Heritage in Different Languages
Discover 'Heritage' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Heritage is a powerful word that carries a deep sense of history, culture, and identity. It refers to the traditions, values, and beliefs passed down from generation to generation, shaping communities and societies. Understanding heritage in different languages can open up a world of cultural discovery and appreciation.
For instance, in Spanish, heritage is translated as 'herencia', which not only means inheritance in terms of property or money, but also the legacy of traditions and customs. In French, 'héritage' has a similar double meaning, encompassing both tangible and intangible aspects of the past. Meanwhile, in Japanese, heritage is 'isan', reflecting the country's reverence for its ancient customs and long-standing institutions.
Exploring the translations of heritage in different languages offers a fascinating insight into how different cultures perceive and value their past. From the Irish 'oidhreacht' to the German 'Erbe', the word heritage connects us all to our shared human story.
Heritage
Heritage in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | erfenis | ||
| "Erfenis" literally means "inheritance" in Afrikaans, as it derives from the Dutch word "erfenis" with the same meaning. | |||
| Amharic | ቅርስ | ||
| The word ቅርስ (qərəs) is derived from the verb ቀረሰ (qäräsä), meaning "to leave behind" or "to bequeath". | |||
| Hausa | gado | ||
| The word 'gado' is also used to mean 'cattle', due to the importance of livestock in Hausa culture. | |||
| Igbo | ihe nketa | ||
| The word "ihe nketa" in Igbo also means "things belonging to the community" or "ancestral possessions". | |||
| Malagasy | heritage | ||
| In Malagasy, "lova" also means "heritage". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholowa | ||
| In Nyanja, 'cholowa' originally referred to a piece of land passed down from ancestors, but now also refers to any inherited property. | |||
| Shona | nhaka | ||
| Shona "nhaka" can also mean a "traditional dance performed by men". | |||
| Somali | dhaxalka | ||
| The word "dhaxalka" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word for "inheritance" through the Swahili word "dharaka. | |||
| Sesotho | lefa | ||
| "Lefa" also means "the act of receiving or obtaining something as an inheritance from a parent or ancestor." | |||
| Swahili | urithi | ||
| Historically 'urithi' also signifies 'treasure' rather than solely 'heritage', particularly in the context of 'mrefu' ('long') and 'mharibifu' ('destructive) | |||
| Xhosa | ilifa lemveli | ||
| Ilifa lemveli, meaning "inheritance" in Xhosa, is a term referring to items passed down through generations of a family. | |||
| Yoruba | iní | ||
| The word "iní" in Yoruba not only means "heritage" but also refers to the physical and spiritual traits passed down through generations. | |||
| Zulu | ifa | ||
| The word 'ifa' also refers to the traditional religion of the Yoruba people of West Africa | |||
| Bambara | ciyɛn | ||
| Ewe | domenyinu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umurage | ||
| Lingala | libula | ||
| Luganda | ennono | ||
| Sepedi | bohwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awugyadeɛ | ||
Heritage in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التراث | ||
| The Arabic word التراث (turāth) also means 'wealth' or 'property' and has roots in the verb 'to inherit' | |||
| Hebrew | מוֹרֶשֶׁת | ||
| Historically, מוֹרֶשֶׁת also meant "teaching" and "law" in rabbinic Hebrew, while the modern meaning originated in the 18th century. | |||
| Pashto | میراث | ||
| In Pashto, 'میراث' also denotes a legacy or inheritance, including both material and intangible assets. | |||
| Arabic | التراث | ||
| The Arabic word التراث (turāth) also means 'wealth' or 'property' and has roots in the verb 'to inherit' | |||
Heritage in Western European Languages
| Albanian | trashëgimi | ||
| The Albanian word "trashëgimi" derives from the Latin "traditio," meaning "tradition" or "delivery." | |||
| Basque | ondarea | ||
| The Basque word "ondarea" can also refer to a legacy, inheritance, or patrimony. | |||
| Catalan | patrimoni | ||
| The word "patrimoni" in Catalan derives from the Late Latin "patrimonium", meaning both "father's inheritance" and "estate" | |||
| Croatian | baština | ||
| In older Croatian, the word 'baština' also signified an estate, a family-owned piece of land. | |||
| Danish | arv | ||
| In Danish, the word 'arv' does not only mean 'heritage,' but it can also refer to a specific plot of land that one inherits. | |||
| Dutch | erfgoed | ||
| The Dutch word 'erfgoed' derives from the words 'erfenis' ('inheritance') and 'goed' ('property'). | |||
| English | heritage | ||
| The word "heritage" comes from the Latin word "heres," meaning "heir". | |||
| French | patrimoine | ||
| The French word "patrimoine" derives from the Latin "patrimonium", meaning "father's inheritance". | |||
| Frisian | erfguod | ||
| The word "erfguod" in Frisian is cognate with the English word "heritage", and both words derive from the Proto-Germanic word *erbi-z, meaning "inheritance". | |||
| Galician | patrimonio | ||
| In Galician, "patrimonio" can also refer to a historical monument or an artistic work, often protected by law. | |||
| German | erbe | ||
| Erbe can also mean "pea" in German, which is a play on words used in the title of the film "Das weiße Band" by Michael Haneke. | |||
| Icelandic | arfleifð | ||
| The Icelandic word "arfleifð" is a compound of "arf" (inheritance) and "leifð" (remains), thus implying both the legacy and the remnants of the past. | |||
| Irish | oidhreacht | ||
| The word "oidhreacht" can also refer to an inheritance or a legacy. | |||
| Italian | eredità | ||
| In Italian, the word "eredità" has many shades of meaning, from "patrimony" to "genetics" and "bequeathal". | |||
| Luxembourgish | patrimoine | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Patrimoine" is derived from the Latin word "patrimonium", meaning "property inherited from one's father". | |||
| Maltese | wirt | ||
| The word "wirt" in Maltese also refers to a male heir or inheritor. | |||
| Norwegian | arv | ||
| In Norwegian, the root word “arv” (heritage) comes from the Old Norse, meaning both “inheritance” and “property.” | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | herança | ||
| The word 'herança' has an additional meaning in Portuguese: 'succession', indicating the transfer of property from one person to another. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dualchas | ||
| The Gaelic word "dualchas" comes from the Old Irish term "duailce," meaning "inheritance." | |||
| Spanish | patrimonio | ||
| Patrimonio is derived from Latin "patrimonium" meaning "inheritance" and "property of a father". | |||
| Swedish | arv | ||
| Arv can also mean genetic material, something due or receivable, or a scar or mark. | |||
| Welsh | treftadaeth | ||
| Treftadaeth comes from the Welsh words treftadaeth, meaning 'inheritance', and tref, meaning 'settlement' or 'town'. | |||
Heritage in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спадчына | ||
| In addition to the common meaning of 'heritage', "спадчына" can also mean 'legacy' or 'ancestry'. | |||
| Bosnian | baština | ||
| The word 'baština' (heritage) comes from the Old Slavic word 'batina' meaning 'father's house', and also signifies the inherited property. | |||
| Bulgarian | наследство | ||
| "Наследство" also refers to both the act of transferring property and the estate that's transferred. | |||
| Czech | dědictví | ||
| The word "dědictví" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *dědъ, meaning "grandfather" or "ancestor". | |||
| Estonian | pärand | ||
| The word "pärand" also means "burden" or "legacy" in Estonian | |||
| Finnish | perintö | ||
| The Finnish word "perintö" is derived from the verb "periytyä" meaning "to inherit", and is related to the words "perhe" (family) and "perillinen" (heir). | |||
| Hungarian | örökség | ||
| In Hungarian, "örökség" is a combination of "örök" ("eternal") and "ség" ("a state or quality"), referring to an intangible legacy that endures over time. | |||
| Latvian | mantojumu | ||
| The word "mantojumu" is derived from the verb "mantot" which means "to inherit" and is related to the noun "manta" meaning "property". | |||
| Lithuanian | paveldas | ||
| "Paveldas" ultimately descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂- ("to guard, protect, keep, feed"). | |||
| Macedonian | наследство | ||
| The word "наследство" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*naslědъ", which means "inheritance" or "legacy" | |||
| Polish | dziedzictwo | ||
| "Dziedzictwo" also means "inheritance" in Polish, highlighting the idea that heritage is something passed down from one generation to the next. | |||
| Romanian | moștenire | ||
| The Romanian word "moștenire" also means "legacy" or "inheritance" in English. | |||
| Russian | наследие | ||
| The word "наследие" (heritage) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "наслѣдь" ("inheritance") and shares its root with the verb "насълити" ("to inherit"). | |||
| Serbian | наслеђе | ||
| The word "наслеђе" can also refer to a "legacy" or a "tradition." | |||
| Slovak | dedičstvo | ||
| The word "dedičstvo" is derived from the Slavic words "děd" (grandfather) and "děditi" (to inherit), emphasizing the importance of family and ancestral traditions. | |||
| Slovenian | dediščina | ||
| The word 'dediščina' originates from the Slavic root 'ded' meaning 'grandfather' or 'ancestor', highlighting the idea of inherited traditions and cultural legacy passed down from one generation to another. | |||
| Ukrainian | спадщини | ||
| The word спадщини comes from the Old Slavic word *padъ*, meaning "to fall," and is related to the Ukrainian word спадати "to fall away". | |||
Heritage in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | heritageতিহ্য | ||
| "Heritage" comes from an Old French word meaning "heir" or "inheritance." | |||
| Gujarati | ધરોહર | ||
| The Gujarati word "ધરોહર" comes from the Sanskrit word "धरोहर" meaning "treasure" and has the same connotation in modern usage. | |||
| Hindi | विरासत | ||
| The word 'विरासत' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'विराट', meaning 'great' or 'vast'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪರಂಪರೆ | ||
| The word "ಪರಂಪರೆ" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "परम्परा" (paramparā), which means "uninterrupted succession" or "tradition." | |||
| Malayalam | പൈതൃകം | ||
| പൈതൃകം shares its root with 'pitr' (പിതൃ) meaning 'father', thereby indicating its inherited nature. | |||
| Marathi | वारसा | ||
| The Marathi word “वारसा” means legacy, property that passes down the generations and is often used in the context of cultural or traditional practices. | |||
| Nepali | विरासत | ||
| The word "विरासत" derives from the Sanskrit word "virāsat" meaning "lineage" or "ancestry". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਰਾਸਤ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උරුමය | ||
| In addition to denoting inheritance, the term 'urumaya' can refer to a genealogical lineage, a family, a clan or an ethnicity in Sinhalese culture. | |||
| Tamil | பாரம்பரியம் | ||
| The Tamil word "பாரம்பரியம்" can also refer to a body of inherited traits, beliefs, or customs. | |||
| Telugu | వారసత్వం | ||
| The word "వారసత్వం" ("heritage") in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "varasa," meaning "lineage" or "descent." | |||
| Urdu | ورثہ | ||
| "وراثت" is derived from the Arabic root "ورث" meaning "to inherit" and refers to both physical and intangible heirlooms passed down from previous generations. | |||
Heritage in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 遗产 | ||
| The concept of "遗产" was originally related to ancestral worship rather than inheritance. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 遺產 | ||
| The first character 遺 of 遺產 can also mean 'lose'. | |||
| Japanese | 遺産 | ||
| "遺産" (isan) is a Japanese word that etymologically means "that which is left behind" and can also refer to "assets" or "treasures". | |||
| Korean | 세습 재산 | ||
| The word "세습 재산" can also mean "inherited property" or "ancestral property".} | |||
| Mongolian | өв | ||
| The word "өв" can also refer to an inheritance or legacy passed down from one generation to another. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမွေအနှစ် | ||
Heritage in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | warisan | ||
| The word 'warisan' also has a secondary meaning of 'inheritance' in Indonesian, and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *waliS-. | |||
| Javanese | pusaka | ||
| The word "pusaka" in Javanese has its root in the Sanskrit word "puspa" meaning flower, which symbolizes beauty, virtue, and inheritance. | |||
| Khmer | បិតិកភណ្ឌ | ||
| The Khmer word "បិតិកភណ្ឌ" (pĭtĭkăphŏn) is also used to refer to a collection of Buddhist scriptures or a specific type of Buddhist manuscript. | |||
| Lao | ມໍລະດົກ | ||
| Malay | warisan | ||
| The Malay word 'warisan' also refers to an heirloom or inheritance | |||
| Thai | มรดก | ||
| The term "มรดก" (moradok) is also used in Thai to refer to a legacy or an heirloom. | |||
| Vietnamese | gia tài | ||
| The word "gia tài" is also used to refer to a person's property or possessions. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamana | ||
Heritage in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | irs | ||
| The word 'irs' in Azerbaijani is related to the Persian word 'irs' meaning 'heritage' and also refers to a 'tax on real estate' in some contexts. | |||
| Kazakh | мұра | ||
| In old Turkic, "мұра" also meant "inheritance", "lot", and "share". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мурас | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "мурас" also refers to a type of ancestral land owned by a kin group. | |||
| Tajik | мерос | ||
| The word "мерос" also means "inheritance" in Tajik, and is derived from the Persian word "میراث" (mirās). | |||
| Turkmen | mirasy | ||
| Uzbek | meros | ||
| The word "meros" comes from the Persian word "miros" meaning "inheritance". | |||
| Uyghur | مىراس | ||
Heritage in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoilina hoʻoilina | ||
| Hoʻoilina hoʻoilina means "heritage" and it translates to "to hand down" or "to leave behind." | |||
| Maori | taonga tuku iho | ||
| "Taonga tuku iho" literally means "treasures handed down," alluding to the ancestral treasures that hold cultural and historical significance for Māori. | |||
| Samoan | tofi | ||
| Tofi also means 'inheritance' or 'legacy' in Samoan, emphasizing the passing down of cultural traditions and values. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pamana | ||
| The word 'pamana' in Tagalog is rooted in the terms 'mana' ('inheritance') and 'ama' ('father'), representing the concept of inheriting knowledge and resources from ancestral figures. | |||
Heritage in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | utjiri | ||
| Guarani | imba'eteéva | ||
Heritage in International Languages
| Esperanto | heredaĵo | ||
| Latin | hereditatem | ||
| "Hereditas", "inheritance", also denotes "family, posterity" in Latin. | |||
Heritage in Others Languages
| Greek | κληρονομία | ||
| In addition to its meaning of 'heritage,' κληρονομία also denotes a monetary inheritance | |||
| Hmong | cuab yeej cuab tam | ||
| "Cuab yeej" means "inheritance," while "cuab tam" means "passing on," thus emphasizing the passing down of traditions and cultural practices through generations. | |||
| Kurdish | mîrat | ||
| The Kurdish word "mîrat" can also refer to a set of rules, a tradition, or a law. | |||
| Turkish | miras | ||
| The word "miras" also means "fortune" or "inheritance" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ilifa lemveli | ||
| Ilifa lemveli, meaning "inheritance" in Xhosa, is a term referring to items passed down through generations of a family. | |||
| Yiddish | ירושה | ||
| In Yiddish, "ירושה" not only means "heritage", but also "inheritance" and sometimes "dowry" | |||
| Zulu | ifa | ||
| The word 'ifa' also refers to the traditional religion of the Yoruba people of West Africa | |||
| Assamese | ঐতিহ্য | ||
| Aymara | utjiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | विरासत | ||
| Dhivehi | ހެރިޓޭޖް | ||
| Dogri | बरासत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamana | ||
| Guarani | imba'eteéva | ||
| Ilocano | tawid | ||
| Krio | wetin yu gɛt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کەلەپور | ||
| Maithili | विरासत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯦꯔꯤꯇꯦꯖ | ||
| Mizo | rochun | ||
| Oromo | duudhaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | heritage ତିହ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | saqisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | परम्परा | ||
| Tatar | мирас | ||
| Tigrinya | ቅርሲ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzhaka | ||