Glass in Different Languages
Discover 'Glass' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Glass, a transparent and fragile material, has been an essential part of human life for centuries. Its significance extends beyond its practical uses, as it has also played a crucial role in various cultural contexts. From intricate glassblowing techniques to stunning architectural designs, glass has continuously captivated our imagination.
Did you know that the invention of glass dates back to 3500 BC in Mesopotamia? Ever since, this remarkable material has been shaped and transformed by different civilizations, each leaving their unique mark on its evolution.
Understanding the translation of 'glass' in different languages can provide valuable insights into various cultures and their relationship with this versatile material. For instance, in Spanish, glass is 'vidrio,' while in German, it's 'Glas.' In French, it's 'verre,' and in Mandarin Chinese, it's '玻璃 (bōli).'
Join us as we delve deeper into the fascinating world of glass and explore its translations in multiple languages. This journey will not only enrich your linguistic skills but also offer a fresh perspective on the historical and cultural significance of glass.
Glass
Glass in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | glas | ||
| "Glas" in Afrikaans can also refer to a glass of liquid, as well as the substance of glass used in windows. | |||
| Amharic | ብርጭቆ | ||
| The word "ብርጭቆ" can also refer to "a mirror" or "crystal" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | gilashi | ||
| The word 'gilashi' is derived from the Arabic word 'qalāsh' ('cup') and is also used in Hausa to refer to a type of traditional glass bangle worn by women. | |||
| Igbo | iko | ||
| "Iko" in Igbo can also refer to the concept of 'visibility' or 'revelation'. | |||
| Malagasy | fitaratra | ||
| The word "fitaratra" in Malagasy, meaning "glass," is derived from the Malay word "cermin" (mirror) and the Javanese word "kaca" (glass). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | galasi | ||
| The word "galasi" in Nyanja can also refer to a "window" or a "spectacle". | |||
| Shona | girazi | ||
| In Shona, "girazi" is derived from the verb "gira" meaning "to break". This suggests that the word "girazi" originally referred to a brittle or easily broken object. | |||
| Somali | galaas | ||
| In Somali, the term "galaas" also refers to a specific type of glazed pottery. | |||
| Sesotho | khalase | ||
| The word 'khalase' may also refer to a type of shiny stone or rock crystal, or to something transparent or clear. | |||
| Swahili | glasi | ||
| The word "glasi" in Swahili is likely derived from the Arabic word "qazi" or "qazz," which also means "glass." | |||
| Xhosa | iglasi | ||
| Iglasi (glass) is also a euphemism for spectacles in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | gilasi | ||
| The Yoruba word "gilasi" not only means "glass" but also refers to a type of goblet used in traditional ceremonies | |||
| Zulu | ingilazi | ||
| The word "ingilazi" can also refer to a magnifying glass or a glass container. | |||
| Bambara | wɛɛrɛ | ||
| Ewe | ahuhɔ̃e | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikirahure | ||
| Lingala | maneti | ||
| Luganda | kawuule | ||
| Sepedi | galase | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abobɔdeɛ | ||
Glass in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زجاج | ||
| The word "زجاج" is related to the Persian "شیشه" and may have originated from the Aramaic "זגגא" meaning "bright", or the Greek "ὑάλος" meaning "transparent or translucent substance." | |||
| Hebrew | זכוכית | ||
| The Hebrew word "זכוכית" (glass) originates from the Arabic "زجاج" (zجاج), ultimately derived from the Coptic "ⲡⲁⲕⲏⲕ" (phakê), meaning "lens" or "glassware". | |||
| Pashto | شیشه | ||
| In Pashto, "شیشه" not only means "glass" but also "window pane" and "hourglass". | |||
| Arabic | زجاج | ||
| The word "زجاج" is related to the Persian "شیشه" and may have originated from the Aramaic "זגגא" meaning "bright", or the Greek "ὑάλος" meaning "transparent or translucent substance." | |||
Glass in Western European Languages
| Albanian | xhami | ||
| The word "xhami" can also refer to a mosque or a window. | |||
| Basque | beira | ||
| In Basque, "beira" can also refer to a container made of glass, a window, spectacles, or a mirror. | |||
| Catalan | vidre | ||
| "Vidre" in Catalan comes from the Latin "vitrum", which also means "amber". | |||
| Croatian | staklo | ||
| The word "staklo" comes from the Venetian word "staclo," which means "glass bead". | |||
| Danish | glas | ||
| The word glas can also mean ice in Danish | |||
| Dutch | glas | ||
| In Scots, and older forms of English, the word "glas" could refer to a vessel, as well as the material "glass". | |||
| English | glass | ||
| In the 14th century, 'glass' also referred to a type of musical instrument, and in modern English, is also used to describe something easily breakable or delicate ('a glass jaw'). | |||
| French | verre | ||
| The French word "verre" is derived from the Latin "vitrum" and was used to denote any transparent object not just glass, this use survives in some French idioms. | |||
| Frisian | glês | ||
| The word glês is cognate with the English word 'glaze', originally meaning 'amber' or 'the pale yellow colour of amber'. | |||
| Galician | vidro | ||
| "Vidro" also means "smallpox" in Galician and comes from the Latin term "viridus". | |||
| German | glas | ||
| In German, "Glas" can also refer to a transparent, fragile material used for making windows or containers, similar to "glass" in English. | |||
| Icelandic | gler | ||
| The Icelandic word "gler" also refers to "shiny things", and is related to "gljáa" (a gleam) and "glitra" (to glitter). | |||
| Irish | gloine | ||
| The word "gloine" in Irish originally meant "brightness" or "radiance" and was applied to glass due to its transparent and reflective properties. | |||
| Italian | bicchiere | ||
| The Italian word "bicchiere" ultimately derives from the Latin word "bicarium", meaning "drinking cup". | |||
| Luxembourgish | glas | ||
| In Luxembourgish, 'Glas' also means "ice cream" which is derived from German 'Glas', i.e. "glass". | |||
| Maltese | ħġieġ | ||
| The word 'ħġieġ' is also used to refer to lenses or glasses worn for vision correction. | |||
| Norwegian | glass | ||
| "Glass" also means "ice" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vidro | ||
| Portuguese "vidro" comes from Late Latin vitrum, meaning "glass" but also "glaze". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | glainne | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word for "glass," glainne, may come from the Latin "clanus," which means "bell" or "gong." | |||
| Spanish | vaso | ||
| The word originates from Latin word "vasum" which also means containers made of other materials such as ceramic, bronze, gold, or other metals. | |||
| Swedish | glas | ||
| The Swedish word "glas" is cognate with the English word "glaze" and originally referred to a shiny or transparent surface. | |||
| Welsh | gwydr | ||
| The word "gwydr" is a loanword from Old Norse, and cognate with other Germanic words for glass such as the German "Glas" and English "glaze". | |||
Glass in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шклянка | ||
| The Belarusian word "шклянка" (glass) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "skьla", which also means "shard" or "fragment". | |||
| Bosnian | staklo | ||
| "staklo" (Bosnian for "glass") is a Slavic word that is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *stik-, which also means "to shine" or "to gleam". | |||
| Bulgarian | стъкло | ||
| The Bulgarian word "стъкло" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *steklo, which is related to the Latin word "vitrum" and the Greek word "hyalos", both meaning "glass." | |||
| Czech | sklenka | ||
| The word "sklenka" in Czech can also refer to a small glass or shot glass. | |||
| Estonian | klaas | ||
| Klaas originates from the Proto-Germanic root *glasą, meaning "something that shines". | |||
| Finnish | lasi- | ||
| The origin of the word | |||
| Hungarian | üveg | ||
| The Hungarian word "üveg" is also used to refer to a particular type of window or an hourglass. | |||
| Latvian | stikls | ||
| The Latvian word "stikls" is cognate with the Lithuanian word "stiklas" and the Old Prussian word "stiklis", meaning "amber" or "glass". In modern Latvian, "stikls" specifically refers to glass. | |||
| Lithuanian | stiklo | ||
| The Lithuanian word "stiklo" may also refer to a "piece" of glass or a "jar". | |||
| Macedonian | стакло | ||
| The word "стакло" can also refer to windows or mirrors, and it is related to the word "стекло" (glass) in Russian. | |||
| Polish | szkło | ||
| The word "szkło" can also refer to a particular type of glass or glazing used in windows and doors. | |||
| Romanian | sticlă | ||
| The word "sticlă" is derived from Latin "stilla," referring to the formation of drops, and can also mean "bottle" or "pane" in some contexts. | |||
| Russian | стекло | ||
| "Стекло" (glass) derives from the Old Slavic word "stechlo", meaning "something transparent" | |||
| Serbian | стакло | ||
| Serbian word "staklo" can refer to different types of glass, including glassware, mirrors, and spectacles | |||
| Slovak | sklo | ||
| Slovak "sklo" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic root "skъlo", with a possible root in the Proto-Indo-European word "kelh"} | |||
| Slovenian | steklo | ||
| The word 'steklo' is derived from the Proto-Slavic 'staklo', which also means 'ice'. | |||
| Ukrainian | скло | ||
| The word «скло» also means «slope» in Ukrainian, likely due to the slanted shape of traditional glass drinking vessels. | |||
Glass in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গ্লাস | ||
| In Bengali, "গ্লাস" can also refer to a unit of weight equal to eight tolas or approximately 93 grams. | |||
| Gujarati | ગ્લાસ | ||
| In Gujarati, the word "ગ્લાસ" can mean either glass the material, or a drinking glass. | |||
| Hindi | कांच | ||
| The word "कांच" in Hindi originates from the Sanskrit word "काञ्चन" which signifies "gold" | |||
| Kannada | ಗಾಜು | ||
| Glass in Kannada (ಗಾಜು) has alternate meanings such as “a glass of liquid” and “fragile”. | |||
| Malayalam | ഗ്ലാസ് | ||
| The word "ഗ്ലാസ്" in Malayalam also refers to a type of traditional Indian musical instrument. | |||
| Marathi | काच | ||
| The Marathi word 'काच' is also used to describe the transparent membrane of the cornea over the pupil in the eye. | |||
| Nepali | गिलास | ||
| The Nepali word गिलास ("glass") originates from the Persian word گلاس ("glass"). | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਲਾਸ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਗਲਾਸ" (glass) can also mean a glass container used to hold drinks, such as a cup, jar, or bottle. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වීදුරු | ||
| The word "වීදුරු" can also refer to a type of precious stone or a crystal ball used in divination. | |||
| Tamil | கண்ணாடி | ||
| கண்ணாடி is also used to refer to a mirror or spectacles | |||
| Telugu | గాజు | ||
| The word "గాజు" can also refer to a type of bead or gemstone. | |||
| Urdu | گلاس | ||
| The word 'گلاس' ('glass') in Urdu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'घट' ('ghaţ'), which means 'a jar' or 'a vessel'. In addition to its primary meaning of 'glass', the word 'گلاس' can also refer to a type of fabric or a particular style of embroidery. | |||
Glass in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 玻璃 | ||
| The second character, '璃', originally referred to glazed ceramic tiles used in ancient Chinese architecture, and can still be found in that context in modern Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 玻璃 | ||
| The word '玻璃' in Chinese (Traditional) was originally used to refer to glazed pottery or porcelain, which originated in the Han dynasty. | |||
| Japanese | ガラス | ||
| The word "ガラス" originally meant "amber" in Japanese, and only later came to mean "glass". | |||
| Korean | 유리 | ||
| 유리 in Korean means 'glass', and can also be derived from the Chinese phrase '琉璃' meaning 'glazed tile'. | |||
| Mongolian | шил | ||
| The word 'шил' also means 'crystal' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖန်ခွက် | ||
Glass in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kaca | ||
| The Indonesian word "kaca" can also refer to "mirror," as in a reflective surface. | |||
| Javanese | gelas | ||
| "Gelas" in Javanese is cognate with Malay "gelas" and comes from Spanish "vaso" meaning "vessel". | |||
| Khmer | កញ្ចក់ | ||
| In Khmer, "កញ្ចក់" originally referred to the material rather than the shape, and it could also mean "porcelain" or "ceramic". | |||
| Lao | ແກ້ວ | ||
| The word "ແກ້ວ" can also refer to a lens, a mirror, or a gemstone in Lao. | |||
| Malay | gelas | ||
| The Malay word "gelas" originally referred to a type of cup made of earthenware, metal, or wood. | |||
| Thai | กระจก | ||
| กระจก is a loanword from Prakrit (Middle Indic) word *kaccaka, meaning glass, which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word kaca meaning "clear". It also means "mirror" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | cốc thủy tinh | ||
| The word "cốc thủy tinh" can also mean "a cup of water" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | salamin | ||
Glass in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şüşə | ||
| The word "şüşə" in Azerbaijani has its roots in the Persian "shishe" and also refers to a "bottle" or "flask". | |||
| Kazakh | шыны | ||
| The Kazakh word "шыны" can also refer to the concept of truth or honesty, highlighting the connection between transparency and integrity. | |||
| Kyrgyz | айнек | ||
| The word "айнек" (glass) in Kyrgyz derives from the Persian word "آیینه" (mirror), referring to the reflective properties of glass. | |||
| Tajik | шиша | ||
| The word "шиша" can also mean "bottle" or "flask" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | aýna | ||
| Uzbek | stakan | ||
| The word "stakan" in Uzbek is derived from the Russian word "stakan" and is also used to refer to a metal cup. | |||
| Uyghur | ئەينەك | ||
Glass in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | aniani | ||
| Hawaiian 'aniani' can also refer to an eye inflammation, or more specifically a pink eye, or it can be used to describe that something is transparent, like a window. | |||
| Maori | karaihe | ||
| The word "karaihe" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *kali, which also meant "stone". | |||
| Samoan | ipu malamalama | ||
| In olden days 'ipu malamalama' were made of pearl oyster shells. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | baso | ||
| The word "baso" may have originated from the Spanish word "vaso", which also means "glass". | |||
Glass in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhisphillu | ||
| Guarani | ñeangecha | ||
Glass in International Languages
| Esperanto | vitro | ||
| In Esperanto, "vitro" not only means "glass", but also "a place where science is practiced". | |||
| Latin | speculo | ||
| Latin word "speculo" also referred to "watchtowers," "lookouts," and "spying" as well as "mirror" and "spectacle." | |||
Glass in Others Languages
| Greek | ποτήρι | ||
| The Greek word "ποτήρι" originally referred to a drinking vessel made of wood, but has since come to encompass any type of drinking vessel. | |||
| Hmong | iav | ||
| The Hmong word "iav" also refers to a type of transparent material that can become opaque when exposed to high temperatures. | |||
| Kurdish | cam | ||
| In Kurdish, "cam" also refers to a "jar" or "container" used to hold liquids or other substances. | |||
| Turkish | bardak | ||
| The Turkish word | |||
| Xhosa | iglasi | ||
| Iglasi (glass) is also a euphemism for spectacles in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | גלאז | ||
| The Yiddish word "גלאז" (glass) derives from the Old High German word "glas", which also means "amber" or "amber-colored". | |||
| Zulu | ingilazi | ||
| The word "ingilazi" can also refer to a magnifying glass or a glass container. | |||
| Assamese | গিলাছ | ||
| Aymara | qhisphillu | ||
| Bhojpuri | कांच | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިއްލޫރި | ||
| Dogri | शीशा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | salamin | ||
| Guarani | ñeangecha | ||
| Ilocano | sarming | ||
| Krio | glas | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شووشە | ||
| Maithili | सीसा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯡꯁꯦꯜ | ||
| Mizo | darthlalang | ||
| Oromo | fuullee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗ୍ଲାସ୍ | ||
| Quechua | lentes | ||
| Sanskrit | चषक | ||
| Tatar | пыяла | ||
| Tigrinya | ብርጭቆ | ||
| Tsonga | nghilazi | ||