Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'environmental' has become increasingly significant in our modern world. It refers to our surroundings and the various factors that impact the earth's ecosystems, including climate change, conservation, and sustainability. With the growing cultural importance of environmental issues, it's no surprise that many people are seeking to expand their knowledge of the word's translations in different languages.
Did you know that the word 'environmental' can be traced back to the 17th century, when it was used to describe the influence of one's surroundings on one's health and well-being? Today, the word has taken on a much broader meaning, encompassing the health of the planet and all its inhabitants.
Understanding the translations of 'environmental' in different languages can help us better appreciate the global impact of environmental issues and foster a sense of community in addressing these challenges. Here are a few sample translations:
Afrikaans | omgewing | ||
"Omgewing" is derived from the Dutch word "omgeving" meaning "surrounding" and is cognate with the English word "environment". | |||
Amharic | አካባቢያዊ | ||
Hausa | muhalli | ||
In Hausa, 'muhalli' can also mean 'surrounding' or 'environment' in a broader sense. | |||
Igbo | gburugburu ebe obibi | ||
This Igbo environmental concept literally denotes surrounding nature as well as surrounding culture. | |||
Malagasy | tontolo iainana | ||
The word TONTOLO IAINANA can also mean "the living world" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | zachilengedwe | ||
The root word 'zachilengedwe' is also found in terms such as "chilengedwe", meaning "nurture" and "lendera"," meaning "nourish or sustain." | |||
Shona | zvakatipoteredza | ||
Derived from 'zvakatipoteredza' meaning 'around the place', but is also understood as 'surrounding' or 'the environment'. | |||
Somali | deegaanka | ||
The word "deegaanka" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "diyānah", which means "religion" or "belief". In the context of environment, it refers to the shared values and beliefs that we have about our natural surroundings and how we should interact with them. | |||
Sesotho | tikoloho | ||
The word 'tikoloho' in Sesotho shares its root with the word 'ho loka', meaning 'to protect' or 'to guard'. | |||
Swahili | mazingira | ||
The word 'mazingira' derives from the Swahili 'mazingo', meaning 'circuit', 'surroundings', or 'circumference'. | |||
Xhosa | okusingqongileyo | ||
The word “okusingqongileyo” is derived from the Xhosa words “qonga” meaning “to build” or “create” and “ileyo” meaning “nature” or “environment.” | |||
Yoruba | ayika | ||
The term ayika in Yoruba is believed to have originated from the word "aye," meaning the world or universe. | |||
Zulu | ezemvelo | ||
Ezemvelo, a Zulu word meaning 'environmental', derives from 'izimvelo', which encompasses 'nature', 'customs', and 'values'. | |||
Bambara | sigida laminiko | ||
Ewe | nutome ƒe nɔnɔme | ||
Kinyarwanda | ibidukikije | ||
Lingala | ya ezingelo | ||
Luganda | eby’obutonde bw’ensi | ||
Sepedi | tikologo ya tikologo | ||
Twi (Akan) | nneɛma a atwa yɛn ho ahyia | ||
Arabic | بيئي | ||
The term is used in some Arabic countries alongside "حيوي" ("vital" or "organic") to mean "green" or "eco-friendly". | |||
Hebrew | סְבִיבָתִי | ||
The Hebrew word סְבִיבָתִי (environmental) derives from the root "סבב," meaning "to surround" or "to encompass." | |||
Pashto | چاپیریال | ||
The word "چاپیریال" also means "pertaining to the environment or nature" in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | بيئي | ||
The term is used in some Arabic countries alongside "حيوي" ("vital" or "organic") to mean "green" or "eco-friendly". |
Albanian | mjedisore | ||
A rare alternative meaning of the Albanian word "mjedisore" is "natural surroundings" | |||
Basque | ingurumenekoak | ||
"Ingurumenekoak" is a Basque abstract word derived from the word "ingurune", which is the Basque word for "environment". | |||
Catalan | mediambiental | ||
The Catalan word "mediambiental" has a more ecological connotation than its Spanish equivalent, as it emphasizes the relationship between the physical environment and living organisms. | |||
Croatian | okoliša | ||
"Okoliš" means "surroundings" and "environment" in Croatian, which is similar to the meaning of the English "environment". | |||
Danish | miljømæssigt | ||
In Danish, the word 'miljømæssigt' also pertains to human social environments, such as workplace culture and social circles. | |||
Dutch | milieu | ||
The Dutch word "milieu" is derived from the French word "milieu", which in turn comes from the Latin word "medius", meaning "middle". | |||
English | environmental | ||
Environmental refers not only to the natural world but also to human-made environments and their impact on our health and well-being. | |||
French | environnemental | ||
The word "environnemental" in French can also mean "surrounding" or "contextual". | |||
Frisian | miljeu | ||
It is derived from the French word milieu, which means "environment" or "surroundings". | |||
Galician | ambiental | ||
Coincides with the Galician word “ambiente'', meaning 'atmosphere' or 'environment' | |||
German | umwelt | ||
While "Umwelt" today is a term for all surrounding nature and environment, it originally was a German word referring strictly to what is around a human being or animal. | |||
Icelandic | umhverfislegt | ||
The Icelandic word "umhverfislegt" ultimately derives from the Old Norse "hverfa," meaning "to turn" or "to change." | |||
Irish | comhshaoil | ||
The word "comhshaoil" also means "common" or "shared" in Irish. | |||
Italian | ambientale | ||
The word 'ambientale' in Italian is derived from the Latin word 'ambire,' which means 'to go around,' and refers to the surrounding environment. | |||
Luxembourgish | ëmwelt | ||
"Ëmwelt" comes from the German word "Umwelt" (environment). It can also refer to one's surroundings or circumstances. | |||
Maltese | ambjentali | ||
In Maltese, "ambjentali" can also mean "surroundings" or "environment". | |||
Norwegian | miljø | ||
Miljø, derived from milieu, refers not just to the physical environment, but also the cultural and social environment of humans. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | de meio ambiente | ||
In Portuguese, "de Meio Ambiente" can also mean "of the Environment" or "of the Surrounding Environment." | |||
Scots Gaelic | àrainneachd | ||
The Scots word "àrainneachd" is cognate with the Welsh word "eirain" meaning "water spring". | |||
Spanish | ambiental | ||
The Spanish word "ambiental" originates from "ambiente," meaning "setting" or "milieu," and thus connotes both physical surroundings as well as the social and cultural context that shapes them. | |||
Swedish | miljö- | ||
The word 'miljö-' originates from the French 'milieu', meaning 'environment' or 'surroundings'. | |||
Welsh | amgylcheddol | ||
The Welsh term 'amgylcheddol' derives from 'amgylch' (surroundings) and 'edd' (nature), signifying the interconnectedness of the environment. |
Belarusian | экалагічны | ||
Экалагічны is used to describe both environmental issues and environmental sustainability in Belarusian. | |||
Bosnian | okoliša | ||
The word "okoliša" originally meant "surrounding" or "environment" in Old Slavic languages. | |||
Bulgarian | околната среда | ||
The word "околната среда" literally means "surrounding environment" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | životní prostředí | ||
Životní prostředí literally translates to "life environment". | |||
Estonian | keskkonna | ||
The Estonian word "keskkonna" derives from the word "kesk", meaning "center" or "middle". | |||
Finnish | ympäristöön | ||
The word ympäristöön is derived from the Finnish word "ympäri," meaning "around," and "stöön," meaning "to go," thus conveying the idea of "going around." | |||
Hungarian | környezeti | ||
The Hungarian word 'környezeti' also refers to the 'surroundings' or the 'environment' as a whole. | |||
Latvian | vides | ||
The Latvian word "vides" can also refer to the "surroundings" or "environment". | |||
Lithuanian | aplinkosaugos | ||
The word "aplinkosaugos" can also mean "environmentalism" in Lithuanian. | |||
Macedonian | еколошки | ||
The word 'еколошки' in Macedonian can also refer to ecological products or processes, emphasizing their environmental friendliness. | |||
Polish | środowiskowy | ||
The Polish word "środowiskowy" also means "pertaining to a social or professional group". | |||
Romanian | de mediu | ||
The Romanian word "de mediu" can also refer to something that has a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere. | |||
Russian | экологический | ||
The word "экологический" in Russian derives from the Greek "οἶκος", meaning "house" or "dwelling", and "λόγος", meaning "study". | |||
Serbian | животне средине | ||
The Serbian word "животне средине" has its roots in the Slavic word "живот" meaning "life", indicating a connection between environmentalism and the preservation of life. | |||
Slovak | environmentálne | ||
Environmentálne (environmental) may mean 'in an environmentally friendly manner' or 'in a way that affects or is affected by the environment'. | |||
Slovenian | okolje | ||
The word "okolje" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "okolo", meaning "around" or "about". | |||
Ukrainian | екологічний | ||
The word “екологічний” (“environmental”) comes from the Greek oikos (“house”) and logos (“science”). |
Bengali | পরিবেশগত | ||
"পরিবেষ্টিত" ('surrounded') অর্থ বহন করে পরিবেশগত (environmental) শব্দটি। | |||
Gujarati | પર્યાવરણીય | ||
Hindi | पर्यावरण | ||
The word 'पर्यावरण' is derived from the Sanskrit roots 'परि' (around), 'आ' (towards), and 'वरण' (to choose). It can also mean 'circumference', 'environment', 'surroundings', or 'context'. | |||
Kannada | ಪರಿಸರ | ||
ಪರಿಸರ can also mean "that which has been thrown around" in Kannada, likely referring to waste | |||
Malayalam | പാരിസ്ഥിതിക | ||
Marathi | पर्यावरणविषयक | ||
The Marathi word "पर्यावरणविषयक" is derived from the Sanskrit words "पर्यावरण" (environment) and "विषयक" (related to) and literally means "related to the environment". | |||
Nepali | वातावरणीय | ||
In Nepali, the word "वातावरणीय" can also refer to "meteorological". | |||
Punjabi | ਵਾਤਾਵਰਣ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරිසර | ||
"පරිසර" (environmental) in Sinhala comes from the Sanskrit word "परिसर" (parsara), meaning "surroundings" or "environment". | |||
Tamil | சுற்றுச்சூழல் | ||
The word 'சுற்றுச்சூழல்' literally means 'surrounding' or 'environment', and can also refer to the natural or built surroundings of a place, or the conditions in which something exists or occurs. | |||
Telugu | పర్యావరణ | ||
The Telugu word "పర్యావరణ" is derived from Sanskrit and can also mean "surrounding", "atmosphere", or "situation". | |||
Urdu | ماحولیاتی | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 环境的 | ||
环境的'也可以指'影响一个人或事物的外部条件'。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 環境的 | ||
環境的:在自然界中生存、發展的 | |||
Japanese | 環境 | ||
The word 環境 (kankyō) literally means "surroundings" and can refer to physical, social, or economic conditions. | |||
Korean | 환경 | ||
"환경" can also mean "surrounding circumstances" or "situation". | |||
Mongolian | байгаль орчин | ||
In Mongolian, "байгаль орчин" literally translates to "nature-environment" and also refers to the unique physical, biological, and cultural features of a specific geographic area. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | သဘာဝပတ်ဝန်းကျင် | ||
Indonesian | lingkungan | ||
"Lingkungan" can also mean neighborhood in Indonesian. | |||
Javanese | lingkungan | ||
Environmentally-conscious behavior in Javanese is known as _lingkungan_. | |||
Khmer | បរិស្ថាន | ||
បរិស្ថាន also means "surroundings" in Khmer, highlighting the interconnectedness of the environment. | |||
Lao | ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ | ||
Malay | persekitaran | ||
"Persekitaran" also means "surrounding" or "vicinity" in Malay. | |||
Thai | สิ่งแวดล้อม | ||
The word "สิ่งแวดล้อม" can also mean "context" or "surroundings". | |||
Vietnamese | thuộc về môi trường | ||
Thuộc về môi trường (environmental) là từ ghép giữa chữ 'environment' (môi trường) và chữ 'al' (thuộc về). | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kapaligiran | ||
Azerbaijani | ətraf mühit | ||
The word "ətraf mühit" in Azerbaijani is a compound word that literally means "around the world". It is equivalent to the English word "environment" in its most general sense. | |||
Kazakh | экологиялық | ||
The Kazakh word "экологиялық" is derived from the Greek word "οἶκος", meaning "house" or "habitat", and the suffix "-λογία", meaning "study of". | |||
Kyrgyz | экологиялык | ||
The word "экологиялык" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Greek word "oikos", meaning "house" or "habitat", and "logos", meaning "study". | |||
Tajik | экологӣ | ||
The Tajik word 'экологӣ' ('environmental') originated from the Greek words 'oikos' ('house') and 'logos' ('knowledge'). This indicates a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between the natural environment and human habitation. | |||
Turkmen | daşky gurşaw | ||
Uzbek | atrof-muhit | ||
The word "atrof-muhit" is derived from the Arabic word "atrefa", meaning "to perceive", and the Persian word "muhit", meaning "environment". | |||
Uyghur | مۇھىت | ||
Hawaiian | kaiapuni | ||
The word "kaiapuni" has several layers of meaning, encompassing both ecology and traditional Hawaiian values. | |||
Maori | taiao | ||
The word "taiao" in Maori has its origins in the concept of "cosmic order" and also refers to the "natural world". | |||
Samoan | siosiomaga | ||
The word "siosiomaga" is derived from the Samoan words "sio" (enclosed, wrapped, or surrounded) and "maga" (forest). | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kapaligiran | ||
The word "kapaligiran" is derived from the root word "paligid" meaning "surroundings" or "environment." |
Aymara | pachamamaru yäqaña | ||
Guarani | tekoha rehegua | ||
Esperanto | media | ||
The word "media" also means "means" in Esperanto. | |||
Latin | environmental | ||
**Environmental** derives from the Latin word *ambiēns*, which also means "surrounding" or "encircling." |
Greek | περιβαλλοντικό | ||
The word "περιβαλλοντικό" comes from the Greek word "περιβάλλον" meaning "surroundings" or "environment". | |||
Hmong | ib puag ncig | ||
Ib puag ncig is literally 'water and grass' or 'nature' and is also used to mean 'environment' | |||
Kurdish | jîngehparêzî | ||
The word also means 'guardian of life' in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | çevre | ||
"Çevre" in Turkish also means "surrounding" or "fence". | |||
Xhosa | okusingqongileyo | ||
The word “okusingqongileyo” is derived from the Xhosa words “qonga” meaning “to build” or “create” and “ileyo” meaning “nature” or “environment.” | |||
Yiddish | ינווייראַנמענאַל | ||
The word "ינווייראַנמענאַל" likely originated from the German word "Umweltbewegung" which means "environmental movement". | |||
Zulu | ezemvelo | ||
Ezemvelo, a Zulu word meaning 'environmental', derives from 'izimvelo', which encompasses 'nature', 'customs', and 'values'. | |||
Assamese | পৰিৱেশগত | ||
Aymara | pachamamaru yäqaña | ||
Bhojpuri | पर्यावरण के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
Dhivehi | ތިމާވެށީގެ ކަންކަމެވެ | ||
Dogri | पर्यावरण दा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kapaligiran | ||
Guarani | tekoha rehegua | ||
Ilocano | aglawlaw | ||
Krio | di envayrɔmɛnt | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ژینگەیی | ||
Maithili | पर्यावरणीय | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯀꯣꯌꯕꯒꯤ ꯐꯤꯕꯃꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯥꯡꯗꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯝ ꯊꯃꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | environmental lam thil a ni | ||
Oromo | naannoo | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପରିବେଶ | ||
Quechua | pachamamamanta | ||
Sanskrit | पर्यावरणीय | ||
Tatar | экологик | ||
Tigrinya | ከባብያዊ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
Tsonga | swa mbango | ||