Discovery in Different Languages
Discover 'Discovery' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Discovery is a powerful word, denoting the act of uncovering something new or gaining fresh insight into something already known. Its significance extends beyond the realm of science, where it's often used to describe new findings, into our everyday lives. We make discoveries when we learn something new about ourselves, our relationships, or the world around us.
The cultural importance of discovery is evident in the numerous stories, myths, and legends that feature a quest for knowledge or a search for hidden treasures. From the epic tales of ancient civilizations to modern-day adventure movies, discovery has always held a special place in our collective imagination.
Given its significance and cultural importance, it's not surprising that many languages have their own translation for the word 'discovery'. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or someone who simply enjoys learning new things, understanding the nuances of this word in different languages can be a fascinating journey.
Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- French: découverte
- Spanish: descubrimiento
- German: Entdeckung
- Mandarin: 发现 (fāxiàn)
- Japanese: 発見 (hakken)
Discovery
Discovery in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ontdekking | ||
| The Afrikaans word "ontdekking" is derived from the Dutch word "ontdekken", meaning "to uncover" or "to disclose". | |||
| Amharic | ግኝት | ||
| The Amharic word "ግኝት" (discovery) is derived from the verb "ግኛ" (to find) and can also refer to a finding or observation. | |||
| Hausa | samu | ||
| The word "samu" is an Arabic loanword which also means "to hear" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | nchoputa | ||
| "Nchoputa" (discovery) could be related to the Igbo words "cho" (to find) and "puta" (to come out). | |||
| Malagasy | nahitana | ||
| The Malagasy word "NAHITANA" can also mean "to open one's eyes", "to become aware", or "to gain knowledge". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupeza | ||
| "Kupeza" may also mean "to buy" or "to acquire" in Chichewa and "to find" in Swahili. | |||
| Shona | kuwanikwa | ||
| The verb "kuwanikwa" is derived from the noun "kuwana" (to find), and also means "to become known" or "to be revealed". | |||
| Somali | daahfurid | ||
| Daahfurid is an Arabic loanword derived from the root 'D-F-R', meaning 'to reveal' or 'to uncover'. | |||
| Sesotho | sibollo | ||
| The word "sibollo" also means "the act of revealing", "the act of opening", "the act of showing". | |||
| Swahili | ugunduzi | ||
| The word "ugunduzi" also means the act of exploring or investigating in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ukufumanisa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukufumanisa' is also used to mean 'to recover' or 'to gain back'. | |||
| Yoruba | awari | ||
| The word "Awari" can also refer to a type of divination performed by the Yoruba people | |||
| Zulu | ukutholakala | ||
| The etymology of "ukutholakala" suggests it also refers to "regaining lost things, a sense of coming or falling upon something unexpectedly" | |||
| Bambara | sɔrɔli | ||
| Ewe | nusi ŋu woke ɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kuvumbura | ||
| Lingala | bokutani | ||
| Luganda | okuzuula | ||
| Sepedi | kutollo ya dilo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ade a wɔahu | ||
Discovery in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اكتشاف | ||
| The word اكتشاف (discovery) comes from the root كشف, which means to uncover, disclose, or expose. | |||
| Hebrew | תַגלִית | ||
| The Hebrew word "תגלית" (discovery) comes from the root "גלה" (reveal), and can also mean "revelation" or "unveiling". | |||
| Pashto | کشف | ||
| The Pashto word "کشف" can also mean "exploration" or "discernment." | |||
| Arabic | اكتشاف | ||
| The word اكتشاف (discovery) comes from the root كشف, which means to uncover, disclose, or expose. | |||
Discovery in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zbulimi | ||
| The word "zbulimi" is derived from the Old Albanian "zbul", meaning "to unveil" or "to uncover". It is also related to the Latin "revelare", meaning "to reveal". | |||
| Basque | aurkikuntza | ||
| Aurkikuntza, the Basque word for "discovery," also means "to find" and "to uncover." | |||
| Catalan | descobriment | ||
| The Catalan word "descobriment" has roots in the Latin word "discooperire," meaning to remove a covering or to unveil. | |||
| Croatian | otkriće | ||
| The Croatian word 'otkriće' has additional meanings of 'revelation', 'unveiling' or 'exposure' | |||
| Danish | opdagelse | ||
| The Danish word "opdagelse" is derived from "at opdage", which translates to "to uncover", also the base for the noun "afdækning" (uncovering, e.g. of a statue). | |||
| Dutch | ontdekking | ||
| The Dutch word 'ontdekking' also means 'revelation', 'disclosure', or 'unveiling'. | |||
| English | discovery | ||
| The word "discovery" comes from the Latin word "discooperire," which means "to uncover" or "reveal." It can also refer to the process of identifying something that was previously unknown or hidden. | |||
| French | découverte | ||
| The word "découverte" also means "uncovering" in French, suggesting the act of revealing something hidden or obscured. | |||
| Frisian | ûntdekking | ||
| A synonym for ûntdekking is "fine", and it can also mean "a thing found". | |||
| Galician | descubrimento | ||
| "Descubrimento" in Galician language also means "revelation" and "disclosure". | |||
| German | entdeckung | ||
| In alchemy, 'Entdeckung' referred to the process of unveiling hidden, secret knowledge. | |||
| Icelandic | uppgötvun | ||
| The Icelandic word "uppgötvun" also means "invention" or "creation". | |||
| Irish | fionnachtain | ||
| The Irish word for 'discovery', 'fionnachtain', derives from 'fionnadh', meaning to find, and the suffix '-acht', denoting a noun of action. | |||
| Italian | scoperta | ||
| The Italian word "scoperta" can also refer to uncovering something that was hidden or forgotten. | |||
| Luxembourgish | entdeckung | ||
| The word "Entdeckung" (discovery) is derived from the Old High German words "enten" (to reveal) and "decken" (to cover). | |||
| Maltese | skoperta | ||
| The Maltese word "skoperta" is derived from the Italian word "scoperta" (also meaning "discovery\”), itself originating from the Latin "cooperire", meaning "to cover". | |||
| Norwegian | oppdagelse | ||
| In Norwegian "oppdagelse" can mean both "discovery" and "invention". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | descoberta | ||
| The Portuguese word "descoberta" can also refer to the act of removing hair, uncovering a secret, or unveiling a new idea. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lorg | ||
| The word "lorg" also means "spy" or "scout" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | descubrimiento | ||
| Descubrimiento derives from the Latin verb 'dis-cooperire' meaning 'to uncover' or 'to remove the cover', and relates to the word 'to open' | |||
| Swedish | upptäckt | ||
| "Upptäck" can also be translated to "disclose" or "lay open". | |||
| Welsh | darganfyddiad | ||
| The Welsh word 'darganfyddiad' shares a root with the word 'ganfod' (to find), ultimately stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰen- 'to know' | |||
Discovery in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | адкрыццё | ||
| It also means exposure to something previously hidden. | |||
| Bosnian | otkriće | ||
| The term "otkriće" in Bosnian may also refer to a revelation or unravelling of a secret. | |||
| Bulgarian | откритие | ||
| "Открытие" came into Russian from Church Slavonic, where its original meaning was "uncovering" (a saint's relic). | |||
| Czech | objev | ||
| The word "objev" is derived from the Latin word "obiectum", meaning "something that is thrown in the way". It can also refer to a "target" or an "object of desire". | |||
| Estonian | avastus | ||
| In Finnish "avastus" originally referred to a sudden insight, but in the 20th century its usage shifted towards the discovery of something hidden. | |||
| Finnish | löytö | ||
| The word "löytö" can also refer to the object found, like a treasure or a lost item. | |||
| Hungarian | felfedezés | ||
| The Hungarian word "felfedezés" has the dual meaning of "discovery" and "exploration". | |||
| Latvian | atklājums | ||
| The Latvian word “atklājums” originally meant “exposing.” | |||
| Lithuanian | atradimas | ||
| The word "atradimas" comes from the Lithuanian verb "atrasti," meaning "to find" or "to uncover." | |||
| Macedonian | откритие | ||
| The word "откритие" in Macedonian can also refer to the act of opening something or the beginning of an event. | |||
| Polish | odkrycie | ||
| The Polish word "odkrycie" has its etymology in the Proto-Slavic word *otkrъti, meaning "to uncover" or "to unveil". | |||
| Romanian | descoperire | ||
| In Romanian, "descoperire" also connotes an uncovering or revealing, as in "the uncovering of a hidden truth." | |||
| Russian | открытие | ||
| In Russian, "открытие" can also mean "opening" of a store, museum, etc. | |||
| Serbian | откриће | ||
| The word "откриће" (discovery) in Serbian also means "revelation" or "disclosure". | |||
| Slovak | objav | ||
| The word "objav" in Slovak can also mean "revelation" or "disclosure". | |||
| Slovenian | odkritje | ||
| The Slovenian word "odkritje" can also refer to a disclosure or revelation, suggesting uncovering something hidden or making something known that was previously unknown. | |||
| Ukrainian | відкриття | ||
| The word "відкриття" can also refer to an invention or innovation. | |||
Discovery in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আবিষ্কার | ||
| The Bengali word "আবিষ্কার" (abiskar) originally meant "creation" or "invention" but has come to exclusively mean "discovery" in modern usage. | |||
| Gujarati | શોધ | ||
| "શોધ" also refers to a religious quest, a treasure hunt, or an investigation. | |||
| Hindi | खोज | ||
| The word "खोज" derives from the Sanskrit word "kṣuṇ" meaning "to yearn", and is related to the Gujarati word "khoz" meaning "a longing desire for something". | |||
| Kannada | ಆವಿಷ್ಕಾರ | ||
| The Kannada word "āvišhkāra" (ಆವಿಷ್ಕಾರ), derived from Sanskrit, also denotes "manifestation" or "bringing into reality". | |||
| Malayalam | കണ്ടെത്തൽ | ||
| The term | |||
| Marathi | शोध | ||
| In Marathi, "शोध" (discovery) also signifies "investigation" or "research", aligning with its Sanskrit origins. | |||
| Nepali | आविष्कार | ||
| The word "आविष्कार" (discovery) derives from the Sanskrit root "विष्" (to enter), denoting the initial entry into or uncovering of knowledge. | |||
| Punjabi | ਖੋਜ | ||
| The word "ਖੋਜ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "khoj", meaning "to search for" or "to investigate". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සොයා ගැනීම | ||
| The word 'discovery' comes from the Latin word 'discooperire', which means 'to uncover'. | |||
| Tamil | கண்டுபிடிப்பு | ||
| "கண்டுபிடிப்பு" can also mean inventing something new, or finding something that was previously unknown or hidden. | |||
| Telugu | ఆవిష్కరణ | ||
| The word 'ఆవిష్కరణ' (discovery) comes from the Sanskrit word 'viskaroti', meaning 'to reveal'. In Telugu, it also refers to a 'new idea' or 'invention'. | |||
| Urdu | دریافت | ||
| The word "دریافت" in Urdu can also mean "receipt" or "collection" | |||
Discovery in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 发现 | ||
| 发现 comes from the Chinese idiom "盖棺始定", meaning "the truth will be revealed after someone dies". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 發現 | ||
| The Chinese characters in the word "發現" ("discovery") also mean "to open up" or "to disclose. | |||
| Japanese | 発見 | ||
| The word "発見" (hakken) in Japanese is derived from the Chinese characters "發見" (fa xian), meaning "to find" or "to detect." | |||
| Korean | 발견 | ||
| '발견' can also mean 'to spot' or 'to perceive' something. | |||
| Mongolian | нээлт | ||
| The word "нээлт" is also used to refer to "opening" or "beginning" of an event or activity. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှာဖွေတွေ့ရှိမှု | ||
Discovery in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penemuan | ||
| Penemuan, meaning "discovery" in Indonesian, comes from the Old Javanese word "panemon" meaning "to find" and shares a root with "temu" (friend) implying a reciprocal relationship between people and the new knowledge they discover. | |||
| Javanese | panemuan | ||
| Panemuan can also refer to a 'treasure' or a 'find'. | |||
| Khmer | ការរកឃើញ | ||
| The term "ការរកឃើញ" (discovery) in Khmer originates from the Sanskrit words "kar" ("to do, make, create") and "vid" ("to know, find"), implying the act of uncovering knowledge or gaining new insight. | |||
| Lao | ການຄົ້ນພົບ | ||
| Malay | penemuan | ||
| Penemuan (discovery) is derived from the word temu (meet), as in "bertemu" (to meet), denoting the encounter with something new or unknown. | |||
| Thai | การค้นพบ | ||
| The Thai word "การค้นพบ" can also refer to the process of finding or uncovering information. | |||
| Vietnamese | khám phá | ||
| The word "khám phá" originates from the Chinese word " khám phá ", meaning "explore, seek out". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagtuklas | ||
Discovery in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kəşf | ||
| The word "kəşf" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Arabic word "Kashf," which also means "unveiling" or "disclosure." | |||
| Kazakh | жаңалық | ||
| The Kazakh word "жаңалық" can also refer to "news" or "novelty". | |||
| Kyrgyz | ачылыш | ||
| "Ачылыш" also means "unveiling" and "opening" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | кашфиёт | ||
| The word "кашфиёт" in Tajik comes from the Arabic root "كشف", meaning "to uncover" or "to reveal." | |||
| Turkmen | açyş | ||
| Uzbek | kashfiyot | ||
| The word "kashfiyot" comes from the Arabic word "kashf", meaning "to uncover" or "to make known". | |||
| Uyghur | بايقاش | ||
Discovery in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loaʻa | ||
| The word "loaʻa" also has the meaning "to obtain" or "to find". | |||
| Maori | kitenga | ||
| The Maori word "kitenga" can also refer to an "awareness" or "revelation". | |||
| Samoan | mauaina | ||
| The Samoan word "mauaina" derives from the root "maua", meaning "to find" or "to seek out". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagtuklas | ||
| The root word of "pagtuklas" is "tuklas," which means "to detect" or "to find out." | |||
Discovery in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jikxataña | ||
| Guarani | descubrimiento rehegua | ||
Discovery in International Languages
| Esperanto | malkovro | ||
| The word 'malkovro' is used in Esperanto to mean both 'discovery' and 'disclosure'. It is derived from the verb 'malkovri', meaning 'to discover or uncover'. | |||
| Latin | inventa | ||
| The Latin word "inventa" can also refer to inanimate objects like treasure or property that were found. | |||
Discovery in Others Languages
| Greek | ανακάλυψη | ||
| The Greek word "ανακάλυψη" not only means "discovery" but also the "unveiling" of a religious icon or a sacred relic. | |||
| Hmong | nrhiav pom | ||
| The Hmong word "nrhiav pom" also means "to inquire" or "to learn." | |||
| Kurdish | kişfî | ||
| The word 'kişfî' is derived from the Arabic word 'kashf', meaning 'uncovering' or 'revealing', and is also used in Persian and Pashto. | |||
| Turkish | keşif | ||
| The word "keşif" can also refer to a legal inspection or survey. | |||
| Xhosa | ukufumanisa | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukufumanisa' is also used to mean 'to recover' or 'to gain back'. | |||
| Yiddish | אנטדעקונג | ||
| "אנטדעקונג" also means "a way of thinking that is new" or "a change of mind" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ukutholakala | ||
| The etymology of "ukutholakala" suggests it also refers to "regaining lost things, a sense of coming or falling upon something unexpectedly" | |||
| Assamese | আৱিষ্কাৰ | ||
| Aymara | jikxataña | ||
| Bhojpuri | खोज के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހޯދުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | खोज कर दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagtuklas | ||
| Guarani | descubrimiento rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | pannakatakuat | ||
| Krio | diskovri we dɛn dɔn fɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دۆزینەوە | ||
| Maithili | खोज | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯗꯤꯁ꯭ꯀꯣꯚꯔꯤ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hmuhchhuah a ni | ||
| Oromo | argannoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆବିଷ୍କାର | | ||
| Quechua | tariy | ||
| Sanskrit | आविष्कारः | ||
| Tatar | ачыш | ||
| Tigrinya | ርኽበት ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ku tshuburiwa | ||