Fabric in Different Languages
Discover 'Fabric' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Fabric is a fascinating word, encompassing a wide range of materials woven, knitted, or felted together to create a versatile medium for clothing, upholstery, and art. Its significance extends beyond mere functionality, as fabric often holds deep cultural importance across the globe.
Throughout history, fabric has been a symbol of wealth, power, and status. In ancient Egypt, for instance, the quality and color of one's garments conveyed social standing. Similarly, in many Asian cultures, silk has long been associated with prosperity and luxury. Intricate patterns and motifs on fabrics can also reveal stories and traditions, making them a living testament to cultural heritage.
Understanding the translation of fabric in different languages can open doors to new cultural experiences and broaden your horizons. For instance, the French word for fabric is 'tissu,' while in Spanish, it's 'tela.' In German, fabric is 'Stoff,' and in Japanese, it's 'faburikku' (ファブリック).
Fabric
Fabric in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stof | ||
| The Afrikaans word "stof" originally meant "dust" but its meaning later extended to include "fabric". | |||
| Amharic | ጨርቅ | ||
| The word "ጨርቅ" can also mean "skin" or "membrane" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | masana'anta | ||
| The word 'masana'anta' in Hausa also means 'clothing' or 'dress'. | |||
| Igbo | akwa | ||
| The Igbo word "akwa" can also mean "cloth," "garment," "dress," or "clothing" | |||
| Malagasy | lamba | ||
| The word 'lamba' is a Malagasy word for a type of striped cloth, which can be used to make clothes or household items, and is also the Malagasy word for 'flag'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nsalu | ||
| Nsalu, a Chichewa fabric, shares its root with the word "uzalu" which translates to "brightness" or "light." | |||
| Shona | jira | ||
| In the Mhondoro dialect of Shona, "jira" refers to the cloth woven from the bark of the Mukwa tree. | |||
| Somali | dhar | ||
| The Somali word 'dhar' can also mean 'sheet', 'bedsheet', or a piece of cloth used as a wrap. | |||
| Sesotho | lesela | ||
| Lesela has similar roots to leseli, both meaning 'cover' or 'wrap,' indicating that the fabric could be used for clothing or for wrapping up other objects. | |||
| Swahili | kitambaa | ||
| The word "kitambaa" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "kitāb", meaning "book" or "writing", suggesting a connection between textiles and the written word in cultural history. | |||
| Xhosa | ilaphu | ||
| The word "ilaphu" can also refer to a type of traditional Xhosa skirt or blanket. | |||
| Yoruba | aṣọ | ||
| It is cognate with "aṣọ ọba," which means "the king's fabric" and "aṣọ bí ọgbẹ," which means "fabric that is like a leaf." | |||
| Zulu | indwangu | ||
| The Zulu word 'indwangu' is also used to describe a 'curtain' or 'covering'. | |||
| Bambara | finimugu | ||
| Ewe | avɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umwenda | ||
| Lingala | elamba | ||
| Luganda | akadeeya | ||
| Sepedi | lešela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ntoma | ||
Fabric in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قماش | ||
| The word "قماش" (fabric) in Arabic originates from the Greek word "καμβάς" (canvas), which ultimately derives from the Latin word "cannabis" (hemp). | |||
| Hebrew | בד | ||
| In ancient Hebrew, 'בד' could refer to the actual fabric or to the clothes made from it. | |||
| Pashto | پارچه | ||
| پارچه may also refer to the membrane of the heart in Pashto, stemming from its Arabic cognate قماش. | |||
| Arabic | قماش | ||
| The word "قماش" (fabric) in Arabic originates from the Greek word "καμβάς" (canvas), which ultimately derives from the Latin word "cannabis" (hemp). | |||
Fabric in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pëlhurë | ||
| The word "pëlhurë" in Albanian originates from the Latin word "pilus", meaning "hair". | |||
| Basque | ehuna | ||
| In Basque, "ehuna" also means "weaving" and "thread". | |||
| Catalan | tela | ||
| The Catalan word "tela" can also refer to a spider's web or a layer covering an organ. | |||
| Croatian | tkanina | ||
| The Slavic root *tъk-/*tьk- means to weave, and is also found in the word tkanica, "lace". | |||
| Danish | stof | ||
| The Danish word "stof" also means "substance" or "matter". | |||
| Dutch | kleding stof | ||
| A Dutch term for "fabric", "kleding stof" can also refer to the material for clothing or a textile. | |||
| English | fabric | ||
| The word 'fabric' derives from the Latin word 'fabrica', meaning 'workshop' or 'construction'. | |||
| French | en tissu | ||
| The phrase 'en tissu' also literally means 'in cloth' and refers to the fact that fabrics were traditionally made out of threads and cloth. | |||
| Frisian | stof | ||
| The word "stof" can also refer to "dust" in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | tecido | ||
| In Galician, the word "tecido" is also used to refer to "a network". | |||
| German | stoff | ||
| In Middle High German, “Stoff” also meant “theme” or “material.” | |||
| Icelandic | dúkur | ||
| In Old Norse, the word 'dúkr' meant 'coarse cloth' or 'sacking'. | |||
| Irish | fabraic | ||
| The Irish word 'fabraic' ultimately derives from the Latin 'fabrica', meaning 'workshop' or 'construction'. | |||
| Italian | tessuto | ||
| The word "tessuto" in Italian is derived from the Latin "textus," meaning "woven" or "interwoven," and also refers to the arrangement of organic cells. | |||
| Luxembourgish | stoff | ||
| "Stoff" also means "material" or "content" in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | drapp | ||
| "Drapp" is of Arabic origin and can also mean "sheet". | |||
| Norwegian | stoff | ||
| The Norwegian word "stoff" (fabric) is related to the English word "stuff" (material), both derived from the Old Norse word "stofn" (foundation). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tecido | ||
| "Tecido" comes from the Latin "texti" and also means "tissue" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | aodach | ||
| "aodach" may descend from "eodach" which means "raiment" or "dress." | |||
| Spanish | tela | ||
| In Spanish, "tela" can also refer to a spider web or a canvas. | |||
| Swedish | tyg | ||
| "Tyg" also means "to chew" in Swedish, as it is derived from the Old Norse word "tjuga," meaning "to chew or bite." | |||
| Welsh | ffabrig | ||
| The word "ffabrig" in Welsh also means "material, structure, system." | |||
Fabric in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тканіна | ||
| The word "тканіна" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *tъkati, meaning "to weave" or "to spin". It is cognate with the Russian word "ткань" and the Polish word "tkanina". | |||
| Bosnian | tkanina | ||
| The word "tkanina" in Bosnian also means "weave" or "texture". | |||
| Bulgarian | плат | ||
| The Bulgarian word "плат" also means "cloth spread" from Middle Bulgarian, meaning "material to be laid out". | |||
| Czech | tkanina | ||
| In Polish, "tkanina" means "fabric", while in Czech, it can also mean "weave" or "interwoven material." | |||
| Estonian | kangast | ||
| The word "kangast" in Estonian also refers to a hallucination or mirage. | |||
| Finnish | kangas | ||
| Kangas derives from the Proto-Uralic root *kana "thread, yarn, cloth", related to the Proto-Indo-European root *kaneh₂ "reed, hemp". | |||
| Hungarian | szövet | ||
| The Hungarian word "szövet" also means "tissue" in biology and "organisation" or "structure" in general. | |||
| Latvian | audums | ||
| Cognate with Lithuanian "audeklas" (fabric), the word "audums" may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *au-[dh], meaning "to weave". | |||
| Lithuanian | medžiaga | ||
| "Medžiaga" is derived from the Latin word "materia" which means "substance" or "matter". | |||
| Macedonian | ткаенина | ||
| In addition to meaning "fabric," the word "ткаенина" can also refer to "textile." | |||
| Polish | tkanina | ||
| In Polish, "tkanina" is derived from the verb "tkać" (verb, to weave), meaning a woven fabric. | |||
| Romanian | țesătură | ||
| The Romanian word "țesătură" comes from the Latin word "texere", meaning "to weave", and can also refer to a textural surface or a literary composition. | |||
| Russian | ткань | ||
| The word "ткань" also means "tissue" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | тканина | ||
| "Тканина" also means tissue (biological) or material (substance) | |||
| Slovak | látka | ||
| The word "látka" can also mean "matter" or "subject" in Slovak, reflecting its Latin origin "materia". | |||
| Slovenian | tkanine | ||
| The noun "tkanine" is derived from the verb "tkati", meaning "to weave". | |||
| Ukrainian | тканина | ||
| The word "тканина" shares a root with the verb "ткати", meaning "to weave". | |||
Fabric in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফ্যাব্রিক | ||
| Fabric in Bengali, ফ্যাব্রিক, can also refer to a textile with a specific weave or texture. | |||
| Gujarati | ફેબ્રિક | ||
| Fabric comes from the Latin "fabricare," meaning "to build" and is also related to "forge" and "factory." | |||
| Hindi | कपड़ा | ||
| The word "कपड़ा" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कपट", meaning "deceit" or "trickery", suggesting that fabrics were used to conceal or disguise in ancient times. | |||
| Kannada | ಫ್ಯಾಬ್ರಿಕ್ | ||
| "ಫ್ಯಾಬ್ರಿಕ್" (fabric) comes from the Latin "fabricare", meaning "to build" or "to create". | |||
| Malayalam | ഫാബ്രിക് | ||
| In Malayalam, 'fabric' can also mean 'structure' or 'framework'. | |||
| Marathi | फॅब्रिक | ||
| The Marathi word 'फॅब्रिक' ('fabric') originates from the Latin word 'fabrica', meaning 'workshop or factory', and is used to refer to a textile material created in such a setting. | |||
| Nepali | कपडा | ||
| The Nepali word “कपडा” derives from the Sanskrit “कपट” and is related to the Hindi word “कपड़ा” and the English word “carpet”. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੈਬਰਿਕ | ||
| "ਫੈਬਰਿਕ" (fabric) comes from French word "fabrik" which comes from Italian "fabbro" meaning "craftsman". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රෙදි | ||
| රෙදි (fabric) is cognate with Tamil ரொடி ('cloth') and Kannada ರೊಟ್ಟಿ ('cloth') and ultimately derives from Proto-Dravidian *reṭṭi ('cloth'). | |||
| Tamil | துணி | ||
| In Tamil, 'துணி' ('fabric') also means 'courage' or 'daring' | |||
| Telugu | ఫాబ్రిక్ | ||
| The word 'fabric' comes from the Latin word 'fabrica', which originally meant 'workshop' or 'construction' and eventually acquired the meaning of 'material used in manufacturing'. | |||
| Urdu | تانے بانے | ||
Fabric in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 布 | ||
| 布 is also used as a suffix in Chinese to indicate a material, such as in the word "棉布" (cotton fabric). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 布 | ||
| "布" also means "announcement" in a historical context. | |||
| Japanese | ファブリック | ||
| The Japanese word "ファブリック" (faburikku) comes from the English word "fabric" and also means "texture" or "material". | |||
| Korean | 구조 | ||
| "구조" is also used in Korean architecture to denote the framework that supports a roof | |||
| Mongolian | даавуу | ||
| The word 'даавуу' also refers to 'weaving', as it is derived from the verb 'даах' ('to weave'). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထည် | ||
| The word "ထည်" can also refer to a thread or a yarn. | |||
Fabric in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kain | ||
| The word 'kain' in Indonesian can also refer to a specific type of woven cloth used in traditional Javanese clothing. | |||
| Javanese | kain | ||
| In Javanese, "kain" also refers to a skirt worn by women or a sash worn by men. | |||
| Khmer | ក្រណាត់ | ||
| The word 'ក្រណាត់' ('fabric') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'karṇapātram', which means 'earthen vessel'. | |||
| Lao | ຜ້າ | ||
| ຜ້າ is borrowed from the Sanskrit word वस्त्र (vastra), which originally meant "garment". This meaning is also retained in the Lao word ຊຸດ (sud). | |||
| Malay | kain | ||
| In the Malay variant of Javanese, it is a term for sarong cloth worn by men, known as kain lunggi or kain sarung. | |||
| Thai | ผ้า | ||
| In Thai, "ผ้า" (fabric) is a homonym, also referring to money or banknotes in the context of a financial transaction. | |||
| Vietnamese | sợi vải | ||
| In Chinese, 'sợi vải' is another name for silk thread and in Japanese, it means "to sew". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tela | ||
Fabric in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | parça | ||
| The word "parça" in Azerbaijani also means "piece", "fragment", or "part". | |||
| Kazakh | мата | ||
| In Kazakh "мата" (fabric) is likely derived from the Persian word "mātā" and can also refer to a roll of cotton, bandages, or a mattress. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кездеме | ||
| The word “кездеме” is also used to refer to a type of traditional Kyrgyz felt rug known as a shyrdak. | |||
| Tajik | матоъ | ||
| The word "матоъ" in Tajik comes from the Persian word "مات" (māt), meaning "thread" or "cotton". It can also refer to a type of fine cotton fabric used for making clothing. | |||
| Turkmen | mata | ||
| Uzbek | mato | ||
| The word "mato" is derived from the Persian word "mātow", which means "fabric" or "cloth". | |||
| Uyghur | رەخت | ||
Fabric in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lole | ||
| While “lole” typically refers to a piece of fabric, it can also refer to a length of material worn around the waist, similar to a wrap-around skirt. | |||
| Maori | papanga | ||
| In Māori, `papanga` can also refer to a garment that is wrapped around the waist or worn like a kilt, known as a `kahu huruhuru`. | |||
| Samoan | ie | ||
| "Ie" is the Samoan word for "fabric" but is also used to describe other traditional or ceremonial clothing. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tela | ||
| In Spanish, "tela" means "web" or "membrane". | |||
Fabric in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tila | ||
| Guarani | ao | ||
Fabric in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝtofo | ||
| "Ŝtofo" is a Esperanto derivation of the Proto-Germanic "stukkaz" meaning "piece" or "segment". This likely refers to a length of fabric. | |||
| Latin | fabricae | ||
| The Latin word fabricae can also refer to workshops or factories. | |||
Fabric in Others Languages
| Greek | ύφασμα | ||
| Úφασμα also means "tissue" in medical contexts, in the sense of body tissue. | |||
| Hmong | ntaub | ||
| In Hmong, "ntaub" (fabric) also refers to clothing, textiles, and needlework. | |||
| Kurdish | mal | ||
| The term 'mal' finds roots in the Proto-Indo-European word '*meh₂lós', meaning 'wool or fleece'. | |||
| Turkish | kumaş | ||
| "Kumaş" also refers to a "piece of paper" and is related to the word "kuma" (sand). | |||
| Xhosa | ilaphu | ||
| The word "ilaphu" can also refer to a type of traditional Xhosa skirt or blanket. | |||
| Yiddish | שטאָף | ||
| The word "שטאָף" (fabric) is derived from the German word "Stoff" (substance). | |||
| Zulu | indwangu | ||
| The Zulu word 'indwangu' is also used to describe a 'curtain' or 'covering'. | |||
| Assamese | ফেব্ৰিক | ||
| Aymara | tila | ||
| Bhojpuri | कपड़ा | ||
| Dhivehi | ފޮތި | ||
| Dogri | कपड़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tela | ||
| Guarani | ao | ||
| Ilocano | tela | ||
| Krio | klos | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕیشاڵ | ||
| Maithili | कापिड़ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯤ | ||
| Mizo | puanthan | ||
| Oromo | huccuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କପଡା | ||
| Quechua | awa | ||
| Sanskrit | तान्तव | ||
| Tatar | тукыма | ||
| Tigrinya | ጨርቂ | ||
| Tsonga | lapi | ||