Evolution in Different Languages
Discover 'Evolution' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Evolution is a fundamental concept that has shaped our understanding of the natural world. It refers to the process of gradual change and development that occurs over time, leading to the diversity of life we see today. This concept has been popularized by scientists like Charles Darwin, and has become a cornerstone of modern biology.
Beyond its scientific significance, evolution has also had a profound impact on culture and society. It has inspired countless works of art, literature, and philosophy, and has even shaped the way we think about our own place in the world. Moreover, understanding evolution can help us appreciate the intricate relationships between different species and ecosystems, fostering a greater sense of environmental stewardship.
Given its importance, it's not surprising that the word 'evolution' has been translated into many different languages around the world. For example, in Spanish, evolution is translated as 'evolución', while in French, it is 'évolution'. In German, the word is 'Evolution', and in Japanese, it is '進化' (shinka).
In the following list, you'll find even more translations of the word 'evolution' in a variety of languages, each reflecting the unique cultural and linguistic traditions of the people who speak them.
Evolution
Evolution in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | evolusie | ||
| In Afrikaans, "evolusie" can also refer to the process of "unfolding" (of a story, for example), or to the "course of events." | |||
| Amharic | ዝግመተ ለውጥ | ||
| The term "ዝግመተ ለውጥ" or "zigmete lewt" has also been used to refer to "development" or "progress" in the context of human society or technological advancements. | |||
| Hausa | juyin halitta | ||
| The Hausa word for 'evolution' is 'juyin halitta,' literally 'creation by changes'. | |||
| Igbo | mmalite | ||
| Mmalite can also refer to the "movement" that drives evolutionary processes or, at a less abstract level, the "reason" that some organisms "evolve" to fill particular ecological niches. | |||
| Malagasy | ny evolisiona | ||
| The word "ny evolisiona" is derived from the French word "l'évolution", meaning "the evolution". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chisinthiko | ||
| Shona | kushanduka | ||
| "Kushanduka" in Shona, may be related to the word "kutsanuka" which means to stretch the legs and back. | |||
| Somali | horumar | ||
| The word "horumar" in Somali can also mean "progress" or "improvement". | |||
| Sesotho | ho iphetola ha lintho | ||
| ''Iphetola'' means to ''turn'' or ''change'' while ''ha lintho'' means ''of things''. | |||
| Swahili | mageuzi | ||
| The Swahili word 'mageuzi' originally meant 'change' or 'revolution', and is related to the verb 'geuza' ('to change or turn'). | |||
| Xhosa | indaleko | ||
| The word "indaleko" also refers to a gradual change in physical appearance from one stage to another. | |||
| Yoruba | itiranyan | ||
| "Itiranyan" means "evolution" in Yoruba and also has meanings of "development" and "progress". | |||
| Zulu | kwemvelo | ||
| The word kwemvelo is a synonym of 'evolution' but it originally means 'the way of nature'. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛtaga | ||
| Ewe | tɔtrɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwihindurize | ||
| Lingala | komibimela | ||
| Luganda | enkyuukakyuuka | ||
| Sepedi | phetogo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsesaeɛ | ||
Evolution in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تطور | ||
| In Arabic, the word "تطور" (taṭawwur) shares its root with the word "طور" (ṭawr), meaning "stage" or "phase", underscoring its connotation of a processual, gradual change over time. | |||
| Hebrew | אבולוציה | ||
| This term originally referred to rolling away a stone and only later gained its scientific meaning. | |||
| Pashto | تکامل | ||
| The Pashto word "تکامل" also means "progress" or "development, | |||
| Arabic | تطور | ||
| In Arabic, the word "تطور" (taṭawwur) shares its root with the word "طور" (ṭawr), meaning "stage" or "phase", underscoring its connotation of a processual, gradual change over time. | |||
Evolution in Western European Languages
| Albanian | evolucioni | ||
| The Albanian word "evolucioni" derives from Latin and also means "development" or "progress". | |||
| Basque | bilakaera | ||
| From the ancient term "bilai" (change) and the nominal suffix "-kaera". | |||
| Catalan | evolució | ||
| Catalan "evolució" comes from Latin "evolutiō" meaning "an unrolling, an unfolding" and also "development". | |||
| Croatian | evolucija | ||
| Croatian "evolucija" also means "evolution" in Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Macedonian, Serbian, Montenegrin and Bosnian. | |||
| Danish | udvikling | ||
| Danish "udvikling" and German "Entwicklung" share the same root, "wickeln," meaning "to wrap" or "to unfold." | |||
| Dutch | evolutie | ||
| The Dutch word "evolutie" can also refer to the development or unfolding of a situation or process. | |||
| English | evolution | ||
| Evolution is a concept that originally referred to the development of an individual organism or species, but now is used more broadly to describe any process of change or development. | |||
| French | évolution | ||
| The French word "évolution" can also mean "progress" or "development". | |||
| Frisian | evolúsje | ||
| In Frisian, "evolúsje" can also refer to the process of changing into something else or the development of something over time, similar to its English cognate. | |||
| Galician | evolución | ||
| German | evolution | ||
| In German, "Evolution" can also refer to the process of developing or unfolding, as in "die Evolution eines Konzepts" (the evolution of a concept). | |||
| Icelandic | þróun | ||
| "Þróun" is a derivative of the verb "þrífa" (to thrive), which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic verb "*Þriban" (to grasp, seize, or grow). | |||
| Irish | éabhlóid | ||
| Italian | evoluzione | ||
| In Italian, "Evoluzione" can also refer to the act or process of unrolling, spreading out, or unfolding. | |||
| Luxembourgish | evolutioun | ||
| "Evolutioun" is the Luxembourgish word for "evolution" and is derived from the Latin word "evolvere", meaning "to unroll", "to develop", "to evolve". | |||
| Maltese | evoluzzjoni | ||
| The Maltese term evoluzzjoni originates from the French term evolution and ultimately from the Latin evolutio (“an unrolling, development”). | |||
| Norwegian | utvikling | ||
| "Utvikling" can also mean development or the creation of new ideas, such as artistic or scientific thought. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | evolução | ||
| In Portuguese, "evolução" can also mean "progression" or "development" in a broader sense. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mean-fhàs | ||
| The Gaelic word "mean-fhàs" also means "gradual change" or "progress". | |||
| Spanish | evolución | ||
| En español, "evolución" también significa "desdoblamiento" en un sentido culinario. | |||
| Swedish | evolution | ||
| "Evolution" is the same word in Swedish and English but it can also mean "development" or "unfolding" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | esblygiad | ||
| The word "esblygiad" is derived from the verb "esblygu," meaning "to unfold" or "to develop." | |||
Evolution in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | эвалюцыя | ||
| "Эвалюцыя" in Belarusian can also mean "evolution" in biology | |||
| Bosnian | evolucija | ||
| The word "evolucija" has the same meaning as evolution in English, but in Bosnian it also has the connotation of development or progress. | |||
| Bulgarian | еволюция | ||
| The Bulgarian word "еволюция" originates from the Latin word "evolutio", which means either "development" or "unrolling". | |||
| Czech | vývoj | ||
| The Czech word "vývoj" can also mean "development" or "progress". | |||
| Estonian | evolutsioon | ||
| In Estonian, the word "evolutsioon" originally meant "development", but it has since taken on the additional meaning of "evolution". | |||
| Finnish | evoluutio | ||
| Etymology: from Latin evolutio (unrolling), a noun of action akin to evolvere (roll out). | |||
| Hungarian | evolúció | ||
| In Hungarian, 'evolúció' can also refer to the act of unfolding or development. | |||
| Latvian | evolūcija | ||
| In Latvian, the word "evolūcija" also carries the meaning of "development" or "progress" in a more general sense. | |||
| Lithuanian | evoliucija | ||
| Although directly meaning "evolution," the term "evoliucija" also has the additional meanings of "development" and "progress."} | |||
| Macedonian | еволуција | ||
| The Macedonian word "еволуција" also means "progress" or "development". | |||
| Polish | ewolucja | ||
| In Polish, ewolucja means not only biological evolution, but also spiritual or psychological development. | |||
| Romanian | evoluţie | ||
| "Evoluţie" comes from Latin and means "unrolling, development", in Romanian also "evolution, transformation" | |||
| Russian | эволюция | ||
| The word "эволюция" can also mean "development" or "progress". | |||
| Serbian | еволуција | ||
| The word "еволуција" (evoliucija) in Serbian derives from Latin "evolutionem" and means both "evolution" and "development". | |||
| Slovak | vývoj | ||
| "Vývoj" also means "development" and, in the context of software, "deployment". | |||
| Slovenian | evolucija | ||
| "Evolucija" is derived from the Latin verb "evolvere," which means "to roll out" or "to unfold" | |||
| Ukrainian | еволюція | ||
| In Ukrainian, "еволюція" is also used to refer to the evolution of the world, mind or consciousness. | |||
Evolution in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিবর্তন | ||
| বিবর্তন can also mean "development" or "growth". | |||
| Gujarati | ઉત્ક્રાંતિ | ||
| Hindi | क्रमागत उन्नति | ||
| The Hindi word "क्रमागत उन्नति" (evolution) comes from the Sanskrit root words "क्रम" (order) and "गति" (movement), and its original meaning was "sequence" or "succession". | |||
| Kannada | ವಿಕಾಸ | ||
| The word "ವಿಕಾಸ" is cognate with "evolution" in English, implying a gradual change or development over time in various fields, not just biology. | |||
| Malayalam | പരിണാമം | ||
| The Malayalam word "പരിണാമം" can also refer to "change" or "transformation" more generally. | |||
| Marathi | उत्क्रांती | ||
| The word 'उत्क्रांती' can also mean 'emergence' and 'development' in Marathi, highlighting its broad semantic range. | |||
| Nepali | विकास | ||
| The Nepali word 'विकास' also has the alternate meaning 'development'. Nepali nouns often take on a broader range of meanings than their English equivalents. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਕਾਸ | ||
| The word "ਵਿਕਾਸ" in Punjabi has roots in Sanskrit and also means "development" or "progress" in some contexts. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විකාශය | ||
| The Sinhala word "විකාශය" (vikāśaya) is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "विकास" (vikāsa), meaning "development" or "expansion". | |||
| Tamil | பரிணாமம் | ||
| The Tamil word 'பரிணாமம்' or 'parinama' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'parinama', meaning 'change' or 'transformation'. | |||
| Telugu | పరిణామం | ||
| The word పరిణామం can also refer to a change or transformation, particularly in a positive sense. | |||
| Urdu | ارتقاء | ||
| The word ارتقاء comes from the same root as the word ترقی, which means 'progress' or 'advancement'. Additionally, it can also refer to 'ascent', 'elevation', or 'promotion'. | |||
Evolution in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 演化 | ||
| 演化 (yǎnhuà) literally means 'transformation' or 'unfolding,' with a broad range of meanings encompassing astronomy, ecology, and philosophy. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 演化 | ||
| "演化" also means "perform" in Chinese, as in acting out a play. | |||
| Japanese | 進化 | ||
| '進化' also means 'progress,' 'improvement,' 'advancement,' or 'development' in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 진화 | ||
| The Korean word '진화' (evolution) also means 'progress' or 'advancement' and is often used in a positive sense, unlike its English counterpart which can have negative connotations. | |||
| Mongolian | хувьсал | ||
| The Mongolian word "хувьсал" also means "transformation" and "change", suggesting a broader concept of evolution beyond biological processes. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆင့်ကဲဖြစ်စဉ် | ||
Evolution in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | evolusi | ||
| "Evolusi" also means "unfolding" or "unrolling". | |||
| Javanese | evolusi | ||
| "Evolusi" dalam bahasa Jawa juga berarti "perubahan" atau "pergeseran". | |||
| Khmer | ការវិវត្តន៍ | ||
| It also means a 'series of changes' or a 'process' and is found in expressions like "an evolutionary process of development." | |||
| Lao | ວິວັດທະນາການ | ||
| Malay | evolusi | ||
| The Malay word "evolusi" is derived from the Latin word "evolutio", meaning "unrollment" or "development". It can also refer to the process of unfolding or revealing, such as the evolution of a story or a plan. | |||
| Thai | วิวัฒนาการ | ||
| วิวัฒนาการ is also used to describe something like an 'event' or 'development' in a general sense, as well as an 'advancement' of or 'improvement' to something. | |||
| Vietnamese | sự phát triển | ||
| "Sự phát triển" (evolution) is an example of a loanword in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ebolusyon | ||
Evolution in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təkamül | ||
| The word 'təkamül' in Azerbaijani also has the alternate meaning of 'progress', 'advancement', and 'improvement'. | |||
| Kazakh | эволюция | ||
| The Kazakh word "эволюция" can also mean "development" or "progress". | |||
| Kyrgyz | эволюция | ||
| Слово «эволюция» заимствовано из латыни и в кыргызском языке используется в значении «развитие». | |||
| Tajik | эволютсия | ||
| The word "эволютсия" comes from the Latin word "evolutio", meaning "an unrolling". | |||
| Turkmen | ewolýusiýa | ||
| Uzbek | evolyutsiya | ||
| In Uzbek, “evolyutsiya” additionally means developing or undergoing a change, as a process or condition. | |||
| Uyghur | تەدرىجى تەرەققىيات | ||
Evolution in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | evolution | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'evolution' ('hoʻololi') also means 'change' or 'alteration'. | |||
| Maori | whanaketanga | ||
| The word "whanaketanga" can also mean "development", "growth", or "progress". | |||
| Samoan | evolusione | ||
| Samoan evolusione derives from the English, French, Spanish, and Italian word evolution which means the gradual development of something. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ebolusyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "ebolusyon" directly translates to "evolution" but also refers to "change". | |||
Evolution in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mayjt'awi | ||
| Guarani | mbokakuaa | ||
Evolution in International Languages
| Esperanto | evoluo | ||
| "Evoluo" is a Latin word meaning "to roll out, unfold, develop". | |||
| Latin | evolutio | ||
| Latin word evolutio, root of evolution, also means "unrolling" and describes the opening of a scroll. | |||
Evolution in Others Languages
| Greek | εξέλιξη | ||
| In Greek, the word "εξέλιξη" refers to the gradual unfolding or development of something, not just biological evolution. | |||
| Hmong | kev hloov | ||
| The term "kev hloov" in Hmong can also refer to the process of growth, development, or change in a more general sense. | |||
| Kurdish | pêşveçûnî | ||
| The Kurdish word 'pêşveçûnî' (evolution) is derived from the Persian 'pīshrafta'n ('progress') and shares the meaning of 'development' in both languages. | |||
| Turkish | evrim | ||
| In Turkish, "evrim" is also used to mean "change for the better" or "revolution" and "development" and can also refer to "a new and improved form of something." | |||
| Xhosa | indaleko | ||
| The word "indaleko" also refers to a gradual change in physical appearance from one stage to another. | |||
| Yiddish | עוואָלוציע | ||
| The Yiddish word "עוואָלוציע" also means "progress" or "development", suggesting a broader understanding of the concept beyond biological evolution. | |||
| Zulu | kwemvelo | ||
| The word kwemvelo is a synonym of 'evolution' but it originally means 'the way of nature'. | |||
| Assamese | ক্ৰমাগত বিকাশ | ||
| Aymara | mayjt'awi | ||
| Bhojpuri | क्रमिक विकास | ||
| Dhivehi | އިވޮލިއުޝަން | ||
| Dogri | विकास | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ebolusyon | ||
| Guarani | mbokakuaa | ||
| Ilocano | ebolusion | ||
| Krio | ɔltin kam bay chans | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پەرەسەندن | ||
| Maithili | क्रमागत उन्नति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯧꯔꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | thanglian chho | ||
| Oromo | jijjiirama tirannaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିବର୍ତ୍ତନ | ||
| Quechua | evolucion | ||
| Sanskrit | उन्नति | ||
| Tatar | эволюция | ||
| Tigrinya | ደፋእታዊ ለውጢ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzundzuluko | ||