Discipline in Different Languages
Discover 'Discipline' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Discipline is a powerful word, often associated with rigor, structure, and determination. It signifies a state of mind and a way of life that empowers individuals to achieve their goals and dreams. Culturally, discipline holds immense importance across the globe, shaping the values, behaviors, and traditions of societies.
Did you know that the word 'discipline' comes from the Latin word 'disciplina,' which means 'instruction' or 'knowledge'? Over time, its meaning has evolved to encompass not just learning, but also the self-control, order, and perseverance required to excel in any field.
Understanding the translation of 'discipline' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how cultures interpret and prioritize this concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'disciplina' means 'discipline,' while in French, it's 'discipline' as well. In German, it's 'Disziplin,' and in Japanese, it's 'שִׁקּוּל' (shikul), which also means 'balance' or 'proportion.'
Join us as we explore the many translations of discipline in different languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural nuances that shape our understanding of this vital concept.
Discipline
Discipline in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dissipline | ||
| The word "dissipline" is derived from the Latin word "discipulus", meaning "pupil" or "student." | |||
| Amharic | ተግሣጽ | ||
| The word "ተግሣጽ" is also used to refer to the monastic life in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. | |||
| Hausa | horo | ||
| The word "horo" in Hausa, meaning "order" or "discipline," may have originated from the Hausa word "horawa," which means "to control" or "to regulate." | |||
| Igbo | ịdọ aka ná ntị | ||
| The Igbo idiom "ịdọ aka ná ntị" literally means "pulling the ear," emphasizing the importance of physicality in traditional Igbo discipline | |||
| Malagasy | fananarana | ||
| The word "fananarana" in Malagasy also means "education" or "training". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulanga | ||
| Kulanga is also a word for 'to understand', suggesting disciplinary practices help one comprehend and adhere to rules. | |||
| Shona | chirango | ||
| The word "chirango" can also mean "to teach" or "to educate" in the Shona language. | |||
| Somali | edbinta | ||
| The word "edbinta," meaning "discipline," derives from the Arabic word "adab," which also encompasses "politeness," "etiquette," and "culture." | |||
| Sesotho | khalemelo | ||
| The word "khalemelo" in Sesotho also denotes a state of order, correctness or lawfulness | |||
| Swahili | nidhamu | ||
| In Swahili, the word nidhamu can refer to both discipline and order, with a secondary meaning of organization or system. | |||
| Xhosa | ingqeqesho | ||
| The Xhosa word "ingqeqesho" also means "the act of bending; the posture of bending; a habit; a custom; a form of teaching" | |||
| Yoruba | ibawi | ||
| The word "ibawi" can also mean "to return" or "to give back" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isiyalo | ||
| "Isiyalo" is a Zulu word that finds its etymology in the phrase "ukuyalela esikhaleni", meaning "to bring into alignment or order". It can also mean "to guide", "to train", or "to chastise". | |||
| Bambara | kolo | ||
| Ewe | hehe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | indero | ||
| Lingala | disipline | ||
| Luganda | empisa | ||
| Sepedi | kgalema | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahohyɛsoɔ | ||
Discipline in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | انضباط | ||
| انضباط (discipline) is originally derived from the root word نظم (organize), indicating the act of bringing order and structure to a domain. | |||
| Hebrew | משמעת | ||
| משמעת can also mean the 'meaning' or 'significance' of a text or word. | |||
| Pashto | ډسیپلین | ||
| The word "ډسیپلین" is also used in Pashto to refer to the concept of education or training. | |||
| Arabic | انضباط | ||
| انضباط (discipline) is originally derived from the root word نظم (organize), indicating the act of bringing order and structure to a domain. | |||
Discipline in Western European Languages
| Albanian | disipline | ||
| 'Disipline' comes from Latin and means both 'to learn' and 'punishment' | |||
| Basque | diziplina | ||
| The Basque word "diziplina" also derives from the Latin "disciplina" through a Romance intermediary like Castillian's "disciplina". | |||
| Catalan | disciplina | ||
| In Catalan, the word "disciplina" can also refer to a whip used for self-flagellation during Holy Week processions. | |||
| Croatian | disciplina | ||
| "Disciplina" also means "branch of science" and "religious order" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | disciplin | ||
| In Danish, "disciplin" can also refer to a specific academic subject, particularly in the humanities or social sciences. | |||
| Dutch | discipline | ||
| In Dutch, "discipline" can also mean "lesson" or "subject" in school | |||
| English | discipline | ||
| The word discipline derives from the Latin word discipulus, which means pupil or learner, and denotes instruction or a system of rules. | |||
| French | la discipline | ||
| The French word "la discipline" originates from the Latin word "discipulus," meaning either "student" or "follower." | |||
| Frisian | dissipline | ||
| In Frisian, "dissipline" also means "self-discipline" and is used as a feminine noun. | |||
| Galician | disciplina | ||
| In Galician, "disciplina" also refers to a leather whip used for administering corporal punishment. | |||
| German | disziplin | ||
| The German word "Disziplin" comes from the Latin word "disciplina," and can also mean "branch of knowledge" or "department of a university." | |||
| Icelandic | agi | ||
| The word "agi" in Icelandic was borrowed from Old Norse and Old English, and it originally meant "awe" or "terror". | |||
| Irish | disciplín | ||
| "Disciplín" is also the Irish word for "disciple" | |||
| Italian | disciplina | ||
| "Disciplina" also means "knowledge", "science" or "field of study" in Italian | |||
| Luxembourgish | disziplin | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Disziplin" can also mean "branch of knowledge" or "subject taught in school." | |||
| Maltese | dixxiplina | ||
| Maltese 'dixxiplina' derives from the Latin 'disciplina', meaning 'teaching' or 'instruction' | |||
| Norwegian | disiplin | ||
| The Norwegian word "disiplin" can also mean "branch of knowledge". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | disciplina | ||
| In Portuguese, "disciplina" can also refer to a specific field of knowledge, such as a school subject or academic discipline. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | smachd | ||
| Smachd can also mean "respect," "reverence" or "politeness." | |||
| Spanish | disciplina | ||
| The Spanish term "disciplina" originates from the Latin word "discipulus" meaning "pupil" and "discere" meaning "to learn". | |||
| Swedish | disciplin | ||
| Disciplin is also a term for an academic subject or course of study, or an academic degree in the corresponding field. | |||
| Welsh | disgyblaeth | ||
Discipline in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дысцыплінаванасць | ||
| Bosnian | disciplina | ||
| The Bosnian word "disciplina" originates from the Latin word "disciplina", which means "instruction" or "education". | |||
| Bulgarian | дисциплина | ||
| In Bulgarian, "дисциплина" can also refer to a subject taught in school, often a science or art form. | |||
| Czech | disciplína | ||
| Czech "disciplína" also means "a branch of knowledge; a study field". | |||
| Estonian | distsipliin | ||
| In Estonian, the word "distsipliin" derives from Latin "disciplina" meaning "instruction" or "subject of study". | |||
| Finnish | kurinalaisuutta | ||
| The Finnish word "kurinalaisuutta" originally referred to strict religious practice and was derived from the word "kuri" (rule, regulation). | |||
| Hungarian | fegyelem | ||
| The word "fegyelem" comes from the Turkic word "dög" meaning "order" and "discipline". | |||
| Latvian | disciplīna | ||
| In Latvian, "disciplīna" can also refer to a branch of knowledge or scientific field. | |||
| Lithuanian | drausmė | ||
| The word "drausmė" originally referred to a military formation. | |||
| Macedonian | дисциплина | ||
| "Дисциплина" has alternate meanings relating to studying and teaching. | |||
| Polish | dyscyplina | ||
| The word "dyscyplina" in Polish originally meant "teaching" and "knowledge acquisition" rather than "discipline" or "punishment". | |||
| Romanian | disciplina | ||
| In Romanian, the word disciplina (derived from Latin) also means 'knowledge' or 'subject of study'. | |||
| Russian | дисциплина | ||
| In Russian, "дисциплина" ("discipline") is originally derived from Latin and also refers to a science, or branch of knowledge. | |||
| Serbian | дисциплина | ||
| The word "discipline" in Serbian has its origins in the Latin word "discipulus", which means "pupil" or "student" | |||
| Slovak | disciplína | ||
| 'Disciplína' derives from the Latin word 'disciplina' meaning 'teaching' and 'instruction'. | |||
| Slovenian | disciplina | ||
| In the context of the Slovene literary movement, 'disciplina' can also refer to the adherence to form and metrical schemes. | |||
| Ukrainian | дисципліна | ||
| The Ukrainian word "дисципліна" derives from the Latin "disciplina" meaning both "branch of knowledge" and "training". | |||
Discipline in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শৃঙ্খলা | ||
| The word "শৃঙ্খলা" (discipline) in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "शृंखला" (chain), originally meaning "a series of links holding something together". | |||
| Gujarati | શિસ્ત | ||
| The Gujarati word "શિસ્ત" can also mean "orderliness" or "methodology". | |||
| Hindi | अनुशासन | ||
| The Sanskrit word "अनुशासन" means "to follow after" or "to learn from" and is also used to refer to the instruction or training that a teacher or guru gives to a student. | |||
| Kannada | ಶಿಸ್ತು | ||
| The word "ಶಿಸ್ತು" also refers to a form of traditional music in Karnataka. | |||
| Malayalam | അച്ചടക്കം | ||
| Marathi | शिस्त | ||
| The word 'शिस्त' comes from the Persian word 'انضباط', meaning 'order' or 'regulation'. | |||
| Nepali | अनुशासन | ||
| अनुशासन is derived from Sanskrit, meaning 'instruction' and 'obedience', and can also refer to 'science' or 'doctrine'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਨੁਸ਼ਾਸਨ | ||
| ਅਨੁਸ਼ਾਸਨ in Punjabi derives from Sanskrit and means literally "to teach according to" and can also mean "control" or "punishment." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විනය | ||
| The word "විනය" also derives from the Sanskrit root word meaning "to lead" meaning "to guide to the proper way of behaviour." | |||
| Tamil | ஒழுக்கம் | ||
| The word "ஒழுக்கம்" traces its roots to the Sanskrit word "यम" (yama), which is one of the eight limbs of yoga and signifies ethical guidelines and self-restraint. | |||
| Telugu | క్రమశిక్షణ | ||
| The word "క్రమశిక్షణ" can also refer to the act of teaching or learning a skill or art. | |||
| Urdu | نظم و ضبط | ||
| "نظم و ضبط" traces back to Persian, where "نظم" translates to "order" and "ضبط" translates to "control, capture." | |||
Discipline in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 学科 | ||
| "学科" also means "branch of study"} | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 學科 | ||
| 學 is a variant form of the older character 教, which means to teach, and 科 means a subject of study. | |||
| Japanese | 規律 | ||
| Originally meant "compass" and was later extended metaphorically to include "discipline" among its meanings. | |||
| Korean | 징계 | ||
| The word "징계" comes from the Chinese word "징" meaning "to correct" and "계" meaning "boundary". Therefore, the original meaning of "징계" was "to establish boundaries", which referred to the act of setting rules and regulations and monitoring compliance. | |||
| Mongolian | сахилга бат | ||
| The word "сахилга бат" (discipline) derives from the Buddhist term "śīla", meaning "precepts" or "moral conduct". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စည်းကမ်း | ||
Discipline in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | disiplin | ||
| Disiplin in Indonesian can also refer to a subject studied in school, akin to "science" in English. | |||
| Javanese | disiplin | ||
| In Javanese, "disiplin" can also refer to the practice of self-purification or self-mastery. | |||
| Khmer | វិន័យ | ||
| The Khmer term "វិន័យ" (vinoy) originates from Sanskrit and can also refer to monastic rules or teachings. | |||
| Lao | ລະບຽບວິໄນ | ||
| Malay | disiplin | ||
| In Malay, "disiplin" can also refer to a type of punishment or a military unit. | |||
| Thai | วินัย | ||
| "วินัย" is a Pali loanword that is cognate with "discipline" in English, though in Thai it generally refers to moral discipline rather than other types of discipline. | |||
| Vietnamese | kỷ luật | ||
| The word "kỷ luật" can also mean "rule" or "law". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | disiplina | ||
Discipline in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nizam-intizam | ||
| The word "nizam-intizam" in Azerbaijani ultimately derives from the Arabic word "nizām", meaning "order" or "system". | |||
| Kazakh | тәртіп | ||
| In addition to "discipline," "тәртіп" can mean "order," "organization," or "routine." | |||
| Kyrgyz | тартип | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "тартип" can also mean "order" or "rule". | |||
| Tajik | интизом | ||
| The word “интизом” also refers to a specific type of Tajik dance. | |||
| Turkmen | tertip-düzgün | ||
| Uzbek | intizom | ||
| The Uzbek word "intizom" (discipline) comes from the Arabic word "nizam", which means organization or order. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىنتىزام | ||
Discipline in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | aʻo | ||
| "Aʻo" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *taku, meaning "to command, to teach." | |||
| Maori | akoako | ||
| "Akoako" can be translated as 'discipline' but it also means 'instruction, education, advice' and 'a teacher, tutor, or guide'. | |||
| Samoan | aʻoaʻiga | ||
| The word "aʻoaʻiga" comes from the verb "aʻoao", which means "to teach" or "to instruct". It can also refer to a specific set of rules or guidelines. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | disiplina | ||
| The Tagalog word "disiplina" is derived from the Spanish word "disciplina," which means "discipline" or "training". | |||
Discipline in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sartawini | ||
| Guarani | tekokuaaporu | ||
Discipline in International Languages
| Esperanto | disciplino | ||
| "Disciplino" is not the Esperanto word for discipline. | |||
| Latin | disciplinam | ||
| The Latin word "disciplinam" also means "instruction", "learning", or "knowledge." | |||
Discipline in Others Languages
| Greek | πειθαρχία | ||
| "Πειθαρχία" derives from the Greek word "πειθω" (to persuade), and it originally meant "to make someone obey" or "to bring someone under control" | |||
| Hmong | kev qhuab qhia | ||
| Kurdish | disiplîn | ||
| In Kurdish, "disiplîn" is derived from the Persian word "disetplîn" and means both "discipline" and "punishment" | |||
| Turkish | disiplin | ||
| The Turkish "disiplin" from Latin "disciplina" may refer to 9th-15th c. Seljuk-Ottoman institutions and schools for religious scholars. | |||
| Xhosa | ingqeqesho | ||
| The Xhosa word "ingqeqesho" also means "the act of bending; the posture of bending; a habit; a custom; a form of teaching" | |||
| Yiddish | דיסציפּלין | ||
| 'דיסציפּלין' in Yiddish can also refer to a disciple or a student of a rebbe, a spiritual teacher. | |||
| Zulu | isiyalo | ||
| "Isiyalo" is a Zulu word that finds its etymology in the phrase "ukuyalela esikhaleni", meaning "to bring into alignment or order". It can also mean "to guide", "to train", or "to chastise". | |||
| Assamese | নিয়মানুৱৰ্তিতা | ||
| Aymara | sartawini | ||
| Bhojpuri | अनुशासन | ||
| Dhivehi | އަޚްލާޤު | ||
| Dogri | शास्तर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | disiplina | ||
| Guarani | tekokuaaporu | ||
| Ilocano | disiplina | ||
| Krio | kɔrɛkt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بنەما | ||
| Maithili | अनुशासन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯀꯁꯤ ꯈꯥꯁꯤ | ||
| Mizo | khuakhirhna | ||
| Oromo | naamuusa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁଶାସନ | ||
| Quechua | disciplina | ||
| Sanskrit | अनुशासनम् | ||
| Tatar | тәртип | ||
| Tigrinya | ስርዓት | ||
| Tsonga | tshinya | ||