High in different languages

High in Different Languages

Discover 'High' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'high' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, often used to describe something that is tall or at a great height. However, its meaning and cultural importance extend far beyond that. It can also refer to a state of euphoria or excitement, as in 'feeling high.' Historically, 'high' has been associated with spiritual or mystical experiences, such as reaching a higher state of consciousness. Moreover, the word 'high' has fascinating translations in different languages, shedding light on how different cultures view height and the concept it represents. For instance, in Spanish, 'high' translates to 'alto,' while in French, it's 'haut.' In German, 'high' is 'hoch,' and in Japanese, it's 'takai.' In this article, we delve into the various translations of 'high' in different languages, exploring the cultural nuances and interesting historical contexts associated with this simple yet profound word. So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a culture buff, or just curious, read on to discover more about 'high' in different languages.

High

High in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanshoog
Although it means 'high', 'hoog' can also refer to 'drunk', a meaning it shares only with its cognate 'hooch'.
Amharicከፍተኛ
The word "ከፍተኛ" can also mean "top" or "upper" in Amharic.
Hausababba
The word "babba" in Hausa can also mean "to swell up" or "to be arrogant."
Igboelu
The Igbo word "elu" also means "heaven" or "sky" in some contexts, extending its semantic range beyond physical height.
Malagasyavo
The word "avo" in Malagasy can also mean "chief" or "master".
Nyanja (Chichewa)mkulu
The alternative meaning of the Nyanja word "mkulu" is "elder".
Shonakumusoro
The word 'kumusoro' can also be used to mean 'the top' or 'the highest point'.
Somalisare
The word "sare" in Somali also refers to a kind of grass or reed used for thatching roofs or making baskets.
Sesothophahameng
The word "phahameng" has an alternate meaning in Sesotho, referring to something that is "difficult" or "challenging".
Swahilijuu
The Swahili word "juu" also means "top" or "above", and is related to the verb "jua" ("to know").
Xhosaphezulu
The word "phezulu" also means "up" or "above" in Xhosa.
Yorubagiga
Yoruba word for "high" 'giga' means "to be great" as well as "to be many" and "to be tall"
Zuluphezulu
The Zulu word "phezulu" can also refer to "upwards" or "on top of".
Bambarajamanjan
Ewekɔ
Kinyarwandamuremure
Lingalalikolo
Lugandawaggulu
Sepedigodimo
Twi (Akan)soro

High in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicعالي
The word "عالي" also means "noble" or "exalted" in Arabic, suggesting a position of honor or esteem.
Hebrewגָבוֹהַ
The word "גָבוֹהַ" can also mean "tall" or "great".
Pashtoلوړ
The Pashto word "لوړ" can also mean "loud" or "great", and is related to the Persian word "بلند" meaning "high".
Arabicعالي
The word "عالي" also means "noble" or "exalted" in Arabic, suggesting a position of honor or esteem.

High in Western European Languages

Albaniani lartë
The Albanian word "i lartë" has ancient Greek origins, where "lartos" meant "fine" or "delicate". In modern Greek, it means "thin".
Basquealtua
"Altua" is closely related to the Basque word "alto" which also means "high" and is the probable origin of the Spanish word "alto."
Catalanalt
"Alt" in Catalan may derive from the Latin "altus" (high) or the Germanic "hold" (high ground), possibly via a pre-Romance substratum.
Croatianvisoko
In Croatian, the word visoko shares its root with the words visina (altitude) and visor (height).
Danishhøj
In Danish, "høj" can also mean "cairn" or "mound".
Dutchhoog
The word hoog in Dutch also refers to a noble or exalted social class.
Englishhigh
The word 'high' originated from the Old English word 'hēah,' meaning 'tall' or 'elevated,' and has evolved to encompass a range of meanings, including height, intensity, and intoxication.
Frenchhaute
The word "haute" in French comes from the Latin "altus," meaning "high," and also has the alternate meanings of "tall," "loud," and "deep."
Frisianheech
The Frisian word "heech" is also used as an adverb meaning "very" and as an adjective meaning "tall".
Galicianalto
Galician "alto" is cognate with Latin "altus" and retains the latter's meaning of "deep" in addition to "high."
Germanhoch
The word 'hoch' can also mean 'respected' in German, as in 'hoher Herr' or 'hohe Dame' ('high sir' or 'high lady').
Icelandichár
The Icelandic word "hár" is also the name of a bird of prey, derived from its loud call.
Irishard
The Irish word "ard" also means "great" or "noble" and is the origin of the English word "admiral".
Italianalto
In the 16th century the word 'alto' was used not only as an adjective but also as an adverb meaning 'loud'.
Luxembourgishhéich
The Luxembourgish word for "high", "héich", derives from Middle High German and is cognate with English "high"
Maltesegħoli
"Għoli" also means "tall", "lofty", "elevated", or "exalted" in Maltese.
Norwegianhøy
The word 'høy' (high) in Norwegian comes from the Proto-Germanic word 'hauhs', which also meant 'high' or 'tall'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)alto
"Alto" also means "stop" when referring to traffic signs, "tall" when describing a person, "deep" when describing the sea or a voice, or "large" when describing a sum of money.
Scots Gaelicàrd
In some parts of Scotland, "àrd" is used to mean "pregnant."
Spanishalto
Alto is also a noun meaning "stand" and is related to the word "altar" from the Latin *altus*.
Swedishhög
The word "hög" can also refer to a pile, a heap, or a burial mound in Swedish.
Welshuchel
The Welsh word "uchel" also means "bird" or "sky" and derives from the Proto-Celtic *ud-selo- "high, above".

High in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianвысокі
The word "высокі" also means "tall, lofty, majestic, exalted, superb, grandiose"
Bosnianvisoko
The word 'visoko' can also refer to a Bosnian town or a famous Bosnian pyramid.
Bulgarianвисоко
The word "Високо" can also mean "tall" or "elevated" in Bulgarian.
Czechvysoký
"Vysoký" can also mean "tall". This is because the word derives from the Proto-Slavic root *vysъkъ, which meant "high" but also "tall".
Estoniankõrge
The Estonian word "kõrge" is thought to have evolved from an archaic form meaning "to grow" and shares a root with the German "hoch."
Finnishkorkea
The word "korkea" also means "dear" or "prized" in colloquial Finnish.
Hungarianmagas
The word "magas" can also refer to a granary or a tower.
Latvianaugsts
Augsts, in Latvian, is cognate with the English word "august"
Lithuanianaukštas
The Lithuanian word "aukštas" can also refer to a story in a building and derives ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂ewǵ-", meaning "to increase".
Macedonianвисоко
The word “високо“ can derive from the word “висок“ (tall), which derives from the Proto-Slavic word “vysokъ (high)
Polishwysoki
The word "wysoki" means not only "high" in English, but also "tall", "lofty" and "elevated".
Romanianînalt
The word "înalt" in Romanian is derived from the Latin word "altus", meaning "high" or "deep".
Russianвысоко
In Old Russian, "высоко" also meant "expensive."
Serbianвисоко
The word "високо" can also mean "tall" or "loud".
Slovakvysoká
"Vysoká" derives from Proto-Slavic *vъsokъ and also means "university" in Slovak.
Slovenianvisoko
"Visoko" has been attested in many Slavic languages since the 6th century; its original meaning was "something hanging down", which later changed through a process of euphemism, as is common with other words for "high".
Ukrainianвисокий
The word "високий" in Ukrainian also has an archaic meaning of "tall" or "long" and is related to the word "вись" meaning "to hang".

High in South Asian Languages

Bengaliউচ্চ
"উচ্চ" also means "distinguished" and can be used in front of positions like "উচ্চ কমিশনার" (High Commissioner).
Gujaratiઉચ્ચ
The word "ઉચ્ચ" (high) can also mean "tall", "elevated", or "of high quality" in Gujarati.
Hindiउच्च
The word "उच्च" also means "noble" or "superior" in Hindi.
Kannadaಹೆಚ್ಚು
"ಹೆಚ್ಚು" also means 'more' in the sense of 'quantity' or 'greater'.
Malayalamഉയർന്ന
Malayalam 'ഉയർന്ന' is used in the same sense as 'high' in English to describe something that is above average, or to express a sense of superiority or elevation, but can also mean 'to lift' or 'to rise'.
Marathiउच्च
उच्च comes from the Sanskrit word ऊच् meaning "lift" and also refers to "a high place"
Nepaliउच्च
The word "उच्च" in Nepali can also mean "upper", "elevated" or "noble".
Punjabiਉੱਚ
The word 'ਉੱਚ' is also used to refer to a high place or elevation, and in a figurative sense, to a high or exalted state of being.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ඉහළ
In Sinhala, ඉහළ (ihala) can also refer to the upper parts of a tree, a building, or a body of water, or to an elevated social or economic position.
Tamilஉயர்
"உயர்" comes from the Proto-Dravidian root *uy, which also means "to rise".
Teluguఅధిక
The word "అధిక" in Telugu can also mean "more" or "extra".
Urduاونچا
The word "اونچا" can also mean "noble" or "lofty" in Urdu.

High in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)高
The character '高' also refers to 'excellent, noble' or 'above, surpass', and is a common component in words related to altitude or status.
Chinese (Traditional)高
高 (gao) can also mean esteemed, noble, grand, important, honorable, or dignified.
Japanese高い
The word "高い" can also mean "expensive" or "tall".
Korean높은
The word "높은" also means "noble" or "lofty" in Korean.
Mongolianөндөр
"Өндөр" is derived from the Mongolian verb "өндөрөх" meaning "to raise" or "to lift".
Myanmar (Burmese)မြင့်သည်

High in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiantinggi
The Indonesian word "tinggi" is cognate with the Malay "tinggi" and the Javanese "tin" and "tiing", all of which mean "high".
Javanesedhuwur
The Javanese word "dhuwur" can also mean "tall" or "elevated".
Khmerខ្ពស់
The word ខ្ពស់ (Khpsor) can also mean tall, elevated, or eminent.
Laoສູງ
In Thai, "สูง" (pronounced "sung") also means "tall, elevated, or long in vertical dimension".
Malaytinggi
The root of the word "tinggi" is "tinggal" (to remain), suggesting a sense of elevation or permanence.
Thaiสูง
The word "สูง" also means "tall" or "great" in Thai, and is often used to describe people or objects that are elevated or superior.
Vietnamesecao
The Vietnamese word "cao" can also mean "skillful" or "clever."
Filipino (Tagalog)mataas

High in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniyüksək
"Yüksək" is related with the word "yük" (burden, load) and originally meant "loaded, heavy".
Kazakhжоғары
The Kazakh word "жоғары" also means "above", "upwards", "higher", and "top".
Kyrgyzжогорку
The term "жогорку" (high) is etymologically related to the word for an "eagle," and also signifies "sovereign."
Tajikбаланд
The word "баланд" can also refer to a type of eagle or a high mountain pass.
Turkmenbeýik
Uzbekyuqori
Yuqori originates from the Old Turkic word *YuxrÏ, also sharing cognates with Mongolian, Siberian and Central Asian Turkic languages.
Uyghurئېگىز

High in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankiʻekiʻe
In the Hawaiian language, the word “kiʻekiʻe” can also refer to nobility, honor, or status.
Maoriteitei
The archaic or poetic Māori word 'teitei' can also refer to something 'excellent' or 'exalted'.
Samoanmaualuga
The word "maualuga" in Samoan can refer to the sky, a high place, or something that is above average in size or quality.
Tagalog (Filipino)mataas
The Tagalog word "mataas" also means "tall" or "deep" depending on the context.

High in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajach'a
Guaraniyvate

High in International Languages

Esperantoalta
The Esperanto word "alta" is derived from the Latin word "altus," meaning "high" or "deep."
Latinaltum
The Latin word "altum" also refers to the deep sea, and is the root of the word "altitude."

High in Others Languages

Greekυψηλός
υψηλός also means "sublime" and "honorable".
Hmongsiab
The Hmong word 'siab' ('high') is etymologically linked to 'sib' ('ascend'), highlighting the correlation between elevation and altitude.
Kurdishbilind
The Kurdish word 'bilind' derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰel- ('to swell, rise') and shares cognates with English 'balloon' and 'blister'.
Turkishyüksek
The Turkish word "yüksek" also means "noble", "great" or "loud".
Xhosaphezulu
The word "phezulu" also means "up" or "above" in Xhosa.
Yiddishהויך
Its etymology is similar to Yiddish 'הויל' or 'העי' which mean 'noise', hence the phrase 'זיין צו הויך' meaning to be too loud
Zuluphezulu
The Zulu word "phezulu" can also refer to "upwards" or "on top of".
Assameseওখ
Aymarajach'a
Bhojpuriऊँच
Dhivehiއުސް
Dogriउच्चा
Filipino (Tagalog)mataas
Guaraniyvate
Ilocanonangato
Krioay
Kurdish (Sorani)بەرز
Maithiliऊंच
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯋꯥꯡꯕ
Mizosang
Oromool aanaa
Odia (Oriya)ଉଚ୍ଚ
Quechuahatun
Sanskritउच्चैः
Tatarбиек
Tigrinyaላዕሊ
Tsongahenhla

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