Horror in Different Languages
Discover 'Horror' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'horror' evokes a range of emotions, from fear and disgust to fascination and delight. Its significance extends beyond mere fright, as it encompasses a rich cultural tapestry of stories, myths, and legends. From Hollywood blockbusters to local folklore, horror has the power to captivate audiences worldwide.
Horror's cultural importance cannot be overstated. It serves as a reflection of our deepest fears and societal anxieties, providing a safe space to explore the unknown. Moreover, horror transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries, making it a universal language that connects us all.
Understanding the translation of 'horror' in different languages can offer unique insights into how different cultures perceive and engage with the genre. For instance, the Spanish translation of 'horror' is 'horror', while in French, it's 'horreur'. Meanwhile, in German, 'horror' translates to 'Schrecken', and in Japanese, it's '恐怖 (kyoufu)'.
By exploring the many translations of 'horror', we can deepen our appreciation for the genre and the diverse cultures that shape it. So, let's delve into the world of 'horror' and discover how it's interpreted and experienced around the globe.
Horror
Horror in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | gruwel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "gruwel" is derived from the Dutch word "gruwel" which can also mean "abomination" or "detestation". | |||
| Amharic | አስፈሪ | ||
| The word 'asferi' in Amharic can also refer to the supernatural or the mysterious. | |||
| Hausa | tsoro | ||
| The Hausa word "tsoro" is also used to describe a feeling of awe or respect. | |||
| Igbo | egwu | ||
| "Egwu" also means 'play' or 'dance' | |||
| Malagasy | horohoro | ||
| The Malagasy word "horohoro" can also mean "to shudder from fear or cold" or "to shake or tremble". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zoopsa | ||
| Nyanja word "zoopsa" originally meant "something unpleasant or bad" and later acquired an extended sense, meaning "horror" as well. | |||
| Shona | zvinotyisa | ||
| Somali | naxdin | ||
| The word "naxdin" in Somali can also mean "a great fear" or "an evil spirit." | |||
| Sesotho | ho tshoha | ||
| The Sesotho word "ho tshoha" not only means "horror", but it also refers to the sensation caused by the sight or thought of something extremely unpleasant. | |||
| Swahili | kutisha | ||
| The Swahili word "kutisha" is thought to derive from the Arabic word "khatsh" which means "to dread". | |||
| Xhosa | uloyiko | ||
| The word "uloyiko" is commonly translated to mean horror and fear. However, it literally means "to see" or "to encounter something that is frightful". | |||
| Yoruba | ibanuje | ||
| The term "ibanuje" in Yoruba can also mean "awe" or "admiration" when used to describe a spectacle or a person's appearance. | |||
| Zulu | ukwethuka | ||
| The Zulu word "ukwethuka" also means, "to move or shake with fear". | |||
| Bambara | juguman | ||
| Ewe | ŋɔdzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubwoba | ||
| Lingala | nsomo | ||
| Luganda | ekyekango | ||
| Sepedi | poifo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahuhudeɛ | ||
Horror in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رعب | ||
| Arabic رعب (raʿb, “horror”) is cognate with Hebrew רָעַב (rāʿaḇ, “famine”) and Ugaritic rʿb (“devastation”). | |||
| Hebrew | חֲרָדָה | ||
| The word "חרדה" also means "fear," "anxiety," or "trembling." | |||
| Pashto | وحشت | ||
| The etymology of 'وحشت' is connected to terror, anxiety, and a wild beast, and its alternate meaning in Pashto is 'wild'. | |||
| Arabic | رعب | ||
| Arabic رعب (raʿb, “horror”) is cognate with Hebrew רָעַב (rāʿaḇ, “famine”) and Ugaritic rʿb (“devastation”). | |||
Horror in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tmerr | ||
| No information available regarding the origin and etymology of "tmerr" in Albanian or the existence of any alternative meanings beyond its primary definition. | |||
| Basque | izua | ||
| In Basque, the word "izua" also refers to a type of wild boar. | |||
| Catalan | horror | ||
| In Catalan, "horror" comes from the Latin word "horror", meaning "dread" or "terror", and also means "strong aversion" or "disgust". | |||
| Croatian | užas | ||
| The word "užas" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic root *ǫž-, meaning "narrow" or "constricted," akin to "užasan" meaning "terrible" or "dreadful." | |||
| Danish | rædsel | ||
| The word "rædsel" also translates to "fear" and "dread" in English. | |||
| Dutch | verschrikking | ||
| The Dutch word "verschrikking" is etymologically related to "schrik" (fear), which itself derives from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to jump" or "to shudder". | |||
| English | horror | ||
| The word 'horror' derives from the Latin 'horrēre', which means to bristle, tremble, or shudder. | |||
| French | horreur | ||
| The French word “horreur” derives from “horrere,” a Latin term used to signify dread and standing on end of body hair. | |||
| Frisian | ôfgriis | ||
| The Frisian word "ôfgriis" also means "disgusting" or "shocking". | |||
| Galician | horror | ||
| German | grusel | ||
| The word 'Grusel' is derived from the Middle High German word 'grusen', meaning 'to shudder' or 'to tremble', and is related to the English word 'gruesome'. | |||
| Icelandic | hryllingur | ||
| Hryllingur, also means 'shiver' and was an Old Norse kenning for death and battle. | |||
| Irish | uafás | ||
| "Uafás" (horror) may be related to "uafa" (a terrible thing or calamity) or "fó" (under, below) | |||
| Italian | orrore | ||
| The word "orrore" derives from the Latin "horrere," meaning "to tremble" or "to be terrified." | |||
| Luxembourgish | horror | ||
| While "Horror" has the same meaning in Luxembourgish, the word "Horrorfilm" means "horror movie." | |||
| Maltese | orrur | ||
| The word "orrur" is derived from the Latin word "horror", which originally meant "dread" or "shuddering". | |||
| Norwegian | skrekk | ||
| The word "skrekk" in Norwegian ultimately derives from the Old Norse word "skrá", meaning "to cry out" or "to shriek". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | horror | ||
| "Horror" (horror) comes from the Latin "horrere" (to bristle, shudder). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uamhas | ||
| The word "uamhas" in Scots Gaelic also means "terrible" or "fearsome". | |||
| Spanish | horror | ||
| La palabra "horror" también se usa para referirse a la admiración o asombro extremo. | |||
| Swedish | skräck | ||
| The word 'skräck' is derived from the Old Norse word 'skrækr', which means 'fear' or 'terror'. | |||
| Welsh | arswyd | ||
| The Welsh word "arswyd" originates from the Proto-Celtic root "*ars-wido-" meaning "terror, fright, fear". | |||
Horror in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жах | ||
| The word "жах" is derived from a Proto-Slavic root that also meant "heat", "fire" and "to dry out." | |||
| Bosnian | užas | ||
| The common Bosnian word "užas" also has a less frequent alternate meaning of "rapture", which is related to its original Proto-Indo-European root (*heug-) for "to enjoy". | |||
| Bulgarian | ужас | ||
| The word "ужас" can also refer to something unpleasant or disgusting. | |||
| Czech | hrůza | ||
| The word "hrůza" in Czech comes from the Proto-Slavic word *gordъ, meaning "wrath", "anger", or "fear". | |||
| Estonian | õudus | ||
| The word "õudus" also has an alternate meaning of "solemnity or awe". This is likely due to its historical association with the Estonian word "õud", which means "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Finnish | kauhu | ||
| "Kauhu" is possibly related to the Estonian word "Kohu", meaning "noise" or "commotion". | |||
| Hungarian | borzalom | ||
| The word "borzalom" is derived from two root words: "bor," meaning "wine," and "alom," meaning "sleep." | |||
| Latvian | šausmas | ||
| Etymology: derives from *šausma from Proto-Baltic *šau- "trembling; fear" (< Proto-Indo-European *ḱau-) | |||
| Lithuanian | siaubas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "siaubas" is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word "sivati," meaning "pain". | |||
| Macedonian | ужас | ||
| The word 'ужас' also means 'terror' and 'dread' in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | przerażenie | ||
| The word "przerażenie" originally meant "trembling" or "shivering". | |||
| Romanian | groază | ||
| The word "groază" originates from the Slavic word "graza", meaning "terror" or "fear". | |||
| Russian | ужастик | ||
| The word "ужастик" can also mean "an ugly person" or "a very unpleasant, fearsome person". | |||
| Serbian | ужас | ||
| The word "ужас" can also refer to a feeling of awe or reverence. | |||
| Slovak | hrôza | ||
| The Slovak word "hrôza" also means "fear" or "terror" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *xorzъ, which meant "trembling" or "shivering." | |||
| Slovenian | groza | ||
| The word 'groza' also means 'thunderstorm' and derives from the Proto-Slavic word for 'thunder'. | |||
| Ukrainian | жах | ||
| 'Жах' is derived from the Old Ukrainian word 'жахати,' meaning 'frighten' and 'chase.' | |||
Horror in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভয়াবহতা | ||
| Gujarati | હોરર | ||
| The word "હોરર" in Gujarati can also refer to a "dreadful or terrifying object". | |||
| Hindi | डरावनी | ||
| The Hindi word "डरावनी" (pronounced "daraavani") is derived from the Sanskrit word "डर" (pronounced "dar"), meaning "fear" or "terror." | |||
| Kannada | ಭಯಾನಕ | ||
| The word "ಭಯಾನಕ" originates from the Sanskrit word "भीषण" meaning "terrible" or "frightening." | |||
| Malayalam | ഭയങ്കരതം | ||
| The word "ഭയങ്കരതം" (horror) in Malayalam originates from the Sanskrit word "भय" (fear) with the suffix "-തം" (-ness) and implies a state of intense fright or terror. | |||
| Marathi | भयपट | ||
| The word "भयपट" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भय" (fear) and "पट" (screen), and can also refer to a film or television program that is intended to cause fear or suspense. | |||
| Nepali | त्रास | ||
| The word 'त्रास' ('horror' in Nepali) also means 'fear', 'anxiety', or 'distress' in some contexts. | |||
| Punjabi | ਡਰ | ||
| The word "ਡਰ" in Punjabi can also mean "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | භීෂණය | ||
| The word "භීෂණය" (bheeshanaya) in Sinhala can also mean "fearsome" or "ghastly". | |||
| Tamil | திகில் | ||
| The Tamil word 'திகில்' (horror) derives from the verb 'திகு,' meaning 'to shudder' or 'to tremble.' Its alternate meaning is 'surprise' or 'astoundment,' reflecting the physiological and emotional response to something shocking or unforeseen. | |||
| Telugu | భయానక | ||
| The word "భయానక" can also mean "terrible" or "formidable" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | ہارر | ||
| The Urdu word "ہارر" (horror) derives from the Arabic word "هار" (fear), suggesting a sense of intense dread or terror. | |||
Horror in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 恐怖 | ||
| 恐怖 (kǒngbù) can also mean "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 恐怖 | ||
| 恐怖 in Chinese can also mean "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Japanese | ホラー | ||
| In Japanese, the word "ホラー" is used as an abbreviated form of the phrase "お化けランド" (obake rando), meaning "haunted place". | |||
| Korean | 공포 | ||
| "공포" can mean "horror," "awe," and "fear" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | аймшиг | ||
| The word "аймшиг" can also mean "fear", "dread", or "terror" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိတ်လန့်ခြင်း | ||
Horror in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kengerian | ||
| The word "kengerian" is derived from the Old Javanese word "kenger", meaning "to tremble" or "to shudder". | |||
| Javanese | medeni | ||
| The word "medeni" can also mean "civilized" or "cultured" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ភ័យរន្ធត់ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມຫນ້າຢ້ານ | ||
| Malay | seram | ||
| The word "seram" in Malay, meaning "horror," also means "cool" or "chilly" in Indonesian. | |||
| Thai | สยองขวัญ | ||
| The word "สยองขวัญ" literally means "causing the hair to stand on end" or "causing the spine to chill". | |||
| Vietnamese | kinh dị | ||
| The word "kinh dị" can also mean "dreadful" or "terrible". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katatakutan | ||
Horror in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dəhşət | ||
| Dəhşət is derived from the Persian word 'dahshat', meaning 'dread' or 'terror'. | |||
| Kazakh | қорқыныш | ||
| The word "қорқыныш" is derived from the Old Turkic word "qorq", meaning "to fear". | |||
| Kyrgyz | коркунуч | ||
| In the Old Turkic language 'khorkhun' meant a monster with large teeth | |||
| Tajik | даҳшат | ||
| The word "даҳшат" can also mean "astonishment" or "awe" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | elhençlik | ||
| Uzbek | dahshat | ||
| The word “dahshat” in Uzbek initially meant “greatness” and, only later, acquired its current meaning of “horror”. | |||
| Uyghur | قورقۇنچلۇق | ||
Horror in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | weliweli | ||
| The Hawaiian word "weliweli" also has meanings like "dreadful", "awful", or "dastardly" in addition to the primary definition of "horror". | |||
| Maori | whakamataku | ||
| The word "whakamataku" literally translates to "that which makes one ashamed" in Maori | |||
| Samoan | mataga | ||
| The Samoan word mataga originates from the Proto-Austronesian word *mata, meaning 'eye' or 'face'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | katatakutan | ||
| "Katatakutan" may mean "horror" or "fearsome; horrible", and also means "to terrorize" or "to intimidate" in Tagalog. | |||
Horror in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | axtaña | ||
| Guarani | kyhyjevai | ||
Horror in International Languages
| Esperanto | hororo | ||
| The Esperanto word "hororo" shares its root with the French word "horreur" and the Latin word "horror" | |||
| Latin | horror | ||
| The Latin root of "horror" meant not only "horror" but "coarse" or "rough," as in the phrase "horrid skin." | |||
Horror in Others Languages
| Greek | φρίκη | ||
| The word "φρίκη" not only means "horror" but also "thrill" and "goosebumps" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | ntshai kawg | ||
| The Hmong word "ntshai kawg" originally meant "to be startled or dismayed. | |||
| Kurdish | xof | ||
| In Persian, the word "xof" means "embarrassment." | |||
| Turkish | korku | ||
| Turkish korku meaning “horror” comes from the Persian word “khof” meaning “fear, dread” | |||
| Xhosa | uloyiko | ||
| The word "uloyiko" is commonly translated to mean horror and fear. However, it literally means "to see" or "to encounter something that is frightful". | |||
| Yiddish | גרויל | ||
| The Yiddish word "גרויל" (groyl) is derived from the Middle High German word "gruwell" (horror), which in turn comes from the Old French word "cruël" (cruel). | |||
| Zulu | ukwethuka | ||
| The Zulu word "ukwethuka" also means, "to move or shake with fear". | |||
| Assamese | ভয়াৱহ | ||
| Aymara | axtaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | डर | ||
| Dhivehi | ބިރު | ||
| Dogri | कौफ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katatakutan | ||
| Guarani | kyhyjevai | ||
| Ilocano | amak | ||
| Krio | fiaful | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ترس | ||
| Maithili | डरावना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯀꯤꯕ | ||
| Mizo | hlauhawm | ||
| Oromo | rifaatuu guddaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭୟ | ||
| Quechua | manchakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | भय | ||
| Tatar | куркыныч | ||
| Tigrinya | ራዕዲ | ||
| Tsonga | chavisa | ||