯊꯨꯒꯥꯏꯕ | ||
Mizo tihchhiatna | ||
Mongolian устгах | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ပျက်စီးခြင်း | ||
Nepali विनाश | ||
Norwegian ødeleggelse | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chiwonongeko | ||
Odia (Oriya) ବିନାଶ | ||
Oromo jeequmsa | ||
Pashto تباهي | ||
Persian تخریب | ||
Polish zniszczenie | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) destruição | ||
Punjabi ਤਬਾਹੀ | ||
Quechua tuñiy | ||
Romanian distrugere | ||
Russian разрушение | ||
Samoan faʻatafunaga | ||
Sanskrit विनाशं | ||
Scots Gaelic sgrios | ||
Sepedi tshenyo | ||
Serbian уништавање | ||
Sesotho timetso | ||
Shona kuparadzwa | ||
Sindhi تباهي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) විනාශය | ||
Slovak zničenie | ||
Slovenian uničenje | ||
Somali halaag | ||
Spanish destrucción | ||
Sundanese karuksakan | ||
Swahili uharibifu | ||
Swedish förstörelse | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) pagkawasak | ||
Tajik нобудшавӣ | ||
Tamil அழிவு | ||
Tatar юк итү | ||
Telugu విధ్వంసం | ||
Thai การทำลาย | ||
Tigrinya ዘዕንቅፍ ነገር | ||
Tsonga onha | ||
Turkish yıkım | ||
Turkmen weýran etmek | ||
Twi (Akan) ɔsɛeɛ | ||
Ukrainian знищення | ||
Urdu تباہی | ||
Uyghur بۇزغۇنچىلىق | ||
Uzbek yo'q qilish | ||
Vietnamese sự phá hủy | ||
Welsh dinistr | ||
Xhosa intshabalalo | ||
Yiddish צעשטערונג | ||
Yoruba iparun | ||
Zulu ukubhujiswa |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word 'vernietiging' is derived from the Dutch word 'vernietigen', meaning 'to destroy' or 'to annihilate'. |
| Albanian | "Shkatërrim" is also used in an idiomatic sense to describe someone who is physically broken or destroyed, such as a boxer who is knocked out or a person who has been severely injured in an accident. |
| Amharic | The word "ጥፋት" also has the secondary meaning of "failure", denoting the negative outcome of an endeavor. |
| Arabic | "تدمير" can have an alternate meaning of "to make something smooth or level" in Arabic. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "məhv" in Azerbaijani also has the alternate meaning of "oblivion". |
| Basque | The word "suntsiketa" can also refer to a "collapse", "ruin", or "disintegration", depending on the context. |
| Bengali | Bengali term "ধ্বংস" originated from Sanskrit word "dhvaṃsa" meaning "ruin", "collapse" or "loss". |
| Bosnian | The word 'uništavanje' in Bosnian comes from the verb 'uništiti' which means 'to destroy' or 'to annihilate' |
| Bulgarian | The word "унищожаване" also refers to the act of annihilation, obliteration, or eradication. |
| Catalan | The word "destrucció" in Catalan originally meant "separation" or "taking apart", rather than solely "destruction". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | '破坏' can mean 'destruction' but it can also mean something like 'damage' or 'ruin', like '打破' (to break), or even 'spoil' (as in spoiled food). |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The Chinese character for destruction can also mean "to break" or "to ruin". |
| Corsican | The term "distruzzione" can also be used to refer to a violent argument. |
| Croatian | The word "uništavanje" in Croatian also means "annihilation" or "extermination". |
| Czech | Czech word "zničení" also means "devastation" or "ruin". |
| Danish | The word "ødelæggelse" is derived from the Old Norse word "ødelegja", meaning "to destroy" or "to lay waste". |
| Dutch | The word "verwoesting" is derived from the Old Dutch word "verwoesten", which means "to lay waste". |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "detrua" derives from the Latin verb "destruo", meaning "to destroy, tear down, raze". |
| Estonian | The word "hävitamine" is derived from the verb "hävitama" ("to destroy"), which in turn comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*hävittämä" ("to spoil, to ruin"). |
| Finnish | The Finnish word "tuho" is cognate with the Estonian word "tuhk" and the Hungarian word "tűz", all meaning "fire". |
| French | The French word "destruction" also means "ruin" or "devastation". |
| Frisian | The word "ferneatiging" in Frisian derives from the Old Frisian word "fernitigen," meaning "to destroy" or "to annihilate." |
| Galician | Galician word for "destruction", "destrución", is also used in the plural to refer to "leftovers" or "remains" |
| German | In German, "Zerstörung" not only refers to physical destruction, but also to mental or emotional turmoil. |
| Greek | The word "καταστροφή" can also refer to a "sharp turn" or "violent end" in Greek. |
| Gujarati | વિનાશ (vināś) in Gujarati, besides its regular meaning, also implies the final release from the cycle of births and deaths, a state of ultimate liberation or bliss. |
| Haitian Creole | The word “destriksyon” is derived from the French word “destruction” and also means “ruin” or “devastation” in Haitian Creole. |
| Hausa | Despite its literal translation as "destruction," "hallaka" can also signify chaos, ruin, devastation, annihilation, doom, perdition, or demolition. |
| Hawaiian | "Luku" can also mean "to tear" or "to break apart" in Hawaiian. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "heres ("horror" in English)" has another, less common meaning: a piece of land. |
| Hindi | "विनाश" shares the same etymology as the English "sin," both derived from the Indo-European root "kwei". |
| Hmong | The word "kev puas tsuaj" can also mean "annihilation" or "obliteration". |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian word "megsemmisítés" is derived from the verb "semmisít", which means "to annihilate" or "to nullify". The word "semmis" means "nothing" or "void". In some contexts, "megsemmisítés" can also refer to the act of discrediting or invalidating something. |
| Icelandic | Eyðilegging can also mean desolation, annihilation, or ruin in Icelandic. |
| Igbo | The word mbibi can also refer to 'a violent act', 'an act of vandalism', or 'something that causes great damage'. |
| Indonesian | The word "penghancuran" can mean either "destruction" or "demolition" in English. |
| Irish | It is cognate with the Gaulish and Welsh word |
| Italian | In Italian, 'distruzione' can also mean 'disassembly' or 'demolition'. |
| Japanese | 破壊 can also mean 'to disrupt' or 'to tear down'. |
| Javanese | The word 'karusakan' in Javanese can also refer to the aftermath of a destructive event or situation. |
| Kannada | The word 'ವಿನಾಶ' is also used to refer to the destruction of a person's character or reputation. |
| Kazakh | "Жою" can mean "destroy" or "create", depending on the context. |
| Khmer | The word "destruction" in Khmer can also be used to refer to the process of destroying or the result of being destroyed. |
| Korean | The Korean word "파괴" (destruction) can also be translated as "devastation" or "ruin". |
| Kurdish | Wêrankirin, meaning 'destruction,' is a derivative of the root 'wêran,' which means 'ruin, desolate, deserted' in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "кыйратуу" in Kyrgyz can also refer to the process of demolishing or dismantling something. |
| Latin | Exitium derives from ex-ire, "to go out," and means "end" as well as "destruction." |
| Latvian | "Iznīcināšana" also means "annihilation" in Latvian. |
| Lithuanian | The word "sunaikinimas" can also refer to the process of destroying something or the state of being destroyed. |
| Macedonian | The word "уништување" in Macedonian can also mean "annihilation" or "abolition". |
| Malagasy | The word "RAVA" in Malagasy can also refer to "debris" or "ruins". |
| Malay | Kemusnahan is derived from the word musnah, meaning 'to annihilate' or 'to destroy completely'. |
| Malayalam | The word 'naasham' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nashta', meaning 'lost' or 'perished'. |
| Maltese | The term "qerda" in Maltese finds its etymological roots in the Semitic word "qatal", signifying an end or termination. |
| Maori | The word "whakangaromanga" in Maori also refers to the act of making something disappear or vanish. |
| Marathi | The word "नाश" (nāś) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "नाश" (nāśa), which means "destruction" or "ruin". |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian noun 'устгах' ('destruction') also means 'to end' or 'to finish' something in Mongolian. |
| Nepali | विनाश also means 'disappearance', 'termination', or the end. |
| Norwegian | The word 'ødeleggelse' comes from the Old Norse word 'eyðilegging', meaning 'devastation' or 'desolation'. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'chiwonongeko' refers to a state of complete ruin or devastation. |
| Pashto | The word "تباهي" can also refer to a state of ruin or devastation. |
| Persian | The root of the Persian word "تخریب" is "خرب" meaning "ruin", and the word can also have the connotation of "demolition" or "sabotage". |
| Polish | Its root, 'niszcz', may also refer to 'deterioration' or 'decay', extending its semantic range. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "destruição" ultimately derives from the Latin word "destruere", meaning "to demolish" or "to ruin". |
| Punjabi | "ਤਬਾਹੀ" is of Persian origin and is related to Arabic "tubaaba," meaning "ravaged land." |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "distrugere" ultimately derives from the Latin "destruere", meaning "to destroy" or "to pull down". |
| Russian | The word "разрушение" is derived from the Old Russian verb "разорити" meaning "to break up". It can also mean "ruination", "decay", or "devastation". |
| Samoan | Fa'atafunaga can also mean 'to destroy' or 'to ruin' in Samoan. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word “sgrios” can also be used in a religious context to mean “damnation” and is thus an antonym to “slan,” which means “salvation” |
| Serbian | The word "уништавање" can also mean "abolition" or "removal" in Serbian. |
| Sesotho | The word "timetso" also has the connotation of "separation" or "dispersion". |
| Shona | In Shona, the word "kuparadzwa" can also mean "to be ruined" or "to be devastated". |
| Sindhi | "تباهي" also means "to deceive" or "to make false promises". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The Sinhala word "විනාශය" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "विनाश" (vināśa), which has the same meaning. However, it can also mean "loss", "harm", or "injury" in a more general sense. |
| Slovak | Zničenie is a noun that can also mean 'devastation' and 'ruin'. |
| Slovenian | "Uničenje" in Slovenian also means "humiliation". |
| Somali | Halaag is also used figuratively to refer to a situation of moral or social decay or to describe a state of ruin or devastation. |
| Spanish | In Spanish, “destrucción” also means “devastation” and “ruin”. |
| Sundanese | "Karuksakan" in Sundanese is thought to originate from the word "karuk" meaning "broken" or "damaged". |
| Swahili | The word "uharibifu" can also mean "ruin" or "devastation" in Swahili. |
| Swedish | The word "förstörelse" in Swedish can also refer to a specific type of vandalism or malicious damage. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Pagkawasak in Tagalog can mean 'ruination' or 'overthrow' in addition to 'destruction'. |
| Tajik | The word "нобудшавӣ" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "نابودشدن" which means "to be destroyed". |
| Tamil | In Tamil, 'அழிவு' can also refer to loss, ruin, or decay. |
| Telugu | The word "విధ్వంసం" can also refer to the act of breaking something down into smaller parts. |
| Thai | The Thai word "การทำลาย" (destruction) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dhvani" (sound), and can also mean "noise" or "disturbance". |
| Turkish | The Turkish word "yıkım" derives from the Old Turkic verb "yıkmak" meaning "to break"} |
| Ukrainian | The term "знищення" in Ukrainian originates from the Old Church Slavonic word "знищити", meaning "to remove" or "to take away". |
| Urdu | "تباہی" ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *bher-, meaning "to cut, pierce, or destroy". |
| Uzbek | The term "yo'q qilish" has Arabic roots, and its literal meaning is "to make absent" or "to remove from existence". |
| Vietnamese | "Sự phá hủy" means "destruction," but also "destruction of evidence" in a legal context. |
| Welsh | Dinistr has other meanings in Welsh besides "destruction", such as "uproar" and "tumult".} |
| Xhosa | The word "intshabalalo" can also refer to a serious argument or fight. |
| Yiddish | The word "צעשטערונג" also means "desolation" in Yiddish. |
| Yoruba | Another translation of the Yoruba word "iparun" is "extermination." |
| Zulu | "Ukubhujiswa" also means "to make use of" and "to use excessively." |
| English | The word 'destruction' originates from the Latin word 'destruere', meaning 'to tear down' or 'to demolish'. |