Historian in Different Languages
Discover 'Historian' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A historian is a person who studies, researches, and interprets events of the past. Their work is crucial in understanding our cultural heritage, societal development, and historical context. Historians help us make sense of our world by providing insights into the stories, people, and events that have shaped humanity.
The significance of historians extends beyond the academic sphere, as they play a vital role in preserving cultural memory and identity. By examining the past, historians enable us to learn from our mistakes, celebrate our achievements, and avoid repeating the same errors.
Moreover, understanding the translation of the word 'historian' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how various cultures view and value the study of history. For instance, in Spanish, a historian is called 'historiador', while in German, they are known as 'Historiker'. In French, the term is 'historien', and in Russian, it's 'историк' (istorik).
Delving into the world of historical terminology can be a rewarding journey, shedding light on the cultural importance of history and the universal human quest to understand our past.
Historian
Historian in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | historikus | ||
| The Afrikaans word "histories" is derived from the Greek "historikos" meaning "of history" or "skilled in history." | |||
| Amharic | የታሪክ ምሁር | ||
| Hausa | masanin tarihi | ||
| The word "masanin tarihi" can also refer to a traditional Hausa scholar or scribe. | |||
| Igbo | ọkọ akụkọ ihe mere eme | ||
| Malagasy | mpahay tantara | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wolemba mbiri | ||
| 'Wolemba' is based on 'lembetsa' which means 'to write' and '-a' is the agent suffix, hence 'writer'. | |||
| Shona | munyori wenhoroondo | ||
| Somali | taariikhyahan | ||
| Sesotho | rahistori | ||
| In addition to meaning “historian,” rahistori also means "teacher" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | mwanahistoria | ||
| In Swahili, 'mwanahistoria' also means 'a storyteller'. | |||
| Xhosa | mbali | ||
| Also can refer to one who is well acquainted with the ways and customs of a people. | |||
| Yoruba | òpìtàn | ||
| Òpìtàn can also mean 'an old, experienced person' or 'a sage' | |||
| Zulu | isazi-mlando | ||
| The Zulu word "isazi-mlando" also means "one who knows the ancient times" or "one who knows the old stories" | |||
| Bambara | tariku dɔnbaga | ||
| Ewe | ŋutinyaŋlɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuhanga mu by'amateka | ||
| Lingala | moto ya mayele na makambo ya kala | ||
| Luganda | munnabyafaayo | ||
| Sepedi | radihistori | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abakɔsɛm kyerɛwfo | ||
Historian in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مؤرخ | ||
| 'مؤرخ' can mean a historian, a chronicler or a curator of a museum. | |||
| Hebrew | הִיסטוֹרִיוֹן | ||
| משמעות נוספת של המילה "היסטוריון" היא אדם המשנה סיפורים כדי ליצור דרמה. | |||
| Pashto | مورخ | ||
| The word "مورخ" in Pashto also means "chronicler" and it is originally derived from the Arabic word "واريخ" meaning "history" or "chronology". | |||
| Arabic | مؤرخ | ||
| 'مؤرخ' can mean a historian, a chronicler or a curator of a museum. | |||
Historian in Western European Languages
| Albanian | historian | ||
| In Albanian, "historian" also means "storyteller" or "narrator". | |||
| Basque | historialaria | ||
| The Basque word for 'historian', 'historialaria', derives its origin from 'historia', meaning history, and the suffix '-laria', which denotes one who practices or deals in something. | |||
| Catalan | historiador | ||
| The Catalan word "historiador" can also mean "storyteller" or "chronicler". | |||
| Croatian | povjesničar | ||
| It is derived from 'povjest', 'povijesti', meaning history, which is derived from 'poviditi', ie 'to narrate' | |||
| Danish | historiker | ||
| The word "historiker" is a neologism from the mid-1700s and means both "historian" and "historiographer". | |||
| Dutch | historicus | ||
| In Dutch, the word "historicus" can also refer to a historical event or period. | |||
| English | historian | ||
| The word 'historian' ultimately derives from the Greek word 'ἱστορία' (historia), meaning 'inquiry' or 'knowledge acquired by investigation'. | |||
| French | historien | ||
| In the 16th century, the French word « historien » could designate either a painter or writer. | |||
| Frisian | histoarikus | ||
| In Frisian, 'histoarikus' is derived from the Greek word 'historia', meaning 'story' or 'knowledge acquired through investigation'. | |||
| Galician | historiador | ||
| The word "historiador" also means "storyteller" in Galician. | |||
| German | historiker | ||
| In German, the word "Historiker" can also refer to someone who specializes in history (as opposed to an archaeologist or art historian). | |||
| Icelandic | sagnfræðingur | ||
| The word "sagnfræðingur" is derived from the Old Norse word "saga", meaning "story" or "history". | |||
| Irish | staraí | ||
| Although the word 'staraí' originally meant 'elder' or 'old man', it is now used to refer to an individual who specializes in history or genealogy. | |||
| Italian | storico | ||
| The adjective 'storico' can also refer to a person who has made a significant contribution to a particular field or discipline. | |||
| Luxembourgish | historiker | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word 'Historiker' can also be used to refer to a person who writes about the history of a particular subject. | |||
| Maltese | storiku | ||
| In Maltese, the noun 'storiku' not only refers to a historian but also to a type of traditional Maltese folk music. | |||
| Norwegian | historiker | ||
| The word 'historiker' in Norwegian can also refer to a person who writes historical novels. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | historiador | ||
| The term "historiador" can also mean "storyteller" or "chronicler" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eachdraiche | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "eachdraiche" can also refer to an "antiquary" or someone who studies ancient times | |||
| Spanish | historiador | ||
| The word "historiador" in Spanish is derived from the Greek word "история" (historia), meaning "inquiry" or "knowledge acquired through investigation." | |||
| Swedish | historiker | ||
| The alternate meaning of "historiker" in Swedish can refer to a "storyteller". | |||
| Welsh | hanesydd | ||
| The word "hanesydd" can also mean "storyteller" or "chronicler" in Welsh. | |||
Historian in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гісторык | ||
| Гісторык is also the official title for the head of the Orthodox Church in the Republic of Belarus. | |||
| Bosnian | istoričar | ||
| The word "istoričar" can also refer to a storyteller or chronicler. | |||
| Bulgarian | историк | ||
| The Bulgarian word "историк" (historian) comes from the Greek word "ἱστορία" (historia), meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation". | |||
| Czech | historik | ||
| The Czech word "historik" can also refer to a historical event or period. | |||
| Estonian | ajaloolane | ||
| The first part of the word, "aja", which means "time", reflects the temporal nature of history. | |||
| Finnish | historioitsija | ||
| The word 'historioitsija' (historian) comes from the Ancient Greek word ιστορία (historia), which means "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation" and refers to the methods and principles of studying past events. | |||
| Hungarian | történész | ||
| The word "történész" is derived from the verb "történik," which means "occurs" or "happens." | |||
| Latvian | vēsturnieks | ||
| "Vēsturnieks" is a compound word formed from "vesture" (meaning "history") and the suffix "-nieks" (indicating a person who does something) | |||
| Lithuanian | istorikas | ||
| The word "istorikas" derives from the Greek word "historia" meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation". | |||
| Macedonian | историчар | ||
| The word "историчар" derives from the Greek word "ἱστορία" (historia), meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation". | |||
| Polish | historyk | ||
| Historyk is a derivative of "historyja" (history), which in turn comes from Greek "historia" (inquiry). | |||
| Romanian | istoric | ||
| The Romanian word "istoric" derives from the Greek "historia", meaning "account of an event". It is related to the word "story", which shares an etymology in most Indo-European languages. | |||
| Russian | историк | ||
| The word "историк" in Russian can also mean "a person who studies history", "a person who writes about history", or "a person who teaches history". | |||
| Serbian | историчар | ||
| The word "историчар" can also mean "chronicler" or "annalist". | |||
| Slovak | historik | ||
| "Historik" can also mean an old, outdated, or unusable vehicle. | |||
| Slovenian | zgodovinar | ||
| Zgodovinar is derived from the Slovenian word "zgodovina", itself derived from the Slavic "god" and meaning "event". | |||
| Ukrainian | історик | ||
| "Історик" is also a colloquial term for someone who loves to tell long, detailed stories | |||
Historian in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইতিহাসবিদ | ||
| The word "ইতিহাসবিদ" also means "chronicler" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ઇતિહાસકાર | ||
| Hindi | इतिहासकार | ||
| The word 'इतिहासकार' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'इतिहास' (history) and 'कार' (doer), meaning 'one who studies history'. | |||
| Kannada | ಇತಿಹಾಸಕಾರ | ||
| Malayalam | ചരിത്രകാരൻ | ||
| Marathi | इतिहासकार | ||
| The word "इतिहासकार" can also refer to someone who studies or writes about past events, or someone who has witnessed or participated in historical events. | |||
| Nepali | इतिहासकार | ||
| The word 'इतिहासकार' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'इतिहास' (history) and 'कार' (maker). | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕਾਰ | ||
| The word "ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕਾਰ" is derived from the Sanskrit words "iti" (thus), "iha" (here), and "asa" (to be), meaning "one who is here to tell the story." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉතිහාස ian | ||
| The word "ඉතිහාස ian" is derived from the Sanskrit word "itihāsa", meaning "that which happened in the past." | |||
| Tamil | வரலாற்றாசிரியர் | ||
| Telugu | చరిత్రకారుడు | ||
| Urdu | مورخ | ||
| The word "مورخ" can also mean "date-keeper" or "annalist", indicating its historical usage of recording events and dates. | |||
Historian in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 历史学家 | ||
| The word "历史学家" (historian) in Chinese can also refer to a person who studies history. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 歷史學家 | ||
| 「歷史學家」一詞源於希臘語「ἱστορία」，意為「探究」或「知識」。」} | |||
| Japanese | 歴史家 | ||
| In Japanese, "歴史家" (rekishika) can also refer to a person who studies or writes about genealogy or historical events. | |||
| Korean | 역사가 | ||
| 역사가 is also used to refer to a person who has made a significant contribution to a particular field or area of study. | |||
| Mongolian | түүхч | ||
| The word "түүхч" derives from the verb "түүхлэх" (to narrate), which in turn originates from the noun "түүх" (story). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သမိုင်းပညာရှင် | ||
Historian in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sejarawan | ||
| "Sejarawan" in Indonesian derives from the Sanskrit word "i-ti-hāsa," meaning "that which has happened," originally referring to ancient Indian epics. | |||
| Javanese | sejarawan | ||
| The Javanese word "sejarawan" is derived from the Sanskrit word "itihasa", which means "that which happened in the past." | |||
| Khmer | ប្រវត្តិវិទូ | ||
| Lao | ນັກປະຫວັດສາດ | ||
| Malay | ahli sejarah | ||
| In addition to meaning "historian," the word "ahli sejarah" can also refer to "expert" or "specialist" in a particular field of knowledge. | |||
| Thai | นักประวัติศาสตร์ | ||
| The term นักประวัติศาสตร์ in Thai can also refer to a person who writes about history, or an expert in history. | |||
| Vietnamese | sử gia | ||
| Sử gia can also refer to an official record or document of historical events. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mananalaysay | ||
Historian in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tarixçi | ||
| The word "tarixçi" in Azerbaijani comes from the Arabic word "tarikh", which means "history" or "date". | |||
| Kazakh | тарихшы | ||
| The word "тарихшы" in Kazakh also means "chronicler". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тарыхчы | ||
| The Kyrgyz word тарыхчы may originate from the word тарй (tarj - 'meaning' in Arabic) as historians are known for explaining things. | |||
| Tajik | таърихшинос | ||
| The word "таърихшинос" is derived from the Arabic word "تاريخ" (tarikh) which means "history". | |||
| Turkmen | taryhçy | ||
| Uzbek | tarixchi | ||
| The word "tarixchi" in Uzbek also means "storyteller" or "chronicler". | |||
| Uyghur | تارىخچى | ||
Historian in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea kākau moʻolelo | ||
| Mea kākau moʻolelo, which means "historian," also conveys the sense of "one who writes stories." | |||
| Maori | kaikauhau | ||
| Kaikāhu is also an alternate name of Kahukura, the god of knowledge and genealogy | |||
| Samoan | fai talafaasolopito | ||
| The word "fai talafaasolopito" can also mean "genealogist" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mananalaysay | ||
| The Tagalog word 'mananalaysay' comes from the root word 'salaysay' which means 'narrative' or 'account'. | |||
Historian in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sarnaqäw yatxatiri | ||
| Guarani | historiador | ||
Historian in International Languages
| Esperanto | historiisto | ||
| The Esperanto word 'historiisto' (historian) is derived from the Greek word 'historia' (investigation, knowledge acquired by investigation) | |||
| Latin | rerum | ||
| In the phrase "res gestae" (events/deeds), "res" is the plural of "rerum" (things/matters) | |||
Historian in Others Languages
| Greek | ιστοριογράφος | ||
| Ιστοριογράφος comes from the Ancient Greek words "ἵστωρ" ("witness, learned person") and "γράφω" ("to write"), thus meaning one who records events as a witness. | |||
| Hmong | keeb kwm | ||
| The term 'keeb kwm' can also refer to a type of ancient, hand-carved stone or wood pillar used to commemorate significant events in Hmong history and culture. | |||
| Kurdish | dîrokzan | ||
| The term "dîrokzan" has also been used in the past to refer to someone who compiles stories, folklore, or traditions. | |||
| Turkish | tarihçi | ||
| The word "tarihçi" can also mean "chronicler" or "annalist" in English. | |||
| Xhosa | mbali | ||
| Also can refer to one who is well acquainted with the ways and customs of a people. | |||
| Yiddish | היסטאריקער | ||
| The Yiddish word "historian" also implies a storyteller. | |||
| Zulu | isazi-mlando | ||
| The Zulu word "isazi-mlando" also means "one who knows the ancient times" or "one who knows the old stories" | |||
| Assamese | ইতিহাসবিদ | ||
| Aymara | sarnaqäw yatxatiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | इतिहासकार के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | ތާރީޚް ޢިލްމުވެރިޔާއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | इतिहासकार ने दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mananalaysay | ||
| Guarani | historiador | ||
| Ilocano | historiador | ||
| Krio | man we de rayt bɔt istri | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مێژوونووس | ||
| Maithili | इतिहासकार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯇꯤꯍꯥꯁꯀꯤ ꯋꯥꯔꯤ ꯁꯥꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | chanchin ziaktu | ||
| Oromo | hayyuu seenaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | histor ତିହାସିକ | ||
| Quechua | historiamanta yachaq | ||
| Sanskrit | इतिहासकारः | ||
| Tatar | тарихчы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጸሓፊ ታሪኽ | ||
| Tsonga | n’wamatimu | ||