Glove in Different Languages
Discover 'Glove' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
From the frosty touch of winter to the searing heat of summer, gloves have been an integral part of human attire across cultures and centuries, signifying not just protection but also elegance, authority, and craftsmanship. The significance of gloves extends beyond their practical utility to embody cultural rituals, historical events, and fashion trends, making them fascinating subjects of study. Did you know, for example, that in medieval Europe, throwing a glove could challenge someone to a duel? Or that in many cultures, gloves symbolize purity and honor? Understanding glove in different languages can offer insights into how various cultures perceive and value this iconic accessory. Whether it's 'Guante' in Spanish, 'Gant' in French, or '手套' (Shǒutào) in Chinese, each translation carries the weight of its own history and cultural idiosyncrasies. Here's a closer look at the translations of "glove" across different tongues, highlighting the global tapestry of language and culture.
Glove
Glove in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | handskoen | ||
| The Afrikaans word "handskoen" is derived from the Dutch "handschoen", meaning "hand shoe." | |||
| Amharic | ጓንት | ||
| Hausa | safar hannu | ||
| The word 'safar hannu' in Hausa, meaning 'glove', derives from the Arabic phrase 'safar al-yadayn', which translates to 'journey of the hands'. This reflects the glove's purpose as a protective covering for the hands during travel. | |||
| Igbo | uwe aka | ||
| Uwe aka in Igbo may also refer to a type of traditional head covering worn by married women. | |||
| Malagasy | glove | ||
| The Malagasy word "fonon-tanana" does not only mean "glove" but also means "glove puppet". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mogwirizana | ||
| In some contexts, 'mogwirizana' can refer to the leather that gloves are made of. | |||
| Shona | gurovhisi | ||
| The word "gurovhisi" also means "a piece of leather or cloth worn to protect the hand from dirt or injury" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | galoof | ||
| "Galoof" is also the name of a popular Somali dish made with rice, meat, and vegetables. | |||
| Sesotho | tlelafo | ||
| The Sesotho word "tlelafo" is derived from the compound words "tlela" (to hold) and "fo" (hand). | |||
| Swahili | kinga | ||
| The term 'kinga' is an old term meaning 'to wear' and also refers to a 'covering'. | |||
| Xhosa | isikhuseli | ||
| "Iskhuseli" also has a metaphorical meaning: "something to protect oneself" | |||
| Yoruba | ibowo | ||
| The word 'Ibòwó' can also be used to refer to a protective charm carried in the hand. | |||
| Zulu | igilavu | ||
| The Zulu word 'igilavu' can also refer to a type of basket used to store grain, or a container used to carry beer. | |||
| Bambara | gant (gan) ye | ||
| Ewe | asigɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gants | ||
| Lingala | gant ya kosala | ||
| Luganda | ggalavu | ||
| Sepedi | glove ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsateaa a wɔde hyɛ mu | ||
Glove in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قفاز | ||
| The word 'قفاز' is plural for 'قفزة', meaning a 'leap' while the singular form can also refer to 'slippers' or 'socks'. | |||
| Hebrew | כְּפָפָה | ||
| In Arabic, "כְּפָפָה" can also mean "sleeve". | |||
| Pashto | دستکشې | ||
| The term "دستکشې" is also used to refer to mittens in Pashto, with "left" and "right" often used to differentiate between the two. | |||
| Arabic | قفاز | ||
| The word 'قفاز' is plural for 'قفزة', meaning a 'leap' while the singular form can also refer to 'slippers' or 'socks'. | |||
Glove in Western European Languages
| Albanian | doreza | ||
| The word "doreza" likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰébʰ-, also found in English "give". This may be because, in the past, humans often made crude gloves or mittens from the hides or pelts of animals they had killed for food. | |||
| Basque | eskularrua | ||
| The word "eskularrua" in Basque is derived from the root "esku-" (hand) and the suffix "-arrua" (piece of clothing), implying a garment that covers the hands. | |||
| Catalan | guant | ||
| The word "guant" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "guantem", meaning "glove" | |||
| Croatian | rukavica | ||
| The word "rukavica" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*rukavica", meaning "sleeve" or "hand covering". | |||
| Danish | handske | ||
| The Danish word "handske" originates from the Old Norse word "hanska", meaning "half-shoe". | |||
| Dutch | handschoen | ||
| The Dutch word "handschoen" likely comes from the Middle Dutch "hantscoen", meaning "covering for the hand". | |||
| English | glove | ||
| "Glove" comes from Old English "glof", meaning a hand covering, or from Old Norse "glofi", meaning a split hoof. | |||
| French | gant | ||
| The word "gant" in French is derived from the Latin "gauntletus", meaning "gloved hand". | |||
| Frisian | want | ||
| It can also mean 'to be missing something' or 'to need something'. | |||
| Galician | luva | ||
| The word "luva" comes from the Latin word "lupus", meaning "wolf", and was originally used to refer to the skin of a wolf that was worn as a glove. | |||
| German | handschuh | ||
| The word "Handschuh" comes from the Old High German "hant" (hand) and "scuoh" (shoe) while the "Handschuh" is the shoe for the hand. | |||
| Icelandic | hanski | ||
| The word "hanski" could either come from the word "hönd" (hand) or "hǫnskur" (old Norse for glove). | |||
| Irish | glove | ||
| The Irish word 'lámh' means both 'hand' and 'glove', suggesting that these were originally seen as inseparable. | |||
| Italian | guanto | ||
| The term "guanto" derives from the Lombard "want," meaning "mitten." | |||
| Luxembourgish | handschuesch | ||
| "Handschuesch" is a deformation of the German word "Handschuh", which itself has a long history going back to the Proto-Germanic "hantuskuaz". | |||
| Maltese | ingwanta | ||
| The etymology of 'ingwanta' is uncertain, but it may derive from Italian 'guanto', Spanish 'guante' or French 'gant'. | |||
| Norwegian | hanske | ||
| The Norwegian word hanske originates from the Old Norse term hanzki meaning 'half shoe'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | luva | ||
| The term "luva" originated from the Latin word "lupus" (wolf), likely because of the wolf fur frequently used in glovemaking in ancient times. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | miotag | ||
| The word 'miotag' is derived from the Old Irish word 'mitog', meaning 'a covering for the hand'. | |||
| Spanish | guante | ||
| In Spanish, "guante" comes from the Frankish word "want", meaning "mitten". It can also refer to a type of leather glove used in bullfighting. | |||
| Swedish | handske | ||
| "Handske" is a cognate of the English word "hand shoe" and comes from the Old Norse word "handskoe". | |||
| Welsh | maneg | ||
| The word "maneg" in Welsh also refers to a bird known as the chaffinch. | |||
Glove in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пальчатка | ||
| "Пальчатка" is derived from the word "палец" (finger), and can also refer to a finger stall. | |||
| Bosnian | rukavica | ||
| The word "rukavica" in Bosnian comes from the Proto-Slavic root "*rukavъ", meaning "sleeve". | |||
| Bulgarian | ръкавица | ||
| The Bulgarian word "ръкавица" (glove) is derived from the Old Slavic word "ръка" (hand) and the suffix "-ица", meaning "something that belongs to or is connected with something else". | |||
| Czech | rukavice | ||
| "Rukavice" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*rukavica", meaning "hand covering". | |||
| Estonian | kinnas | ||
| The word “kinnas” can also refer to a bag, a cover, a pouch, or a sheath in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | käsine | ||
| The word 'käsine' is related to the verb 'käsittää', meaning 'to grasp' or 'to understand' | |||
| Hungarian | kesztyű | ||
| In Hungarian, "kesztyű" is related to the Turkic "keçe", meaning "felt". | |||
| Latvian | cimds | ||
| The word "cimds" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European word for "glove" which also meant "to protect." | |||
| Lithuanian | pirštinė | ||
| The Lithuanian word "pirštinė" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*per-," meaning "to protect." | |||
| Macedonian | ракавица | ||
| Ракавица (glove) comes from the old Proto-Slavic word *rǫkavica which meant “hand protection”. | |||
| Polish | rękawica | ||
| The word "rękawica" in Polish literally translates to "hand sleeve". | |||
| Romanian | mănușă | ||
| The etymology of "mănușă" is obscure, but some scholars suggest it may derive from the Romanian "mână" meaning hand | |||
| Russian | перчатка | ||
| "Перчатка" in Russian derives from the word "перст" (finger), highlighting its purpose as a hand covering tailored to individual fingers. | |||
| Serbian | рукавица | ||
| Слово „рукавица“ может произойти от слова „рука“ (часть тела) и „вица“ (ветка гибкого дерева), что может указывать на первоначальное использование перчаток для защиты рук от ветвей и царапин. | |||
| Slovak | rukavice | ||
| The word "rukavice" is derived from the Old High German "ruchhantschuoh", which translates to "hand shoe". | |||
| Slovenian | rokavico | ||
| "Rokavico" can also mean "challenge" or "rivalry" in Slovenian, similar to throwing down a glove in English. | |||
| Ukrainian | рукавичка | ||
| The word 'рукавичка' comes from the old Slavic word 'ръкавъ' meaning 'sleeve', indicating that this garment originally only covered part of the hand and arm, rather than the full hand as is common now. | |||
Glove in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গ্লাভস | ||
| The word "গ্লাভস" comes from the Old French word "gluve", which in turn comes from the Latin word "globus", meaning "ball" or "sphere". | |||
| Gujarati | હાથમોજું | ||
| Hindi | दस्ताना | ||
| The word "दस्ताना" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰeǵʰ-, meaning "to cover" or "to protect". | |||
| Kannada | ಕೈಗವಸು | ||
| The word "ಕೈಗವಸು" (glove) in Kannada literally means "hand-covering." | |||
| Malayalam | കയ്യുറ | ||
| "Kayyura" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kaiyūrakam", meaning "covering for the hand". | |||
| Marathi | हातमोजा | ||
| The word "हातमोजा" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "हस्त" (hand) and "मोज़" (covering). | |||
| Nepali | पन्जा | ||
| The Nepali word "पन्जा" also refers to the human hand or the claws of an animal. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦਸਤਾਨੇ | ||
| The word "ਦਾਸਤਾਨੇ" (dastaane) is derived from the Persian word "dastaaneh" meaning "a story", and it refers to a type of long glove that was worn by storytellers in ancient Persia. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අත්වැස්ම | ||
| The word "අත්වැස්ම" can also refer to a hand covering made of leather specifically used for playing traditional Kandyan drums. | |||
| Tamil | கையுறை | ||
| "கையுறை" can also refer to a bribe or gratuity given to someone, especially to influence their decision. | |||
| Telugu | చేతి తొడుగు | ||
| Urdu | دستانے | ||
| The word "دستانے" (glove) in Urdu is derived from the Persian word "دستانه" which means "hand covering". | |||
Glove in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 手套 | ||
| 手套源自宋朝，原指套在手上避免污秽的套子。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 手套 | ||
| The glyph 手套 literally means “hand covering.” | |||
| Japanese | グローブ | ||
| "グローブ" is also a Japanese unit of measure equal to 0.303 meters. | |||
| Korean | 장갑 | ||
| The word '장갑' originally referred to armor worn on the forearms and hands for protection in battle. | |||
| Mongolian | бээлий | ||
| The word "бээлий" can also mean "mitt" or "hand covering" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လက်အိတ် | ||
| The Myanmar word for glove, ဖိင္နက (let-ei:t), derives from the Mon language, ဦစဆ (lɫɓ)ဵ (lɫɓ:k), စရိ (kɪ)ဤ (kɪɛ) which itself derives from a Proto-Austroasiatic word, ညးးဗး (krɔːm) meaning "hand covering" and is cognated with many mainland Southeast Asian terms for the same concept, such as Thai ผมิ (krɔŋ) and Khmer ឡ឵គ (krɔɔŋ). | |||
Glove in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sarung tangan | ||
| Sarung tangan literally means "hand sheath" in Indonesian, highlighting its function as a covering for the hand. | |||
| Javanese | sarung tangan | ||
| In Javanese, the word "sarung tangan" literally means "hand sheath" or "hand wrapper". | |||
| Khmer | ស្រោមដៃ | ||
| Lao | ຖົງມື | ||
| Malay | sarung tangan | ||
| The Malay word "sarung tangan" literally translates to "hand cover". | |||
| Thai | ถุงมือ | ||
| ถุงมือ comes from 'ถุง' (bag) and 'มือ' (hand), indicating it is something that contains the hand. | |||
| Vietnamese | găng tay | ||
| "Găng" means "to cover" in Vietnamese, and "tay" means "hand". Therefore, "găng tay" literally means "hand cover". This term is often used to refer to the protective gear worn on the hands. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | guwantes | ||
Glove in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əlcək | ||
| The word "əlcək" also means "to protect", "to cover" or "to hide" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қолғап | ||
| Қолғап means | |||
| Kyrgyz | мээлей | ||
| The word "мээлей" is also used to refer to the paw of a dog or cat. | |||
| Tajik | дастпӯшак | ||
| The word "дастпӯшак" is derived from the Persian words "دست" (hand) and "پوش" (cover), thus meaning "hand cover". Alternatively, it can also refer to a "mitten". | |||
| Turkmen | ellik | ||
| Uzbek | qo'lqop | ||
| The word "qo'lqop" in Uzbek is a loanword from Persian and also means "hand cover". | |||
| Uyghur | پەلەي | ||
Glove in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mīkina lima | ||
| The word 'mīkina lima' is related to the word 'mīkina', which means 'clothing' or 'covering'. | |||
| Maori | karapu | ||
| The Maori word 'karapu' can also refer to a 'hand covering' or 'mitt'. | |||
| Samoan | totini lima | ||
| The Samoan word 'totini lima' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian term 'toti lima', meaning 'covering for the hand'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | guwantes | ||
| "Guwantes" comes from the Spanish word "guantes" meaning "gloves". | |||
Glove in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | guante ukampi | ||
| Guarani | guante rehegua | ||
Glove in International Languages
| Esperanto | ganto | ||
| The word "ganto" is derived from the French word "gant", which is also the origin of the English word "glove". | |||
| Latin | caestu | ||
| Also refers to a boxing glove, made of leather or strips of wool stuffed with horsehair or sand, used in ancient Rome. | |||
Glove in Others Languages
| Greek | γάντι | ||
| The word “γάντι” comes from the Italian word “guanto,” which is related to the Latin word “manus” meaning “hand.” | |||
| Hmong | hnab looj tes | ||
| Hnab looj tes literally means "hand foot cloth" in Hmong and is used to refer to gloves in the context of clothing. | |||
| Kurdish | lepik | ||
| In Kurdish language, the word “lepik” is also used to describe a person who is skillful and quick in their work or actions. | |||
| Turkish | eldiven | ||
| The word "eldiven" derives from the Persian word "dastana" meaning "hand cover". | |||
| Xhosa | isikhuseli | ||
| "Iskhuseli" also has a metaphorical meaning: "something to protect oneself" | |||
| Yiddish | הענטשקע | ||
| "Handschuh", German for "glove," is the source of "הענטשקע". | |||
| Zulu | igilavu | ||
| The Zulu word 'igilavu' can also refer to a type of basket used to store grain, or a container used to carry beer. | |||
| Assamese | গ্লভছ | ||
| Aymara | guante ukampi | ||
| Bhojpuri | दस्ताना के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އަތްދަބަހެވެ | ||
| Dogri | दस्ताना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | guwantes | ||
| Guarani | guante rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | guantes | ||
| Krio | glɔv we dɛn kin yuz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەستکێش | ||
| Maithili | दस्ताना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯒ꯭ꯂꯣꯕ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | glove a ni | ||
| Oromo | guwaantii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗ୍ଲୋଭ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | guante | ||
| Sanskrit | दस्ताना | ||
| Tatar | перчатка | ||
| Tigrinya | ጓንቲ | ||
| Tsonga | glove ya xirhendzevutani | ||