Discrimination in Different Languages
Discover 'Discrimination' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Discrimination is a significant and, unfortunately, all-too-common aspect of human societies throughout history and around the world. At its core, discrimination refers to the unfair or unequal treatment of people based on certain characteristics or categories, such as race, gender, age, religion, or disability. This behavior not only violates fundamental human rights but also hinders social cohesion and progress.
The cultural importance of discrimination lies in our shared responsibility to recognize and address it. By understanding and combating discrimination, we can create more inclusive, equitable, and just societies. This is where learning the translation of discrimination in different languages becomes crucial.
For instance, the French translation of discrimination is 'discrimination', the Spanish translation is 'discriminación', and the German translation is 'Diskriminierung'. By familiarizing ourselves with these terms, we not only expand our vocabulary but also develop a deeper appreciation for the cultural nuances and shared challenges associated with discrimination.
In the following list, you'll find the translations of discrimination in various languages, providing a small step towards greater cultural understanding and global solidarity in the fight against discrimination.
Discrimination
Discrimination in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | diskriminasie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "diskriminasie" is derived from the Latin "discriminare", meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish". | |||
| Amharic | መድልዎ | ||
| "Medlwo" is originally a religious term. According to the Qes Ogbazghi Dictionary, it can also mean "the practice of excluding one from a group, denying opportunities or resources, or denying rights based on the group they belong to, with the intention of isolating that group". | |||
| Hausa | nuna wariya | ||
| The term 'nuna wariya' in Hausa can also refer to 'favoritism' or 'bias'. | |||
| Igbo | ikpa oke | ||
| Ikpa oke, which literally means "dividing on the hill," also refers to the unequal distribution of resources in society. | |||
| Malagasy | fanavakavahana | ||
| The word "FANAVAKAVAHANA" in Malagasy not only means "discrimination", but also "disparagement" and "mistreatment". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tsankho | ||
| The Nyanja word 'tsankho' derives from the verb 'sansana', which means 'to differentiate' or 'to distinguish' between things. | |||
| Shona | rusarura | ||
| "Rusarura" originates from the Shona verb "kurasaruka" meaning "to be separated or singled out". It also has the connotation of "unfair treatment" in Shona culture. | |||
| Somali | takoorid | ||
| 'Takooreid' means not only 'discrimination' but also 'being separated' or 'being different'. | |||
| Sesotho | khethollo | ||
| The word 'khethollo' can also refer to the act of separating or dividing something into different parts or categories. | |||
| Swahili | ubaguzi | ||
| The Swahili word "ubaguzi" can also refer to prejudice, bias, or unfair treatment. | |||
| Xhosa | ucalucalulo | ||
| The word "ucalucalulo" can also mean "hatred" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | iyasoto | ||
| "Ìyàsótó" is derived from the Yoruba words "ìyà" (mother) and "sòtó" (to set apart, separate). | |||
| Zulu | ukubandlululwa | ||
| Ukubandlululwa is derived from the root word 'bandla', meaning 'to gather or assemble', suggesting a sense of treating people differently based on group membership. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛnawoloma | ||
| Ewe | azitiazime | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ivangura | ||
| Lingala | kozwela bato makinisi mabe | ||
| Luganda | okusosola | ||
| Sepedi | kgethollo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nyiyimu | ||
Discrimination in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تمييز | ||
| تمييز also means 'difference' in Arabic, stemming from the root distinguishing 'difference' in both positive and negative ways. | |||
| Hebrew | אַפלָיָה | ||
| The word "אַפלָיָה" originates from the Hebrew root פלה, meaning "to separate" or "to divide". | |||
| Pashto | تبعيض | ||
| The Arabic word 'tabayiď', from which this term is derived, can refer to "distinction" or "dissimilarity" in addition to "discrimination". | |||
| Arabic | تمييز | ||
| تمييز also means 'difference' in Arabic, stemming from the root distinguishing 'difference' in both positive and negative ways. | |||
Discrimination in Western European Languages
| Albanian | diskriminim | ||
| The Albanian word "diskriminim" is derived from the Latin "discriminatio", meaning "distinction" or "separation". | |||
| Basque | diskriminazioa | ||
| "Diskriminazioa" is derived from the Latin word "discrimino", meaning "to separate." | |||
| Catalan | discriminació | ||
| The concept of 'discriminació' (discrimination) in Catalan also encompasses 'differentiation,' a nuanced form of distinction. | |||
| Croatian | diskriminacija | ||
| In Croatian, `diskriminacija` also refers to selection among multiple choices. | |||
| Danish | forskelsbehandling | ||
| Forskel means difference and behandling means treatment in Danish, so “forskelsbehandling” literally translates to “difference treatment”. The word can be used in a non-pejorative sense like “special treatment”, for example. | |||
| Dutch | discriminatie | ||
| In Dutch, the term "discriminatie" not only refers to discrimination but also to "distinction", "separation", or "sorting". | |||
| English | discrimination | ||
| The word "discrimination" derives from the Latin "discrimen," meaning "distinction" or "difference." | |||
| French | discrimination | ||
| The French word "discrimination" is derived from the Latin word "discriminare" which means "to distinguish". | |||
| Frisian | diskriminaasje | ||
| Galician | discriminación | ||
| O termo «discriminación» deriva do latín «discriminare», que significa «separar», «distinguir» ou «dividir». | |||
| German | diskriminierung | ||
| The term "Diskriminierung" can also refer to the separation or differentiation of things | |||
| Icelandic | mismunun | ||
| The word "mismunun" is a contraction of "mismunur" (differences) and "munur" (differences). It can refer to differences in treatment or opportunity based on race, gender, or other factors. | |||
| Irish | idirdhealú | ||
| Idirdhealú is a complex word in Irish with many meanings, with connotations of 'separation', 'difference', and 'prejudice' | |||
| Italian | discriminazione | ||
| Discriminazione also means "choice" and "distinction" in Italian, depending on the context. | |||
| Luxembourgish | diskriminéierung | ||
| Maltese | diskriminazzjoni | ||
| In Maltese, the word diskriminazzjoni can also refer to "distinguishing a thing from another". | |||
| Norwegian | diskriminering | ||
| Diskriminering means discrimination, but in law refers only to discrimination on grounds of religion, ethnicity, nationality and sexual orientation | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | discriminação | ||
| The Portuguese word "discrimninação" can also mean "distinction" or "difference". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leth-bhreith | ||
| The word 'leth-bhreith' in Scots Gaelic derives from 'leth' (half) and 'breith' (law, judgment), implying a partial or biased application of the law. | |||
| Spanish | discriminación | ||
| In Spanish, "discriminación" can also mean 'distinction' or 'selection'. | |||
| Swedish | diskriminering | ||
| "Diskriminering" comes from Latin "discriminare" meaning "separate". | |||
| Welsh | gwahaniaethu | ||
| Gwahaniaethu, a Welsh word for discrimination, also refers to the division of something into distinct parts. | |||
Discrimination in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дыскрымінацыя | ||
| The word "дыскрымінацыя" comes from the Latin word "discriminare", meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish". It can also refer to the act of treating someone differently based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. | |||
| Bosnian | diskriminacija | ||
| The word 'diskriminacija' comes from the Latin word 'discriminare,' meaning 'to distinguish' or 'to separate'. | |||
| Bulgarian | дискриминация | ||
| The word "дискриминация" in Bulgarian has its roots in the Latin word "discriminare", meaning "to distinguish". This reflects the original meaning of discrimination as simply differentiating between things or people. | |||
| Czech | diskriminace | ||
| The word "diskriminace" (discrimination) in Czech is derived from the Latin "discriminare," meaning "to separate or distinguish." | |||
| Estonian | diskrimineerimine | ||
| The Estonian word "diskrimineerimine" comes from the Latin "discrimen", which means "difference" or "distinction." | |||
| Finnish | syrjintää | ||
| Syrjintää (discrimination) is derived from the word "syrjä" (edge, boundary) suggesting exclusion or marginalization. | |||
| Hungarian | megkülönböztetés | ||
| The word megkülönböztetés not only means discrimination but also distinction.} | |||
| Latvian | diskrimināciju | ||
| The term "diskrimināciju" can also refer to the distinction between different objects or people. | |||
| Lithuanian | diskriminacija | ||
| The word "diskriminacija" in Lithuanian derives from the Latin word "discriminatio", meaning "distinction" or "separation". | |||
| Macedonian | дискриминација | ||
| The Macedonian word "дискриминација" comes from the Latin word "discriminatio", meaning "separation" or "distinction". | |||
| Polish | dyskryminacja | ||
| "Dyskryminacja" derives from the Latin word "discriminare", meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish". | |||
| Romanian | discriminare | ||
| In Romanian, the word "discriminare" also means "to distinguish" or "to discern". | |||
| Russian | дискриминация | ||
| The Russian word «дискриминация» derives from Latin dis, meaning "apart", and crimen, meaning "charge" or "crime". | |||
| Serbian | дискриминација | ||
| The word дискриминација can also mean "differentiation" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | diskriminácia | ||
| The word "diskriminácia" comes from the Latin word "discrimen", meaning "a dividing line" or "a distinction". | |||
| Slovenian | diskriminacijo | ||
| The word "diskriminacijo" can also mean "disparagement" or "disrespect" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | дискримінація | ||
| The word "дискримінація" in Ukrainian also means "distinction" or "difference". | |||
Discrimination in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বৈষম্য | ||
| The word "বৈষম্য" (discrimination) also means "difference" or "distinction" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ભેદભાવ | ||
| The word "ભેદભાવ" in Gujarati, when separated into components, means "difference-opinion," thus denoting the idea of perceiving differences. | |||
| Hindi | भेदभाव | ||
| The Hindi word भेदभाव can also refer to difference or distinction | |||
| Kannada | ತಾರತಮ್ಯ | ||
| The word 'ತಾರತಮ್ಯ' in Kannada can also mean 'difference', 'variation', or 'distinction'. | |||
| Malayalam | വിവേചനം | ||
| "വിവേചനം" can also mean the critical or analytical faculty | |||
| Marathi | भेदभाव | ||
| The Marathi word 'भेदभाव' not only means 'discrimination' but can also refer to 'difference' or 'distinction'. | |||
| Nepali | भेदभाव | ||
| "भेदभाव" means "discrimination", but can also refer to "distinction" or "difference". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਤਕਰੇ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වෙනස්කම් කිරීම | ||
| The other meanings of "discrimination" are separation, distinction, and differentiation. | |||
| Tamil | பாகுபாடு | ||
| The word "பாகுபாடு" in Tamil can also refer to the act of distinguishing or separating based on differences. | |||
| Telugu | వివక్ష | ||
| The word "వివక్ష" (viveksha) comes from the Sanskrit word "विवेक" (viveka), meaning "distinction", "discernment", or "discrimination". | |||
| Urdu | امتیاز | ||
| An alternative translation of the Urdu word "امتیاز" is "privilege". | |||
Discrimination in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 歧视 | ||
| 歧视的本意为歧途小路，后引申为差别对待、区别对待，再引申为带有偏见的差别对待。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 歧視 | ||
| 歧視，源自拉丁語「discrimen」，意為「差異」或「分界」 | |||
| Japanese | 差別 | ||
| The Japanese word "差別 (sabetsu)" can also refer to "difference" or "distinction" rather than solely "discrimination". | |||
| Korean | 차별 | ||
| 차별 (차 = 차이, 별 = 대우) is composed of two root words meaning 'difference' and 'treatment', indicating that discrimination is based on distinctions between individuals or groups. | |||
| Mongolian | ялгаварлан гадуурхалт | ||
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| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခွဲခြားဆက်ဆံခံရမှု | ||
Discrimination in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | diskriminasi | ||
| The Indonesian word 'diskriminasi' is derived from the Latin word 'discriminare', meaning 'to separate or distinguish', and is used to refer to the practice of treating different categories of people differently based on characteristics such as race, gender, or religion. | |||
| Javanese | diskriminasi | ||
| In Javanese, 'diskriminasi' also means 'to be treated more specially'. | |||
| Khmer | ការរើសអើង | ||
| Lao | ການ ຈຳ ແນກ | ||
| Malay | diskriminasi | ||
| Diskriminasi also means 'the act of differentiating between two or more things' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | การเลือกปฏิบัติ | ||
| The term 'การเลือกปฏิบัติ' in Thai is derived from the Sanskrit word 'विभे' (vibhāga) which means 'separation' or 'distinction'. | |||
| Vietnamese | kỳ thị | ||
| The word "kỳ thị" is derived from the Chinese characters "歧視", which means "to look down on" or "to despise". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | diskriminasyon | ||
Discrimination in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ayrı-seçkilik | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "ayrı-seçkilik" originally meant "difference" or "distinction" | |||
| Kazakh | дискриминация | ||
| In Russian, the word “дискриминация” can also refer to the process of sorting or classifying objects or information. | |||
| Kyrgyz | басмырлоо | ||
| Басмырлоо, or “to discriminate,” comes from the Persian word for “to divide”. | |||
| Tajik | табъиз | ||
| The Tajik word "табъиз" also means "prohibition, taboo, or restriction." | |||
| Turkmen | diskriminasiýa | ||
| Uzbek | kamsitish | ||
| The Uzbek word "kamsitish" can also mean "negligence" or "indifference". | |||
| Uyghur | كەمسىتىش | ||
Discrimination in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻokae | ||
| Hoʻokae also means "to refuse" or "to set aside" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whakahāwea | ||
| Samoan | faʻailoga tagata | ||
| Faʻailoga tagata may also refer to the Samoan concept of "respect for one's own group above others". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | diskriminasyon | ||
| Diskriminasyon is also a Tagalog word that means "to discern" or "to distinguish". | |||
Discrimination in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jisk'achasiwi | ||
| Guarani | apo'i | ||
Discrimination in International Languages
| Esperanto | diskriminacio | ||
| In Esperanto, "diskriminacio" is etymologically derived from the Latin "discrimino," which means "to divide" or "to distinguish between." | |||
| Latin | discrimen, | ||
| Discrimen in Latin literally means "parting of the hair"; discrimen capitis ("parting of the head") referred to the part of the head from which the hair parted. | |||
Discrimination in Others Languages
| Greek | διάκριση | ||
| It can also mean 'separation' or 'difference', reflecting its literal meaning of 'sorting out' (from διά- 'through' and κρίνειν 'to judge'). | |||
| Hmong | kev ntxub ntxaug | ||
| Kurdish | biçûkdîtinî | ||
| The Kurdish word "biçûkdîtinî" also means "difference" or "distinction", highlighting the nuances of inequality. | |||
| Turkish | ayrımcılık | ||
| The Turkish word "ayrımcılık" is derived from the verb "ayırmak", meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish". | |||
| Xhosa | ucalucalulo | ||
| The word "ucalucalulo" can also mean "hatred" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | דיסקרימינאציע | ||
| The Yiddish word "דיסקרימינאציע" can also mean "distinction" or "difference". | |||
| Zulu | ukubandlululwa | ||
| Ukubandlululwa is derived from the root word 'bandla', meaning 'to gather or assemble', suggesting a sense of treating people differently based on group membership. | |||
| Assamese | বৈষম্য | ||
| Aymara | jisk'achasiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | भेदभाव | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަފާތުކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | फर्कोफर्की | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | diskriminasyon | ||
| Guarani | apo'i | ||
| Ilocano | panangbigbig | ||
| Krio | tek wan pɔsin impɔtant pas ɔda pɔsin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جیاکاری | ||
| Maithili | पक्षपात | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯥꯊꯤ ꯇꯥꯑꯣꯏꯅ ꯇꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tihbikna | ||
| Oromo | nama qooduu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭେଦଭାବ | ||
| Quechua | karunchay | ||
| Sanskrit | पृथगात्मता | ||
| Tatar | дискриминация | ||
| Tigrinya | ምግላል | ||
| Tsonga | xihlawuhlawu | ||