Giant in Different Languages
Discover 'Giant' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Giants have long held a special place in our hearts and minds, capturing our collective imagination and inspiring countless stories, myths, and legends. From ancient Greek titans to Norse jötnar, these towering figures have been interpreted in various ways across different cultures and eras. But what does the word 'giant' truly mean, and how is it translated in different languages?
Etymologically, 'giant' stems from the Gigantes, a race of giants in Greek mythology. The term has since evolved to represent any being of extraordinary size and strength, often depicted as a monstrous, intimidating figure. Yet, giants can also symbolize power, resilience, and wisdom.
Understanding the translation of 'giant' in various languages can offer fascinating insights into the cultural significance of these creatures. For instance, in Spanish, 'giant' is 'gigante,' while in German, it's 'Riese.' In Japanese, the term 'kyojin' (巨人) is used, which literally means 'huge person.' Meanwhile, in Russian, 'gigant' (гигант) reflects the word's Greek origins.
Delving into the world of giants and their translations can be an enlightening journey, shedding light on how different cultures perceive and interpret these awe-inspiring beings.
Giant
Giant in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | reuse | ||
| The Afrikaans word "reuse" is cognate with the English word "giant" and originates from the Proto-Germanic term *reuß-. | |||
| Amharic | ግዙፍ | ||
| The word "ግዙፍ" can also mean "enormous" or "great" in a non-physical sense. | |||
| Hausa | ƙato | ||
| The word "ƙato" can also refer to a type of large, edible snail. | |||
| Igbo | ibu | ||
| "Ibu" is also used metaphorically to describe an extraordinarily large or impressive person or thing | |||
| Malagasy | goavam-be | ||
| The word "goavam-be" in Malagasy originates from the Austronesian word "gawa" meaning "large" and "bambo" meaning "tree". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chimphona | ||
| The word 'chimphona' is derived from the word 'chiphona', meaning 'something big'. | |||
| Shona | hofori | ||
| The term "hofori' can also refer to something that is exceptionally large or impressive. | |||
| Somali | rafaa | ||
| Etymology: Possibly borrowed from the Proto-Cushitic root *raf- "tall" | |||
| Sesotho | senatla | ||
| The word "senatla" can also refer to a very large or grand person. | |||
| Swahili | kubwa | ||
| The word "kubwa" in Swahili can also mean "great" or "big". Its original meaning was "father of the house". | |||
| Xhosa | isigebenga | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'isigebenga' also refers to a person of great importance or influence. | |||
| Yoruba | omiran | ||
| The word 'omiran' also means 'a long tall person' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umdondoshiya | ||
| The word `umdondoshiya` can also refer to someone who is very wealthy or influential. | |||
| Bambara | belebele jamanjan | ||
| Ewe | amedzɔtsu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igihangange | ||
| Lingala | elombe | ||
| Luganda | naggwano | ||
| Sepedi | lekgema | ||
| Twi (Akan) | brane | ||
Giant in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عملاق | ||
| The word "عملاق" is derived from the root "ع م ل ق" which means to be strong or to have great strength. | |||
| Hebrew | עֲנָק | ||
| עֲנָק is related to the verb עָנַק, meaning "to necklace," suggesting a connection between size and ornamentation. | |||
| Pashto | لوی | ||
| The word "لوی" in Pashto, in addition to meaning "giant," is also used figuratively to describe something that is large or formidable. | |||
| Arabic | عملاق | ||
| The word "عملاق" is derived from the root "ع م ل ق" which means to be strong or to have great strength. | |||
Giant in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjigand | ||
| 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." | |||
| Basque | erraldoia | ||
| The word "erraldoia" is thought to have originated from the Basque word "erraldoi," which means "foreigner." | |||
| Catalan | gegant | ||
| The Catalan word "gegant" also refers to a large wooden and papier-mâché figure with a moving head and arms, carried in public processions | |||
| Croatian | divovski | ||
| The word 'divovski' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'divь', meaning 'giant' or 'wild beast'. | |||
| Danish | kæmpe stor | ||
| 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 | reusachtig | ||
| The word 'reusachtig' in Dutch is derived from the Old Norse word 'risi', meaning 'giant' or 'hero'. | |||
| English | giant | ||
| The word 'giant' comes from the Latin word 'gigas', which may have originally meant 'born of the earth'. | |||
| French | géant | ||
| "Géant" derives from the Ancient Greek word "gίγας (gigas)", meaning "earth-born". | |||
| Frisian | reus | ||
| The word "reus" in West Frisian also means "hero". | |||
| Galician | xigante | ||
| "Xigante" is likely derived from the Latin word "gigas", but can also refer to someone or something large and bulky in Galician. | |||
| German | riese | ||
| The word "Riese" can also refer to a steep slope or embankment. | |||
| Icelandic | risastór | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Irish | fathach | ||
| The word "fathach" can also mean "large" or "tall" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | gigante | ||
| The word 'gigante' comes from the Latin 'gigas' which also means 'giant' but can also refer to a large or powerful person. | |||
| Luxembourgish | riseg | ||
| "Riseg" is derived from Frankish "ris" (rush, reed) and "ag" (hedge, enclosure), meaning an enclosure made of rushes or reeds. | |||
| Maltese | ġgant | ||
| 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." | |||
| Norwegian | kjempe | ||
| "Kjempe" also means "fight" or "struggle" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gigante | ||
| In Portuguese, "gigante" can also refer to a large wave or a very tall wave. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fuamhaire | ||
| In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, "fuamhaire" also carries an alternative meaning of "rogue, vagrant, or outlaw". | |||
| Spanish | gigante | ||
| In Spanish, the word "gigante" also refers to a type of very large bean, known as a "gigante bean" in English. | |||
| Swedish | jätte | ||
| "Jätte" is an archaic term for "giant" in Swedish but can also refer to a "huge amount" or "something very big". | |||
| Welsh | cawr | ||
| The word "cawr" is also found in Cornish with the same meaning, and in Breton as "kaor" meaning "dwarf". | |||
Giant in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гіганцкі | ||
| 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"). | |||
| Bosnian | div | ||
| The word 'div' in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *deiwo-, meaning 'to shine' or 'to be divine'. | |||
| Bulgarian | гигант | ||
| "гигант" means not only "giant" but also "huge, large, colossal, gigantic, towering, massive, gigantic, vast, immense, grand, monumental, epic, cosmic, astronomical, titanic, gargantuan, colossal"} | |||
| Czech | obří | ||
| The Czech word "obří" derives from the Old Czech word "obr", meaning "defender" or "protector". | |||
| Estonian | hiiglane | ||
| Hiiglane is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *hiito 'monster, troll, giant' | |||
| Finnish | jättiläinen | ||
| "Jättiläinen" is related to the word "jätti" (a remnant) and derives from the Indo-European root "yet" (to abandon or leave behind) | |||
| Hungarian | óriás | ||
| The word "óriás" may derive from Turkish "yorük" ("nomad") or "orman" ("forest"). | |||
| Latvian | milzu | ||
| "Milzu" is cognate to "milzīgs", which means "huge", and both words share a root with "melns", which means "black". | |||
| Lithuanian | milžinas | ||
| The word "milžinas" shares the same etymological root ("mal-", meaning "to crush") with the word "malti" ("to grind") and "miltai" ("flour"). | |||
| Macedonian | гигант | ||
| Гигант/Gıgant is a Turkish loanword in Macedonian, while the word for giant in Old Church Slavonic is 'div'. | |||
| Polish | ogromny | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "giant," "ogromny" can also be used figuratively to describe something vast or overwhelming. | |||
| Romanian | gigant | ||
| The Romanian word "gigant" comes from the Greek "gigas," meaning "earthborn" or "son of the earth." | |||
| Russian | гигант | ||
| Russian "гигант" derives from Greek "gigantes"; in Greek myth, Gigantes were mortal, not superhuman | |||
| Serbian | џиновски | ||
| The word "џиновски" can also mean "huge" or "immense" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | obor | ||
| '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 | velikan | ||
| Cognate with Belarusian _vialikan_ and Russian _velikan_, from Proto-Slavic *velikъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- | |||
| Ukrainian | гігант | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'гігант' is derived from the Greek 'gigas', meaning 'earth-born'. | |||
Giant in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দৈত্য | ||
| The Sanskrit word "daitya" refers to a type of mythological being, specifically the descendants of the sage Kashyapa and the goddess Diti. | |||
| Gujarati | વિશાળ | ||
| વિશાળ shares Proto-Indo-European origin with English "vast" and Latin "vastus" (both meaning 'empty, desolate, immense'). | |||
| Hindi | विशाल | ||
| The word 'विशाल' comes from the Sanskrit root ' विशाल,' meaning 'wide, expansive, or vast.' | |||
| Kannada | ದೈತ್ಯ | ||
| 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. | |||
| Malayalam | ഭീമൻ | ||
| The word "ഭീമൻ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भीम" (Bheema), which refers to a fierce or powerful deity. | |||
| Marathi | राक्षस | ||
| The Sanskrit word राक्षस (rākṣasa) can refer to a type of demon, a night-walking ghost, or simply a guardian, depending on the context. | |||
| Nepali | विशाल | ||
| The word 'विशाल' derives from the Sanskrit 'vis' meaning 'enter' or 'pervade' and can also refer to an expanse or region. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੈਂਤ | ||
| The name 'ਦੈਂਤ' originated from Proto-Indo-European, as Sanskrit दानव ('dānáva', evil entity), likely also deriving from Dravidian roots. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යෝධ | ||
| The word "යෝධ" can also refer to a "warrior" or "hero" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | ராட்சத | ||
| "ராட்சத" also means "a huge tree" in Tamil, and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "rakshasa". | |||
| Telugu | జెయింట్ | ||
| The word "జెయింట్" in Telugu can also mean "a very large or powerful person or thing". | |||
| Urdu | دیو قامت | ||
| The word "دیو قامت" literally means "demon-shaped" in Urdu, referring to something extremely large or imposing. | |||
Giant in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 巨人 | ||
| 巨人 is also a surname in the Chinese language. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 巨人 | ||
| 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. | |||
| Japanese | 巨人 | ||
| The word "巨人" (kyojin) can also refer to a skilled sumo wrestler or a legendary figure like Atlas in Greek mythology. | |||
| Korean | 거대한 | ||
| "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. | |||
| Mongolian | аварга | ||
| The Mongolian word “аварга” also means “one that crushes and grinds”. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | .ရာ | ||
| "ရာ" can also mean '100' or '100 times' | |||
Giant in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | raksasa | ||
| "Raksa" in Sanskrit means to protect, while "sa" is a derivative of "asa" which means hope. Thus "raksasa" can mean protector or guardian. | |||
| Javanese | raseksa | ||
| The word 'raseksa' also means 'demon', 'monster' or 'evil spirit', and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word 'rakshasa', meaning the same. | |||
| Khmer | យក្ស | ||
| The Khmer word "យក្ស" can also mean a mythical being from ancient Hindu mythology. | |||
| Lao | ຍັກ | ||
| "ຍັກ" is a Lao word that can also mean "demon" or "ogre". | |||
| Malay | gergasi | ||
| In Indonesian, "gergasi" refers not only to giants but also to large inanimate objects such as buildings or vehicles. | |||
| Thai | ยักษ์ | ||
| The word "ยักษ์" also means "demon" in Thai, and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "yakṣa." | |||
| Vietnamese | khổng lồ | ||
| The word "khổng lồ" is derived from the Chinese word "kǒnglù", meaning "huge" or "gigantic". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | higante | ||
Giant in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nəhəng | ||
| "Nəhəng" (giant) has the alternate meaning of "giant tree" and is related to "nəh" (tree). | |||
| Kazakh | алып | ||
| The word "алып" is also used in Kazakh to refer to a mythical creature resembling a cyclops. | |||
| Kyrgyz | алп | ||
| "Alp" also means "hero" or "brave warrior" in Turkic languages. | |||
| Tajik | бузургҷусса | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Turkmen | äpet | ||
| Uzbek | ulkan | ||
| The word "ulkan" is also used to refer to a "huge wave" or a "large mass of something" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | گىگانت | ||
Giant in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pilikua | ||
| 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. | |||
| Maori | tupua | ||
| In Samoan mythology, "tupua" refers to ancestral deities or spirits residing in the natural world and commanding great power. | |||
| Samoan | tinoese | ||
| In Samoan, "tinoese" also means "to grow tall or large". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | higante | ||
| "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. | |||
Giant in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jach'a | ||
| Guarani | tuichaitereíva | ||
Giant in International Languages
| Esperanto | giganto | ||
| The word "giganto" also means "gigantic" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | giant | ||
| The Latin word "gigas" also refers to a mythical creature with a hundred arms, often depicted in Greek and Roman art and mythology. | |||
Giant in Others Languages
| Greek | γίγαντας | ||
| 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." | |||
| Hmong | dev tiag | ||
| The prefix "dev" in "dev tiag" is related to the word "dev" meaning "strong". | |||
| Kurdish | hût | ||
| In Kurdish, “hût” derives from the Persian word “hut” meaning “whale,” or from the Proto-Indo-European word “kuta,” meaning “hill” or “shelter.” | |||
| Turkish | dev | ||
| Dev can also mean 'monster' in Turkish, derived from Persian 'div' | |||
| Xhosa | isigebenga | ||
| In Xhosa, the word 'isigebenga' also refers to a person of great importance or influence. | |||
| Yiddish | ריז | ||
| In Yiddish, 'ריז' also refers to a type of ogre-like mythical creature resembling a giant. | |||
| Zulu | umdondoshiya | ||
| The word `umdondoshiya` can also refer to someone who is very wealthy or influential. | |||
| Assamese | দৈত্য | ||
| Aymara | jach'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | बहुते बड़हन | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޮޑު | ||
| Dogri | देऽ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | higante | ||
| Guarani | tuichaitereíva | ||
| Ilocano | higante | ||
| Krio | big big | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | زەبەلاح | ||
| Maithili | विशाल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯡꯆꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | milian | ||
| Oromo | guddaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିଶାଳ | ||
| Quechua | hatunkaray | ||
| Sanskrit | दैत्याकार | ||
| Tatar | гигант | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓብዪ | ||
| Tsonga | xihontlovila | ||