Egg in Different Languages
Discover 'Egg' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The humble egg has been a staple in diets around the world for centuries. It is a symbol of new life and fertility in many cultures, and is often used in religious ceremonies and rituals. From the delicate French 'oeuf' to the hearty German 'Ei', the word for egg varies greatly between languages, reflecting the rich diversity of cultures and cuisines around the globe.
Did you know that the chicken egg we all know and love is not the only type of egg consumed by humans? From the tiny quail egg, popular in Asian cuisine, to the ostrich egg, which is large enough to feed a whole family, there is a wide world of eggs out there waiting to be explored.
Understanding the translation of the word 'egg' in different languages can open up new culinary possibilities and deepen your appreciation for the cultural significance of this versatile ingredient. So, whether you're a foodie, a language lover, or just curious about the world around you, join us as we explore the many translations of the word 'egg'.
Egg
Egg in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | eier | ||
| The word "eier" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "eieren", meaning both "eggs" and "testicles". | |||
| Amharic | እንቁላል | ||
| The word "እንቁላል" also refers to a type of small, round seed that is used as a bead or a game piece. | |||
| Hausa | kwai | ||
| The word "kwai" also means "kernel" or "core" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | akwa | ||
| In the Igbo language, 'akwa' shares a root word with 'nkwa' ('life') and is often used to represent strength and vitality, especially when referring to male offspring. | |||
| Malagasy | atody | ||
| The Malagasy word "atody" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "*ati" meaning "seed or egg". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dzira | ||
| In some dialects of Nyanja, "dzira" can also mean "fruit pit" or "hard-shelled seed." | |||
| Shona | zai | ||
| The word "zai" in Shona, meaning "egg," also refers to a bird's nest or a small, round object. | |||
| Somali | ukunta | ||
| The Somali word | |||
| Sesotho | lehe | ||
| The word "lehe" in Sesotho is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*k-lehe". This word is a cognate for the words "egg" in many Bantu languages. | |||
| Swahili | yai | ||
| In Swahili, "yai" is not only an egg, but also a type of fruit. | |||
| Xhosa | iqanda | ||
| "Iqanda" can also mean "egg-shaped" or "anything that is round or oval in shape." | |||
| Yoruba | ẹyin | ||
| In a metaphorical sense, "ẹyin" can also refer to a person or their physical being | |||
| Zulu | iqanda | ||
| In Zulu, the word for 'egg' is 'iqanda.' It is also used to refer to 'a round object' or 'a small quantity of something.' | |||
| Bambara | sɛfan | ||
| Ewe | koklozi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amagi | ||
| Lingala | liki | ||
| Luganda | ejji | ||
| Sepedi | lee | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kosua | ||
Egg in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بيضة | ||
| Hebrew | ביצה | ||
| The Hebrew word for 'egg' ('ביצה') also means 'marsh' or 'swamp' due to its association with aquatic environments where certain birds lay their eggs. | |||
| Pashto | هګۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "هګۍ" can also mean "a large ball of dough" | |||
| Arabic | بيضة | ||
Egg in Western European Languages
| Albanian | veza | ||
| The term "veza" derives from Proto-Albanian "*wēd-jā," signifying both "egg" and "testicle". | |||
| Basque | arrautza | ||
| The etymology of the Basque word "arrautza" is unknown, but it may be related to the Proto-Basque word "*arra" meaning "stone". "Arrautza" can also mean "testicle" or "ball" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | ou | ||
| In Catalan, "ou" not only means "egg" but can also refer to the egg of a bird or insect, or a ball used in games. | |||
| Croatian | jaje | ||
| The Croatian word "jaje" has a Proto-Slavic origin and is related to words for "apple" in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Danish | æg | ||
| Derived from Proto-Germanic *ajja, also cognate with English "egg". | |||
| Dutch | ei | ||
| The word "ei" can also refer to an oval-shaped object or a sore spot on the body. | |||
| English | egg | ||
| The word 'egg' derives from the Old Norse word 'egg', which also meant 'fear' or 'dread'. | |||
| French | oeuf | ||
| "Œuf" is also a slang term for a bump, lump, or swelling. | |||
| Frisian | aai | ||
| The Frisian word 'aai' ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂wei-, meaning 'bird'. | |||
| Galician | ovo | ||
| German | ei | ||
| The German word "Ei" can mean "egg" as well as the "core" of fruit like almonds or cherries, like the "heart" or "kernel" | |||
| Icelandic | egg | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "egg" can also mean the ridge of a mountain. | |||
| Irish | ubh | ||
| The Irish word "ubh" can also refer to the ovary or a stone used in divination. | |||
| Italian | uovo | ||
| The word "uovo" in Italian is derived from the Latin word "ovum", which means "egg" or "ovum". | |||
| Luxembourgish | ee | ||
| Ee can also mean the shape of an egg, an oval, or a person who is small and round. | |||
| Maltese | bajda | ||
| The Maltese word 'bajda' is derived from the Semitic root 'b-y-ḍ', meaning 'white'. | |||
| Norwegian | egg | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "egg" can also refer to an incitement or provocation. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ovo | ||
| Ovo' is the Portuguese word for 'egg', derived from the Latin 'ovum' meaning 'egg' or 'ovule'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ugh | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "ugh" can also refer to a nest or bird's egg, or to a small or insignificant person or thing. | |||
| Spanish | huevo | ||
| El término «huevo» proviene del latín «ovum» y también se utiliza para referirse a la zona central del volcán, donde se forma la lava. | |||
| Swedish | ägg | ||
| Ägg, meaning egg in Swedish, comes from the Old Norse egg and is related to the English word “edge,” as eggs have a sharp, pointed end. | |||
| Welsh | wy | ||
| Welsh "wy" comes from Proto-Indo-European "h₂éǵ₂-om," the source of Latin "ovum," Greek "ōón," and English "egg." | |||
Egg in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | яйка | ||
| The word "яйка" in Belarusian comes from the Old Slavic word "яико", which also meant "testicle". | |||
| Bosnian | jaje | ||
| In some contexts, 'jaje' can refer to chicken or bird excrement. | |||
| Bulgarian | яйце | ||
| The word "яйце" in Bulgarian likely comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*jaje", meaning "egg" or "testicle". | |||
| Czech | vejce | ||
| The word "vejce" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *jęi̯kъ, meaning "egg of a bird". | |||
| Estonian | muna | ||
| The word "muna" in Estonian is related to the Finnish word "muna" and the Hungarian word "tojás" and all mean "egg". | |||
| Finnish | kananmuna | ||
| The word 'kananmuna' is derived from the words 'kana', meaning 'chicken', and 'muna', meaning 'egg' in Finnish, indicating that the egg originates from a chicken. | |||
| Hungarian | tojás | ||
| In Hungarian, "tojás" also refers to the yellow yolk of an egg. | |||
| Latvian | olu | ||
| "Olu" also means "beer" in archaic Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | kiaušinis | ||
| "Kiaušinis" is the diminutive form of the word "kaušas", meaning "ladle" in Lithuanian, implying that it can hold something within. | |||
| Macedonian | јајце | ||
| In dialects, "јајце" can also mean "stone" or "head". | |||
| Polish | jajko | ||
| Jajo (egg) is derived from Proto-Slavic *jajce, which also meant "testicle", and is related to words for "testicle" in many other Slavic languages, such as Czech *jajce and Russian *яйцо (yaytso). | |||
| Romanian | ou | ||
| The Romanian word "ou" is thought to be derived from the Latin "ovum", but also bears similarities to "egg" in other Germanic languages. | |||
| Russian | яйцо | ||
| The word "яйцо" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*jęi̯kò", and is related to the Sanskrit word "aṇḍá" and the Latin word "ōvum", all meaning "egg". | |||
| Serbian | јаје | ||
| The word "јаје" (egg) in Serbian has a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be born" and thus cognate to "zoon" (life) in Greek. | |||
| Slovak | vajce | ||
| The word "vajce" in Slovak comes from the Proto-Slavic word *jaje, which means "testicle". | |||
| Slovenian | jajce | ||
| The noun jajce has different meanings depending on gender, and in some dialects it means "testicle" as well. | |||
| Ukrainian | яйце | ||
| "Яйце" is derived from the same Proto-Slavic root (*jajko) as the Russian "яйцо," the Czech "vejce" and the Slovene "jajce". | |||
Egg in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ডিম | ||
| The word "ডিম" can also mean "testicle" or "ovary" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ઇંડા | ||
| In Gujarati, "ઇંડા" also refers to an oval shape and can be used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Hindi | अंडा | ||
| "अंडा" in Hindi can also refer to a swelling or tumor, or the seed of a plant. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ | ||
| The word "ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ" (egg) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "*muttu", meaning "round object" or "bud". | |||
| Malayalam | മുട്ട | ||
| The term "മുട്ട" in Malayalam refers to eggs as well as the concept of a "beginning" or "origin". | |||
| Marathi | अंडी | ||
| "अंडी" (egg) can also mean "testicles" or "balls" in Marathi, a testament to the language's earthy humor. | |||
| Nepali | अण्डा | ||
| The word "अण्डा" (egg) comes from the Sanskrit word "अण्ड" (ball), which is also the origin of the English word "oval." | |||
| Punjabi | ਅੰਡਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਅੰਡਾ" (transliterated as "anḍā") originates from the Sanskrit word "अंड" (transliterated as "aṇḍa"), which also means "egg". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බිත්තරය | ||
| The Sinhala word බිත්තරය refers to the seed of a plant or the ovum of a female. | |||
| Tamil | முட்டை | ||
| "முட்டை" (egg) is also used to refer to a person with limited intellect or understanding. | |||
| Telugu | గుడ్డు | ||
| The word "గుడ్డు" (egg) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*kuḍu", meaning "a round object" or "a ball". | |||
| Urdu | انڈہ | ||
| The word "انڈہ" (egg) is derived from the Persian word "انده" (egg), which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word "अंड" (egg). | |||
Egg in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 蛋 | ||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蛋 | ||
| Japanese | 卵 | ||
| The word "卵" also means "testicle" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 계란 | ||
| The term "계란" (egg) originally referred to a "chicken egg" and later extended to include other types of eggs, like those laid by birds and fish. | |||
| Mongolian | өндөг | ||
| The word "өндөг" has a similar etymology to the Mongolian word for "moon" ("саран"), as they are both spherical objects in the sky. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဥ | ||
| In Myanmar, "ဥ (egg)" is also used figuratively to refer to a person's brain or intellect. | |||
Egg in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | telur | ||
| The Indonesian word "telur" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word "*teluq", meaning both "egg" and "seed". | |||
| Javanese | endhog | ||
| The Javanese word "endhog" can also refer to a fetus or an embryo, as well as to the yolk of an egg. | |||
| Khmer | ស៊ុត | ||
| The word ស៊ុត (egg) in Khmer may have originated from the Sanskrit word for | |||
| Lao | ໄຂ່ | ||
| The word ໄຂ່ is also used to refer to a type of percussion instrument made of bamboo. | |||
| Malay | telur | ||
| The word "telur" in Malay is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *teluʀ, meaning "egg". | |||
| Thai | ไข่ | ||
| Vietnamese | trứng | ||
| In Vietnamese, an egg is also called "quả trứng," where "quả" denotes a fruit, vegetable, or egg, and "trứng" is often used alone with the same meaning. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | itlog | ||
Egg in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yumurta | ||
| In Turkic, it is called yumurta or tuxum, possibly due to the resemblance of its round shape to the shape of an almond. | |||
| Kazakh | жұмыртқа | ||
| "Жұмыртқа", помимо значения "яйцо", используется еще в переносном смысле — «что-либо круглой формы» | |||
| Kyrgyz | жумуртка | ||
| The word "жумуртка" likely derives from the Mongolic *jumra*, meaning "testicle". | |||
| Tajik | тухм | ||
| The word "тухм" derives from the Persian word " تخم " which also means "seed" or "nucleus" | |||
| Turkmen | ýumurtga | ||
| Uzbek | tuxum | ||
| In Uzbek, "tuxum" can also refer to caviar, the unfertilized eggs of fish. | |||
| Uyghur | تۇخۇم | ||
Egg in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | huamoa | ||
| Huamoa shares a linguistic root with the word | |||
| Maori | hua manu | ||
| The Maori word "hua manu" not only means "egg", but also refers to young birds and fledglings. | |||
| Samoan | fuamoa | ||
| "Fuamoa" is a cognate of the Proto-Polynesian word *fuamoa, meaning "egg" but also "young offspring" of animals or people. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | itlog | ||
| The word "itlog" in Tagalog is derived from the Proto-Austronesian root word "*teluq", meaning "egg" or "embryo." | |||
Egg in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'anwa | ||
| Guarani | ryguasurupi'a | ||
Egg in International Languages
| Esperanto | ovo | ||
| The origin of "ovo" may be related to its similarity with the Latin "ovum" which also means "egg". | |||
| Latin | ovum | ||
| In Latin, the word "ovum" can also refer to offspring, embryo, or the uterus. | |||
Egg in Others Languages
| Greek | αυγό | ||
| The word "αυγό" in Greek comes from the word "αύγη," meaning "light" or "dawn," as eggs are often associated with the birth of new life. | |||
| Hmong | qe | ||
| The Hmong word "qe" may have originated from the Chinese word "鸡蛋" (jīdàn), meaning "egg". | |||
| Kurdish | hêk | ||
| The Kurdish word "hêk" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂eg-h₂" meaning "to lay an egg". | |||
| Turkish | yumurta | ||
| The word "Yumurta" in Turkish derives from the Persian word "Humorta" meaning "round object". | |||
| Xhosa | iqanda | ||
| "Iqanda" can also mean "egg-shaped" or "anything that is round or oval in shape." | |||
| Yiddish | יי | ||
| "יי" derives from Old High German "ei" and originally designated a bird's egg rather than a chicken egg. | |||
| Zulu | iqanda | ||
| In Zulu, the word for 'egg' is 'iqanda.' It is also used to refer to 'a round object' or 'a small quantity of something.' | |||
| Assamese | কণী | ||
| Aymara | k'anwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | अंडा | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިސް | ||
| Dogri | अंडा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | itlog | ||
| Guarani | ryguasurupi'a | ||
| Ilocano | itlog | ||
| Krio | eg | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هێلکە | ||
| Maithili | अंडा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯔꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | artui | ||
| Oromo | killee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅଣ୍ଡା | ||
| Quechua | runtu | ||
| Sanskrit | अंड | ||
| Tatar | йомырка | ||
| Tigrinya | እንቁላሊሕ | ||
| Tsonga | tandza | ||