Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'federal' holds immense significance in the realm of politics and governance, referring to a system in which power is divided between a central government and smaller regional governments. This concept is a cornerstone of many democratic nations, promoting a balance of power that respects both unity and diversity. The cultural importance of federalism can be seen in its implementation across the globe, from the United States to Germany, Switzerland, and Australia.
Given the wide reach of federalism, understanding the word 'federal' in different languages can be both enlightening and useful. For instance, in Spanish, 'federal' is 'federal'; in French, it's 'fédéral'; and in German, it's 'föderal'. These translations not only help in breaking language barriers but also provide insights into how different cultures perceive and practice federalism.
Delving into the translations of 'federal' uncovers a rich tapestry of global governance, showcasing the fascinating nuances of federalism in various linguistic and cultural contexts.
Afrikaans | federale | ||
In Afrikaans, "federale" is cognate with "federal" in English and refers to a political system governed by a central authority with regional units. | |||
Amharic | ፌዴራል | ||
The word 'ፌዴራል' can also refer to a 'union' or 'covenant'. | |||
Hausa | tarayya | ||
The term 'tarayya' is also used in Hausa to describe a type of traditional dance and musical performance. | |||
Igbo | gọọmenti etiti | ||
The Igbo word ''gọọmenti etiti'' originally referred to the central government under British colonial rule but now means simply ''federal''. | |||
Malagasy | federaly | ||
"Federaly" is also used to refer to something that is | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitaganya | ||
Shona | federal | ||
The word "federal" in Shona can also refer to a group of people united for a common purpose or cause. | |||
Somali | federaalka | ||
In Italian, another official language of Somalia besides Somali, 'federale' also means 'federal'. | |||
Sesotho | federale | ||
The word 'federale' is also used to refer to the federal government in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | shirikisho | ||
In the Swahili language, the word "shirikisho" also means "union" or "association". | |||
Xhosa | umanyano | ||
The word 'umanyano' can also refer to a 'united front' or 'common purpose', emphasizing its collective aspect. | |||
Yoruba | apapo | ||
The Yoruba word "apapo" can also refer to a "grouping of items" or a "set of items". | |||
Zulu | federal | ||
It can also mean 'of or pertaining to a federation or league' in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | fédéral ka | ||
Ewe | dziɖuɖua ƒe dziɖuɖu | ||
Kinyarwanda | federasiyo | ||
Lingala | fédéral | ||
Luganda | federal | ||
Sepedi | federal | ||
Twi (Akan) | aban a ɛwɔ ɔman no mu | ||
Arabic | الفيدرالية | ||
The word "الفيدرالية" is derived from the Latin word "foedus", meaning "covenant" or "treaty", and can also refer to a system of government in which power is shared between a central authority and constituent political units. | |||
Hebrew | פדרלי | ||
המונח "פדרלי" בעברית נגזר מהמילה הלטינית “fœdus” שמשמעותה “bרית” או “חוזה”. | |||
Pashto | فدرالي | ||
فدرالي is also used to refer to the government of a country or state. | |||
Arabic | الفيدرالية | ||
The word "الفيدرالية" is derived from the Latin word "foedus", meaning "covenant" or "treaty", and can also refer to a system of government in which power is shared between a central authority and constituent political units. |
Albanian | federale | ||
The Albanian word 'Federale' originates from the Latin word 'foederatio', meaning 'treaty' or 'alliance'. | |||
Basque | federala | ||
"Federala" in Basque comes from the Latin "foederatus," meaning "allied" or "confederate." | |||
Catalan | federal | ||
The term «federal» derives from the Latin word «foedus», which means «covenant» or «alliance». | |||
Croatian | savezni | ||
The word 'savezni' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'sъvęzь', meaning 'union' or 'alliance'. | |||
Danish | føderale | ||
The word "føderale" also has the alternate, older meaning of "covenant", a common meaning of "føderal" in many Germanic languages, and was formerly used in translations of the Bible to refer to the Ten Commandments. | |||
Dutch | federaal | ||
De term "federaal" wordt in het Nederlands ook gebruikt in de context van belastingen (federale belastingen) en overheidsdiensten (federale agentschappen). | |||
English | federal | ||
"Federal" derives from the Latin "foedus," meaning "covenant, alliance, agreement." | |||
French | fédéral | ||
Fédéral can also mean "of the faith" or "related to the federation" in French. | |||
Frisian | federaal | ||
De term 'federaal' is afkomstig van het Latijnse 'foedus', wat 'verbond' of 'overeenkomst' betekent. | |||
Galician | federal | ||
German | bundes | ||
The term 'Bundes' in German can also refer to a covenant, alliance, or league, signifying unity and mutual support. | |||
Icelandic | sambandsríki | ||
Sambandsríki is also used to refer to the three historical provinces of Iceland known as the Commonwealth of Iceland. | |||
Irish | cónaidhme | ||
Cónaidhme derives from the Latin 'foederari' ('to make a league') via the intermediate stage 'federatio'. The word "féideráisi" is also used to refer to a federation, but is derived from an English cognate with a different pronunciation from "cónaidhme". | |||
Italian | federale | ||
In Italian, 'federale' can also mean 'provincial' or 'regional'. | |||
Luxembourgish | bundesrot | ||
Maltese | federali | ||
The word 'federali' is derived from the Latin word 'foederatio', meaning 'treaty' or 'league'. | |||
Norwegian | føderal | ||
The word «føderal» can also mean «confederate». | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | federal | ||
The word "federal" in Portuguese can also mean "league" or "alliance". | |||
Scots Gaelic | feadarail | ||
The Scots Gaelic word 'feadarail' is derived from the Latin word 'foedus', meaning 'treaty' or 'alliance'. | |||
Spanish | federal | ||
La palabra "federal" se asocia a menudo con la idea de "unión", ya que se deriva de la palabra latina "foedus", que significa "alianza" o "tratado". | |||
Swedish | statlig | ||
The word 'statlig' can also mean 'dignified' or 'stately' in Swedish. | |||
Welsh | ffederal | ||
The Welsh term "ffederal" is etymologically related to "ffeder", both terms referring to "a covenant" or "an alliance". |
Belarusian | федэральны | ||
Bosnian | savezni | ||
The word 'savezni' can also refer to the 'Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina', one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. | |||
Bulgarian | федерален | ||
The word "федерален" also means "pertaining to a league" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | federální | ||
The word "federální" originated from the Latin word "foederatio," meaning "league" or "treaty." | |||
Estonian | föderaalne | ||
Föderaalne, like the words föderatsioon and föderalism, derives from the Latin word 'foedus', meaning 'league' or 'treaty'. As such, it is an older form of the word 'federal' in English. | |||
Finnish | liittovaltion- | ||
The Finnish word "liittovaltion-" means "federal", deriving from the German word "Bundesstaat", a league of states. | |||
Hungarian | szövetségi | ||
In addition to its primary meaning, "szövetségi" can also refer to alliances, unions, or agreements. | |||
Latvian | federālā | ||
In some contexts, "federālā" can also refer to "federal" law or the "federal" budget. | |||
Lithuanian | federalinis | ||
The word "federalinis" originates from the Latin word "foederatio", meaning "treaty" or "covenant". | |||
Macedonian | федерални | ||
"Федерални" can refer to "federal" in the sense of a government, "federal" in the sense of a type of tax, or "federal" in the sense of a type of system. | |||
Polish | federalny | ||
In Polish, the word "federalny" can also refer to the judiciary or a system of administration. | |||
Romanian | federal | ||
In Romanian, "federal" means not only "federal", but also "league", "covenant" or "pact". | |||
Russian | федеральный | ||
"Федеральный" в русском языке также означает "главный", например, "федеральная трасса". | |||
Serbian | савезни | ||
The word "savezni" (federal) is derived from the Serbian word "savez" (union), which can also refer to an alliance, a league, or a confederation. | |||
Slovak | federálny | ||
The Slovak word "federálny" can also mean "feudal" or "federation of states". | |||
Slovenian | zvezni | ||
'Zvezni' ultimately derives from 'star' in Slavic languages, implying a celestial body guiding the people. | |||
Ukrainian | федеральний | ||
In Ukrainian, "федеральний" can also refer to a union of states or organizations. |
Bengali | ফেডারেল | ||
In Bengali, "ফেডারেল" (federal) also means "relating to a federation or league" | |||
Gujarati | ફેડરલ | ||
The Gujarati word "ફેડરલ" (federal) is derived from the Latin word "foederatus", meaning "allied" or "united by a treaty". | |||
Hindi | संघीय | ||
The Hindi word 'संघीय' can also mean 'pertaining to a union' or 'collective'. | |||
Kannada | ಫೆಡರಲ್ | ||
The word 'ಫೆಡರಲ್' is derived from the Latin word 'foedus', meaning 'covenant' or 'treaty'. | |||
Malayalam | ഫെഡറൽ | ||
ফেডেরাল শব্দটির উৎপত্তি ল্যাটিন শব্দ 'ফেডাস' থেকে যার অর্থ 'চুক্তি' বা 'সম্মেলন'. | |||
Marathi | फेडरल | ||
In Marathi, "फेडरल" not only means "federal" but also refers to a "matchbox". | |||
Nepali | संघीय | ||
The word "संघीय" can also mean "confederate" or "federalist" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਸੰਘੀ | ||
The word "ਸੰਘੀ" can also refer to a member of a political party or organization that advocates for a federal system of government. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ෆෙඩරල් | ||
Tamil | கூட்டாட்சியின் | ||
Telugu | సమాఖ్య | ||
సమాఖ్య is derived from the Sanskrit word `samākh`, meaning 'to unite' which aligns with its use as 'federal'. | |||
Urdu | وفاقی | ||
The Urdu word 'وفاقی' (federal) is derived from the Arabic word 'وفاق' (harmony, agreement), indicating a system based on cooperation and shared interests. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 联邦 | ||
联邦 (federal) 在中文中具有两层含义:指联邦制国家和指代美国。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 聯邦 | ||
「聯邦」源自拉丁語「foedus」,意為「條約」或「聯盟」 | |||
Japanese | 連邦政府 | ||
The word "連邦政府" is also used in Japanese to refer to a government that is under the control of a central authority. | |||
Korean | 연방 | ||
연방, 연방제와 연합국가를 뜻하지만, 연맹국가와는 조금 다르다. | |||
Mongolian | холбооны | ||
The Mongolian word "холбооны" can also mean "of the union" or "related to the union". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖက်ဒရယ် | ||
Indonesian | federal | ||
In Indonesian, "federal" also means "connected with the state" and "organized into a federation." | |||
Javanese | federal | ||
In Javanese, "federal" also means "united" or "jointly". | |||
Khmer | សហព័ន្ធ | ||
The word "សហព័ន្ធ" is also used in Khmer to refer to a federation or union of states. | |||
Lao | ລັດຖະບານກາງ | ||
Malay | persekutuan | ||
The word 'persekutuan' also means 'communion' and 'association' in Malay. | |||
Thai | รัฐบาลกลาง | ||
The word "รัฐบาลกลาง" (federal) in Thai is derived from the Latin word "foedus", meaning "covenant" or "treaty". | |||
Vietnamese | liên bang | ||
Liên bang (federal) có nguồn gốc từ tiếng Latinh foederatio, có nghĩa là 'hiệp ước', 'liên hiệp' hoặc 'hợp nhất'. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pederal | ||
Azerbaijani | federal | ||
The word "federal" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a type of government or a union of states. | |||
Kazakh | федералдық | ||
The Kazakh word "федералдық" is derived from the Latin "foedus," meaning "covenant" or "treaty." | |||
Kyrgyz | федералдык | ||
The word "федералдык" is derived from the Latin word "foedus", meaning "treaty" or "covenant". The Kyrgyz term is a loanword from the Russian language. | |||
Tajik | федералӣ | ||
The word "федералӣ" ultimately derives from the Latin word "foedus", meaning "treaty" or "alliance". | |||
Turkmen | federal | ||
Uzbek | federal | ||
Uyghur | federal | ||
Hawaiian | pekelala | ||
In the old Hawaiian language, pekelala also means "a ruler that is a relative" | |||
Maori | federal | ||
In Māori, the word 'federal' is also used to describe a group or collection of things | |||
Samoan | feterale | ||
The Samoan word "feterale" also means "to have a covenant or agreement with someone." | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pederal | ||
The Tagalog word "pederal" is derived from the Spanish word "federal", meaning "relating to a union of states". |
Aymara | federal ukana | ||
Guarani | federal rehegua | ||
Esperanto | federacia | ||
The Esperanto word "federacia" is derived from the Latin word "foederatio", meaning "treaty", "alliance", or "federation" | |||
Latin | foederati | ||
In the late Roman empire, foederati referred to foreign tribes settled in Roman territory who provided military assistance in exchange for autonomy. |
Greek | ομοσπονδιακός | ||
The Greek word "ομοσπονδιακός" comes from the words "όμο" (same) and "σπονδή" (libation), and originally meant "bound by an oath". | |||
Hmong | tseem hwv | ||
"Tseem hwv" also means "all-encompassing" or "gathering together." | |||
Kurdish | fîdralî | ||
The word 'fîdralî' can also refer to a 'union' or 'league' in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | federal | ||
Federal kelimesi Latince 'foedus' (anlaşma) kelimesinden türemiştir ve ittifak, birlik anlamına gelir. | |||
Xhosa | umanyano | ||
The word 'umanyano' can also refer to a 'united front' or 'common purpose', emphasizing its collective aspect. | |||
Yiddish | פעדעראלער | ||
The Yiddish word "פעדעראלער" ultimately comes from the Latin word "foedus" meaning "covenant" or "treaty". | |||
Zulu | federal | ||
It can also mean 'of or pertaining to a federation or league' in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | ফেডাৰেল | ||
Aymara | federal ukana | ||
Bhojpuri | संघीय बा | ||
Dhivehi | ފެޑެރަލް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | संघीय | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pederal | ||
Guarani | federal rehegua | ||
Ilocano | pederal nga | ||
Krio | fedaral | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | فیدراڵی | ||
Maithili | संघीय | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯦꯗꯔꯦꯜ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯄꯤꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | federal a ni | ||
Oromo | federaalaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଫେଡେରାଲ୍ | | ||
Quechua | federal nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | संघीय | ||
Tatar | федераль | ||
Tigrinya | ፌደራል | ||
Tsonga | federal | ||