Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'distribution' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, referring to the act of spreading or dispersing things efficiently. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, from economics and business to science and mathematics. Understanding the concept of distribution is crucial to organizing resources, allocating products, and servicing customers in an effective manner.
Moreover, the word 'distribution' has an interesting historical context. During the industrial revolution, the concept of distribution was closely linked with production and supply chain management. Today, it has taken on a broader meaning and is used in various contexts such as data distribution, resource distribution, and even social distribution.
For those interested in language and culture, knowing the translation of distribution in different languages can provide unique insights into how different cultures perceive and manage the concept. Here are a few sample translations:
Afrikaans | verspreiding | ||
The Afrikaans word "verspreiding" is derived from the Dutch word "verspreiding" which also means "distribution" but can also refer to "dispersion". | |||
Amharic | ስርጭት | ||
The word "ስርጭት" can also refer to the spreading of a disease or the dissemination of information. | |||
Hausa | rarrabawa | ||
Hausa word "rarrabawa" comes from the Arabic word "tarbiyah" which also means "upbringing." | |||
Igbo | nkesa | ||
The word "nkesa" can also refer to the act of sharing or dividing something among a group of people. | |||
Malagasy | fizarana | ||
The word "fizarana" in Malagasy derives from the verb "mizara" (to divide) and carries the connotation of separation and allocation. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kugawa | ||
The word "kugawa" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also means "to cause to move". | |||
Shona | kugovera | ||
The word "kugovera" also means "to spread" or "to scatter" in Shona. | |||
Somali | qaybinta | ||
Qaybinta, derived from the Arabic root Q-Y-B, also implies allocation and partition, extending its semantic range beyond mere distribution. | |||
Sesotho | kabo | ||
The word "kabo" could be connected to "kabu" which means "to hand over". | |||
Swahili | usambazaji | ||
The Swahili word "usambazaji" is derived from the verb "kusambaza," which means "to spread" or "to distribute." | |||
Xhosa | ukuhanjiswa | ||
The word "ukuhanjiswa" can also refer to the act of distributing or spreading something. | |||
Yoruba | pinpin | ||
The Yoruba word "pinpin" can also mean "to divide" or "to share". | |||
Zulu | ukusatshalaliswa | ||
The word "ukusatshalaliswa" in Zulu can also mean "to disseminate" or "to spread out". | |||
Bambara | ɲinli | ||
Ewe | nu mama | ||
Kinyarwanda | gukwirakwiza | ||
Lingala | kokabola | ||
Luganda | okusaansaanya | ||
Sepedi | phatlalatšo | ||
Twi (Akan) | akyekyɛ | ||
Arabic | توزيع | ||
'توزيع' can also refer to arranging, dividing or allocating. | |||
Hebrew | הפצה | ||
The Hebrew word "הפצה" also means "separation", as in the separation of the Israelites from the Egyptians. | |||
Pashto | توزیع | ||
The Pashto word "توزیع" can also mean "division" or "allocation". | |||
Arabic | توزيع | ||
'توزيع' can also refer to arranging, dividing or allocating. |
Albanian | shpërndarja | ||
"Shpërndarja" can also mean "dispersal" or "scattering" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | banaketa | ||
In the dialect of the Goizueta valley, "banaketa" means "to go downstairs" or "to descend." | |||
Catalan | distribució | ||
Catalan noun "distribució" can also translate to "layout" in English in terms of magazine content arrangement. | |||
Croatian | distribucija | ||
The word "distribucija" in Croatian comes from the Latin word "distributio", which means "division" or "arrangement". | |||
Danish | fordeling | ||
"Fordeling" comes from the verb "fordele", which means "to distribute equally" or "to divide". | |||
Dutch | distributie | ||
The word "distributie" in Dutch can also refer to the allocation of goods or resources, or to the act of spreading something out. | |||
English | distribution | ||
Distribution also means 'the act of distributing' or 'the arrangement of elements in a sequence' | |||
French | distribution | ||
"Distribution" in French can also mean "to divide" or "to share out". | |||
Frisian | distribúsje | ||
Distribúsje (Frisian) cognate with Dutch Distributie and French Distribution originates from Latin Distributio (a division), from Distribuo (to divide). | |||
Galician | distribución | ||
The Galician word "distribución" originally meant "dismemberment", but now it only means "distribution". | |||
German | verteilung | ||
In some dialects of German, "Verteilung" can also refer to a group of animals grazing together. | |||
Icelandic | dreifingu | ||
The Icelandic word "dreifingu" derives from the Old Norse "dreifa", meaning "to scatter" or "to throw." | |||
Irish | dáileadh | ||
The Irish word "dáileadh" can also refer to an assembly or distribution of food or resources. | |||
Italian | distribuzione | ||
In Italian, the word "distribuzione" can also refer to the layout of a building or a piece of machinery. | |||
Luxembourgish | verdeelung | ||
Maltese | distribuzzjoni | ||
The word "distribuzzjoni" also has the meaning of "division" in Maltese. | |||
Norwegian | fordeling | ||
The word "fordeling" in Norwegian also has the alternate meaning of "apportionment". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | distribuição | ||
The verb 'distribuir' in Portuguese originates from the Latin 'distribuere', meaning 'to divide or separate into parts', but also has a meaning related to 'attributing or assigning' something to someone or something. | |||
Scots Gaelic | sgaoileadh | ||
The verb "sgaoileadh" also means "to spread out, scatter, or disperse" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
Spanish | distribución | ||
In Spanish, 'distribución' can also mean the layout of a building or urban area. | |||
Swedish | distribution | ||
In Swedish, the word "distribution" can also mean "layout" or "arrangement". | |||
Welsh | dosbarthiad | ||
Welsh "dosbarthiad" is a nominalization of "dosbarthu," which means to "distribute" but also to "classify". |
Belarusian | размеркаванне | ||
The Belarusian word "размеркаванне" is derived from the Slavic root "-mer-," meaning "to measure," and is related to the words "мера" (measure) and "распределение" (distribution). | |||
Bosnian | distribucija | ||
'Distribucija' is derived from the Latin word 'distributio', meaning 'the act of distributing.' | |||
Bulgarian | разпределение | ||
The word “разпределение” comes from the Bulgarian verb “разпределям”, which means “to distribute” or “to allocate”. | |||
Czech | rozdělení | ||
The Czech word "rozdělení" can also mean "separation" or "division". | |||
Estonian | levitamine | ||
It might be semantically derived from the Latin word "levitare" meaning "to raise, lift" and therefore also meaning "to distribute" | |||
Finnish | jakelu | ||
The word "jakelu" comes from the verb "jakaa," which means "to divide," and can also refer to the act of dividing, sharing, or allocating. | |||
Hungarian | terjesztés | ||
The Hungarian word "terjesztés" also means "delivery", "dispersion", and "proliferation". | |||
Latvian | izplatīšana | ||
The word "izplatīšana" can also mean "dissemination" or "propagation". | |||
Lithuanian | paskirstymas | ||
The word "paskirstymas" in Lithuanian is derived from the verb "skirstyti" (to distribute), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sker-\’" (to scatter, divide). | |||
Macedonian | дистрибуција | ||
The Macedonian word "дистрибуција" is derived from the Latin word "distributio", which means "distribution" or "assignment." | |||
Polish | dystrybucja | ||
"Dystrybucja" comes from the Latin "distributio", meaning "division" or "arrangement". | |||
Romanian | distribuție | ||
The term "distribuție" can refer to a range of concepts, including division, apportionment, and theatrical casting. | |||
Russian | распространение | ||
In the 19th century, the word "распространение" was used to mean "reproduction". In the 18th century, it meant "propagation". | |||
Serbian | дистрибуција | ||
The word "дистрибуција" also has the meaning of "distribution center" in Serbian. | |||
Slovak | distribúcia | ||
V slovenčine sa slovo "distribúcia" takisto používa v súvislosti s rozvodením elektrickej energie. | |||
Slovenian | distribucija | ||
In Slovene, the word "distribucija" can also mean "delivery" or "circulation". | |||
Ukrainian | розподіл | ||
The word розподіл also refers to a mathematical operation in Ukrainian, which is equivalent to the English term 'division'. |
Bengali | বিতরণ | ||
The word "বিতরণ" also means "to send out in different directions" or "to distribute across a surface," both of which imply the scattering of objects. | |||
Gujarati | વિતરણ | ||
The word "વિતરણ" can also mean "delivery", "dispersal", or "allocation" in Gujarati. | |||
Hindi | वितरण | ||
वितरण' also means 'partition' or 'dispersion' in its Sanskrit origin. | |||
Kannada | ವಿತರಣೆ | ||
"ವಿತರಣೆ" in Kannada also means "dispersion" or "dissemination". | |||
Malayalam | വിതരണ | ||
The word "വിതരണ" also means "to scatter" or "to disperse" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | वितरण | ||
The Marathi word "वितरण" (distribution) comes from the Sanskrit word "वि + त्रै + अण्" (to go across + three + to go), meaning "to move in three directions" or "to spread out." | |||
Nepali | वितरण | ||
The word "वितरण" also means "division" or "allotment" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਵੰਡ | ||
The word "ਵੰਡ" also means "share" or "portion" in Punjabi. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බෙදා හැරීම | ||
Tamil | விநியோகம் | ||
வினியோகம் also refers to the process of assigning tasks to individuals or groups within a project or organization. | |||
Telugu | పంపిణీ | ||
The verb "పంపిణీ" also means "to supply or provide" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | تقسیم | ||
تقسیم also means 'division' in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 分配 | ||
分配 is also used to mean "dividing up," "apportioning," or "allotment." | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 分配 | ||
"分配" is also used to refer to the assignment of blame or responsibility. | |||
Japanese | 分布 | ||
The word "分布" (distribution) also has a meaning of "a map" or "to make a map". | |||
Korean | 분포 | ||
분포(分佈) (or 佈) originates from the Chinese word '分佈' ('fēnbù'), meaning 'divide and spread.' | |||
Mongolian | түгээх | ||
The verb 'түгээх' also means 'to spread', 'to scatter' or 'to sprinkle'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြန့်ဖြူး | ||
Indonesian | distribusi | ||
In Indonesian, "distribusi" can also refer to the process of dividing or spreading something evenly or fairly | |||
Javanese | distribusi | ||
In Javanese, the word "distribusi" can also mean "a share or portion of something." | |||
Khmer | ការចែកចាយ | ||
In French, "repartition" means to "distribute," but also "to assign" or "to apportion." | |||
Lao | ການແຈກຢາຍ | ||
Malay | pengedaran | ||
Pengedaran is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word for "to give" and "to pass on". | |||
Thai | การกระจาย | ||
"การกระจาย" can also mean "broadcasting" in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | phân phối | ||
The word "phân phối" in Vietnamese can also refer to the act of dividing something into shares or portions. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pamamahagi | ||
Azerbaijani | paylama | ||
"Paylama" in Azerbaijani is derived from the verb "paylamaq" (to distribute) and shares the same root with the word "pay" (portion). | |||
Kazakh | тарату | ||
'Тарату' is also used in Kazakh to refer to the act of scattering or spreading something out. | |||
Kyrgyz | бөлүштүрүү | ||
"Бөлүштүрүү" means "to divide or distribute something among multiple people or objects" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | тақсимот | ||
The term "тақсимот" also refers to administrative or electoral divisions in some contexts. | |||
Turkmen | paýlamak | ||
Uzbek | tarqatish | ||
In the Chagatai language, "tarqatish" also means "to cause disorder or confusion". | |||
Uyghur | تەقسىملەش | ||
Hawaiian | kaʻana | ||
"Kaʻana" also means "to share in common" and can refer to a communal fishing spot or a place where food is shared. | |||
Maori | tohatoha | ||
Tohatoha refers to a traditional Maori ritual of sharing food or resources among a group, also known as a 'kai'. | |||
Samoan | tufatufaina | ||
"Tufatufaina" can also refer to a person or group that distributes something. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pamamahagi | ||
The word "pamamahagi" can also mean "giving away" or "sharing". |
Aymara | jalanuquña | ||
Guarani | mboja'o | ||
Esperanto | distribuo | ||
The word "distribuo" in Esperanto can also mean to "divide" or "scatter." | |||
Latin | distribution | ||
The Latin noun "distributio" can also refer to the distribution of an inheritance. |
Greek | διανομή | ||
The word 'διανομή' can also refer to a 'ration', 'share' or 'allotment'. | |||
Hmong | kev faib khoom | ||
The word "kev faib khoom" can also mean "to allocate" or "to divide". | |||
Kurdish | belavkirinî | ||
The word "belavkirinî" in Kurdish can also mean "scattering" or "dissemination." | |||
Turkish | dağıtım | ||
The word "dağıtım" also means "dispersal" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | ukuhanjiswa | ||
The word "ukuhanjiswa" can also refer to the act of distributing or spreading something. | |||
Yiddish | פאַרשפּרייטונג | ||
In Yiddish, פאַרשפּרייטונג can also refer to scattering, proliferation, or dissemination. | |||
Zulu | ukusatshalaliswa | ||
The word "ukusatshalaliswa" in Zulu can also mean "to disseminate" or "to spread out". | |||
Assamese | বিতৰণ | ||
Aymara | jalanuquña | ||
Bhojpuri | वितरण | ||
Dhivehi | ބަހާލުން | ||
Dogri | बंड | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pamamahagi | ||
Guarani | mboja'o | ||
Ilocano | panangiwaras | ||
Krio | sheb | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | دابەشکردن | ||
Maithili | बाटनाइ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯟꯊꯣꯛꯄ | ||
Mizo | semzai | ||
Oromo | raabsaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ବଣ୍ଟନ | ||
Quechua | aypuy | ||
Sanskrit | आवंटन | ||
Tatar | тарату | ||
Tigrinya | ምክፍፋል | ||
Tsonga | hangalasa | ||