Founder in Different Languages
Discover 'Founder' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'founder' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a person who establishes something important, such as a company, organization, or institution. This individual is often a pioneer, a visionary, and a risk-taker who turns ideas into reality.
Beyond its business connotations, the term 'founder' is culturally important, appearing in various historical and literary contexts. For instance, in Greek mythology, the founder of Athens was the goddess Athena, symbolizing wisdom and courage. This illustrates the timeless admiration for those who initiate and lead significant endeavors.
Understanding the translation of 'founder' in different languages can be enlightening for global professionals and language enthusiasts. It showcases linguistic diversity and cultural nuances, allowing us to appreciate the common thread of innovation that runs through various societies.
Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- German: Gründer
- Spanish: Fundador
- French: Fondateur
- Mandarin: 创始人 (Chuàngshǐrén)
- Japanese: 設立者 (Seiritsusha)
Founder
Founder in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stigter | ||
| The word "stigter" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "stichten", meaning "to establish" or "to create". | |||
| Amharic | መስራች | ||
| መስራች (mesrach) comes from Geez "saracha" (to lay a foundation). | |||
| Hausa | kafa | ||
| Hausa 'kafa' also means 'to be the first' or 'to be the earliest'. | |||
| Igbo | onye nchoputa | ||
| Igbo 'onye nchoputa' translates to 'a person who cuts the head', but also means 'founder' in the sense of creating something new. | |||
| Malagasy | mpanorina | ||
| "Mpanorina" in Malagasy can also refer to a type of dance performed while holding a spear. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | woyambitsa | ||
| Shona | muvambi | ||
| The word 'muvambi' can also refer to a leader, initiator, or originator. | |||
| Somali | aasaasihii | ||
| The word "aasaasihii" can also refer to a "builder" or "establishment" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | mothehi | ||
| Swahili | mwanzilishi | ||
| The word "mwanzilishi" in Swahili comes from the verb "kuanzisha," which means "to start" or "to initiate." | |||
| Xhosa | umseki | ||
| The word "umseki" in Xhosa can also refer to a "stone" or "rock". | |||
| Yoruba | oludasile | ||
| The word 'oludasile' also means 'one who lays the cornerstone' or 'the first born child'. | |||
| Zulu | umsunguli | ||
| The term "umsunguli" can also refer to the act of initiating something, particularly something important or new. | |||
| Bambara | a sigibaga | ||
| Ewe | gɔmeɖoanyila | ||
| Kinyarwanda | washinze | ||
| Lingala | mobandisi | ||
| Luganda | omutandisi | ||
| Sepedi | mothei | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nea ɔhyehyɛɛ no | ||
Founder in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مؤسس | ||
| The Arabic word "مؤسس" also means "establisher," "originator," or "initiator." | |||
| Hebrew | מייסד | ||
| מייסד can also refer to a type of hammer used in masonry. | |||
| Pashto | بنسټ ایښودونکی | ||
| The Pashto word "بنسټ ایښودونکی" can also refer to a person who establishes or creates something, such as an organization or an institution. | |||
| Arabic | مؤسس | ||
| The Arabic word "مؤسس" also means "establisher," "originator," or "initiator." | |||
Founder in Western European Languages
| Albanian | themelues | ||
| "Themelues" comes from Greek "themelíōsis", meaning "base" or "foundation". | |||
| Basque | sortzailea | ||
| The Basque word "sortzailea" also means "creator" or "inventor". | |||
| Catalan | fundador | ||
| In Catalan the word fundador can refer to a founder or an investment fund manager. | |||
| Croatian | osnivač | ||
| The word "osnivač" derives from the verb "osnovati" meaning "to establish, found, or originate". | |||
| Danish | grundlægger | ||
| The Danish word "grundlægger" comes from the Old Norse word "grundleggja," which means "to lay a foundation." | |||
| Dutch | oprichter | ||
| It can also mean 'erect' or 'to put up,' particularly in the context of buildings. | |||
| English | founder | ||
| The word 'founder' is also used to describe the person who sinks a ship. | |||
| French | fondateur | ||
| In French, 'fondateur' originally meant 'melter,' from Latin 'fundere' 'to pour or melt.' | |||
| Frisian | oprjochter | ||
| The Frisian word "oprjochter" can also mean "forefather" or "ancestor". | |||
| Galician | fundador | ||
| In Galician "fundador" can also mean "smelter" | |||
| German | gründer | ||
| The word "Gründer" also has the meaning of "promoter" and is often used in the context of startups and entrepreneurship. | |||
| Icelandic | stofnandi | ||
| Stofnandi is a derivative of the verb 'stofna', meaning 'to establish' or 'to create', and can refer to various roles and contexts beyond the founding of an organization. | |||
| Irish | bunaitheoir | ||
| The Irish word "bunaitheoir" can also mean "establisher" and has a similar origin to the word "foundation." | |||
| Italian | fondatore | ||
| In the context of Italian art history, a | |||
| Luxembourgish | grënner | ||
| The word "Grënner" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Middle German and Low German word "gründer" and originally referred to a person who cleared a forest to create a new settlement. | |||
| Maltese | fundatur | ||
| The word "fundatur" in Maltese, meaning "founder", comes from the Latin word "fundare", meaning "to found or establish". | |||
| Norwegian | grunnlegger | ||
| The word "grunnlegger" in Norwegian can also mean "establisher" or "originator". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fundador | ||
| In the Portuguese speaking world, the word "fundador" is often associated with religious figures. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stèidheadair | ||
| The word "stèidheadair" (founder) in Scots Gaelic has the alternate meaning of "steward" or "trustee". | |||
| Spanish | fundador | ||
| In Spanish, "fundador" can also refer to a person who establishes a foundation, company, or institution. | |||
| Swedish | grundare | ||
| Swedish "grundare" (founder) comes from the same root as "ground," implying an entity that provides a stable foundation. | |||
| Welsh | sylfaenydd | ||
| The Welsh word 'sylfaenydd' has a dual meaning, also referring to a hermit, likely deriving from Proto-Celtic *selwo- 'solitude' or *selwo- 'owner, proprietor'. | |||
Founder in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | заснавальнік | ||
| The term "заснавальнік" can also refer to a co-founder or a charter member of an organization. | |||
| Bosnian | osnivač | ||
| The word 'osnivač' also means 'establisher' or 'originator' in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | основател | ||
| The word "основател" is also used to refer to "basis" or a "fundamental principle" | |||
| Czech | zakladatel | ||
| The word 'zakladatel' comes from the verb 'zakládat' and means to establish or start something new. | |||
| Estonian | asutaja | ||
| In Estonian, "asutaja" also means "initiator," "establisher," and "inventor." | |||
| Finnish | perustaja | ||
| In Estonia, "perustaja" is an archaic term for "owner" of a shop or small business. | |||
| Hungarian | alapító | ||
| In Hungarian, "alapító" can also refer to a "founder" of a company, organization, or idea. | |||
| Latvian | dibinātājs | ||
| The Latvian word "dibinātājs" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *dhebh- ("to establish, found"). | |||
| Lithuanian | įkūrėjas | ||
| The word "įkūrėjas" is derived from the verb "kurti" (to build, to create), and also means "builder" or "creator". | |||
| Macedonian | основач | ||
| The word основач, pronounced osnovach, comes from the Slavic verb osnovati, meaning to establish, and thus also carries the connotation of establishing something new. | |||
| Polish | założyciel | ||
| The verb "zakładać" has a broader meaning than just "establish"; it also means "assume (a task)" or "put on (an article of clothing)" | |||
| Romanian | fondator | ||
| In Romanian, "fondator" can also refer to a "donor" or a "benefactor". | |||
| Russian | основатель | ||
| The word "основатель" can also mean "originator" or "instigator" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | оснивач | ||
| The etymological root of "osnivač" is the verb "snovati" ("to set up, establish"), making its original meaning "one who has set up". It can thus have the additional meaning of "organizer", or someone who takes a leading role in organizing a group or other entity. | |||
| Slovak | zakladateľ | ||
| The Slovak word 'zakladateľ' comes from the Proto-Slavic verb 'klasti', meaning 'to put', 'to lay', 'to found'. | |||
| Slovenian | ustanovitelj | ||
| The word "ustanovitelj" in Slovenian also has the meaning of "founder". | |||
| Ukrainian | засновник | ||
| "Засновник" also refers to the first person to live in a particular place, such as the founder of a city. | |||
Founder in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রতিষ্ঠাতা | ||
| The word প্রতিষ্ঠাতা (pratishtata) is derived from the Sanskrit word pratishta, which means "to establish" or "to set up". | |||
| Gujarati | સ્થાપક | ||
| The word “સ્થાપક” comes from Sanskrit and is cognate with the English word “establish”. | |||
| Hindi | संस्थापक | ||
| संस्थापक (Founder) also means 'establisher', 'creator', or 'initiator'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಥಾಪಕ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ಥಾಪಕ" (founder) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "sthāpaka" meaning "establisher, creator" and also refers to "pillars" in architecture. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്ഥാപകൻ | ||
| In Malayalam, 'സ്ഥാപകൻ' can also refer to ancestors or descendants of the same family lineage. | |||
| Marathi | संस्थापक | ||
| The Marathi word "संस्थापक" is etymologically related to "सस्था" meaning assembly and institution and "स्थापना" meaning establishment, foundation and installation, and the root "स्था" (sthā). | |||
| Nepali | संस्थापक | ||
| The word संस्थापक (saṃsthāpak) in Nepali can also mean "ancestor" or "source". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਾਨੀ | ||
| The word "ਬਾਨੀ" in Punjabi can also mean "creator", "originator", or "initiator", with its root in the Sanskrit word "bahana" meaning "to speak out". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිර්මාතෘ | ||
| The Sinhalese word "නිර්මාතෘ" can also refer to a person who establishes or creates something. | |||
| Tamil | நிறுவனர் | ||
| The term 'நிறுவனர்' in Tamil refers specifically to the founder of an institution or organization and is not applied to founders of a dynasty or religion. | |||
| Telugu | వ్యవస్థాపకుడు | ||
| The Telugu word "వ్యవస్థాపకుడు" is derived from Sanskrit "व्यवस्थापक" which means "manager" or "administrator", hence it can also refer to someone who manages or runs an institution or organization. | |||
| Urdu | بانی | ||
| The word "بانی" also means "a builder" or "a creator" in Urdu. | |||
Founder in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 创办人 | ||
| The word '创始人' literally translates to 'establisher' and refers to the person who establishes an organization or entity. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 創辦人 | ||
| Also literally translated as 'person with an injury', a term from Chinese traditional medicine for an infection originating at one site and causing swelling at an adjacent joint. | |||
| Japanese | 創設者 | ||
| The word "創設者" can also mean "pioneer" or "originator" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 설립자 | ||
| 설립자 is a compound word combining the word 설립 (establishment) and 자 (person). | |||
| Mongolian | үүсгэн байгуулагч | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တည်ထောင်သူ | ||
Founder in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pendiri | ||
| "Pendiri" comes from "diri" meaning "self" or "body" and "pen" is a prefix meaning "instrument" or "machine", so it could translate to "self-instrument" or "self-machine". | |||
| Javanese | pangadeg | ||
| The word "pangadeg" in Javanese is derived from the word "adeg" which means "to stand" or "to be founded". | |||
| Khmer | ស្ថាបនិក | ||
| The word "ស្ថាបនិក" is derived from the Sanskrit word "sthāpana" meaning "to establish" or "to create". | |||
| Lao | ຜູ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງ | ||
| This word can also refer to the leader of a political party or religious group. | |||
| Malay | pengasas | ||
| The word 'pengasas' also means 'instigator' or 'initiator' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ผู้สร้าง | ||
| The word "ผู้สร้าง" can also mean "creator" or "founder" in a more general sense, and is often used in the context of religion or philosophy. | |||
| Vietnamese | người sáng lập | ||
| In Vietnamese, "người sáng lập" literally means "person who creates" and can also refer to the act of creating or establishing something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tagapagtatag | ||
Founder in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qurucu | ||
| "Qurucu" also means "establisher," "originator," and "creator" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | құрылтайшысы | ||
| In Kazakh, "құрылтайшы" can refer to a founder or charter member of an organization, as well as to a group of founders collectively. | |||
| Kyrgyz | уюштуруучу | ||
| In Kyrgyz language, "уюштуруучу" also means the name of one of the most popular national traditional dishes made by boiling lamb meat and internal organs together with potatoes and some herbs and spices. | |||
| Tajik | асосгузор | ||
| The word "асосгузор" in Tajik originally meant "the first born" and was derived from "асос" (creation) and "гузор" (birth). | |||
| Turkmen | esaslandyryjy | ||
| Uzbek | asoschisi | ||
| The word "asoschisi" can also refer to a "source" or "basis". | |||
| Uyghur | قۇرغۇچى | ||
Founder in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻokumu | ||
| In Hawaiian, "hoʻokumu" also means "to establish" or "to create". | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakarewa | ||
| "Kaiwhakarewa" can also mean "a person who causes a disturbance". | |||
| Samoan | faʻavae | ||
| The Samoan word "faʻavae" can also refer to a cornerstone, foundation, or basis. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tagapagtatag | ||
| The word 'tagapagtatag' in Tagalog is derived from the root word 'tatag', meaning 'to establish or set up'. It can also refer to a person who has the authority to institute or regulate something. | |||
Founder in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | utt’ayiriwa | ||
| Guarani | fundador | ||
Founder in International Languages
| Esperanto | fondinto | ||
| Esperanto 'fondinto' also means 'one who casts metal into a mould to form an object' (metal caster) | |||
| Latin | conditor | ||
| Conditor also meant "preserver" in Latin and was used as a synonym for Jupiter and Apollo. | |||
Founder in Others Languages
| Greek | ιδρυτής | ||
| The word 'ιδρυτής', in addition to meaning 'founder', can also be used to describe a guardian or protector. | |||
| Hmong | tus tsim | ||
| In Hmong, "tus tsim" also means "elder" or "senior, | |||
| Kurdish | avaker | ||
| The word "avaker" in Kurdish also means "father" or "ancestor" in some dialects. | |||
| Turkish | kurucu | ||
| The word 'kurucu' also means 'creative' in Turkish, highlighting the act of establishing or bringing something new into existence. | |||
| Xhosa | umseki | ||
| The word "umseki" in Xhosa can also refer to a "stone" or "rock". | |||
| Yiddish | גרינדער | ||
| גרינדער" ("founder") has alternate meanings in Yiddish, such as "establisher" or "starter of a business." | |||
| Zulu | umsunguli | ||
| The term "umsunguli" can also refer to the act of initiating something, particularly something important or new. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰতিষ্ঠাপক | ||
| Aymara | utt’ayiriwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | संस्थापक के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | ބާނީ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | संस्थापक ने दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tagapagtatag | ||
| Guarani | fundador | ||
| Ilocano | ti nangipasdek | ||
| Krio | di wan we mek am | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دامەزرێنەر | ||
| Maithili | संस्थापक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯥꯎꯟꯗꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | dintu a ni | ||
| Oromo | hundeessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠାତା | ||
| Quechua | kamaq | ||
| Sanskrit | संस्थापक | ||
| Tatar | нигез салучы | ||
| Tigrinya | መስራቲ | ||
| Tsonga | musunguri | ||