Election in Different Languages
Discover 'Election' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Elections are a fundamental aspect of democratic societies, providing citizens the opportunity to choose their leaders and influence the direction of their nation. The significance of this cultural institution cannot be overstated, as it serves as the foundation for representation, equality, and participation in a society. Understanding the importance of elections in different languages can offer valuable insights into the cultural nuances and historical contexts that shape the political landscape of various countries.
For instance, the word for 'election' in Spanish is 'elección,' which stems from the Latin 'eligere' – meaning 'to choose.' In Germany, 'election' is translated as 'Wahl,' reflecting the country's rich political history and its commitment to democratic principles. Meanwhile, in Japan, 'election' is expressed as 'senkyo,' which highlights the country's unique blend of traditional and modern governance structures.
Discover the captivating world of elections through the lens of language and culture. Explore the list below to learn more about the translations of 'election' in various languages.
Election
Election in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verkiesing | ||
| Verkiesing stems from Middle Dutch word 'verkiezen' meaning 'to prefer', implying the election of the most preferred candidate. | |||
| Amharic | ምርጫ | ||
| The word "ምርጫ" is also used in Amharic to mean "choice" or "option". | |||
| Hausa | zabe | ||
| It can be argued that zaɓe in Hausa, meaning "vote" or "election," may derive from the word "zaɓo" in the same language, which means "to choose" or "to select." | |||
| Igbo | ntuli aka | ||
| The word "ntuli aka" can also refer to a gathering or assembly of people. | |||
| Malagasy | fifidianana | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "FIFIDIANANA" not only means "election", but also "the act of choosing" or "the act of judging something". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chisankho | ||
| The term **chisankho** also refers to any process of selection in everyday use. | |||
| Shona | sarudzo | ||
| The Shona word 'sarudzo' can also refer to 'divination' or 'choice' in a wider sense. | |||
| Somali | doorashada | ||
| In Somali, the word "doorashada" derives from the root "dooran," meaning "to choose," and is related to the Arabic word "ikhtiyar," sharing a common Semitic origin. | |||
| Sesotho | khetho | ||
| The word "khetho" in Sesotho originates from the verb "khetha," meaning "to choose or select" | |||
| Swahili | uchaguzi | ||
| The word "uchaguzi" also means "choice" or "selection" in Swahili | |||
| Xhosa | unyulo | ||
| The word "unyulo" in Xhosa also means "a call" or "a summons". | |||
| Yoruba | idibo | ||
| The word 'idibo' in Yoruba has alternate meanings such as 'time' or 'season'. | |||
| Zulu | ukhetho | ||
| The word "ukhetho" in Zulu comes from the verb "ukhetha," meaning "to choose." | |||
| Bambara | kalata | ||
| Ewe | tiatiawɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amatora | ||
| Lingala | maponami | ||
| Luganda | okulonda | ||
| Sepedi | dikgetho | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abatow a wɔpaw | ||
Election in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | انتخاب | ||
| The term اختيار (election) also has a religious connotation referring to God's determination of a person's destiny | |||
| Hebrew | בְּחִירָה | ||
| The word "בְּחִירָה" (election) also means "selection", "choice" or "decision", and derives from the root בּ-ח-ר (b-kh-r) which means "to select", "to choose" or "to make a decision." | |||
| Pashto | ټاکنې | ||
| The word "ټاکنې" in Pashto comes from the Persian word "انتخاب" (entekhab), meaning "choice" or "selection." | |||
| Arabic | انتخاب | ||
| The term اختيار (election) also has a religious connotation referring to God's determination of a person's destiny | |||
Election in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zgjedhje | ||
| In Albanian, "zgjedhje" can also refer to the act of selecting or choosing someone or something for a specific purpose. | |||
| Basque | hauteskundeak | ||
| The word hauteskundeak is formed by merging the Basque words hautatu 'to choose' and kundeak 'affairs'. | |||
| Catalan | elecció | ||
| In Catalan, "elecció" is also used to refer to the act of choosing a religious leader or representative. | |||
| Croatian | izbora | ||
| The Croatian word "izbora" is derived from the Old Slavic word "izbora" meaning "choice" or "decision." | |||
| Danish | valg | ||
| Valg originates from the Old Norse word 'val' meaning 'choice'. | |||
| Dutch | verkiezing | ||
| The Dutch verkiezing, 'election' originates in 'keuze', 'picking', thus related to the English verb to choose. | |||
| English | election | ||
| The word "election" comes from the Latin word "eligere", meaning "to choose". | |||
| French | élection | ||
| The French word "élection" (election) also refers to the right to choose and the result of that choice. | |||
| Frisian | ferkiezing | ||
| The word "ferkiezing" in Frisian is derived from the Old Frisian word "keria", meaning "choice". | |||
| Galician | elección | ||
| The Galician word "elección" is derived from the Latin word "electio", meaning "choice" or "selection." | |||
| German | wahl | ||
| The word "Wahl" comes from the Old High German "waljan", meaning "to choose" or "to elect". | |||
| Icelandic | kosningar | ||
| The word "kosningar" also means "chosen one" in Old Icelandic, a reference to the election of a king. | |||
| Irish | toghchán | ||
| The Irish word "toghchán" also means "selection" and is derived from the Old Irish word "togairm," meaning "summons" or "call." | |||
| Italian | elezione | ||
| The Italian word "elezione" also refers to the act of selecting a pope or other religious leader. | |||
| Luxembourgish | wahl | ||
| Luxembourgish "Wahl" is not only the cognate of English "well", but also means "mole". | |||
| Maltese | elezzjoni | ||
| The word "elezzjoni" in Maltese is derived from the Latin word "electio", meaning "choice". | |||
| Norwegian | valg | ||
| The word "valg" in Norwegian derives from the Old Norse word "val" meaning "choice" or "selection." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | eleição | ||
| The Portuguese word "eleição" derives from the Latin "electio," meaning "choice" or "selection." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taghadh | ||
| Taghadh, meaning 'choice', also refers to the act of selecting a person or group for a particular role or position. | |||
| Spanish | elección | ||
| In Spanish, "elección" means both "election" and "choice" or "option" and derives from the Latin "eligere," meaning "to choose"} | |||
| Swedish | val | ||
| Val derives from the Old Norse 'val', meaning choice or selection. | |||
| Welsh | etholiad | ||
| The word 'etholiad' is derived from the Welsh word 'ethol', which means 'to choose'. | |||
Election in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | выбары | ||
| The word "выбары" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *vorati, meaning "to choose" or "to select". | |||
| Bosnian | izbora | ||
| The word "izbora" derives from the Slavic term "izbirati", meaning "to choose" or "to select". | |||
| Bulgarian | избори | ||
| The Slavic word “избори” refers both to “election” and “chosen by God”; a similar connection of meanings is visible in Ancient Greek “ekloge” —“to choose” and —“the Chosen,” “the Elect”; or in the verb “to elect” that in Medieval Latin had “to pick out and to prefer as divine service” among its main meanings. | |||
| Czech | volby | ||
| In Russian, “Volby” (выборы) has a related term that also means “choice, desire or preference.” | |||
| Estonian | valimised | ||
| Valimised is derived from the verb "valima" meaning "to choose" and also serves as a synonym for "selection of one from several alternatives". | |||
| Finnish | vaaleissa | ||
| "Vaaleissa" is a cognate with the Estonian word "valimised", both deriving from the Proto-Finnic word "*waleh-". | |||
| Hungarian | választás | ||
| Hungarian 'választás' derives from the verb 'választ' meaning 'to separate', 'to distinguish' or 'to decide'. | |||
| Latvian | vēlēšanas | ||
| The word 'vēlēšanas' is derived from the verb 'vēlēt' which means 'to choose' or 'to want'. | |||
| Lithuanian | rinkimai | ||
| The root *renk- is of Proto-Indo-European origin and meant ‘to gather’. | |||
| Macedonian | избори | ||
| The word "избори" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "избирати", meaning "to choose" or "to select". | |||
| Polish | wybór | ||
| "Wybór" derives from the Old Slavic verb "obirati" meaning "to choose," and also refers to the act of choosing. | |||
| Romanian | alegerea | ||
| The word "alegere" in Romanian also means "choice" and comes from the verb "a alege" meaning "to choose". | |||
| Russian | выборы | ||
| The word 'выборы' ('election') is cognate with the word 'выбор' ('choice'), reflecting the idea that an election is a collective choice made by a group of people. | |||
| Serbian | избора | ||
| The Serbian word “избора” (izbora) is the plural form of the word “избор” (izbor), which can also mean “choice”. | |||
| Slovak | voľby | ||
| The word "voľby" also refers to a collective gathering or group of people in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | volitvah | ||
| The term 'volitvah' in Slovenian derives from the Proto-Slavic word 'voliti' and shares a root with the words 'will' and 'vote' in English. | |||
| Ukrainian | вибори | ||
| The word "вибори" also means "choice" or "option" in Ukrainian. | |||
Election in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নির্বাচন | ||
| The word "নির্বাচন" also means "choice" or "selection" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ચૂંટણી | ||
| ચૂંટણી means 'the act of choosing or making a formal choice' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | चुनाव | ||
| चुनाव means both "election" and "selection" in Hindi, and is derived from the verb चुनना (choose). | |||
| Kannada | ಚುನಾವಣೆ | ||
| The word "ಚುನಾವಣೆ" (election) in Kannada also means "a choice" or "a selection." | |||
| Malayalam | തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് | ||
| The Malayalam word തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് (election) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tri' (three), 'ranj' (to obtain), and 'up' (to gain or obtain), referring to the process of selecting one option from three or more candidates. | |||
| Marathi | निवडणूक | ||
| The word "निवडणूक" (nivadnuuk) in Marathi originates from the Sanskrit word "निवेदन" (nivedan), meaning "announcement" or "proclamation". | |||
| Nepali | चुनाव | ||
| चुनाव (chunav) comes from the Sanskrit word chuna, meaning "to choose or select." | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੋਣ | ||
| The word "ਚੋਣ" (election) in Punjabi also means "choice", "option", or "selection". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මැතිවරණ | ||
| The Sinhalese word “මැතිවරණ” also refers to a “contest to choose the best person or thing.” | |||
| Tamil | தேர்தல் | ||
| The Tamil word 'தேர்தல்' also refers to the act of 'selecting', or 'separating' one thing from another. | |||
| Telugu | ఎన్నికల | ||
| The word "ఎన్నికల" is derived from the Sanskrit word "निर्वाचन" (nirvācana), meaning "choice" or "selection." | |||
| Urdu | الیکشن | ||
| The word "الیکشن" is derived from the Latin word "eligere", meaning "to choose". | |||
Election in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 选举 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, "选举" also referred to a system of selecting and promoting officials and scholars based on their merits and virtues. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 選舉 | ||
| 選舉 (xuǎnjǔ) refers to both elections and the process of selecting a marriage partner. | |||
| Japanese | 選挙 | ||
| In Japanese, "選挙" (senkyo) literally means "choice by vote". | |||
| Korean | 선거 | ||
| 선거(election) is a Sino-Korean word derived from the Chinese characters "" which refers to "selection," "choice," or "electorate." | |||
| Mongolian | сонгууль | ||
| The word "сонгууль" can also refer to the act of choosing or selecting something. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရွေးကောက်ပွဲ | ||
Election in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pemilihan | ||
| The Indonesian word "pemilihan" derives from the root "pilih," meaning "to choose" and also refers to the process of natural selection. | |||
| Javanese | pamilihan | ||
| The Javanese word "pamilihan" is derived from the root "pilih" meaning "to choose". Similarly to the English language, it can refer to any type of selection, not just elections. | |||
| Khmer | ការបោះឆ្នោត | ||
| Although the Khmer word “ការបោះឆ្នោត” is commonly translated as “election,” it literally means “casting a vote” or “taking a ballot.” | |||
| Lao | ການເລືອກຕັ້ງ | ||
| The Lao word ການປຕນມກຣບຈຸກ was originally also used to mean 'vote' or 'balloting'. | |||
| Malay | pilihan raya | ||
| The word "pilihan raya" derives from "pilih" (to choose) and "raya" (great), hence "great choosing". | |||
| Thai | การเลือกตั้ง | ||
| การเลือกตั้ง refers to the process of picking a leader, but its root word also implies 'separation,' such as separating the grain from the chaff. | |||
| Vietnamese | cuộc bầu cử | ||
| Cuộc bầu cử (literally "the picking up vote event") derives from Hán nôm 舉選 (cử tuyển) with the same meaning. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | eleksyon | ||
Election in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | seçki | ||
| The word "seçki" is rooted in the Old Turkic verb "seç-", meaning "to choose" or "to select", and is cognate with the Turkish word "seçim" and the Kazakh word "saylau". | |||
| Kazakh | сайлау | ||
| The Kazakh word "сайлау" is also used to refer to the process of selecting a horse from a herd | |||
| Kyrgyz | шайлоо | ||
| The word "шайлоо" entered the Kyrgyz language from Arabic and Persian, where it meant "choosing, selecting". | |||
| Tajik | интихобот | ||
| The word "интихобот" is derived from the Persian word "entekhab" which means "choice" or "selection". | |||
| Turkmen | saýlaw | ||
| Uzbek | saylov | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "saylov" has no alternate meanings and its etymology is unknown. | |||
| Uyghur | سايلام | ||
Election in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | koho balota | ||
| "Koho" means "to choose" or "to select," and "balota" is derived from the English word "ballot." | |||
| Maori | pooti | ||
| The Maori word "pooti" also means "box" or "container," reflecting the traditional practice of holding elections in a whare pooti (voting box). | |||
| Samoan | palota | ||
| In Samoan, the word 'palota' can also mean 'a choice' or 'a decision'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | eleksyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "eleksyon" originates from the Spanish word "elección," which means "choice" or "selection." | |||
Election in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | chhijllañataki | ||
| Guarani | jeporavo rehegua | ||
Election in International Languages
| Esperanto | elekto | ||
| The word "elekto" is cognate with "elect" and "electrician" in English. | |||
| Latin | electio | ||
| "Elect" comes from the Latin "eligere" (to select), related to the noun "electio" (selection). | |||
Election in Others Languages
| Greek | εκλογή | ||
| Εκλογή originates from the verb εκλέγω (eklego), which also means "to choose" or "to select." | |||
| Hmong | kev xaiv tsa | ||
| The term "kev xaiv tsa" also means "the process of deciding or selecting" in the Hmong language. | |||
| Kurdish | hilbajartinî | ||
| The Kurdish word "hilbijartinî" comes from the Arabic word "al-ikhtiyār", meaning "choice" or "option". | |||
| Turkish | seçim | ||
| The word "seçim" is also used in Turkish to refer to the act of choosing or selecting | |||
| Xhosa | unyulo | ||
| The word "unyulo" in Xhosa also means "a call" or "a summons". | |||
| Yiddish | וואלן | ||
| The word "וואלן" in Yiddish is derived from the German word "Wahl" and can also refer to the act of spinning or the desire to go somewhere. | |||
| Zulu | ukhetho | ||
| The word "ukhetho" in Zulu comes from the verb "ukhetha," meaning "to choose." | |||
| Assamese | নিৰ্বাচন | ||
| Aymara | chhijllañataki | ||
| Bhojpuri | चुनाव के आयोजन भइल | ||
| Dhivehi | އިންތިޚާބެވެ | ||
| Dogri | इलेक्शन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | eleksyon | ||
| Guarani | jeporavo rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | eleksion | ||
| Krio | ilɛkshɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەڵبژاردن | ||
| Maithili | चुनाव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯈꯂꯗꯥ ꯃꯤꯈꯜ ꯄꯥꯡꯊꯣꯀꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | inthlanpui neih a ni | ||
| Oromo | filannoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିର୍ବାଚନ | ||
| Quechua | akllanakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | निर्वाचन | ||
| Tatar | сайлау | ||
| Tigrinya | ምርጫ | ||
| Tsonga | nhlawulo | ||