Economics in Different Languages
Discover 'Economics' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Economics: a term that holds immense significance in our daily lives, shaping the world around us in profound ways. Derived from the Greek words 'oikos' meaning 'house' and 'nomos' meaning 'custom' or 'law', economics is the study of how individuals, businesses, and societies allocate scarce resources. Its principles are as essential to understanding the global marketplace as they are to managing our personal finances.
Beyond its practical applications, economics is deeply intertwined with our cultural fabric. It influences our values, decisions, and societal structures, often serving as a catalyst for change and progress. From the ancient barter systems to the complex digital currencies of today, economics has evolved dramatically, reflecting the zeitgeist of each era.
Understanding the translation of economics in different languages not only broadens our linguistic horizons but also offers a unique cultural perspective. For instance, in Spanish, economics is 'economía', in French, it's 'économie', while in Mandarin, it's '經濟學' (jīngjì xué).
Economics
Economics in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ekonomie | ||
| Afrikaans "ekonomie" originates from Greek "oikonomia," meaning "management of a household." | |||
| Amharic | ኢኮኖሚክስ | ||
| The word 'ኢኮኖሚክስ' is derived from the Greek word 'oikonomia', which means 'household management'. | |||
| Hausa | tattalin arziki | ||
| The Hausa word "tattalin arziki" has been used since at least the 19th century. | |||
| Igbo | akụnụba | ||
| The word 'akụnụba' in Igbo also refers to the system of allocating resources within a household or community. | |||
| Malagasy | toekarena | ||
| The Malagasy word "toekarena" is derived from the French word "économie" and the Malagasy word "karena", meaning "to manage" or "to govern". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zachuma | ||
| The word “zachuma” also refers to household budgeting and money management | |||
| Shona | economics | ||
| In Shona, the word 'hupfumi' which is an alternate for 'economics' is derived from the verb 'kuhuva' meaning 'to grow'. | |||
| Somali | dhaqaalaha | ||
| The word 'dhaqaalaha' is derived from the Arabic word 'iqtisad', meaning 'economy' or 'moderation'. | |||
| Sesotho | moruo | ||
| The word 'moruo' is derived from the Proto-Bantu word '*mu-lw-' which also means 'economics or trade'. | |||
| Swahili | uchumi | ||
| "Uchumi" in Swahili also refers to a marketplace or commercial enterprise | |||
| Xhosa | ezoqoqosho | ||
| Ezoqoqosho originates from the word 'qoqo', meaning 'to calculate', suggesting a deep-rooted understanding of numerical reasoning within the Xhosa vocabulary. | |||
| Yoruba | aje | ||
| The word "aje" in Yoruba is derived from the verb "aje," meaning "to be wealthy" or "to have money." | |||
| Zulu | ezomnotho | ||
| The word "ezomnotho" derives from the verb "ukunotha," meaning "to increase," and implies the management of resources to achieve financial growth. | |||
| Bambara | sɔrɔko siratigɛ la | ||
| Ewe | ganyawo ŋuti nunya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubukungu | ||
| Lingala | nkita ya nkita | ||
| Luganda | eby’enfuna | ||
| Sepedi | tša boiphedišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sikasɛm ho adesua | ||
Economics in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اقتصاديات | ||
| The Arabic word "اقتصاديات" can also refer to the financial aspects of a company or household. | |||
| Hebrew | כלכלה | ||
| The Hebrew word "כלכלה" (economics) also means "nurturing" and "providing for one's needs." | |||
| Pashto | اقتصاد | ||
| The word "اقتصاد" in Pashto can also mean "thrift" or "frugal | |||
| Arabic | اقتصاديات | ||
| The Arabic word "اقتصاديات" can also refer to the financial aspects of a company or household. | |||
Economics in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ekonomi | ||
| Basque | ekonomia | ||
| The Basque word "ekonomia" originally referred to the "management of a household". | |||
| Catalan | economia | ||
| The Catalan word "economia" comes from the Greek word "oikonomia," meaning "household management". | |||
| Croatian | ekonomija | ||
| 'Ekonomija' shares an etymology with the Greek word 'oikos', meaning 'house or household', which also relates to the words ecology and ecosystem. | |||
| Danish | økonomi | ||
| Økonomi is used in the sense of 'management', 'prudence', 'thrifty', and 'economy' and is derived from Old Norse 'œkonnomia,' from the Greek 'oikonomia', from 'oikos, "house" + nemein, "manage, distribute"'. | |||
| Dutch | economie | ||
| "Economie" means not only "economics," but also a small "kitchen cabinet" (usually containing spices or sugar). | |||
| English | economics | ||
| The English word "economics" derives from the Greek word "oikonomia" meaning "management of a household". | |||
| French | économie | ||
| The French word "économie" derives from the Ancient Greek word "oikonomia" meaning "household management". | |||
| Frisian | ekonomy | ||
| The Frisian word "ekonomy" is derived from the Greek word "oikonomia", meaning "household management". | |||
| Galician | economía | ||
| German | wirtschaft | ||
| The German word "Wirtschaft" originally referred to a place where food and drink were served, and its economic meaning developed from the sense of "household management." | |||
| Icelandic | hagfræði | ||
| The Icelandic word "hagfræði" originally referred to the science of housekeeping but gained its current meaning in the 18th century when it was coined by the Icelandic scholar and poet Jón Þorkelsson as a translation of the Danish word "økonomi" and the English word "economics." | |||
| Irish | eacnamaíocht | ||
| "Eacnamaíocht" derives from an Old Irish word that referred to "hospitality" or "a gift". | |||
| Italian | economia | ||
| "Economia" comes from the Greek oikonomia, "household management" and is related to the words oikos, "household" and nomos, "law, custom" | |||
| Luxembourgish | wirtschaft | ||
| In Luxembourgish the word "Wirtschaft" originally refers to the rural economy, whereas the word "Ekonomie" is used for general economics. | |||
| Maltese | ekonomija | ||
| The Maltese word "ekonomija" originally meant "regulation" or "management". | |||
| Norwegian | økonomi | ||
| Økonomi derives from the Greek words 'oikos' meaning 'house' and 'nomos', meaning 'law', 'order' or 'rule', thus literally meaning "household management" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | economia | ||
| "Economia" in Portuguese can also mean "saving" or "thrift". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eaconamas | ||
| Economics in Scots Gaelic is 'eaconamas', which also means 'economy', 'management' or 'household'. | |||
| Spanish | ciencias económicas | ||
| In Spanish, "ciencias económicas" literally translates to "economic sciences", implying a broader scope than just "economics" | |||
| Swedish | ekonomi | ||
| Ordet 'ekonomi' i svenskan kommer från grekiskans 'oikos' ('hus') och 'nomos' ('lag'). | |||
| Welsh | economeg | ||
| The origin of the Welsh word 'economeg' remains shrouded in uncertainty, with hypotheses linking it to Greek, Latin, and even Welsh roots. | |||
Economics in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | эканоміка | ||
| Bosnian | ekonomija | ||
| The term 'ekonomija' derives from Greek 'oikonomia' - household management. | |||
| Bulgarian | икономика | ||
| Икономика is derived from the Greek word "oikonomia," which means "management of a household". | |||
| Czech | ekonomika | ||
| Ekonomika in Czech can refer to the broad concept of "economy" or the narrower "economics". | |||
| Estonian | majandus | ||
| In Estonian, the word "majandus" originally referred to the provision of food, and is related to the verb "majandama," meaning to manage or maintain. | |||
| Finnish | taloustiede | ||
| Taloustajia referred to both the members of households or families and economics students as the word talous was used to describe householding. | |||
| Hungarian | közgazdaságtan | ||
| The Hungarian word "közgazdaságtan" (economics) is derived from the German word "Volkswirtschaft" (national economy). | |||
| Latvian | ekonomika | ||
| Ekonomika, the Latvian word for economics, also refers to an economy's state, with a good economy called a 'laba ekonomika' and a poor economy called a 'slikta ekonomika'. | |||
| Lithuanian | ekonomika | ||
| The Lithuanian word "ekonomika" is derived from the Greek word "oikonomia", meaning "household management" or "stewardship". | |||
| Macedonian | економија | ||
| Polish | ekonomia | ||
| Ekonomia in Polish can also refer to 'economy' or 'farming'. | |||
| Romanian | economie | ||
| "Economie" can also mean "economy of movement" in the context of ballet. | |||
| Russian | экономика | ||
| Serbian | економија | ||
| The Serbian word "економија" is derived from the Greek word "οικονομία", which originally meant "household management" or "administration of a household's resources". This meaning is still reflected in the modern Serbian usage of the word "економија". However, the word "економија" has also taken on the specialized meaning of "economics" in Serbian, referring to the study of how societies allocate scarce resources. | |||
| Slovak | ekonomika | ||
| The word ekonomika comes from the Greek word oikonomia, which means 'management of household affairs'. | |||
| Slovenian | ekonomija | ||
| "Ekonomija" is also used in Slovenian to describe a household or a farm, reflecting its historical usage in the Balkans. | |||
| Ukrainian | економіка | ||
| The term "економіка" in Ukrainian comes from the Greek root "oikos", meaning "house" or "home", indicating the study of household management. | |||
Economics in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অর্থনীতি | ||
| The word "অর্থনীতি" (economics) is derived from the Greek words "οἶκος" (house) and "νόμος" (law or custom), referring to the management of household resources. | |||
| Gujarati | અર્થશાસ્ત્ર | ||
| The term comes from the Sanskrit words "artha" (wealth) and "shastra" (science or doctrine). | |||
| Hindi | अर्थशास्त्र | ||
| The term "अर्थशास्त्र" has a broader meaning in Sanskrit, encompassing not just "economics" but also philosophy, ethics, and political science. | |||
| Kannada | ಅರ್ಥಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ | ||
| The word "ಅರ್ಥಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "artha" (wealth, meaning) and "shastra" (science, treatise), so it literally means "science of wealth or meaning." | |||
| Malayalam | സാമ്പത്തിക ശാസ്ത്രം | ||
| The term "Economics" derives from the Greek word "oikonomia," which originally referred to the management of a household. | |||
| Marathi | अर्थशास्त्र | ||
| The word "अर्थशास्त्र" in Marathi can also refer to the ancient Indian treatise on politics and economics written by Kautilya, which is considered one of the earliest and most influential works on the subject. | |||
| Nepali | अर्थशास्त्र | ||
| "अर्थशास्त्र" (economics) is also known as the "science of material welfare" and was originally interpreted as a system of "material arts" involving politics, military strategy, and trade, from the Sanskrit root **artha**. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਰਥ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰ | ||
| "ਅਰਥ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰ" शब्द संस्कृत के "अर्थ" (धन) और "शास्त्र" (विज्ञान) शब्दों से बना है। | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආර්ථික විද්යාව | ||
| Tamil | பொருளாதாரம் | ||
| Telugu | ఆర్థిక శాస్త్రం | ||
| The word "ఆర్థిక శాస్త్రం" is derived from the Greek words "oikos" (house) and "nomos" (law), referring to the management of a household or the rules that govern economic activity. | |||
| Urdu | معاشیات | ||
| The word "معاشیات" also means "livelihood" and derives from the Arabic word for "to live". | |||
Economics in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 经济学 | ||
| "经济学"源于古希腊语，意为"家庭管理之道"，与现代意义的"经济学"含义相去甚远。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 經濟學 | ||
| 「經濟學」來自「經濟」與「學」兩字，「經濟」源自「經世濟民」，意為管理國家、使人民富足，而「學」指研究、探討，故「經濟學」可理解為探討國家管理、人民富裕之學問。 | |||
| Japanese | 経済 | ||
| The ateji 'keizai' can be read as 'tsumori' ('budget'), and its original meaning was 'management of the family economy'. | |||
| Korean | 경제학 | ||
| The Korean word 경제학 (gyeongjehak) is derived from the Chinese word 经济学 (jīngjìxué), which means "the study of the economy" or "the science of economic management." | |||
| Mongolian | эдийн засаг | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စီးပွားရေး | ||
Economics in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ekonomi | ||
| The word 'ekonomi' is derived from the Greek word 'oikonomia', meaning 'household management' | |||
| Javanese | ekonomi | ||
| In Javanese "ekonomi" traditionally means "housekeeping" rather than "economics". | |||
| Khmer | សេដ្ឋកិច្ច | ||
| The Khmer word សេដ្ឋកិច្ច also means "the economy", in the sense of a "political or social system". | |||
| Lao | ເສດຖະກິດ | ||
| The origin of the Lao word ແສງທ້ອງ has been traced back to the Sanskrit root word which meant light or sunshine, and also to Thai language. | |||
| Malay | ekonomi | ||
| In Malay, “ekonomi” also encompasses meanings related to thriftiness and prudence. | |||
| Thai | เศรษฐศาสตร์ | ||
| The Thai word เศรษฐศาสตร์ combines the Sanskrit word अर्थ ( | |||
| Vietnamese | kinh tế học | ||
| Kinh tế học (economics) có nguồn gốc từ tiếng Hy Lạp oikonomia, có nghĩa đen là 'quản lý gia đình' hoặc 'quản lý tài sản'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ekonomiya | ||
Economics in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | iqtisadiyyat | ||
| "Iqtisadiyyat" is also used colloquially to refer to a person who is frugal or stingy. | |||
| Kazakh | экономика | ||
| The Kazakh word "экономика" is derived from the Greek word "οἰκονομία" which means "household management". | |||
| Kyrgyz | экономика | ||
| Tajik | иқтисодиёт | ||
| The word "иқтисодиёт" ultimately derives from the Greek word "oikonomia" meaning "household management". | |||
| Turkmen | ykdysadyýet | ||
| Uzbek | iqtisodiyot | ||
| The word "iqtisodiyot" also refers to the "rational use" of something. | |||
| Uyghur | ئىقتىساد | ||
Economics in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻokele waiwai | ||
| The Hawaiian word for economics, “ho'okele waiwai”, literally means "to steer wealth or resources". | |||
| Maori | ohanga | ||
| The word 'ohanga' is also used in Māori to mean a bag/purse for holding valuables. | |||
| Samoan | tamaoaiga | ||
| The Samoan word "tamaoaiga" literally translates to "family provider" and is associated with the idea of providing for one's family through economic means. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ekonomiya | ||
Economics in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | economía uka tuqita | ||
| Guarani | economía rehegua | ||
Economics in International Languages
| Esperanto | ekonomio | ||
| It comes from the Greek word "oikonomia", which originally referred to the management of a household rather than a nation or business. | |||
| Latin | oeconomica | ||
| The Greek term 'oikonomia' meant 'household management' and was the root for the Latin 'oeconomica' and the English 'economics'. | |||
Economics in Others Languages
| Greek | οικονομικά | ||
| "Οικονομικά" is Greek for "Economics", but is also used in a broader sense of "household management". | |||
| Hmong | kev khwv noj khwv haus | ||
| The word "kev khwv noj khwv haus" is derived from the Chinese word "经济学" (jīngjì xué), meaning "the science of economics". | |||
| Kurdish | aborî | ||
| "Aborî" is a Kurdish word with roots in the Akkadian word 'epru' (interest) and the Persian word 'ber' (burden), suggesting its ancient connections to financial and taxation matters. | |||
| Turkish | ekonomi | ||
| In Turkish, 'ekonomi' can also refer to the economy of a specific region, sector, or household. | |||
| Xhosa | ezoqoqosho | ||
| Ezoqoqosho originates from the word 'qoqo', meaning 'to calculate', suggesting a deep-rooted understanding of numerical reasoning within the Xhosa vocabulary. | |||
| Yiddish | עקאנאמיק | ||
| The Yiddish word "עקאנאמיק" ("economics") also means "stinginess". | |||
| Zulu | ezomnotho | ||
| The word "ezomnotho" derives from the verb "ukunotha," meaning "to increase," and implies the management of resources to achieve financial growth. | |||
| Assamese | অৰ্থনীতি | ||
| Aymara | economía uka tuqita | ||
| Bhojpuri | अर्थशास्त्र के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އިކޮނޮމިކްސް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | अर्थशास्त्र | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ekonomiya | ||
| Guarani | economía rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | ekonomia | ||
| Krio | ikɔnomi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئابووری | ||
| Maithili | अर्थशास्त्र | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯀꯣꯅꯣꯃꯤꯛꯁꯇꯥ ꯌꯨꯝꯐꯝ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | economics lam a ni | ||
| Oromo | dinagdee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅର୍ଥନୀତି | ||
| Quechua | economía nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | अर्थशास्त्रम् | ||
| Tatar | икътисад | ||
| Tigrinya | ስነ-ቑጠባ | ||
| Tsonga | ikhonomi | ||