Highway in Different Languages
Discover 'Highway' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Highways are a significant part of modern civilization, shaping the way we travel, transport goods, and connect with one another. They represent a country's infrastructure and economic growth, and are often symbols of cultural importance. From the iconic Route 66 in the United States to the Autobahn in Germany, highways have captured our collective imagination and inspired countless songs, films, and stories.
Moreover, understanding the translation of the word 'highway' in different languages can offer a unique glimpse into the culture and history of a region. For instance, in Spanish, a highway is called 'autopista,' while in French, it's 'autoroute.' In Japan, the term is 'kōsoku-dōro,' reflecting the country's emphasis on technological innovation and efficiency.
So whether you're a traveler planning a road trip through Europe, a language learner looking to expand your vocabulary, or a history buff interested in cultural context, exploring the translations of 'highway' in different languages can be a fascinating and rewarding journey.
Highway
Highway in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | snelweg | ||
| The word "snelweg" in Afrikaans originally meant "fast road" or "expressway". | |||
| Amharic | አውራ ጎዳና | ||
| The word "አውራ ጎዳና" was originally used to describe a path made by animals, and later came to mean a road for vehicles. | |||
| Hausa | babbar hanya | ||
| Originally a borrowing from Arabic, babban hanya literally means "big road" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | okporo ụzọ | ||
| Malagasy | lalambe | ||
| The word "lalambe" can also refer to a long, narrow strip of land or a path cut through the forest. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khwalala | ||
| The term "khwalala" originates from the word "khwala," meaning "to chase" or "to pursue," implying that a highway allows for rapid and uninterrupted movement. | |||
| Shona | mugwagwa | ||
| The word "mugwagwa" can also refer to a river course or path along which water flows during the rainy season. | |||
| Somali | waddo weyn | ||
| The Somali word "waddo weyn" for "highway" also means 'major road', with "waddo" itself meaning "road, path". | |||
| Sesotho | mmila o moholo | ||
| The word "mmila o moholo" is a combination of "mmila" (road) and "moholo" (big), emphasizing the size and importance of a highway. | |||
| Swahili | barabara kuu | ||
| "barabara kuu", the Swahili word for "highway", literally means "big road" or "main road". | |||
| Xhosa | uhola wendlela | ||
| The word "uhola wendlela" is derived from the verb "uhola", meaning "to open" or "to clear", and the noun "iwendlela", meaning "a path" or "a road". | |||
| Yoruba | opopona | ||
| "Opopona" also denotes "crossroads" in the Yoruba lexicon. | |||
| Zulu | umgwaqo omkhulu | ||
| The word 'umgwaqo omkhulu' can also refer to any large road, or a 'main road'. | |||
| Bambara | siraba kan | ||
| Ewe | mɔ gã aɖe dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuhanda | ||
| Lingala | nzela monene | ||
| Luganda | oluguudo olukulu | ||
| Sepedi | tsela e kgolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkwan kɛse so | ||
Highway in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الطريق السريع | ||
| In Arabic, "الطريق السريع" originally meant "a wide road" or "a main road", but its meaning has shifted over time to specifically refer to "a highway". | |||
| Hebrew | כביש מהיר | ||
| Pashto | لویه لار | ||
| The word "لویه لار" in Pashto can also refer to a "great road" or a "main road". | |||
| Arabic | الطريق السريع | ||
| In Arabic, "الطريق السريع" originally meant "a wide road" or "a main road", but its meaning has shifted over time to specifically refer to "a highway". | |||
Highway in Western European Languages
| Albanian | autostradë | ||
| The word "autostradë" comes from the Italian words "auto" ("car") and "strada" ("road"). | |||
| Basque | autobidea | ||
| The word autobidea derives from auto ('car') + bide ('path, way'). | |||
| Catalan | carretera | ||
| The word "carretera" in Catalan ultimately derives from the Latin word "quadraria" meaning "a squared stone". | |||
| Croatian | autocesta | ||
| "Autocesta" originates from German and is a combination of two terms: "Auto" referring to an automobile or motor vehicle, and "cesta" derived from Old Slavic "cьsta" or Latin "strata" (street) | |||
| Danish | motorvej | ||
| Motorvej is a compound word derived from the words “motor” and “vej”, which respectively mean motor and path. | |||
| Dutch | snelweg | ||
| The word "snelweg" literally translates to "fast way" in Dutch, highlighting its primary purpose as a high-speed roadway. | |||
| English | highway | ||
| The derivation of "highway" is disputed: it may refer to the old usage of "hedge" meaning boundary, or an earlier meaning of "a path or route." | |||
| French | autoroute | ||
| The French 'Autoroute' can also refer to 'turnpike', or, colloquially, a 'free-for-all'. | |||
| Frisian | sneldyk | ||
| "Sneldyk" is cognate with Dutch "sneldek" and German "schnelldeich", meaning "fast dike" referring to waterways rather than roads | |||
| Galician | estrada | ||
| In Galician, the word "estrada" can also mean "road", "path" or "street". | |||
| German | autobahn | ||
| The word "Autobahn" is derived from the German words "Auto" (automobile) and "Bahn" (path or road), and originally referred to a high-speed road for automobiles. | |||
| Icelandic | þjóðvegi | ||
| Þjóðvegi, meaning "highway" in Icelandic, derives from the Old Norse word "þjóðvegr," originally referring to a "main road" or "road for the people" | |||
| Irish | mhórbhealaigh | ||
| Italian | autostrada | ||
| "Autostrada" also means "the road of automobiles" in Italian, as it is composed by the words "auto" (automobile) and "strada" (road). | |||
| Luxembourgish | autobunn | ||
| The word "Autobunn" is derived from the German word "Autobahn", which means "motorway". | |||
| Maltese | awtostrada | ||
| The word "awtostrada" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "autostrada" and ultimately from the Latin word "via strata" meaning "paved way". | |||
| Norwegian | hovedvei | ||
| "Hovedvei" is the Norwegian word for "highway", and is composed of "hoved" meaning "main" and "vei" meaning "road". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rodovia | ||
| The Portuguese word "rodovia" (highway) derives from the Latin "rota" (wheel) and the suffix "-via" (way). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àrd-rathad | ||
| Àrd-rathad translates literally as "high road" and is also the Gaelic term for "main road". | |||
| Spanish | autopista | ||
| The word "autopista" in Spanish comes from the Greek "autos" meaning "self" and the Latin "via" meaning "road". | |||
| Swedish | motorväg | ||
| Motorväg, meaning "highway" in Swedish, is a loanword from German consisting of two elements, "motor" and "väg" (literally "motor road"). | |||
| Welsh | briffordd | ||
| The Welsh word "briffordd" can trace its roots to the Brythonic word "*brigo-rotos" meaning "great road." | |||
Highway in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шашы | ||
| The word "шашы" is a borrowing from Polish "szosa", which in turn comes from French "chaussée" (paved road). | |||
| Bosnian | autoput | ||
| The word 'autoput' is derived from the German word 'Autobahn', meaning 'motorway'. | |||
| Bulgarian | магистрала | ||
| The word "магистрала" can also refer to a major gas pipeline, or the main trunk line of a railroad. | |||
| Czech | dálnice | ||
| "Dálnice" (highway) is also part of the word "dál" (far), highlighting the long-distance nature of highways. | |||
| Estonian | maanteel | ||
| The Estonian word "maanteel" is derived from the words "maa" (land) and "teel" (on the road), and it can also refer to a rural road. | |||
| Finnish | valtatie | ||
| "Valtatie" is derived from the root "valta" (power), implying that highways were once considered symbols of a nation's strength and authority. | |||
| Hungarian | országút | ||
| A népnyelvben az „országút” jelenthet országgyűlési képviselő által a választókörzetében épített utat is. | |||
| Latvian | šoseja | ||
| The word "šoseja" in Latvian originates from the French word "chaussée", meaning "road" or "causeway". | |||
| Lithuanian | greitkelis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "greitkelis" is thought to have originated from the words "greitas" (fast) and "kelti" (to lift), suggesting a path that enables fast movement. | |||
| Macedonian | автопат | ||
| The compound word "автопат" literally means "automobile road". | |||
| Polish | autostrada | ||
| Autostrada in Polish can also mean "autopilot". | |||
| Romanian | autostrada | ||
| In Romanian, 'autostrada' means 'highway', but it can also refer to the lanes reserved for public transport or the highway police. | |||
| Russian | шоссе | ||
| Derived from French, with possible further Turkic origins | |||
| Serbian | аутопут | ||
| The word "аутопут" also refers to a car race track and can be spelled with the Latin alphabet: "autoput". | |||
| Slovak | diaľnica | ||
| The term "diaľnica" is used in some countries in Central and Eastern Europe to indicate a motorway rather than just a freeway, but in other regions it can simply mean "road". | |||
| Slovenian | avtocesti | ||
| The word 'avtocesti' derives from the Latin for 'auto' and the Italian for 'strada', but can also refer to a 'road' in general. | |||
| Ukrainian | шосе | ||
| Шосе (highway) is a Ukrainian word derived from the French word “chaussée”, meaning a paved road or driveway. | |||
Highway in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হাইওয়ে | ||
| The word "হাইওয়ে" is derived from the English word "highway". | |||
| Gujarati | હાઇવે | ||
| The word 'હાઇવે' ('highway') is ultimately derived from the Old English word 'hēahweg', meaning 'high way', referring to a main road. | |||
| Hindi | हाइवे | ||
| The word 'हाइवे' (highway) in Hindi, comes from the Persian word 'hawai', meaning a road for horsemen. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ | ||
| The word "ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "हस्त" (hand) and "धार" (path), meaning "path for hands". | |||
| Malayalam | ഹൈവേ | ||
| ഹൈവേ comes from the English word highway, meaning a main road. | |||
| Marathi | महामार्ग | ||
| The word "महामार्ग" (highway) is derived from the Sanskrit words "महा" (great) and "मार्ग" (path) | |||
| Nepali | राजमार्ग | ||
| The word "राजमार्ग" in Sanskrit translates to "king's road", and also refers to the 1008 roads constructed in ancient India by emperor Ashoka. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਾਈਵੇ | ||
| The word 'highway' comes from the Old English word 'hegweg,' which means 'way protected by hedges.' | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අධිවේගී මාර්ගය | ||
| Tamil | நெடுஞ்சாலை | ||
| Telugu | హైవే | ||
| The Telugu word "హైవే" (hāivē) is derived from the English word "highway", and can also mean "main road" or "major road". | |||
| Urdu | ہائی وے | ||
| In Urdu, "ہائی وے" (highway) can also refer to aerial routes, or more broadly, any major route. | |||
Highway in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 高速公路 | ||
| 高速公路 (gaosu gonglu) was formed from the abbreviation 高速 (gaosu, 'high speed') of 高速度 (gaosudu, 'high speed') and 公路 (gonglu, 'road'). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 高速公路 | ||
| "高" in "高速公路" refers to the high standard of the road, "速" means fast speed, and "公" refers to public use. | |||
| Japanese | 高速道路 | ||
| 高速道路 (kousokudouro) literally means "high-speed road" in Japanese and is also known as the "expressway." | |||
| Korean | 고속도로 | ||
| **고속도로** may also be a term for the 'express lanes' on highways in Korea, which only certain types of vehicles with a special pass are permitted to drive on. | |||
| Mongolian | хурдны зам | ||
| The word хурдны зам also means a "thoroughfare" as in a "thoroughfare" of a city. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဝေးပြေး | ||
Highway in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jalan raya | ||
| The term 'jalan raya' is also used in Malaysian, meaning 'street' or 'road'. | |||
| Javanese | dalan gedhe | ||
| "Dalan gedhe" in Javanese is derived from the Sanskrit word "dalan, | |||
| Khmer | ផ្លូវហាយវេ | ||
| The Khmer word "ផ្លូវហាយវេ" (highway) ultimately derives from the Latin word "via," meaning "way" or "road." | |||
| Lao | ທາງຫລວງ | ||
| Malay | jalan raya | ||
| The Malay word "jalan raya" is derived from Persian and means both "highway" and "main street" in the context of a town or city. | |||
| Thai | ทางหลวง | ||
| The word "ทางหลวง" (highway) in Thai derives from the Sanskrit word "dharma" meaning "moral law" or "right path" | |||
| Vietnamese | xa lộ | ||
| Xa lộ is a loanword from French 'chaussée', meaning 'roadway' or 'causeway'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | highway | ||
Highway in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | magistral | ||
| The word "magistral" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Latin word "magister" (meaning "master") and originally referred to a main road or highway. | |||
| Kazakh | тасжол | ||
| The Kazakh word "тасжол" (highway) derives from the Persian "tashjol", meaning "stone path". | |||
| Kyrgyz | шоссе | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "шоссе" (highway) is also a loanword from Russian. | |||
| Tajik | шоҳроҳ | ||
| The word "шоҳроҳ" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "شاهرَه" which means "main road". | |||
| Turkmen | uly ýol | ||
| Uzbek | magistral yo'l | ||
| "Magistral yo'l" also refers to the main direction in something (for example, in science or art). | |||
| Uyghur | تاشيول | ||
Highway in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | alaloa | ||
| The word "alaloa" also means "long" or "tall" in Hawaiian, referring to the length of the roads. | |||
| Maori | huanui | ||
| In Maori, the word "huanui" also refers to a pathway marked by a row of stones or a guiding line for travelers. | |||
| Samoan | auala tele | ||
| The word "auala tele" is also used to refer to the "path of life" or "way of life." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | highway | ||
| The word "highway" in Tagalog is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "carretera," meaning "road" or "highway." | |||
Highway in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jach’a thaki | ||
| Guarani | tape guasu | ||
Highway in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝoseo | ||
| "ŝoseo" is an artificial root created by Esperanto that is used in the construction of words related to roads and highways. | |||
| Latin | via | ||
| The Latin word "via" initially referred to a narrow path or road, with "highway" being a later extension of its meaning. | |||
Highway in Others Languages
| Greek | αυτοκινητόδρομος | ||
| In ancient Greek, 'autokinētos' means 'self-moving' and 'dromos' refers to a 'racecourse' or 'roadway'. | |||
| Hmong | txoj kev loj | ||
| The word "txoj kev loj" in Hmong, in addition to meaning "highway," also means "avenue" or "roadway." | |||
| Kurdish | rê | ||
| The Kurdish word "rê" is also used to refer to "direction" or "line". | |||
| Turkish | otoyol | ||
| The word "otoyol" is a compound of the Turkish words "otomobil" (automobile) and "yol" (road). | |||
| Xhosa | uhola wendlela | ||
| The word "uhola wendlela" is derived from the verb "uhola", meaning "to open" or "to clear", and the noun "iwendlela", meaning "a path" or "a road". | |||
| Yiddish | שאָסיי | ||
| In Eastern Yiddish, "שאָסיי" can also refer to a paved road or street. | |||
| Zulu | umgwaqo omkhulu | ||
| The word 'umgwaqo omkhulu' can also refer to any large road, or a 'main road'. | |||
| Assamese | ঘাইপথ | ||
| Aymara | jach’a thaki | ||
| Bhojpuri | राजमार्ग पर भइल | ||
| Dhivehi | ހައިވޭގަ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | हाईवे पर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | highway | ||
| Guarani | tape guasu | ||
| Ilocano | haywey | ||
| Krio | di aywe | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕێگای خێرا | ||
| Maithili | राजमार्ग | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯏꯋꯦꯗꯥ ꯂꯩ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | highway-ah a awm a | ||
| Oromo | daandii guddaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରାଜପଥ | ||
| Quechua | hatun ñan | ||
| Sanskrit | राजमार्गः | ||
| Tatar | шоссе | ||
| Tigrinya | ጽርግያ | ||
| Tsonga | gondzo lerikulu | ||