Frequency in Different Languages
Discover 'Frequency' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Frequency, a simple word that carries with it a world of meaning. It refers to the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time, but its significance goes far beyond this technical definition. In the realm of sound and light, frequency determines the color and pitch we perceive, shaping our sensory experience of the world. In the digital sphere, it's the foundation of data transmission, enabling the rapid exchange of information that powers our modern world.
But frequency's importance extends beyond the scientific and technological. It's a concept that resonates across cultures and centuries, featured in philosophical discussions, musical compositions, and even spiritual practices. From the vibrations of a Stradivarius violin to the hum of a Buddhist chant, frequency is a universal language that transcends borders and binds us together.
Given this rich cultural significance, it's no surprise that many languages have their own unique terms for frequency. Whether you're a linguist, a cultural enthusiast, or simply curious, understanding these translations can offer a fascinating glimpse into the diverse ways different cultures conceptualize and interact with the world.
Here are some translations of the word 'frequency' in different languages:
Frequency
Frequency in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | frekwensie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "frekwensie" comes from the Dutch word "frequentie", which in turn is derived from the Latin word "frequentia", meaning "a crowd" or "a throng". | |||
| Amharic | ድግግሞሽ | ||
| The word "ድግግሞሽ" can be traced back to the root "ድግ" (dig) and the suffix "ሞሽ" (mosh). | |||
| Hausa | mita | ||
| "Mita" also means "habit" or "custom" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ugboro ole | ||
| "Ugboro ole" means "repetition" and is derived from the Igbo word "ole," meaning "repeat." | |||
| Malagasy | hatetika | ||
| The word "hatetika" is an onomatopoeia derived from a word that means "a rapid knocking sound" (hatetaka), which also denotes the rhythm of "talking rapidly". In a metaphoric sense, "hatetika" has come to mean "frequency", as well as referring to "constant chatter" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mafupipafupi | ||
| The word "mafupipafupi" in Nyanja also means "often" or "frequently". | |||
| Shona | frequency | ||
| In Shona, "frequency" can also refer to the rate or speed of something. | |||
| Somali | soo noqnoqoshada | ||
| The term may refer to the frequency of an oscillation or to the rate of repetition. | |||
| Sesotho | makgetlo | ||
| The word | |||
| Swahili | mzunguko | ||
| In Swahili, "mzunguko" also refers to a rotation or repetition, similar to the concept of "cycle" in English. | |||
| Xhosa | ubuninzi | ||
| The Xhosa word "Ubuninzi" also means "abundance" or "quantity." | |||
| Yoruba | igbohunsafẹfẹ | ||
| The word "igbohunsafẹfẹ" can also mean "vibration" or "pulsation". | |||
| Zulu | imvamisa | ||
| The word imvamisa derives from vama meaning 'to repeat, iterate or occur often'. | |||
| Bambara | fiɲɛturukala | ||
| Ewe | xexlẽme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inshuro | ||
| Lingala | mbala oyo esalemaka | ||
| Luganda | emirundi | ||
| Sepedi | makga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mpɛn dodoɔ | ||
Frequency in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تكرر | ||
| Alternately, the word "تكرر" can also mean "repetition" or "recurrence". | |||
| Hebrew | תדירות | ||
| The word "תדירות" is derived from the root "תדר", which means "to repeat" or "to occur regularly." | |||
| Pashto | فريکوينسي | ||
| The Pashto word "frequency" (فريکوينسي) is also used to refer to the "rate of occurrence". | |||
| Arabic | تكرر | ||
| Alternately, the word "تكرر" can also mean "repetition" or "recurrence". | |||
Frequency in Western European Languages
| Albanian | frekuenca | ||
| Frekuenca derives from the Latin word frequentia, meaning crowd or gathering. | |||
| Basque | maiztasuna | ||
| The Basque word “maiztasuna” (frequency) comes from the verb “maiztu” (be frequent), which derives from the adverb “maiz” (often). | |||
| Catalan | freqüència | ||
| In ancient Greek, the origin of the word “freqüència” (“frequency”) was the word “rheo”, meaning “to flow”. | |||
| Croatian | frekvencija | ||
| Frequency derives from Latin “frequentia”, which also referred to crowds and numbers of people present; the current meaning was first applied in physics. | |||
| Danish | frekvens | ||
| In Danish, "frekvens" can also refer to the number of times a payment is due in a year. | |||
| Dutch | frequentie | ||
| The word "frequentie" can also refer to a crowded area or to the number of times an event occurs in a given period. | |||
| English | frequency | ||
| "Frequency" in physics refers not to rate of occurrence, but to the rate of a vibration"} | |||
| French | la fréquence | ||
| La fréquence peut aussi référer à un lieu habituel de rencontre, ou à une chose qui se produit souvent. | |||
| Frisian | frekwinsje | ||
| The Frisian word "frekwinsje" has its linguistic roots in the Old Frankish word "frekwentia". | |||
| Galician | frecuencia | ||
| In Galician, "frecuencia" can also mean "hurrying" or "haste". | |||
| German | frequenz | ||
| In German, the word "Frequenz" also refers to the density of a population or the number of times an event occurs within a given time frame. | |||
| Icelandic | tíðni | ||
| Icelandic "tíðni," like English "tide," comes from an ultimately Proto-Indo-European root meaning "time." | |||
| Irish | minicíocht | ||
| The Irish word "minicíocht" literally means "small increase," suggesting that higher frequency is a small increase in the rate at which something occurs. | |||
| Italian | frequenza | ||
| The Italian word "frequenza" can also refer to crowdedness, attendance, or traffic. | |||
| Luxembourgish | heefegkeet | ||
| In the past, 'Heefegkeet' meant 'the number of times a tone repeats' or 'time of occurrence'. | |||
| Maltese | frekwenza | ||
| "Frekwenza" derives from Italian "frequenza" with the same meaning. In some contexts, it can also mean "affluence" or "multitude". | |||
| Norwegian | frekvens | ||
| Norwegian 'frekvens' can also mean 'attendance' or 'attendance list'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | frequência | ||
| The Portuguese word "frequência" also means the "attendance" of someone or something in a place | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tricead | ||
| In addition to "frequency," "tricead" can also refer to "trinity" or "triad" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | frecuencia | ||
| "Frecuencia" also means "customer loyalty" in Spanish, and shares the same root with "friend" and "frequency." | |||
| Swedish | frekvens | ||
| The Swedish word "frekvens" comes from the Latin word "frequentia", which means "a crowd" or "a gathering". | |||
| Welsh | amledd | ||
| The word "amledd" also means "resonance" in Welsh, suggesting a connection between the two concepts | |||
Frequency in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | частата | ||
| In Polish, "częstota" also means "density" | |||
| Bosnian | frekvencija | ||
| The words 'frekvencija' (frequency), 'rečenica' (sentence) and 'frizer' (hairdresser) in Bosnian all share the root word, 'frík' (hair) in Ancient Greek. | |||
| Bulgarian | честота | ||
| The word "честота" can also mean "incidence" or "rate" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | frekvence | ||
| Frekvence comes from German Frequenz, which in turn derives from Latin frequens meaning “often occurring.” | |||
| Estonian | sagedus | ||
| Sagedus is derived from the Latin word "frequentia", meaning "often or frequently". | |||
| Finnish | taajuus | ||
| Taajuus is also used figuratively to describe an event or phenomenon that repeats regularly | |||
| Hungarian | frekvencia | ||
| In Hungarian, "frekvencia" can also mean "occurrence" or "rate of occurrence". | |||
| Latvian | biežums | ||
| The word "biežums" in Latvian also has the alternate meaning of "density" when used in the context of materials or substances. | |||
| Lithuanian | dažnis | ||
| The word "dažnis" also means "occurrence", "rate", or "incidence" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | фреквенција | ||
| The word "фреквенција" comes from Latin "frequens", meaning "often" or "repeatedly". | |||
| Polish | częstotliwość | ||
| The Polish word "częstotliwość" also refers to the number of repetitions of a particular action within a given time frame. | |||
| Romanian | frecvență | ||
| In Romanian, "frecvență" can also refer to the occurrence of a particular event or phenomenon. | |||
| Russian | частота | ||
| "Частота" in Russian also means "rate" or "number of repetitions". | |||
| Serbian | фреквенција | ||
| In Serbian, фреквенција translates to frequency or to attendance, depending on the context. | |||
| Slovak | frekvencia | ||
| In Slovak, "frekvencia" can also refer to the amount of occurrence or prevalence of something. | |||
| Slovenian | frekvenca | ||
| The word "frekvenca" in Slovenian can also refer to "attendance" or "regularity. | |||
| Ukrainian | частота | ||
| "Частота" also means "incidence" or "occurrence" in Ukrainian. | |||
Frequency in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফ্রিকোয়েন্সি | ||
| ফ্রিকোয়েন্সি শব্দটি ল্যাটিন শব্দ “frequent” থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ হল 'repeatedly' বা 'often'. | |||
| Gujarati | આવર્તન | ||
| The term 'आवर्त्तन', in the context of electromagnetic radiation, also means 'wavelength'. | |||
| Hindi | आवृत्ति | ||
| "आवृत्ति" also means "repetition" or "recurrence" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಆವರ್ತನ | ||
| The word "ಆವರ್ತನ" also has the meanings "repetition" and "revolving" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ആവൃത്തി | ||
| The word "ആവൃത്തി" in Malayalam can also refer to "repetition" or "occurrence". | |||
| Marathi | वारंवारता | ||
| The Marathi word "वारंवारता" can also refer to the number of times a particular event occurs within a given period. | |||
| Nepali | आवृत्ति | ||
| The term आवृत्ति in Nepali derives from the Sanskrit word आवृत्त meaning recurrence and rotation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਾਰੰਬਾਰਤਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සංඛ්යාතය | ||
| Tamil | அதிர்வெண் | ||
| The term "அதிர்வெண்" in Tamil can also refer to the number of times a particular event occurs within a given period of time. | |||
| Telugu | తరచుదనం | ||
| The word "తరచుదనం" can also refer to the number of times an event occurs within a given time period. | |||
| Urdu | تعدد | ||
| An alternate meaning of "تعدد" is "polymorphism," which is the ability of a thing to exist in multiple forms. | |||
Frequency in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 频率 | ||
| "频率"的本义是"屡次"; 在日语和韩语中，它表示"常常"; 而在数学上，它表示"反复出现的次数"; 在物理学上，它表示"单位时间内发生重复事件的次数"} | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 頻率 | ||
| 頻率在中文中的另⼀個含義是「經常、頻繁」 | |||
| Japanese | 周波数 | ||
| In Japanese, "周波数" also refers to a periodical publication, such as a weekly magazine or newsletter. | |||
| Korean | 회수 | ||
| Despite its Chinese characters, 회수, which means "frequency," is a native Korean word that shares a common root with 회("return"). | |||
| Mongolian | давтамж | ||
| The word "давтамж" is also used to refer to a periodic phenomenon, such as the changing of the seasons or the waxing and waning of the moon. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြိမ်နှုန်း | ||
Frequency in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | frekuensi | ||
| The Indonesian word "frekuensi" has the same Latin root as the English word "frequency". | |||
| Javanese | frekuensi | ||
| In Javanese, 'frekuensi' is used for 'frequency' and 'the amount of time or number of events that happen per unit of time'. | |||
| Khmer | ភាពញឹកញាប់ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມຖີ່ | ||
| In Lao, "ຄວາມຖີ່" can also refer to the time or number of times something happens or is repeated. | |||
| Malay | kekerapan | ||
| The word "kekerapan" originated in the Malay language to describe how often an event will occur, its rate of occurrence or repetition of a specified event. | |||
| Thai | ความถี่ | ||
| The word "ความถี่" can also refer to the occurrence of an event or the rate at which it happens. | |||
| Vietnamese | tần số | ||
| The Vietnamese word "tần số" originates from the Chinese word "頻率", which means "often" or "repeatedly". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dalas | ||
Frequency in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tezlik | ||
| "Tezlik" also means "quickness" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жиілігі | ||
| The word "жиілігі" in Kazakh also means "activity" or "hustle and bustle". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жыштык | ||
| "Жыштык" also means "often" or "repeatedly" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | басомад | ||
| The word "басомад" in Tajik also means "rate" or "tempo". | |||
| Turkmen | ýygylygy | ||
| Uzbek | chastota | ||
| The Uzbek word "chastota" is derived from the Russian word "частота", which also means "frequency" in English. | |||
| Uyghur | چاستوتىسى | ||
Frequency in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | alapine (frequency) | ||
| While the word "alapine" can also mean "speed" or "swiftness" in Hawaiian, when it comes to electricity it denotes frequency. | |||
| Maori | auau | ||
| The Maori word "auau" also means "wave" or "ripple". | |||
| Samoan | taimi masani | ||
| Taimi is a Polynesian word for | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | dalas | ||
| In archaic or rare Tagalog, "dalas" also means "often" or "frequently". | |||
Frequency in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kunjamasa | ||
| Guarani | mantereíva | ||
Frequency in International Languages
| Esperanto | ofteco | ||
| "Ofteco" derives from Esperanto "oft" (often) and Latin suffix "-eco" (state or quality relating to something) | |||
| Latin | frequency | ||
| Frequentia in Latin refers to both the occurrence of something and the crowd that gathers around it. | |||
Frequency in Others Languages
| Greek | συχνότητα | ||
| The etymology of "συχνότητα" is related to the root word "συχνός" (sychnos), which means "thick" or "dense", indicating the crowded or repeated occurrence of something. | |||
| Hmong | zaus | ||
| It is an onomatopoeia of the rhythmic beat of a gong. | |||
| Kurdish | pircarînî | ||
| The word 'pircarînî' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*sper-', meaning 'to spread' or 'to scatter'. It is also related to the Latin word 'frequens', meaning 'often' or 'crowded'. | |||
| Turkish | sıklık | ||
| In Turkish, "Sıklık" also refers to the density or thickness of something, such as the frequency of hair or the frequency of a forest. | |||
| Xhosa | ubuninzi | ||
| The Xhosa word "Ubuninzi" also means "abundance" or "quantity." | |||
| Yiddish | אָפטקייַט | ||
| "אָפטקייַט" in Yiddish can also refer to "occasion" or "opportunity". | |||
| Zulu | imvamisa | ||
| The word imvamisa derives from vama meaning 'to repeat, iterate or occur often'. | |||
| Assamese | কম্পনাংক | ||
| Aymara | kunjamasa | ||
| Bhojpuri | आवृत्ति | ||
| Dhivehi | ފްރީކުއެންސީ | ||
| Dogri | बारंबरता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | dalas | ||
| Guarani | mantereíva | ||
| Ilocano | kinasansan | ||
| Krio | ɔmɔs tɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دووبارە بوونەوە | ||
| Maithili | तीव्रता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯨꯡꯕꯒꯤ ꯆꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | zinzia | ||
| Oromo | irradeddeebii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆବୃତ୍ତି | ||
| Quechua | sapa kuti | ||
| Sanskrit | आवृत्ती | ||
| Tatar | ешлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ድግግም | ||
| Tsonga | xihondzo | ||