Afrikaans reuse | ||
Albanian gjigand | ||
Amharic ግዙፍ | ||
Arabic عملاق | ||
Armenian հսկա | ||
Assamese দৈত্য | ||
Aymara jach'a | ||
Azerbaijani nəhəng | ||
Bambara belebele jamanjan | ||
Basque erraldoia | ||
Belarusian гіганцкі | ||
Bengali দৈত্য | ||
Bhojpuri बहुते बड़हन | ||
Bosnian div | ||
Bulgarian гигант | ||
Catalan gegant | ||
Cebuano higante | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 巨人 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 巨人 | ||
Corsican gigante | ||
Croatian divovski | ||
Czech obří | ||
Danish kæmpe stor | ||
Dhivehi ބޮޑު | ||
Dogri देऽ | ||
Dutch reusachtig | ||
English giant | ||
Esperanto giganto | ||
Estonian hiiglane | ||
Ewe amedzɔtsu | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) higante | ||
Finnish jättiläinen | ||
French géant | ||
Frisian reus | ||
Galician xigante | ||
Georgian გიგანტი | ||
German riese | ||
Greek γίγαντας | ||
Guarani tuichaitereíva | ||
Gujarati વિશાળ | ||
Haitian Creole jeyan | ||
Hausa ƙato | ||
Hawaiian pilikua | ||
Hebrew עֲנָק | ||
Hindi विशाल | ||
Hmong dev tiag | ||
Hungarian óriás | ||
Icelandic risastór | ||
Igbo ibu | ||
Ilocano higante | ||
Indonesian raksasa | ||
Irish fathach | ||
Italian gigante | ||
Japanese 巨人 | ||
Javanese raseksa | ||
Kannada ದೈತ್ಯ | ||
Kazakh алып | ||
Khmer យក្ស | ||
Kinyarwanda igihangange | ||
Konkani राकेसी | ||
Korean 거대한 | ||
Krio big big | ||
Kurdish hût | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) زەبەلاح | ||
Kyrgyz алп | ||
Lao ຍັກ | ||
Latin giant | ||
Latvian milzu | ||
Lingala elombe | ||
Lithuanian milžinas | ||
Luganda naggwano | ||
Luxembourgish riseg | ||
Macedonian гигант | ||
Maithili विशाल | ||
Malagasy goavam-be | ||
Malay gergasi | ||
Malayalam ഭീമൻ | ||
Maltese ġgant | ||
Maori tupua | ||
Marathi राक्षस | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯍꯤꯡꯆꯥꯕ | ||
Mizo milian | ||
Mongolian аварга | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) .ရာ | ||
Nepali विशाल | ||
Norwegian kjempe | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chimphona | ||
Odia (Oriya) ବିଶାଳ | ||
Oromo guddaa | ||
Pashto لوی | ||
Persian غول | ||
Polish ogromny | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) gigante | ||
Punjabi ਦੈਂਤ | ||
Quechua hatunkaray | ||
Romanian gigant | ||
Russian гигант | ||
Samoan tinoese | ||
Sanskrit दैत्याकार | ||
Scots Gaelic fuamhaire | ||
Sepedi lekgema | ||
Serbian џиновски | ||
Sesotho senatla | ||
Shona hofori | ||
Sindhi ديو | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) යෝධ | ||
Slovak obor | ||
Slovenian velikan | ||
Somali rafaa | ||
Spanish gigante | ||
Sundanese buta | ||
Swahili kubwa | ||
Swedish jätte | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) higante | ||
Tajik бузургҷусса | ||
Tamil ராட்சத | ||
Tatar гигант | ||
Telugu జెయింట్ | ||
Thai ยักษ์ | ||
Tigrinya ዓብዪ | ||
Tsonga xihontlovila | ||
Turkish dev | ||
Turkmen äpet | ||
Twi (Akan) brane | ||
Ukrainian гігант | ||
Urdu دیو قامت | ||
Uyghur گىگانت | ||
Uzbek ulkan | ||
Vietnamese khổng lồ | ||
Welsh cawr | ||
Xhosa isigebenga | ||
Yiddish ריז | ||
Yoruba omiran | ||
Zulu umdondoshiya |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "reuse" is cognate with the English word "giant" and originates from the Proto-Germanic term *reuß-. |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "gjigand" is derived from the Greek "gigas" (giant), which may ultimately derive from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning either "to be born" or "to generate." |
| Amharic | The word "ግዙፍ" can also mean "enormous" or "great" in a non-physical sense. |
| Arabic | The word "عملاق" is derived from the root "ع م ل ق" which means to be strong or to have great strength. |
| Armenian | The word "հսկա" comes from the Old Armenian word "հսկել" meaning "to observe," suggesting that giants were seen as beings who stood out from the rest by their size and impressive presence. |
| Azerbaijani | "Nəhəng" (giant) has the alternate meaning of "giant tree" and is related to "nəh" (tree). |
| Basque | The word "erraldoia" is thought to have originated from the Basque word "erraldoi," which means "foreigner." |
| Belarusian | The word "гіганцкі" is derived from the Greek word "γίγας" (gigas), which means "giant" or "titan," and is ultimately related to the Proto-Indo-European root *gig- ("to be strong"). |
| Bengali | The Sanskrit word "daitya" refers to a type of mythological being, specifically the descendants of the sage Kashyapa and the goddess Diti. |
| Bosnian | The word 'div' in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *deiwo-, meaning 'to shine' or 'to be divine'. |
| Bulgarian | "гигант" means not only "giant" but also "huge, large, colossal, gigantic, towering, massive, gigantic, vast, immense, grand, monumental, epic, cosmic, astronomical, titanic, gargantuan, colossal"} |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "gegant" also refers to a large wooden and papier-mâché figure with a moving head and arms, carried in public processions |
| Cebuano | The word "higante" is derived from the Spanish "gigante," which itself comes from the Latin "gigas," meaning "earth-born monster." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 巨人 is also a surname in the Chinese language. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | In Chinese mythology, "巨人" (giant) often refers to the legendary figure "夸父", a giant who chased the sun but eventually died of thirst. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, "gigante" can also refer to a particularly cunning or sly person. |
| Croatian | The word 'divovski' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'divь', meaning 'giant' or 'wild beast'. |
| Czech | The Czech word "obří" derives from the Old Czech word "obr", meaning "defender" or "protector". |
| Danish | In Danish, the word "kæmpe" can also mean "to fight" or "to struggle", hinting at the immense power and effort associated with giants in mythology. |
| Dutch | The word 'reusachtig' in Dutch is derived from the Old Norse word 'risi', meaning 'giant' or 'hero'. |
| Esperanto | The word "giganto" also means "gigantic" in Esperanto. |
| Estonian | Hiiglane is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *hiito 'monster, troll, giant' |
| Finnish | "Jättiläinen" is related to the word "jätti" (a remnant) and derives from the Indo-European root "yet" (to abandon or leave behind) |
| French | "Géant" derives from the Ancient Greek word "gίγας (gigas)", meaning "earth-born". |
| Frisian | The word "reus" in West Frisian also means "hero". |
| Galician | "Xigante" is likely derived from the Latin word "gigas", but can also refer to someone or something large and bulky in Galician. |
| Georgian | The word 'giganti' in Georgian, meaning 'giant', derives from the Iranian word 'gigandi', which also means 'giant'. |
| German | The word "Riese" can also refer to a steep slope or embankment. |
| Greek | The word γίγαντας (gigantas) in Greek can refer to either giants or the Titans. It is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰig-n-, which means "large" or "mighty." |
| Gujarati | વિશાળ shares Proto-Indo-European origin with English "vast" and Latin "vastus" (both meaning 'empty, desolate, immense'). |
| Haitian Creole | In Haiti, it is also associated with the deity known as the "Master of the Cemetery". |
| Hausa | The word "ƙato" can also refer to a type of large, edible snail. |
| Hawaiian | Pilikua (giant) comes from the Hawaiian word "pili" (to cling) and "kua" (back), referring to the belief that giants were born from the backs of the gods. |
| Hebrew | עֲנָק is related to the verb עָנַק, meaning "to necklace," suggesting a connection between size and ornamentation. |
| Hindi | The word 'विशाल' comes from the Sanskrit root ' विशाल,' meaning 'wide, expansive, or vast.' |
| Hmong | The prefix "dev" in "dev tiag" is related to the word "dev" meaning "strong". |
| Hungarian | The word "óriás" may derive from Turkish "yorük" ("nomad") or "orman" ("forest"). |
| Icelandic | The Old Norse term 'risi' referred to the mythological primordial frost giants; 'stórr' means 'great', but the combination 'risastórr' likely arose due to a folk etymology inspired by the similarity in sound to 'risi'. |
| Igbo | "Ibu" is also used metaphorically to describe an extraordinarily large or impressive person or thing |
| Indonesian | "Raksa" in Sanskrit means to protect, while "sa" is a derivative of "asa" which means hope. Thus "raksasa" can mean protector or guardian. |
| Irish | The word "fathach" can also mean "large" or "tall" in Irish. |
| Italian | The word 'gigante' comes from the Latin 'gigas' which also means 'giant' but can also refer to a large or powerful person. |
| Japanese | The word "巨人" (kyojin) can also refer to a skilled sumo wrestler or a legendary figure like Atlas in Greek mythology. |
| Javanese | The word 'raseksa' also means 'demon', 'monster' or 'evil spirit', and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word 'rakshasa', meaning the same. |
| Kannada | The word "ದೈತ್ಯ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "daitya", which refers to a class of celestial beings associated with strength and power, often depicted as enemies of the gods. |
| Kazakh | The word "алып" is also used in Kazakh to refer to a mythical creature resembling a cyclops. |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "យក្ស" can also mean a mythical being from ancient Hindu mythology. |
| Korean | "거대한" is thought to be derived from the Old Korean word "거하(居下)", meaning "to live below," suggesting an association with spirits of the netherworld. |
| Kurdish | In Kurdish, “hût” derives from the Persian word “hut” meaning “whale,” or from the Proto-Indo-European word “kuta,” meaning “hill” or “shelter.” |
| Kyrgyz | "Alp" also means "hero" or "brave warrior" in Turkic languages. |
| Lao | "ຍັກ" is a Lao word that can also mean "demon" or "ogre". |
| Latin | The Latin word "gigas" also refers to a mythical creature with a hundred arms, often depicted in Greek and Roman art and mythology. |
| Latvian | "Milzu" is cognate to "milzīgs", which means "huge", and both words share a root with "melns", which means "black". |
| Lithuanian | The word "milžinas" shares the same etymological root ("mal-", meaning "to crush") with the word "malti" ("to grind") and "miltai" ("flour"). |
| Luxembourgish | "Riseg" is derived from Frankish "ris" (rush, reed) and "ag" (hedge, enclosure), meaning an enclosure made of rushes or reeds. |
| Macedonian | Гигант/Gıgant is a Turkish loanword in Macedonian, while the word for giant in Old Church Slavonic is 'div'. |
| Malagasy | The word "goavam-be" in Malagasy originates from the Austronesian word "gawa" meaning "large" and "bambo" meaning "tree". |
| Malay | In Indonesian, "gergasi" refers not only to giants but also to large inanimate objects such as buildings or vehicles. |
| Malayalam | The word "ഭീമൻ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भीम" (Bheema), which refers to a fierce or powerful deity. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "ġgant" has a cognate in the Old Catalan "gegent" with the same meaning, and is related to the Italian "gigante," French "géant," and Spanish "gigante," all derived from the Latin "Gigans." |
| Maori | In Samoan mythology, "tupua" refers to ancestral deities or spirits residing in the natural world and commanding great power. |
| Marathi | The Sanskrit word राक्षस (rākṣasa) can refer to a type of demon, a night-walking ghost, or simply a guardian, depending on the context. |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word “аварга” also means “one that crushes and grinds”. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | "ရာ" can also mean '100' or '100 times' |
| Nepali | The word 'विशाल' derives from the Sanskrit 'vis' meaning 'enter' or 'pervade' and can also refer to an expanse or region. |
| Norwegian | "Kjempe" also means "fight" or "struggle" in Norwegian. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'chimphona' is derived from the word 'chiphona', meaning 'something big'. |
| Pashto | The word "لوی" in Pashto, in addition to meaning "giant," is also used figuratively to describe something that is large or formidable. |
| Persian | "غول" also refers to a mythical creature known as a demon or ogre in Persian mythology. |
| Polish | In addition to its primary meaning of "giant," "ogromny" can also be used figuratively to describe something vast or overwhelming. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "gigante" can also refer to a large wave or a very tall wave. |
| Punjabi | The name 'ਦੈਂਤ' originated from Proto-Indo-European, as Sanskrit दानव ('dānáva', evil entity), likely also deriving from Dravidian roots. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "gigant" comes from the Greek "gigas," meaning "earthborn" or "son of the earth." |
| Russian | Russian "гигант" derives from Greek "gigantes"; in Greek myth, Gigantes were mortal, not superhuman |
| Samoan | In Samoan, "tinoese" also means "to grow tall or large". |
| Scots Gaelic | In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, "fuamhaire" also carries an alternative meaning of "rogue, vagrant, or outlaw". |
| Serbian | The word "џиновски" can also mean "huge" or "immense" in Serbian. |
| Sesotho | The word "senatla" can also refer to a very large or grand person. |
| Shona | The term "hofori' can also refer to something that is exceptionally large or impressive. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "ديو" is derived from the Persian word "ديو" meaning "demon", but it also has an alternate meaning of "giant". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "යෝධ" can also refer to a "warrior" or "hero" in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | 'Obor' is an archaic word in Czech, which means 'hero'. The same word also exists in Modern Slovak and is spelled the same, but has the meaning 'giant'. |
| Slovenian | Cognate with Belarusian _vialikan_ and Russian _velikan_, from Proto-Slavic *velikъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- |
| Somali | Etymology: Possibly borrowed from the Proto-Cushitic root *raf- "tall" |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the word "gigante" also refers to a type of very large bean, known as a "gigante bean" in English. |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, "buta" can also refer to a ghost or a mythical creature, especially one that is large and fearsome. |
| Swahili | The word "kubwa" in Swahili can also mean "great" or "big". Its original meaning was "father of the house". |
| Swedish | "Jätte" is an archaic term for "giant" in Swedish but can also refer to a "huge amount" or "something very big". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | "Higante" is the Tagalog word for "giant". It is derived from the Spanish word "gigante", which in turn comes from the Latin word "gigas". "Gigas" is thought to be related to the Greek word "ge". which means "earth". This suggests that the original giants were thought of as being earth-born or earth-dwelling creatures. |
| Tajik | The word 'buzurĝjusa' means 'giant' in several Iranian languages, such as Persian, Dari, and Tajik, and may ultimately derive from the Proto-Iranian word *bruzant-, meaning 'high' or 'lofty'. |
| Tamil | "ராட்சத" also means "a huge tree" in Tamil, and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "rakshasa". |
| Telugu | The word "జెయింట్" in Telugu can also mean "a very large or powerful person or thing". |
| Thai | The word "ยักษ์" also means "demon" in Thai, and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "yakṣa." |
| Turkish | Dev can also mean 'monster' in Turkish, derived from Persian 'div' |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word 'гігант' is derived from the Greek 'gigas', meaning 'earth-born'. |
| Urdu | The word "دیو قامت" literally means "demon-shaped" in Urdu, referring to something extremely large or imposing. |
| Uzbek | The word "ulkan" is also used to refer to a "huge wave" or a "large mass of something" in Uzbek. |
| Vietnamese | The word "khổng lồ" is derived from the Chinese word "kǒnglù", meaning "huge" or "gigantic". |
| Welsh | The word "cawr" is also found in Cornish with the same meaning, and in Breton as "kaor" meaning "dwarf". |
| Xhosa | In Xhosa, the word 'isigebenga' also refers to a person of great importance or influence. |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, 'ריז' also refers to a type of ogre-like mythical creature resembling a giant. |
| Yoruba | The word 'omiran' also means 'a long tall person' in Yoruba. |
| Zulu | The word `umdondoshiya` can also refer to someone who is very wealthy or influential. |
| English | The word 'giant' comes from the Latin word 'gigas', which may have originally meant 'born of the earth'. |