Governor in Different Languages
Discover 'Governor' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'governor' holds great significance in many cultures and societies around the world. A governor is an individual who is appointed or elected to govern a particular region or state, and is responsible for ensuring the welfare and safety of its citizens. The role of a governor can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where leaders were appointed to govern territories and maintain order.
Understanding the translation of the word 'governor' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and historical contexts of various societies. For instance, in Spanish, the word for governor is 'gobernador,' while in French, it is 'gouverneur.' In German, the word is 'Gouverneur,' and in Japanese, it is '知事 (Chiji).'
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious about different cultures, learning the translations of the word 'governor' can be a fascinating and enlightening experience. Keep reading to discover more translations of this important word in various languages.
Governor
Governor in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | goewerneur | ||
| The etymology of "goewerneur" is traced to the Dutch word "gouverneur", meaning "ruler". | |||
| Amharic | ገዥ | ||
| ገዥ may also refer to an overseer of a church or monastery and the word traces its roots to the Ge'ez word ገዥ, which means ruler or governor. | |||
| Hausa | gwamna | ||
| The word "gwamna" (governor) in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "wālī" (wali), meaning "ruler" or "governor". | |||
| Igbo | gọvanọ | ||
| The Igbo word 'gọvanọ' also means 'pilot' when referring to the person steering a vehicle or aircraft. | |||
| Malagasy | governora | ||
| The Malagasy word "governora" originates from the French word "gouverneur", meaning "governor". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kazembe | ||
| The word "kazembe" is also used to refer to an uncle, paternal or maternal. | |||
| Shona | gavhuna | ||
| The word "gavhuna" in Shona derives from the English word "governor," and also means "leader" or "chief." | |||
| Somali | gudoomiye | ||
| Somali word "gudoomiye" derives from Arabic "gādim" and is cognate with "kadim" in Turkish and "kadeem" in Persian, all meaning "old, senior, venerable." | |||
| Sesotho | 'musisi | ||
| The Sesotho term "'musisi" is also commonly known as "'moso'", which can mean either "king" or "ruler" depending on the context. | |||
| Swahili | gavana | ||
| The word "gavana" is derived from the Arabic word "hākim", meaning "ruler" or "judge". | |||
| Xhosa | irhuluneli | ||
| This term has alternate meanings of 'chief' and 'master', and the literal translation is something like 'the one who speaks on behalf of the people' | |||
| Yoruba | gomina | ||
| The Yoruba word "gomina" can also refer to a type of hairstyle worn by women. | |||
| Zulu | umbusi | ||
| The Zulu word "umbusi" also refers to a tree with edible fruit and can mean "chief" or "lord." | |||
| Bambara | gofɛrɛnaman | ||
| Ewe | nutodziɖula | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guverineri | ||
| Lingala | guvɛrnɛrɛ | ||
| Luganda | gavana | ||
| Sepedi | mmušiši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | amrado | ||
Governor in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محافظ حاكم | ||
| The word "محافظ حاكم" in Arabic originally meant "protector" or "defender". | |||
| Hebrew | מוֹשֵׁל | ||
| The Hebrew word "מוֹשֵׁל" (governor) originates from the root "משל" (to rule), shared with words like "king" and "ruler". | |||
| Pashto | والي | ||
| The Pashto word "والي" can also refer to a guardian, protector, or saint. | |||
| Arabic | محافظ حاكم | ||
| The word "محافظ حاكم" in Arabic originally meant "protector" or "defender". | |||
Governor in Western European Languages
| Albanian | guvernatori | ||
| The Albanian word "guvernatori" is cognate with the Latin "gubernator," meaning "helmsman." | |||
| Basque | gobernadorea | ||
| The Basque word 'gobernadorea' was borrowed from the Spanish word 'gobernador', itself derived from the Latin word 'gubernator' meaning 'helmsman'. | |||
| Catalan | governador | ||
| The Catalan word 'governador' is derived from the Latin word 'gubernator', meaning 'helmsman' or 'pilot'. | |||
| Croatian | guverner | ||
| Croatian 'guverner' originated from Latin 'gubernator', which originally meant 'helmsman' or 'pilot'. In Croatian, the word 'guverner' refers to the administrative head of a region. | |||
| Danish | guvernør | ||
| In modern Danish, "guvernør" can also refer to the head of a central bank, a prison, a hospital, or other institution. | |||
| Dutch | gouverneur | ||
| The Dutch word "gouverneur" can also refer to a tutor or mentor for a young prince. | |||
| English | governor | ||
| The word "governor" originates from the Latin "gubernator," meaning "helmsman" or "pilot." | |||
| French | gouverneur | ||
| In Old French, the word also meant "tutor" or "master for young boys". | |||
| Frisian | gûverneur | ||
| The word "gûverneur" in Frisian also means "steward" or "tutor". | |||
| Galician | gobernador | ||
| German | gouverneur | ||
| The German word "Gouverneur" is derived from the French word "gouverneur", which in turn comes from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman". | |||
| Icelandic | landshöfðingi | ||
| , landshöfðingi is derived from the Old Norse word "landshövðingja", meaning "chieftain of a district". | |||
| Irish | gobharnóir | ||
| The Irish word 'Gobharnóir' ultimately derives from the Latin word 'gubernator', which means 'helmsman' or 'pilot'. | |||
| Italian | governatore | ||
| In Latin and Italian, the word "governatore" can also refer to a tutor who guides young gentlemen of noble families. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gouverneur | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Gouverneur" derives from the Old French word "governeur", which in turn comes from the Latin "gubernator", meaning "helmsman" or "pilot". | |||
| Maltese | gvernatur | ||
| The word "gvernatur" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "governatore" and also means "steering wheel". | |||
| Norwegian | guvernør | ||
| The word "guvernør" is derived from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | governador | ||
| The Portuguese 'governador' means 'governor' but can also mean 'steering wheel' in nautical contexts. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | riaghladair | ||
| The word "riaghladair" in Scots Gaelic also means "ruler" or "sovereign" | |||
| Spanish | gobernador | ||
| In Spanish, the word "gobernador" also refers to a mechanical device that regulates or controls the speed or flow of something. | |||
| Swedish | guvernör | ||
| It originates from the Latin word "gubernator" and in French originally meant 'a person who steers a ship' | |||
| Welsh | llywodraethwr | ||
| The Welsh word "llywodraethwr" literally means "one who steers the government" and is cognate with the English word "rudder". | |||
Governor in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | губернатар | ||
| Bosnian | guverner | ||
| In Bosnian, 'guverner' can also refer to a tutor or a regent. | |||
| Bulgarian | губернатор | ||
| In Bulgarian, "Губернатор" can also refer to the head of a province in the Russian Empire, similar to a governor in the US. | |||
| Czech | guvernér | ||
| The alternate meaning of the word "guvernér" is a teacher; its etymology comes from the old German word "gubernator", which means "tutor". | |||
| Estonian | kuberner | ||
| "Kuberner" derives from German "Gouverneur" meaning "leader, commander" and is cognate with Greek "kybernetes" meaning "helmsman" and its derived modern English "governor." | |||
| Finnish | kuvernööri | ||
| The word "kuvernööri" is derived from the French word "gouverneur", which in turn comes from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman". | |||
| Hungarian | kormányzó | ||
| The word "kormányzó" in Hungarian also means "helmsman" (of a ship). | |||
| Latvian | gubernators | ||
| The word "gubernators" is used in Latvian to refer to the governor of a region or state. | |||
| Lithuanian | gubernatorius | ||
| Lithuanian "gubernatorius" derives from Late Latin "gubernator" (helmsman) via Polish "gubernator" and originally referred to the helmsman or master of a ship. | |||
| Macedonian | гувернер | ||
| 'Гувернер' can refer to both a governor and a tutor. | |||
| Polish | gubernator | ||
| The Polish word "gubernator" originates from the Latin word "gubernator" meaning "helmsman, pilot, or director". | |||
| Romanian | guvernator | ||
| The Romanian word "guvernator" is derived from the Latin word "gubernator," which means "helmsman" or "pilot." | |||
| Russian | губернатор | ||
| The word "губернатор" is derived from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman" or "pilot". In Russian, it is also used to refer to the head of a province or region. | |||
| Serbian | гувернер | ||
| "Гувернер" is also an archaic term for a tutor in Russian. | |||
| Slovak | guvernér | ||
| The word "guvernér" in Slovak derives from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "steersman" or "ruler". | |||
| Slovenian | guverner | ||
| The Slovene word "guverner" derives from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman", but can also refer to a provincial head of government or a tutor. | |||
| Ukrainian | губернатор | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "губернатор" can also be used to refer to the chief of a monastery. | |||
Governor in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গভর্নর | ||
| The word 'গভর্নর' ('governor') can also refer to a mechanical device that regulates speed or motion. | |||
| Gujarati | રાજ્યપાલ | ||
| The Gujarati word "રાજ્યપાલ" ("governor") derives from the Sanskrit "rājya-pāla," meaning "protector of the realm." | |||
| Hindi | राज्यपाल | ||
| The governor of an Indian state is known as a Rajyapala (male) or Rajyapalikā (female), while the governor of union territories and states is known as the Uprajyapala. | |||
| Kannada | ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರು | ||
| The Kannada word "ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರು" is derived from the Sanskrit words "राज्य" (kingdom) and "पाल" (protector), and can also mean "king" or "ruler" in some contexts | |||
| Malayalam | ഗവർണർ | ||
| The word "ഗവർണർ" in Malayalam is derived from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman" or "one who steers a ship". | |||
| Marathi | राज्यपाल | ||
| The word "राज्यपाल" (governor) in Marathi is derived from Sanskrit and literally means "ruler of a state". | |||
| Nepali | गभर्नर | ||
| The word "गभर्नर" ultimately derives from the Latin word "gubernare", which means to steer or direct. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਾਜਪਾਲ | ||
| ਰਾਜਪਾਲ is cognate with 'राजपाल' in Hindi, and 'राजपाली' in Marathi, all descending from 'राजपुत्र' ('son of a king'). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආණ්ඩුකාර | ||
| Tamil | கவர்னர் | ||
| The Tamil word "கவர்னர்" is a translation from English, and means "Lord" in the context of the title "Lord Governor". | |||
| Telugu | గవర్నర్ | ||
| The word 'గవర్నర్' is derived from the Latin word 'gubernare', meaning 'to steer' or 'to rule'. | |||
| Urdu | گورنر | ||
| The Urdu word "گورنر" can also be used to refer to a machine used for speed control in combustion engines. | |||
Governor in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 总督 | ||
| "总督" originally meant "to supervise the army" and then also became a title for the highest military post in a province. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 總督 | ||
| 總 can refer to something as a whole, and 督 means supervision, thus 總督 can also refer to a governor or a supervisor in general contexts | |||
| Japanese | 知事 | ||
| 知事 derives from the word "知" meaning "to know" and "事" meaning "things" or "matters". | |||
| Korean | 지사 | ||
| The term "지사" (governor) in Korean is derived from the Japanese word "知事" (chiji), which originally meant "person in charge of knowledge and affairs." | |||
| Mongolian | засаг дарга | ||
| The word 'Засаг дарга' literally means 'governor' or 'commander' in Mongolian, but it has also been used to refer to the head of a household or a village. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အုပ်ချုပ်ရေးမှူး | ||
Governor in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gubernur | ||
| The word gubernur is derived from the Portuguese word governador, which in turn is derived from the Latin word gubernator meaning "steersman" | |||
| Javanese | gubernur | ||
| The word "gubernur" comes from the Javanese word "gubernur" which means "a chief" | |||
| Khmer | អភិបាល | ||
| The word "អភិបាល" also means "patron" or "protector" in other contexts. | |||
| Lao | ເຈົ້າແຂວງ | ||
| Malay | gabenor | ||
| Gabernor, a cognate of 'governor' in English, derives from the Sanskrit word 'gupti', meaning to protect or rule. | |||
| Thai | ผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัด | ||
| The term "ผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัด" originated as a reference to the person in charge of overseeing the operations of a province. | |||
| Vietnamese | thống đốc | ||
| The term "thống đốc" is derived from the Chinese word "tong du si", which refers to the head of an administrative division. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gobernador | ||
Governor in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qubernator | ||
| "qubernator" in Azerbaijani comes from the Latin word "gubernator," meaning "helmsman" or "ruler." | |||
| Kazakh | губернатор | ||
| The word "губернатор" can also refer to a captain of a ship or a military commander. | |||
| Kyrgyz | губернатор | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "губернатор" can also refer to a "commander" or "leader". | |||
| Tajik | ҳоким | ||
| The word "ҳоким" in Tajik comes from the same root as the Turkish word "hakim," meaning "judge," reflecting the historical role of governors as both administrators and arbiters of justice. | |||
| Turkmen | häkim | ||
| Uzbek | hokim | ||
| "Hokim" is rooted in the Old Turkic word "*beg" and the Arabic "hākim" and is a cognate to Persian "hakim" (master) and Turkish "bey" (lord). | |||
| Uyghur | ۋالىي | ||
Governor in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiaʻāina | ||
| "Kiaʻāina" is a compound word derived from "kia" (to guard) and "ʻāina" (land), thus meaning "protector of the land." | |||
| Maori | kawana | ||
| The Maori word 'kawana' can also mean 'a strong man' or a 'head of a family' | |||
| Samoan | kovana | ||
| This Samoan word shares a root with “kove” (to lead, to rule) and “kovana” (to be a leader). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gobernador | ||
| The Tagalog word "gobernador" comes from the Spanish word "gobernador", meaning "governor", and ultimately from the Latin word "gubernator", meaning "helmsman, pilot, director". | |||
Governor in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | gobernadora | ||
| Guarani | gobernador | ||
Governor in International Languages
| Esperanto | guberniestro | ||
| Esperanto's "guberniestro" originates from Esperanto's word for "to steer", "guberni", indicating a ship's captain or guide. | |||
| Latin | ducibus debebantur | ||
| The term "dux" could refer to the leaders of Roman legions, provinces, or even an entire army. | |||
Governor in Others Languages
| Greek | κυβερνήτης | ||
| The word "κυβερνήτης" originally meant "helmsman" or "pilot" in ancient Greek, and only later came to mean "governor" or "ruler" in the political sense. | |||
| Hmong | tus tswv xeev | ||
| Tus tswv xeev comes from the phrase 'tus' (chief) and 'tswv' (big) + 'xeev' (to govern), which literally means 'big chief who governs'. | |||
| Kurdish | walî | ||
| In Kurdish, walî (ولى) also carries meanings of 'protector' and 'saint'. | |||
| Turkish | vali | ||
| The Turkish word "Vali" originates from the Arabic word "Wāli" meaning "ruler" or "governor". | |||
| Xhosa | irhuluneli | ||
| This term has alternate meanings of 'chief' and 'master', and the literal translation is something like 'the one who speaks on behalf of the people' | |||
| Yiddish | גענעראל | ||
| In Yiddish, גענעראל can also mean "general" or "commander-in-chief." | |||
| Zulu | umbusi | ||
| The Zulu word "umbusi" also refers to a tree with edible fruit and can mean "chief" or "lord." | |||
| Assamese | গৱৰ্ণৰ | ||
| Aymara | gobernadora | ||
| Bhojpuri | राज्यपाल के रूप में काम कइले | ||
| Dhivehi | ގަވަރުނަރު | ||
| Dogri | राज्यपाल जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gobernador | ||
| Guarani | gobernador | ||
| Ilocano | gobernador | ||
| Krio | gɔvnɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پارێزگار | ||
| Maithili | राज्यपाल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯒꯕꯔꯅꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯧ ꯄꯨꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | governor a ni | ||
| Oromo | bulchaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରାଜ୍ୟପାଳ | ||
| Quechua | kamachikuq | ||
| Sanskrit | राज्यपालः | ||
| Tatar | губернатор | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣመሓዳሪ | ||
| Tsonga | holobye | ||