Fiber in Different Languages
Discover 'Fiber' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Fiber, a term we're all familiar with, is a type of carbohydrate that can't be broken down into sugar molecules, making it an essential component of a healthy diet. Found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, fiber promotes healthy digestion, helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, and aids in weight management. But did you know that the significance of fiber extends far beyond the realm of health and nutrition?
Throughout history, fiber has played a crucial role in various cultures and societies. For instance, in ancient Egypt, the linen industry, which relied heavily on flax fibers, was a significant contributor to the country's economy. Similarly, in India, cotton fibers have been used for centuries to create beautiful textiles that are now recognized and celebrated worldwide.
Given fiber's significance and cultural importance, it's no wonder that people might be interested in learning its translation in different languages. Here are a few examples to pique your curiosity:
- French: fibre
- Spanish: fibra
- German: Faser
- Mandarin: 纤维 (xiàn wěi)
- Japanese: 繊維 (sen'i)
Stay tuned for a more comprehensive list of translations of the word 'fiber' in various languages!
Fiber
Fiber in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vesel | ||
| "Vesel" is of Dutch origin and can mean "fiber", "strand", or "thread" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ፋይበር | ||
| ፋይበር (fiber) is used to refer to the edible outer layer (bran) of cereal grains. | |||
| Hausa | zare | ||
| "Zare" in Hausa can also mean "hair", and is likely derived from the Proto-Chadic word "*zar-" with the same meaning. | |||
| Igbo | eriri | ||
| "Ekwensu" is the Igbo word for "devil" and its origin is most likely the word "iriri" which refers to the root of a tree and the "eriri" of a tree is its most enduring part. | |||
| Malagasy | fibre | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "fibre" can also refer to "hair". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chikwangwani | ||
| The word "chikwangwani" also means "rope" in Nyanja and derives from the verb "kukwanga," meaning "to tie." | |||
| Shona | faibha | ||
| The word "faibha" can also refer to the "stringy parts of meat" | |||
| Somali | fiber | ||
| Somali "fiber" has multiple meanings, all relating to "something that connects things together." | |||
| Sesotho | faeba | ||
| The word "faeba" has a double meaning in Sesotho, referring to a type of wild vegetable as well as the fibrous stalk used in basket weaving. | |||
| Swahili | nyuzi | ||
| The word 'nyuzi' also means 'thread', 'cord', 'string' or 'yarn' in Swahili, making it a versatile term for various fibrous materials. | |||
| Xhosa | ifayibha | ||
| "Ifayibha" originates from "ifayiba," which refers to long, thin threads used to make baskets, mats, and ropes. | |||
| Yoruba | okun | ||
| The Yoruba word "okun" also refers to a type of traditional fabric woven from cotton or silk. | |||
| Zulu | ifayibha | ||
| The Zulu word "ifayibha" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "-yibha", meaning "to peel or scrape", and refers to the process of extracting fibers from plant matter. | |||
| Bambara | fibre (fibre) ye | ||
| Ewe | fiber | ||
| Kinyarwanda | fibre | ||
| Lingala | fibre ya fibre | ||
| Luganda | fiber | ||
| Sepedi | faeba ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fiber a ɛyɛ den | ||
Fiber in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأساسية | ||
| Hebrew | סִיב | ||
| Hebrew has three other meanings of סִיב that include "thick thread"; an "optical line in data communication" or a "type of rope" of plant-based material or plastic. | |||
| Pashto | فایبر | ||
| The word فایبر (fiber) is used to describe both physical fiber and fiber as it relates to telecommunication signals. | |||
| Arabic | الأساسية | ||
Fiber in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fibra | ||
| In Albanian, "fibra" can also refer to the core or central part of something. | |||
| Basque | zuntz | ||
| The term 'zuntz' is also used in Basque to refer to a type of fine wool or to the thread of a spiderweb. | |||
| Catalan | fibra | ||
| Catalan "fibra" stems from Latin "fibra" meaning "fiber" or "sinew", and also shares an etymology and usage with English "fiber" and "fibre". | |||
| Croatian | vlakno | ||
| The word "vlakno" originally meant "hair" or "wool" in Croatian and is related to the German word "Flachs" meaning "flax". | |||
| Danish | fiber | ||
| The Danish word "fiber" derives from Latin "fibra", meaning "thread" or "string". It also refers to "dietary fiber" or "roughage" in nutrition. | |||
| Dutch | vezel | ||
| A vezelszerkezet in Dutch can both refer to fabric texture and to the anatomical structure (connective tissue). | |||
| English | fiber | ||
| "Fiber" can also refer to a small lie or a person who habitually tells small lies. | |||
| French | fibre | ||
| In French, the word "fibre" can also refer to a moral or ethical principle. | |||
| Frisian | tried | ||
| The Frisian word "tried" originally meant "thread". | |||
| Galician | fibra | ||
| The Galician word "fibra" also means "vein" in some contexts. | |||
| German | ballaststoff | ||
| "Ballaststoff" comes from "Ballast" (ballast), as it used to be thought that the indigestible parts of fruits and vegetables weighed us down. | |||
| Icelandic | trefjar | ||
| The term "trefjar" not only refers to fibers, such as wool, but can also symbolize strength and courage in the face of adversity. | |||
| Irish | snáithín | ||
| Italian | fibra | ||
| The word "fibra" also means "vein" in Italian, coming from the Latin word "fibra" meaning "thread, filament". | |||
| Luxembourgish | glasfaser | ||
| Glasfaser is a compound of the words "Glas" and "Faser," meaning glass and fiber, and describes the material used in fiber optics. | |||
| Maltese | fibra | ||
| The word "fibra" in Maltese derives from the Italian word "fibra", meaning "fiber", and also refers to the strings of a musical instrument. | |||
| Norwegian | fiber | ||
| In Norwegian, "fiber" can also refer to small hairs around the eyes. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fibra | ||
| The word "fibra" in Portuguese also means "moral strength" or "resilience". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fiber | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "fiber" can also refer to a strong, coarse grass used for making ropes or mats. | |||
| Spanish | fibra | ||
| Fibra derives from the Latin word 'fibra', which means 'a small tuft of hair' | |||
| Swedish | fiber | ||
| The Swedish word "fiber" can also refer to the rough material on the back of animal hides used to make leather. | |||
| Welsh | ffibr | ||
| The Welsh word 'ffibr' is derived from the Latin 'fibra', meaning 'thread'. It can also refer to a thin piece of material or a strand of hair. | |||
Fiber in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абалоніна | ||
| The word "абалоніна" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *obolъ, meaning "string" or "rope". | |||
| Bosnian | vlakna | ||
| The word "vlakna" can also mean "hair" or "strand" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | фибри | ||
| In Bulgarian, "фибри" can also refer to the fibers found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. | |||
| Czech | vlákno | ||
| The word "vlákno" can also mean "thread" or "filament" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | kiud | ||
| Kiud can also refer to "strings" in a musical instrument context and "filaments" in the context of electricity. | |||
| Finnish | kuitu | ||
| Finnish "kuitu" ("fiber") also meant "thread" or "string" before the 18th century | |||
| Hungarian | rost | ||
| The Hungarian word “rost” originally referred to iron wire, and its meaning was later extended to other materials such as wool and cotton | |||
| Latvian | šķiedra | ||
| The Latvian word "šķiedra" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *skei- "to split". | |||
| Lithuanian | pluoštas | ||
| The word "pluoštas" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *pleu-, meaning "to float". | |||
| Macedonian | влакна | ||
| The word "влакна" in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "vl̥kna", which means "thread" or "strand". | |||
| Polish | błonnik | ||
| The word "błonnik" also refers to a type of fabric | |||
| Romanian | fibră | ||
| In Romanian, "fibră" can also refer to hair, muscles, nerves, or plants' vascular tissue. | |||
| Russian | волокно | ||
| In old Russian, "волокно" meant "strand" or "sinew".} | |||
| Serbian | влакно | ||
| "Влакно" comes from "влак" or "воло" (hair) and the suffix "-но" (indicates something made of the base word). | |||
| Slovak | vlákno | ||
| The word "vlákno" also means "hair" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vlakno | ||
| 'Vlakno' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *vlakno, meaning both 'fiber' and 'hair'. | |||
| Ukrainian | клітковина | ||
| The word "клітковина" is also used in Ukrainian to refer to plants or animals that live in or among the fibers of other plants. | |||
Fiber in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফাইবার | ||
| "ফাইবার" শব্দটি ইংরেজি "fiber" থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ হল কাঁচামাল বা আঁশ। | |||
| Gujarati | ફાઈબર | ||
| The word "fiber" comes from the Latin word "fibra", which means "thread" or "string". | |||
| Hindi | रेशा | ||
| "रेशा" is derived from Sanskrit "रज्जु" (rajjú), meaning "rope" or "cord", and also refers to the threads in textiles or the strands in hair. | |||
| Kannada | ಫೈಬರ್ | ||
| The word 'ಫೈಬರ್' (fiber) in Kannada is derived from the Latin word 'fibra', meaning 'thread' or 'cord'. | |||
| Malayalam | നാര് | ||
| The word 'നാര്' can also refer to the veins of a leaf, or the nerves or sinews of an animal. | |||
| Marathi | फायबर | ||
| In Marathi, फायबर (fiber) originates from the English word but also refers to "fabric" or "threads of cloth" | |||
| Nepali | फाइबर | ||
| The Nepali word 'फाइबर' can also refer to 'roughage' in the context of food or nutrition. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫਾਈਬਰ | ||
| The word for "fiber" in Punjabi, "ਫਾਈਬਰ," comes from the English word "fiber," which in turn derives from the Latin word "fibra," meaning "string" or "thread." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තන්තු | ||
| The Sinhala word "තන්තු" also refers to a musical string or thread, and its root word "තන්" means "to extend". | |||
| Tamil | ஃபைபர் | ||
| The word "ஃபைபர்" in Tamil can also refer to a type of traditional Indian loincloth worn by men. | |||
| Telugu | ఫైబర్ | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "fiber" can also refer to a specific type of cloth or the fibrous part of a plant used for making rope, paper, etc. | |||
| Urdu | فائبر | ||
| The word "فائبر" is derived from the Latin word "fibra", meaning "thread" or "strand". | |||
Fiber in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 纤维 | ||
| 纤维的本义指蚕丝，后来引申为任何细长的条状物或线状物，如肌肉纤维、光纤等。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 纖維 | ||
| In Chinese, 纤維 originally referred to the delicate veins in a leaf, but its meaning gradually expanded to include the thread-like structures found in plants and animals. | |||
| Japanese | ファイバ | ||
| "ファイバ"という言葉は、英語の"fiber"から来ており、植物の繊維、ガラス繊維、化学繊維など、さまざまな種類の繊維を指します。 | |||
| Korean | 섬유 | ||
| 섬유(Fiber)는 섬세하다(細)는 의미와 유연하다(柔)는 의미에서 만들어진 말로, 한국어에서도 유사한 어원을 가지고 있다. | |||
| Mongolian | шилэн | ||
| The word "шилэн" also refers to the filaments in plants, particularly jute or hemp | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖိုင်ဘာ | ||
| The word "fiber" in Myanmar can also refer to a group or bundle of items or to a particular kind of thread. | |||
Fiber in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | serat | ||
| Serat in the context of wayang theater refers to the story or plot of a performance. | |||
| Javanese | serat | ||
| It is a synonym for the word "urat", which also means "nerve" or "vein". | |||
| Khmer | ជាតិសរសៃ | ||
| Lao | ເສັ້ນໃຍ | ||
| In some contexts, it can also mean "grain" or "texture". | |||
| Malay | serat | ||
| "Serat" also refers to the nerves, ligaments and tendons that connect bodily tissues. | |||
| Thai | ไฟเบอร์ | ||
| The word "ไฟเบอร์" (fiber) in Thai also means "glass wool" and "plastic wool". | |||
| Vietnamese | chất xơ | ||
| The word "chất xơ" also means "roughage". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hibla | ||
Fiber in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | lif | ||
| The word "lif" in Azerbaijani also means "rope" and is cognate with the Persian word "rif" meaning "thread". | |||
| Kazakh | талшық | ||
| The Kazakh word "талшық" has multiple meanings, such as "a thin thread" and "a small, slender piece." | |||
| Kyrgyz | була | ||
| "Була" also refers to a strand or thread and can be used figuratively to describe something interconnected or interdependent. | |||
| Tajik | нахи | ||
| The word "нахи" in Tajik, in addition to its primary meaning of "fiber", also refers to the coarse hair on the body of animals or the thread of a spider | |||
| Turkmen | süýüm | ||
| Uzbek | tola | ||
| The word "tola" also refers to the fiber used in the manufacture of felt in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تالا | ||
Fiber in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | puluniu | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word 'puluniu' also refers to the innermost bark of the wauke plant, traditionally used for clothing and medicine. | |||
| Maori | muka | ||
| In Maori, "muka" also refers to the strong fibers of the New Zealand flax plant, traditionally used for making clothing, baskets, and other woven goods. | |||
| Samoan | alava | ||
| Alava is also the Samoan word for the 'filaments' of the coconut husk used to make sinnet. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hibla | ||
| "Hibla" is also a unit of weight used to measure loose hemp. | |||
Fiber in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | fibra satawa | ||
| Guarani | fibra rehegua | ||
Fiber in International Languages
| Esperanto | fibro | ||
| Esperanto's "fibro" derives from the Latin word for "fiber" and can also refer to the fibrous tissue of the body. | |||
| Latin | alimentorum fibra | ||
| Latin "alimentorum fibra" literally meant "the stringy part of food" and described the indigestible parts of fruits and vegetables. | |||
Fiber in Others Languages
| Greek | ίνα | ||
| The word "ίνα" can also mean "string" or "thread" in Greek, and derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ei-no-", meaning "string" or "cord". | |||
| Hmong | fiber ntau | ||
| The word "ntau" can also mean "rope" or "string" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | mûyik | ||
| The word "mûyik" in Kurdish has alternative meanings such as "hair" and "thread". | |||
| Turkish | lif | ||
| In Turkish, "lif" also refers to the edible inner bark of the linden tree and the woody stems of flax or nettle plants. | |||
| Xhosa | ifayibha | ||
| "Ifayibha" originates from "ifayiba," which refers to long, thin threads used to make baskets, mats, and ropes. | |||
| Yiddish | פיברע | ||
| The word "fiber" comes from the Latin word "fibra" meaning "thread" or "string", which is also where the English word "fiber" originates. | |||
| Zulu | ifayibha | ||
| The Zulu word "ifayibha" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "-yibha", meaning "to peel or scrape", and refers to the process of extracting fibers from plant matter. | |||
| Assamese | আঁহ | ||
| Aymara | fibra satawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | फाइबर के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ފައިބަރެވެ | ||
| Dogri | फाइबर दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hibla | ||
| Guarani | fibra rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | fiber ti lanot | ||
| Krio | fayv | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕیشاڵ | ||
| Maithili | रेशा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯥꯏꯕꯔ ꯂꯩ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | fiber a ni | ||
| Oromo | fiber jedhamuun beekama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫାଇବର | ||
| Quechua | fibra nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | तन्तुः | ||
| Tatar | җепсел | ||
| Tigrinya | ፋይበር ዝበሃሉ ምዃኖም ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | fibre ya fibre | ||