Elderly in Different Languages
Discover 'Elderly' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'elderly' holds a special significance in our society, as it refers to individuals who have rich life experiences and valuable wisdom to share. The term is not only a measure of age, but also a representation of respect and admiration for those who have paved the way for future generations. In many cultures, the elderly are revered and play essential roles in passing down traditions, customs, and cultural values.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'elderly' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how various societies view and treat their older members. For instance, in Japanese, the term 'roujin' (老人) is used to refer to the elderly, which directly translates to 'old person.' Meanwhile, in Spanish, 'anciano' (anciana for females) is the word for elderly, which also means 'ancient' or 'long-standing.'
Join us as we explore the translations of 'elderly' in a variety of languages, shedding light on the unique cultural perspectives and nuances surrounding the aging process.
Elderly
Elderly in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bejaardes | ||
| In 1830, "bejaardes" referred to someone in a state of decline (physical/mental). | |||
| Amharic | አረጋውያን | ||
| The word "አረጋውያን" is derived from the verb "ረገየ", meaning "to be old or mature". | |||
| Hausa | tsofaffi | ||
| Tsofaffi is a Hausa word that can also mean 'ancient' or 'long-standing'. | |||
| Igbo | agadi | ||
| The word "agadi" in Igbo is also used to describe a person of great wisdom and experience. | |||
| Malagasy | zokiolona | ||
| A word that is almost certainly derived either from the Arabic word 'sheikh' or (less probably) from Swahili 'mzee', both of which also mean 'elderly'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | okalamba | ||
| "Okalamba" can also refer to a revered elder or a wise person in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | vakwegura | ||
| "Vakwegura" also means "people who are born before you and have similar totems, regardless of their age." | |||
| Somali | waayeel | ||
| In Somali, 'waayeel' can also refer to the elders of a clan or lineage, and is used as a term of respect for them. | |||
| Sesotho | maqheku | ||
| Maqheku derives from the Sesotho verb "maqha", meaning "to speak," as elders were traditionally respected for their wisdom and knowledge. | |||
| Swahili | wazee | ||
| In Swahili, "wazee" can also refer to ancestors or elders with wisdom and experience. | |||
| Xhosa | abadala | ||
| The Xhosa word "abadala" can also mean "ancestors" or "forefathers." | |||
| Yoruba | agbalagba | ||
| The Yoruba word 'agbalagba,' while connoting old age or seniority, also implies venerability, wisdom, and the embodiment of cultural heritage. | |||
| Zulu | asebekhulile | ||
| The Zulu word "asebekhulile" comes from the root "-sekhulile" meaning "old" and the prefix "a-" indicating a person or thing. | |||
| Bambara | mɔgɔkɔrɔbaw | ||
| Ewe | amegaxoxo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abageze mu zabukuru | ||
| Lingala | mobange | ||
| Luganda | obukulu | ||
| Sepedi | batšofe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpanin | ||
Elderly in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كبار السن | ||
| "كبار السن" (elderly) in Arabic literally means "large in age," with some sources suggesting it may have originally meant "large in tribe or clan." | |||
| Hebrew | קשיש | ||
| "קשיש" (elderly) comes from the Hebrew word "קשה" (difficult), referring to the physical limitations of old age. | |||
| Pashto | زوړ | ||
| The word "زوړ" in Pashto not only refers to elderly people, but can also indicate old age or antiquity, as in "old customs" or "antique furniture." | |||
| Arabic | كبار السن | ||
| "كبار السن" (elderly) in Arabic literally means "large in age," with some sources suggesting it may have originally meant "large in tribe or clan." | |||
Elderly in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të moshuar | ||
| The Albanian word "të moshuar" (elderly) comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *mus-, meaning "old" or "gray-haired". | |||
| Basque | adinekoak | ||
| The word "adinekoak" in Basque means both "elderly" and "wise and experienced". | |||
| Catalan | gent gran | ||
| The Catalan term "gent gran" literally means "big people". | |||
| Croatian | starije osobe | ||
| The word “starije osobe” literally means “older people” in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | ældre | ||
| "Ældre" is the Danish word for "elderly" and is derived from the Old Norse word "aldr" meaning "age" or "life span." | |||
| Dutch | ouderen | ||
| The Dutch word "ouderen" is derived from the Old Dutch word "ôd", meaning "old", and originally referred to the elderly or aged. | |||
| English | elderly | ||
| The word "elderly" is derived from the Old English word "ealdor," meaning "chief," "governor," or "commander." | |||
| French | personnes âgées | ||
| The French term "personnes âgées" also refers to the age category of "senior citizens", meaning individuals over 60 years old. | |||
| Frisian | âlderein | ||
| The word âlderein is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *aldiz, which also meant "parent" and "ancestor". | |||
| Galician | anciáns | ||
| The Galician term "anciáns" is derived from Latin "ante-cianus" which translates as "older than the mountains" | |||
| German | alten | ||
| Der Ausdruck 'Alten' ist eine umgangssprachliche Verkürzung von 'Altvorderen' und bedeutet 'die Älteren' | |||
| Icelandic | aldraðir | ||
| Aldraðir (elderly) is derived from aldur (age) + the suffix -aðir, which indicates a quality or state, and originally meant 'of age'. | |||
| Irish | aosta | ||
| The word 'aosta' can also mean 'venerated' or 'honored', and is related to the word 'aos', meaning 'people' or 'folk'. | |||
| Italian | anziani | ||
| The Italian word "anziani" is the plural of "anziano" which comes from the Latin word for elderly, which is "antianus". | |||
| Luxembourgish | eeler | ||
| Maltese | anzjani | ||
| The word "anzjani" derives from the Arabic word "shāykh", meaning "old man" or "chief". | |||
| Norwegian | eldre | ||
| The word "eldre" in Norwegian comes from the Old Norse word "eldri", meaning "older" or "senior". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | idoso | ||
| In Portugal, "idoso" can also refer to a "retired person", while in Brazil it can refer to a "long-lived animal". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | seann daoine | ||
| Spanish | mayor | ||
| In Spanish, "mayor" can also refer to a city official or a military officer. | |||
| Swedish | äldre | ||
| In a 1725 dictionary, the word 'äldre' had meanings such as 'older', 'more advanced in years', and 'higher in rank'. | |||
| Welsh | oedrannus | ||
| The Welsh word "oedrannus" literally means "over the circle," referring to the idea of having lived a full life and completing the circle of existence. | |||
Elderly in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пажылыя | ||
| The Belarusian word "пажылыя" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "пажь" (servant) and originally meant "one who has served long and faithfully." | |||
| Bosnian | starije osobe | ||
| The word 'starije osobe' in Bosnian can also refer to 'ancestors'. | |||
| Bulgarian | възрастен | ||
| The word "възрастен" also means "mature" or "adult" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | starší | ||
| "Starší" also means "comparative degree" or "elder (in relation to a younger sibling)". | |||
| Estonian | eakad | ||
| Eakad can also refer to a council of elders in the Estonian community, with eak means wisdom and -d means suffix for action or state. | |||
| Finnish | vanhukset | ||
| The word "vanhukset" in Finnish is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "vanha" meaning "old or ancient". | |||
| Hungarian | idős | ||
| The Hungarian word "idős" also means "temporally" and is related to the word for "time" ("idő"). | |||
| Latvian | vecāka gadagājuma cilvēkiem | ||
| Latvian 'vecāka gadagājuma cilvēkiem' ('elderly') literally means 'of a more aged stride' or 'of older years'. | |||
| Lithuanian | senyvo amžiaus | ||
| The Lithuanian word "senyvo amžiaus" literally translates to "of old age". | |||
| Macedonian | стари лица | ||
| The word "стари лица" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*stari", meaning "old". | |||
| Polish | starsi | ||
| Starsi in Polish can also refer to a 'starszy', or 'an older member of an organisation', and comes from the word 'starzec', meaning 'old man'. | |||
| Romanian | vârstnici | ||
| The word vârstnici ultimately derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to ripen'. | |||
| Russian | пожилой | ||
| The word “пожилой” originally meant “lived” from the Old Russian “жити” and began to refer to an older age in the 18th century. | |||
| Serbian | старији | ||
| The word 'старији' (stariji) in Serbian has both a literal translation of 'elderly' and a more colloquial meaning of 'older sibling'. | |||
| Slovak | starší ľudia | ||
| The Slovak word "starší ľudia" can also refer to older people or ancestors generally, including those who are not necessarily elderly. | |||
| Slovenian | starejši | ||
| The word "starejši" originally meant "older" or "senior", but is now used to refer to the elderly. | |||
| Ukrainian | літні люди | ||
| The word "літні люди" literally translates to "summer people". | |||
Elderly in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রবীণ | ||
| The word "প্রবীণ" is also used to refer to someone who is skilled or experienced in a particular field | |||
| Gujarati | વૃદ્ધ | ||
| The word “વૃદ્ધ” also means “one who is grown in wisdom or experience” in Sanskrit. | |||
| Hindi | बुज़ुर्ग | ||
| The word "बुज़ुर्ग" in Hindi originates from the Persian word "buzurg", meaning "great" or "respected". | |||
| Kannada | ಹಿರಿಯರು | ||
| The word "ಹಿರಿಯರು" also refers to revered, respected, or senior figures in a community or family. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രായമായവർ | ||
| Marathi | वृद्ध | ||
| The word वृद्ध comes from the Sanskrit word "vriddhi", meaning "to increase" or "to grow", and can also refer to a senior citizen, an elder, or an old person. | |||
| Nepali | बुढा | ||
| In the context of kinship, the term "बुढा" can also refer to an uncle or an elder brother. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වැඩිහිටි | ||
| Tamil | முதியவர்கள் | ||
| Telugu | వృద్ధులు | ||
| The Telugu word "వృద్ధులు" can also refer to "mature" or "venerable" in a general sense beyond age. | |||
| Urdu | بزرگ | ||
| The word 'بزرگ' ('elderly') in Urdu can also mean 'great', 'important', or 'respected'. | |||
Elderly in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 老年 | ||
| 老年, 'old age', is also a philosophical term referring to the stage of life where one has gained wisdom and understanding. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 老年 | ||
| 老年 (Lǎonián) literally means "old year" or "old age" in Mandarin. | |||
| Japanese | 高齢者 | ||
| The term "高齢者" was coined in the late 19th century by a Japanese scholar who was inspired by the German word "Altersträger". | |||
| Korean | 노인 | ||
| 노인 is also used to refer to the ancestors and, specifically, the deceased father. | |||
| Mongolian | ахмад настан | ||
| The word "ахмад настан" can also refer to a person who is respected for their age and experience. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်ကြီးရွယ်အိုများ | ||
Elderly in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tua | ||
| "Tua" can also mean "senior" or "elder" in a respectful or formal context. | |||
| Javanese | sepuh | ||
| The word "sepuh" in Javanese also means "ancestor" | |||
| Khmer | ចាស់ជរា | ||
| The word "ចាស់ជរា" can also refer to a person who is old and venerable, especially in the context of religious or cultural practices. | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ສູງອາຍຸ | ||
| Malay | warga tua | ||
| The Malay word "warga tua" derives from the Sanskrit words "varga" (class or group) and "tua" (old). | |||
| Thai | ผู้สูงอายุ | ||
| The word "ผู้สูงอายุ" can also mean "senior citizen" or "the elderly". | |||
| Vietnamese | hơi già | ||
| "Hơi già" is derived from the word "hơi," meaning "slightly" or "a bit," and "già," meaning "old" or "mature." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matatanda | ||
Elderly in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yaşlı | ||
| The word "yaşlı" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "yāl", meaning "age" or "old". | |||
| Kazakh | қарттар | ||
| The word "қарттар" can also mean "old people" or "ancestors". | |||
| Kyrgyz | карылар | ||
| The word "карылар" can also refer to "old people" or "ancestors" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | пиронсолон | ||
| The word "пиронсолон" is derived from the Persian word "پیرانسالون" which means "old person". | |||
| Turkmen | garrylar | ||
| Uzbek | qariyalar | ||
| The word "qariyalar" is derived from the Arabic word "qarya," which means "village" or "settlement." | |||
| Uyghur | ياشانغانلار | ||
Elderly in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻelemakule | ||
| ʻElemakule also means chief or expert in the Hawaiian language. | |||
| Maori | koroheke | ||
| The term 'koroheke' may also refer to the 'koroheke', a native tree with distinctive bark. | |||
| Samoan | matutua | ||
| Matutua can also mean 'ancestor' or 'grandfather' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matanda | ||
| Matanda is derived from the root word 'tanda', which also means "mark" or "sign". | |||
Elderly in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jilïri | ||
| Guarani | tuja | ||
Elderly in International Languages
| Esperanto | maljunuloj | ||
| The Esperanto word "maljunuloj" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₃el- "to grow old". | |||
| Latin | senes | ||
| The Latin word "senes" is also used in plural when referring to a legislative assembly of old people in Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome. | |||
Elderly in Others Languages
| Greek | ηλικιωμένος | ||
| 'Ηλικιωμένος' can also mean 'adult', and it's related to the word 'ήλικα' ('age'). | |||
| Hmong | laus | ||
| The word "laus" in Hmong could either be a noun describing an elderly person or a verb meaning "to live long and well." | |||
| Kurdish | pîr | ||
| "Pîr" (elder, old) has multiple meanings in Kurdish. It can also refer to a teacher or a spiritual leader, or it can be used to describe something that is old or ancient. | |||
| Turkish | yaşlı | ||
| The word "yaşlı" comes from the Proto-Turkic word "yaş-, yaşa-," meaning "to live, to be alive." | |||
| Xhosa | abadala | ||
| The Xhosa word "abadala" can also mean "ancestors" or "forefathers." | |||
| Yiddish | עלטערע | ||
| "עלטערע" derives from the German word "altere" (older) and also means "parents." | |||
| Zulu | asebekhulile | ||
| The Zulu word "asebekhulile" comes from the root "-sekhulile" meaning "old" and the prefix "a-" indicating a person or thing. | |||
| Assamese | জ্যেষ্ঠ | ||
| Aymara | jilïri | ||
| Bhojpuri | बुजुर्ग | ||
| Dhivehi | ދުވަސްވީ މީހުން | ||
| Dogri | बजुर्ग | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matatanda | ||
| Guarani | tuja | ||
| Ilocano | natataengan | ||
| Krio | ol pɔsin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەتەمەنتر | ||
| Maithili | अधेड़ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯍꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | upa | ||
| Oromo | maanguddoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୃଦ୍ଧ | ||
| Quechua | yuyaq | ||
| Sanskrit | पितृव्य | ||
| Tatar | картлар | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓብዪ | ||
| Tsonga | mudyuhari | ||