Hill in Different Languages
Discover 'Hill' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Hills hold a special significance in many cultures and languages, often symbolizing challenges to overcome or a smaller, more accessible version of a mountain. From the rolling green hills of the English countryside to the majestic sand dunes of the Sahara, these natural landforms have been an inspiration for countless artists, writers, and dreamers throughout history.
Moreover, the word 'hill' carries interesting historical contexts. For instance, in the United States, the term 'hillbilly' was used to refer to people who lived in the hills, often with a negative connotation. Meanwhile, in Chinese culture, a famous saying goes, 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,' likening a large journey to climbing a hill or mountain.
Understanding the translation of 'hill' in different languages can provide unique insights into various cultures and their relationship with nature. Here are a few examples:
- German: Hügel
- Spanish: Colina
- French: Colline
- Italian: Collina
- Russian: Kholm
- Japanese: Oka
- Chinese: 丘陵 (Qiūlíng)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'hill' translations in various languages, enriching your global cultural knowledge!
Hill
Hill in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | heuwel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "heuwel" is cognate with English "howl" and German "hügel," all deriving from the Proto-Germanic word *hugl-. | |||
| Amharic | ኮረብታ | ||
| The Amharic word ኮረብታ derives from the root verb ከረበ "to pile up or raise," thus indicating a small mound or elevated area. | |||
| Hausa | tudu | ||
| Hausa "tudu" also means "mountain" and is related to the word for "stone." | |||
| Igbo | ugwu | ||
| In the context of geology, 'ugwu' can mean any earth formation rising above the ground. | |||
| Malagasy | colina | ||
| In the context of a rice paddy, "colina" refers to the border or perimeter raised on the edge of the rice plot. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | phiri | ||
| Phiri also means "chief" or "a spirit of the soil" in Chewa and might also be related to the verb "to blow" due to the wind on hills or the wind created by spirits | |||
| Shona | gomo | ||
| The word "gomo" in Shona also refers to a type of wooden stilt used to support granaries and other structures. | |||
| Somali | buur | ||
| The Somali word "buur" can also refer to a "mountain" or a "tomb" | |||
| Sesotho | leralleng | ||
| This word may be derived from the verb lera, meaning "to climb", suggesting the idea of a hill as something that is climbed. | |||
| Swahili | kilima | ||
| The Swahili word "kilima" can also refer to a "sand dune" or a "volcano". | |||
| Xhosa | induli | ||
| In toponomy, the prefix "induli" may also refer to the presence of a "hill" or "rocky outcrop" in a specific location. | |||
| Yoruba | oke | ||
| "Òkè" in Yoruba shares the same root with "òkun" (ocean), suggesting a common ancestral meaning of "large body of water". | |||
| Zulu | igquma | ||
| The word "igquma" also means "a heap of stones or rocks" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | kulu | ||
| Ewe | togbɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umusozi | ||
| Lingala | ngomba moke | ||
| Luganda | akasozi | ||
| Sepedi | mmoto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kokoɔ | ||
Hill in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تل | ||
| In Arabic, "تل" (hill) can also mean a heap, mound, or elevation. | |||
| Hebrew | גִבעָה | ||
| The biblical word 'Gibeah' can also mean a 'round hill' or 'mound'. | |||
| Pashto | غونډۍ | ||
| The name of the Pashtun tribe "Ghilzai" means "dwellers of the lower hills". | |||
| Arabic | تل | ||
| In Arabic, "تل" (hill) can also mean a heap, mound, or elevation. | |||
Hill in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kodër | ||
| In Gheg Albanian, "kodër" can also refer to a 'mountain' or a 'hilltop'. | |||
| Basque | muinoa | ||
| Muinoa has two possible etymologies: (1) from **muin** = "heap, pile" or (2) from **muhi** = "summit, peak, mountaintop" | |||
| Catalan | turó | ||
| The Catalan word "turó" can also refer to a pile of stones or a raised earthwork | |||
| Croatian | brdo | ||
| The word "brdo" originally meant "forest" in Proto-Slavic, and can still have this meaning in some Slavic languages. | |||
| Danish | bakke | ||
| The word "bakke" is also used in Danish to refer to a mound of earth or a shelf on a wall. | |||
| Dutch | heuvel | ||
| The word "heuvel" is derived from Middle Dutch "hovel" (a mound), and is related to "heffen" (to raise). | |||
| English | hill | ||
| "Hill" originally meant "a hollow or depression in the ground," and its sense of "a natural elevation" developed later. | |||
| French | colline | ||
| The French word "colline" comes from the Latin "collis") | |||
| Frisian | heuvel | ||
| The Frisian word "heuvel" derives from an Old Germanic word that also referred to a heap or mound of earth and is cognate to the English word "how". | |||
| Galician | outeiro | ||
| In Portuguese and Galician, "outeiro" refers not just to a hill, but also to a plateau with a gentle slope. | |||
| German | hügel | ||
| The word 'Hügel' is derived from the Middle High German word 'hiubel', meaning 'heap'. | |||
| Icelandic | hæð | ||
| Hæð can also refer to a raised platform, a scaffold, or a high place. | |||
| Irish | cnoc | ||
| "Cnoc" is also used to refer to a type of fairy dwelling associated with the sídhe mound | |||
| Italian | collina | ||
| In Italian, the word "collina" derives from the Latin word "collis," which can also mean a "mound" or a "knoll." | |||
| Luxembourgish | hiwwel | ||
| Possibly derived from Proto-Celtic *segh-lo-, meaning "hill." Also a masculine given name. | |||
| Maltese | għoljiet | ||
| The word "għoljiet" is likely derived from the Arabic word "jāliyah" meaning "mountain" or "range". | |||
| Norwegian | høyde | ||
| The word "høyde" can also mean "height" or "altitude". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | colina | ||
| In Latin, "colina" also means "strainers" used in Roman mills. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cnoc | ||
| The word "cnoc" also means "the back of the head" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | colina | ||
| In Latin, "colina" originally meant "an elevated place" and has cognates in "column" and "colossus." | |||
| Swedish | kulle | ||
| In Finland, "kulle" also refers to a type of round-shaped hill or mound. | |||
| Welsh | bryn | ||
| The word 'bryn' is also used in Welsh placenames such as Brynmawr ('big hill') and Bryncoch ('red hill'). | |||
Hill in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | узгорак | ||
| The word "узгорак" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*горк" meaning "heap" or "pile". It can also refer to a small hill or mound. | |||
| Bosnian | brdo | ||
| The word 'brdo' also means 'forest' in some Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | хълм | ||
| The word "хълм" can also refer to a mound or barrow, and is related to the word "хълмче" (hillock). | |||
| Czech | kopec | ||
| The word 'kopec' can also refer to a mound of earth or a pile of something. | |||
| Estonian | küngas | ||
| The word "küngas" may derive from a Proto-Uralic term meaning "heap" or "pile", shared with Finnish "kumpu". | |||
| Finnish | mäki | ||
| Mäki, meaning "hill" in Finnish, may also refer to an assembly, a duel, or to a person with protruding cheekbones. | |||
| Hungarian | hegy | ||
| The Hungarian word "hegy" is related to the Slavic word "gora" meaning "mountain". | |||
| Latvian | kalns | ||
| The origin of the Latvian word “kalns” is debated, with theories suggesting an ancient Indo-European root or a borrowing from a Uralic language. | |||
| Lithuanian | kalva | ||
| The word "kalva" is also used to refer to a skull, a bald head, or a grave mound | |||
| Macedonian | рид | ||
| The word "Рид" can also refer to a pile of earth or garbage. | |||
| Polish | wzgórze | ||
| The word "wzgórze" (hill) in Polish comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*gordъ", which also means "enclosure" or "fortress". | |||
| Romanian | deal | ||
| The Romanian word "deal" is derived from the Slavic word "del" and also means "share" or "part". | |||
| Russian | холм | ||
| The word "холм" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*xolmъ", meaning "rounded elevation" or "hillock". | |||
| Serbian | брдо | ||
| The Serbian word "брдо" (hill) derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*bordъ", meaning "side" or "edge". | |||
| Slovak | kopec | ||
| 'Kopec' originally meant 'pile' (heap) | |||
| Slovenian | hrib | ||
| The word "hrib" can also refer to a mountain range or a pile of objects. | |||
| Ukrainian | пагорб | ||
| The word "пагорб" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *gora*, which also means "mountain". | |||
Hill in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাহাড় | ||
| The word "পাহাড়" can also refer to a mountain range or a group of hills. | |||
| Gujarati | ટેકરી | ||
| "ટેકરી" can refer to the small elevated area on which Jain temples are usually situated or to a fort built on top of an elevated area | |||
| Hindi | पहाड़ी | ||
| The word "पहाड़ी" is also used to refer to a specific region in northern India, known as the "Pahari" region. | |||
| Kannada | ಬೆಟ್ಟ | ||
| The word "ಬೆಟ್ಟ" (hill) also means a "big house" in Kannada, a meaning related to its association with strength and permanence. | |||
| Malayalam | മലയോര | ||
| The word 'മലയോര' is also used to refer to the foothills of a mountain or the slopes of a hill. | |||
| Marathi | टेकडी | ||
| The word टेकडी ('hill' in Marathi) possibly derives from the Sanskrit word 'takri', a type of ancient fort built on steep hills. | |||
| Nepali | पहाड | ||
| The word 'पहाड' also refers to the ridges forming the boundaries of terraced fields in the hilly regions of Nepal. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਹਾੜੀ | ||
| In the Kangra Valley, the term "pahaadi" is also used to refer to the inhabitants of the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කන්ද | ||
| The Sinhala word "කන්ද" is said to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kand-,"high, shining". | |||
| Tamil | மலை | ||
| The word 'மலை' also means 'a large quantity or heap' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | కొండ | ||
| The word "కొండ" can also refer to a mound or heap of anything, and is thought to be derived from the Dravidian root "kuṇṭa", meaning "to raise". | |||
| Urdu | پہاڑی | ||
| The word "پہاڑی" in Urdu can also refer to a highland or mountainous region, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "pṛṣṭa", meaning "back" or "ridge". | |||
Hill in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 爬坡道 | ||
| The term "爬坡道" can also refer to a ramp or an incline. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 爬坡道 | ||
| 爬坡道 means "hill" in Chinese. In addition, it figuratively refers to the path to climb to the top. | |||
| Japanese | 丘 | ||
| In Chinese, the character "丘" originally meant "mound" or "small hill", but in Japanese it also means "hill" and "village". | |||
| Korean | 언덕 | ||
| The Korean word “언덕” is derived from the Chinese word “偃塞”, which means “low mountain” or “hill.” | |||
| Mongolian | толгод | ||
| The Mongolian word "толгод" is derived from the Proto-Mongolic word *tolïγod, meaning "round hill" or "dome-shaped hill". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တောင်ကုန်း | ||
Hill in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bukit | ||
| The Javanese word "bukit" is related to the Filipino word "bukid" (mountain). | |||
| Javanese | bukit | ||
| The term "bukit" in Javanese can have meanings other than just denoting a geographical elevation, such as "grave", "pile", or "mound" depending on the context. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្នំ | ||
| The Khmer word ភ្នំ also means "mountain" in Thai. | |||
| Lao | ພູ | ||
| The Lao word ພູ “hill” is cognate with the Thai word ภู “mountain”, which in turn is cognate with the Proto-Austroasiatic word *pʰuːʔ “hill”. | |||
| Malay | bukit | ||
| "Bukit" also means "mountain" or "mound" in Malay, and comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "*bukit" meaning "small hill". | |||
| Thai | เนินเขา | ||
| Thai word "เนินเขา" can be split into 2 words: "เนิน" (slope) and "เขา" (mountain or hill). | |||
| Vietnamese | đồi núi | ||
| The Sino-Vietnamese word "đồi núi" can also refer to a mountain range or a mountainous region. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | burol | ||
Hill in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təpə | ||
| The word "təpə" in Azerbaijani also means "a small round-shaped object" and is a borrowing from the Persian word "tappe". | |||
| Kazakh | төбе | ||
| The Kazakh word "төбе" can be used to denote a mound or elevated area formed by the accumulation of materials or the presence of an underlying structure. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дөбө | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "дөбө" is also used figuratively to refer to a "bump," a "swelling," or a "mound." | |||
| Tajik | теппа | ||
| The word "теппа" may be related to the Old Iranian word "*tīpa-," meaning "heap" or "mound." | |||
| Turkmen | depe | ||
| Uzbek | tepalik | ||
| The etymology of "tepalik" is unknown and it is rarely encountered in modern-day Uzbek literature. | |||
| Uyghur | hill | ||
Hill in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | puʻu | ||
| 'Puʻu' also means 'eruption' or 'bulge' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | puke | ||
| In Maori, 'puke' can also refer to a fortified hill or a volcanic cone | |||
| Samoan | maupuepue | ||
| "Maupuepue" is sometimes translated as "mountain", but it more often refers to a hill. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | burol | ||
| The word "burol" also has a less common meaning, "wake for the dead". | |||
Hill in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qullu | ||
| Guarani | yvytymi | ||
Hill in International Languages
| Esperanto | monteto | ||
| The Esperanto word "monteto" is derived from the Latin "monticulus", meaning "small mountain". | |||
| Latin | collis | ||
| In medieval Latin, 'collis' also referred to the summit of a mountain, as distinct from its slope, denoted by 'clivus'. | |||
Hill in Others Languages
| Greek | λόφος | ||
| The word "λόφος" originally referred to a tuft of hair or feathers, and the modern meaning "hill" arose as a later extension. | |||
| Hmong | toj | ||
| In some Hmong dialects, "toj" can also mean "mountain" or "highland." | |||
| Kurdish | girik | ||
| The word "girik" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "garh", meaning "fortress" or "hilltop", and is often used to refer to villages or settlements located on hillsides. | |||
| Turkish | tepe | ||
| The word "Tepe" has multiple meanings in Turkish, including "top", "hilltop", and "summit". | |||
| Xhosa | induli | ||
| In toponomy, the prefix "induli" may also refer to the presence of a "hill" or "rocky outcrop" in a specific location. | |||
| Yiddish | בערגל | ||
| בערגל can also mean the raised rim of a glass. | |||
| Zulu | igquma | ||
| The word "igquma" also means "a heap of stones or rocks" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | পাহাৰ | ||
| Aymara | qullu | ||
| Bhojpuri | टीला | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަރުބަދަ | ||
| Dogri | प्हाड़ी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | burol | ||
| Guarani | yvytymi | ||
| Ilocano | bunton | ||
| Krio | il | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گرد | ||
| Maithili | पहाड़ी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯤꯡ | ||
| Mizo | tlang | ||
| Oromo | tulluu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାହାଡ | ||
| Quechua | qata | ||
| Sanskrit | चोटी | ||
| Tatar | калкулык | ||
| Tigrinya | ኮረብታ | ||
| Tsonga | xintshabyana | ||