Updated on March 6, 2024
A hypothesis is a starting point for scientific inquiry, an educated guess based on existing knowledge and observations. It sets the stage for experimentation and discovery, opening up new avenues of understanding and progress. The significance of a hypothesis extends beyond the realm of science, playing a crucial role in decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation across disciplines and cultures.
Throughout history, great minds have formulated groundbreaking hypotheses that have shaped our world. For instance, the heliocentric model of the solar system, proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus, posited that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the universe. This single hypothesis revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos and paved the way for modern astronomy.
As global citizens, we can appreciate the cultural importance of the word 'hypothesis' in various languages. Here are a few translations to spark your curiosity:
Afrikaans | hipotese | ||
In Afrikaans, the word "hipotese" can also refer to a supposition or an assumption. | |||
Amharic | መላምት | ||
"መላምት" is derived from the Semitic root "*mlm*, meaning "study". | |||
Hausa | zato | ||
"Zato" originates from the Hausa phrase "za a taba o?", meaning "what are you looking at?" | |||
Igbo | nkwupụta echiche | ||
The Igbo word 'nkwupụta echiche' literally translates to 'putting forth an idea', highlighting the notion of a hypothesis as a tentative explanation. | |||
Malagasy | petra-kevitra | ||
The word "petra-kevitra" in Malagasy contains the roots "petra" (meaning stone) and "kevitra" (meaning idea) | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | lingaliro | ||
The Nyanja word 'lingaliro' also means 'a supposition or conjecture'. | |||
Shona | fungidziro | ||
"Fungidziro" is derived from the verb "funga" meaning "to build or construct", indicating that a hypothesis is a "mental construction" or "framework". | |||
Somali | mala-awaal | ||
In Somali, the word "mala-awaal" (hypothesis) literally translates to "to have a good intention," and it is often used to express a tentative or speculative idea. | |||
Sesotho | khopolo-taba | ||
The word 'khopolo-taba' can also refer to an assumption or a conjecture. | |||
Swahili | nadharia | ||
The word "nadharia" is derived from the Arabic word "nadhara," which means "to look at" or "to examine." | |||
Xhosa | intelekelelo | ||
In Xhosa, "intelekelelo" also refers to a hunch or a suspicion. | |||
Yoruba | idawọle | ||
The word "idawọle" in Yoruba literally translates to "to put forward an idea". | |||
Zulu | umbono | ||
The word "umbono" is also used to refer to "the main idea or purpose of something". | |||
Bambara | hakilinata (hypothèse) ye | ||
Ewe | nukpɔsusu si nye nukpɔsusu | ||
Kinyarwanda | hypothesis | ||
Lingala | hypothèse ya kosala | ||
Luganda | endowooza (hypothesis) (hypothesis). | ||
Sepedi | kgopolo-kakanywa | ||
Twi (Akan) | hypothesis a wɔde susuw nneɛma ho | ||
Arabic | فرضية | ||
"فرضية" in Arabic also means "conjecture"} | |||
Hebrew | הַשׁעָרָה | ||
The word "השערה" is derived from the root "שער", meaning "gate" or "threshold", indicating a tentative idea that serves as a possible entrance or starting point for further investigation. | |||
Pashto | فرضيه | ||
The word "فرضيه" in Pashto can also mean a proposition, assumption, or theorem. | |||
Arabic | فرضية | ||
"فرضية" in Arabic also means "conjecture"} |
Albanian | hipoteza | ||
The Albanian word "hipoteza" is borrowed from Greek and originally meant "foundation". | |||
Basque | hipotesia | ||
The word "hipotesia" derives from the Greek words "hypo" (under) and "thesis" (position), reflecting its role as a provisional explanation. | |||
Catalan | hipòtesi | ||
In Catalan, "hipòtesi" also means "assumption" or "supposition. | |||
Croatian | hipoteza | ||
The word "hipoteza" is derived from the Greek word "hupothesis," meaning "foundation" or "assumption." | |||
Danish | hypotese | ||
"Hypotese" can also mean "theory" in Danish. | |||
Dutch | hypothese | ||
In Dutch, "hypothese" also means "assumption" or "premise." | |||
English | hypothesis | ||
Hypothesis derives from Ancient Greek 'ὑπόθεσις' (hypothesis), meaning 'foundation' or 'base' | |||
French | hypothèse | ||
In French, the word "hypothèse" literally means "laying beneath" and can also refer to a geological stratum. | |||
Frisian | hypoteze | ||
In Frisian, "hypoteze" can also mean "supposition" beyond its meaning of "hypothesis". | |||
Galician | hipótese | ||
The Galician "hipótese" derives from the Greek "hypóthesis" meaning "base" or "foundation" | |||
German | hypothese | ||
In German, the word "Hypothese" can also refer to the preliminary form of a doctoral thesis. | |||
Icelandic | tilgáta | ||
"Tilgáta" is derived from the Old Norse verb "telgja" meaning "to tell", and originally meant "opinion" or "belief". | |||
Irish | hipitéis | ||
"Hipitéis" in Irish is derived from the Greek word "hipothesis", meaning "foundation" or "base". | |||
Italian | ipotesi | ||
The Italian word "ipotesi" comes from the Greek word "ὑπόθεσις" (hypothesis), which means "foundation" or "assumption". | |||
Luxembourgish | hypothes | ||
Maltese | ipoteżi | ||
The Maltese word 'ipoteżi' originates from the Greek word 'ὑπόθεσις', meaning 'a placing under' or 'a foundation'. | |||
Norwegian | hypotese | ||
The Norwegian word "hypotese" originally meant "foundation" or "premise". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | hipótese | ||
"Hipótese" shares the same root as "disposição". In ancient Greek, "thesis" means "position", while "hypo" means "under". | |||
Scots Gaelic | beachd-bharail | ||
The word "beachd-bharail" has the same Gaelic root as "barral" (meaning "judgment"), and originally referred to the conclusion reached after a period of thought and consideration. | |||
Spanish | hipótesis | ||
In Spanish, "hipótesis" also means "supposition" or "assumption." | |||
Swedish | hypotes | ||
The word 'hypotes' is also used in Swedish as a synonym for 'theory' or 'assumption', and is sometimes used in contexts where 'hypothesis' would be used in English. | |||
Welsh | rhagdybiaeth | ||
"Rhagdybiaeth" derives from the Welsh word "rhagdybio" meaning "to think ahead", and in modern Welsh is primarily used to refer to "forecasting" rather than "hypothesis or assumption". |
Belarusian | гіпотэза | ||
Bosnian | hipoteza | ||
Hipoteza, a loanword from Greek (hypóthesis), is the feminine noun commonly used to denote assumption or theory. | |||
Bulgarian | хипотеза | ||
The word "хипотеза" also means "assumption" or "supposition". | |||
Czech | hypotéza | ||
Hypoteze comes from the Ancient Greek "hupóthesis" meaning "that which lies below or is taken as a basis". | |||
Estonian | hüpotees | ||
The word "hüpotees" in Estonian comes from the Greek word "ὑπόθεσις" (hupothesis), which means "foundation", "base", or "assumption". | |||
Finnish | hypoteesi | ||
The Finnish word "hypoteesi" is a loanword from Ancient Greek, where "ὑπό-" (hypo-) means "under" and "θέσις" (thesis) means "position, proposition". | |||
Hungarian | hipotézis | ||
The word "hipotézis" is Hungarian comes from the Greek word "hypóthesis", meaning "supposition" or "assumption." | |||
Latvian | hipotēze | ||
Hipotēze is derived from Greek "hupothesis" meaning "foundation" or "base". The term was first used in science in the 16th century. | |||
Lithuanian | hipotezė | ||
The word "hipotezė" comes from the Greek word "hypothetis," which means "assumption" or "supposition." | |||
Macedonian | хипотеза | ||
The word "хипотеза" ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word "ὑπόθεσις" (hypothesis), which means "a foundation" or "a starting point for argument". | |||
Polish | hipoteza | ||
The word "hipoteza" comes from the Greek word "hypothesis", which means "a supposition or assumption made as a basis for reasoning, without any assumption of its truth." | |||
Romanian | ipoteză | ||
The Romanian word "ipoteză" ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word ὑπόθεσις (hypothesis), meaning "a placing under" or "a foundation". | |||
Russian | гипотеза | ||
The Russian word "гипотеза" can also refer to the result of a scientific experiment or investigation. | |||
Serbian | хипотеза | ||
The Serbian word "хипотеза" also means "pretense" or "cunning." | |||
Slovak | hypotéza | ||
While "hypotéza" means "hypothesis" in Slovak, it can also refer to a theatrical production or a play, particularly one that explores a particular theme or idea. | |||
Slovenian | hipotezo | ||
Etimološko izhaja iz grške besede "hipoteza" in pomeni "predpostavka" ali "teorija, ki še ni potrjena". | |||
Ukrainian | гіпотеза | ||
The word "гіпотеза" (hypothesis) in Ukrainian also means "assumption" or "supposition" |
Bengali | অনুমান | ||
The Bengali word "অনুমান" has alternate meanings as assumption and estimation, and derives from root "মান", meaning measure. | |||
Gujarati | પૂર્વધારણા | ||
Hindi | परिकल्पना | ||
परिकल्पना, अर्थ के रूप में "संकल्पना" और "धारणा" की तुलना की गई है। | |||
Kannada | ಕಲ್ಪನೆ | ||
The word "ಕಲ್ಪನೆ" also means "imagination" or "assumption" in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | പരികല്പന | ||
പരികല്പന is derived from the Sanskrit 'parikalpana,' meaning 'to form a mental image' or 'to imagine' something. | |||
Marathi | गृहीतक | ||
गृहीतक (gr̥hītaka) is derived from गृह (house) and इत् (to go), meaning a tentative assumption that forms the basis of an argument or theory. | |||
Nepali | परिकल्पना | ||
"परिकल्पना" is derived from the Sanskrit "pariklpa", meaning to imagine or suppose. | |||
Punjabi | ਅਨੁਮਾਨ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උපකල්පනය | ||
The word "උපකල්පනය" is derived from the Sanskrit words "upa" (meaning "under" or "below") and "kalpana" (meaning "imagination" or "conception"). | |||
Tamil | கருதுகோள் | ||
The word "கருதுகோள்" is a combination of the words "கருது" (to consider) and "கோள்" (assumption), meaning "a proposition or principle that is assumed to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation. | |||
Telugu | పరికల్పన | ||
Urdu | مفروضے | ||
مفروضے (mufroza) ultimately comes from the Arabic word 'faraz,' meaning 'supposition' or 'conjecture.' |
Chinese (Simplified) | 假设 | ||
在中文里,“假设”一词可追溯至古代汉语,由“假”和“设”两个字组成,分别表示“不真实的”和“设置、确定”的意思,合起来意为“暂时的、不确定的设置或推测”. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 假設 | ||
假設在古代中文指不真實的事物,或假託不實以蒙騙他人。 | |||
Japanese | 仮説 | ||
The word "仮説" can also mean "temporary" or "provisional" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 가설 | ||
"가설"은 고(古) 한자어로 "집을 수축(修築)하다"라는 뜻이었습니다. | |||
Mongolian | таамаглал | ||
The Mongolian word 'таамаглал' is a verbal nominal noun of the verb 'таам' which means “to guess” and has the similar meaning to the English “conjecture”. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အယူအဆ | ||
Indonesian | hipotesa | ||
Kata "hipotesa" berasal dari bahasa Yunani "hipothesis" yang berarti "dasar", "landasan", atau "anggapan dasar" yang belum terbukti kebenarannya. | |||
Javanese | hipotesis | ||
The Javanese word "hipotesis" is derived from the Greek word "hipothesis", meaning "a supposition or assumption." | |||
Khmer | សម្មតិកម្ម | ||
Lao | ສົມມຸດຕິຖານ | ||
"ສົມມຸດຕິຖານ" มาจากภาษาสันสกฤต "सम्प्रतिष्ठान" (saṃpratiṣṭhāna) ซึ่งหมายถึงการสร้างหรือการตั้งขึ้น | |||
Malay | hipotesis | ||
In Malay, hipotesis also means "assumption" and "supposition". | |||
Thai | สมมติฐาน | ||
สมมติฐาน (hypothesis) นั้นมาจากคำว่า สมมติ (assumption) + ฐาน (base) | |||
Vietnamese | giả thuyết | ||
Giả thuyết (hypothesis) xuất phát từ tiếng Hy Lạp cổ "hupothesis", có nghĩa là "đặt nền tảng", "sắp đặt" hoặc "đề xuất". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | hypothesis | ||
Azerbaijani | fərziyyə | ||
The word "fərziyyə" derives from the Arabic word "farḍ", meaning "necessary" or "an assumption that is possible to be true". | |||
Kazakh | гипотеза | ||
The Kazakh word «гипотеза» (hypothesis) comes from the Greek word «ὑπόθεσις» (hypothesis), which means «assumption» or «supposition». | |||
Kyrgyz | гипотеза | ||
In Kyrgyz, the word "гипотеза" also means "assumption" or "supposition". | |||
Tajik | фарзия | ||
The word "фарзия" in Tajik also means "assumption" or "theory". | |||
Turkmen | gipoteza | ||
Uzbek | gipoteza | ||
Gipoteza - is also an Uzbek word meaning guess. | |||
Uyghur | قىياس | ||
Hawaiian | kuhiakau | ||
The word kuhiakau is a compound word made up of kuhi 'to conjecture' and akau 'to reason'. | |||
Maori | whakapae | ||
"Whakapae" can also mean "to make a suggestion" or "to put forward an idea". | |||
Samoan | talitonuga | ||
The word 'talitonuga' in Samoan is derived from 'tali' meaning 'cord' or 'thread' and 'tonuga' meaning 'to connect'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | hipotesis | ||
The Tagalog word "hipotesis" comes from the Spanish word "hipótesis" which in turn came from the Ancient Greek word "ὑπόθεσις" (hypothesis). |
Aymara | hipótesis uka tuqita | ||
Guarani | hipótesis rehegua | ||
Esperanto | hipotezo | ||
The Esperanto word "hipotezo" derives from the Greek word "hypotheos", meaning "foundation" or "assumption". | |||
Latin | hypothesi | ||
In Latin, hypothesĭs is a noun that originally meant 'foundation' or 'framework' |
Greek | υπόθεση | ||
The word "hypothesis" derives from the Greek "υπόθεση" (hypothesis), which originally meant "a foundation, basis, or supposition." | |||
Hmong | kev xav | ||
The word "kev xav" can also mean "opinion" or "assumption" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | hîpotez | ||
Hîpotez, an allomorph of hîpoteza, is a loanword from Greek that also has a different meaning: 'evidence, argument' | |||
Turkish | hipotez | ||
The word "hipotez" in Turkish comes from the Greek word "hupothesis," which means "a placing underneath" or "a foundation." | |||
Xhosa | intelekelelo | ||
In Xhosa, "intelekelelo" also refers to a hunch or a suspicion. | |||
Yiddish | כייפּאַטאַסאַס | ||
כייפּאַטאַסאַס derives from Greek "hуpothesis" and also means "thesis" in Yiddish. | |||
Zulu | umbono | ||
The word "umbono" is also used to refer to "the main idea or purpose of something". | |||
Assamese | অনুমান | ||
Aymara | hipótesis uka tuqita | ||
Bhojpuri | परिकल्पना के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
Dhivehi | ހައިޕޮތެސިސް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | परिकल्पना दी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | hypothesis | ||
Guarani | hipótesis rehegua | ||
Ilocano | hipotesis ti | ||
Krio | haypɔtɛsis | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گریمانە | ||
Maithili | परिकल्पना | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯏꯄꯣꯊꯦꯁꯤꯁ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo | hypothesis tih a ni | ||
Oromo | yaada (hypothesis) jedhu (hypothesis) jedhu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁମାନ | ||
Quechua | hipótesis nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | परिकल्पना | ||
Tatar | гипотеза | ||
Tigrinya | ግምታዊ መርገጺ (hypothesis) | ||
Tsonga | xiringanyeto xa xiringanyeto | ||