Immigration in Different Languages
Discover 'Immigration' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Immigration: it's a word that carries significant weight in today's globalized world. Defined as the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country, immigration shapes the cultural landscape of our societies, contributing to the rich tapestry of languages, traditions, and ideas that make up our world. Understanding immigration in different languages is not just a linguistic exercise, but a way to appreciate the diverse experiences and stories of immigrants around the globe.
Immigration has been a part of human history since the dawn of time, with people moving from one place to another in search of better opportunities, safety, or simply adventure. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to the modern-day migrants seeking refuge from war-torn countries, immigration has played a crucial role in shaping the course of human civilization.
For example, the English word 'immigration' comes from the Latin 'immigrare', meaning 'to move into'. In Spanish, the term is 'inmigración', while in French it's 'immigration'. In German, it's 'Zuwanderung', and in Mandarin Chinese, it's '移民'. Each language offers a unique perspective on this universal phenomenon.
In this article, we'll explore the translations of the word 'immigration' in 10 different languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and historical contexts that shape our understanding of this important concept.
Immigration
Immigration in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | immigrasie | ||
| The word "immigrasie" (immigration) in Afrikaans comes from the Latin word "immigratio", meaning "the act of entering a country to live there permanently". | |||
| Amharic | ኢሚግሬሽን | ||
| The Amharic word "ኢሚግሬሽን" is derived from the Latin "immigratio", meaning "a coming in". | |||
| Hausa | shige da fice | ||
| The word "shige da fice" can also refer to the process of migrating or settling in a new place, or to the movement of people from one place to another. | |||
| Igbo | mbata na ọpụpụ | ||
| Malagasy | fifindrà-monina | ||
| "Fifindrà-monina", which means "the place where we go back and forth", was originally used by the Betsileo from the highlands to describe seasonal migration to the coast for fishing. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | alendo | ||
| The word 'alendo' is derived from the verb 'lenda', which means 'to go or travel'. | |||
| Shona | kutama | ||
| The word "kutama" also means "to gather" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | socdaalka | ||
| The Somali word "socdaalka" also means "travel" and "journey". | |||
| Sesotho | bojaki | ||
| The word 'bojaki' is derived from the verb 'ho boja' meaning 'to come or arrive', and the noun class prefix 'bo-' indicating a group of people. | |||
| Swahili | uhamiaji | ||
| The word "uhamiaji" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "hijra", meaning "migration" or "flight". | |||
| Xhosa | ukufudukela kwelinye ilizwe | ||
| As a noun, "ukufudukela kwelinye ilizwe" also refers to the act of going into exile or fleeing your homeland for political or religious reasons. | |||
| Yoruba | iṣilọ | ||
| "Iṣilọ" is derived from the word "ilọ" meaning "to go". It also shares a root with the verb "ṣilẹ" meaning "to leave". Thus, "Iṣilọ" could be interpreted as the act of "going away" or "leaving a place". | |||
| Zulu | ukuthuthela kwelinye izwe | ||
| The Zulu word "ukuthuthela kwelinye izwe" has its roots in the verb "thuthela," meaning "to move" or "to transport," and the noun "izwe," meaning "country" or "land." | |||
| Bambara | immigration (bɔli) ye | ||
| Ewe | ʋuʋu yi dukɔ bubuwo me | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abinjira n'abasohoka | ||
| Lingala | immigration ya mboka | ||
| Luganda | okuyingira mu nsi | ||
| Sepedi | bofaladi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atubrafo ho nsɛm | ||
Immigration in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الهجرة | ||
| The Arabic word "الهجرة" can also refer to the Prophet Muhammad's migration in 622 CE | |||
| Hebrew | עלייה | ||
| The Hebrew word עלה also means to "go up" and can refer to both the ascent to Jerusalem or to religious elevation. | |||
| Pashto | امیګریشن | ||
| The word "امیګریشن" (immigration) in Pashto comes from the Arabic word "أمم" (umm), meaning "mother", and "جرش" (gursh), meaning "to live in a place". | |||
| Arabic | الهجرة | ||
| The Arabic word "الهجرة" can also refer to the Prophet Muhammad's migration in 622 CE | |||
Immigration in Western European Languages
| Albanian | imigrimi | ||
| The word "imigrimi" derives from the Albanian word "imigrant" which means person that has moved to another country to settle down. | |||
| Basque | immigrazioa | ||
| The Basque word “immigrazioa” derives from the Latin word “immigrate”, meaning “move into a new country to live there permanently”. | |||
| Catalan | immigració | ||
| The term "immigració" is Catalan for immigration but may also refer to migration. | |||
| Croatian | imigracija | ||
| "Imigracija" is a borrowed word from Latin, meaning "migration". It is a noun which refers to the process of coming to live permanently in a foreign country. | |||
| Danish | indvandring | ||
| The word "indvandring" is also used to refer to the movement of people from rural areas to cities. | |||
| Dutch | immigratie | ||
| In Dutch, "immigratie" can also refer to the act or process of emigration. | |||
| English | immigration | ||
| The word 'immigration' comes from the Latin word 'immigrare,' which means 'to move into.' | |||
| French | immigration | ||
| The French word "immigration" also means "emigration". | |||
| Frisian | ymmigraasje | ||
| The Frisian word "ymmigraasje" is derived from the Latin word "immigratio" and the Dutch word "immigratie". | |||
| Galician | inmigración | ||
| In Galician, "inmigración" can also mean "transmigration of souls" in a religious context. | |||
| German | einwanderung | ||
| The word 'Einwanderung' ('immigration') is derived from the German words 'ein' ('into') and 'wandern' ('to wander'). | |||
| Icelandic | innflytjendamál | ||
| The Icelandic word for immigration, innflytjendamál, translates literally to "language of those flowing into." | |||
| Irish | inimirce | ||
| The Irish word "inimirce" is derived from the Latin word "immigratio," which means "to migrate into a country." | |||
| Italian | immigrazione | ||
| In Italian, "immigrazione" can also refer to the entry of foreign goods into a country. | |||
| Luxembourgish | immigratioun | ||
| Immigratioun in Luxembourgish is derived from the French word immigration, which itself comes from the Latin word immigrare, meaning 'to move into' or 'to migrate'. | |||
| Maltese | immigrazzjoni | ||
| The word "immigrazzjoni" is derived from the Latin word "immigrare", meaning "to move into". | |||
| Norwegian | innvandring | ||
| The word is derived from the Old Norse "inn" (in) and "vandring" (walking), referring to the act of coming into a country to settle. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | imigração | ||
| Although "imigração" means "immigration", it can also mean "Emigration" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | in-imrich | ||
| The word "in-imrich" can also refer to the act of returning to one's homeland after living abroad. | |||
| Spanish | inmigración | ||
| Inmigración refers to an arrival or entrance into a country, not necessarily from abroad. | |||
| Swedish | invandring | ||
| The word "invandring" can also refer to a migration of animals or plants. | |||
| Welsh | mewnfudo | ||
| The word 'mewnfudo' comes from the Middle Welsh words 'mewn' (in) and 'fudo' (abode), which were first combined in the 17th century. | |||
Immigration in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | іміграцыя | ||
| The word "іміграцыя" in Belarusian derives from Latin and originally referred to the migration of peoples, not necessarily into a foreign country. | |||
| Bosnian | imigracija | ||
| The word "imigracija" comes from the Latin word "immigrare", meaning "to move into". It can also refer to the act of moving from one country to another. | |||
| Bulgarian | имиграция | ||
| The Bulgarian word "имиграция" (immigration) also means "inflow", "arrival" or "recruitment." | |||
| Czech | přistěhovalectví | ||
| The word "přistěhovalectví" (immigration) derives from the Czech word "přistěhovat" (to move to a new place of residence). | |||
| Estonian | sisseränne | ||
| Sisseränne (literally "coming in") is a loanword from Finnish, where it means "migration". In Estonian, the word has acquired the more specific meaning of "immigration". | |||
| Finnish | maahanmuutto | ||
| "Maahanmuutto" is a compound of the words "maa" (land) and "muutto" (move), meaning "moving into a land." | |||
| Hungarian | bevándorlás | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "bevándorlás" can also refer to the process of settling in a new place or moving from one place to another. | |||
| Latvian | imigrācija | ||
| The word "imigrācija" is also used to refer to the process of moving people into a new country or region. | |||
| Lithuanian | imigracija | ||
| The word "imigracija" is the Lithuanian word for "immigration", though it can also be used in the plural sense "immigrations". | |||
| Macedonian | имиграција | ||
| The Macedonian word "имиграција" (immigration) derives from the Latin word "migrare" (to move), and can also refer to the act of settling in a new place. | |||
| Polish | imigracja | ||
| "Immigracja'' is derived from Latin "immigrare'' meaning to settle in. | |||
| Romanian | imigrare | ||
| The Romanian word "imigrare" derives from the Latin word "migrare," meaning "to move," which in turn has its roots in the Proto-Indo-European word "meiǵ-," also meaning "to move." | |||
| Russian | иммиграция | ||
| The Russian word “иммиграция” ultimately derives from Latin “migrare,” meaning “to move.” | |||
| Serbian | имиграција | ||
| The word "имиграција" in Serbian comes from the Latin word "immigratio", which means "to move into" or "to settle in". | |||
| Slovak | prisťahovalectvo | ||
| The word "prisťahovalectvo" can also refer to a person who has immigrated to Slovakia, or to the process of immigrating to Slovakia. | |||
| Slovenian | priseljevanje | ||
| Priseljevanje is derived from the verb "priseljevati se", meaning "to immigrate", and shares a root with the noun "priseljenec", meaning "immigrant." | |||
| Ukrainian | імміграція | ||
| The word "імміграція" (immigration) in Ukrainian is derived from the Latin word "immigrare", which means "to move into". | |||
Immigration in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অভিবাসন | ||
| The word "অভিবাসন" can also mean "migration" or "emigration" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ઇમિગ્રેશન | ||
| The word "immigration" comes from the Latin word "immigrare", meaning "to move into". | |||
| Hindi | आप्रवासन | ||
| In Hindi, "आप्रवासन" refers to the act of entering a country legally or illegally, while "उत्प्रवासन" signifies the departure from one's homeland. | |||
| Kannada | ವಲಸೆ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ವಲಸೆ' also has a secondary meaning of 'wandering', referring to the nomadic nature of some immigrants. | |||
| Malayalam | കുടിയേറ്റം | ||
| The Malayalam word "കുടിയേറ്റം" can also refer to the process of settling or residing in a new place, not limited to immigration. | |||
| Marathi | कायमचे वास्तव्य करण्यासाठी परदेशातून येणे | ||
| The word "immigration" comes from the Latin word "immigrare," which means "to move into". | |||
| Nepali | अध्यागमन | ||
| The word "अध्यागमन" is derived from the Sanskrit words "अधि" (over) and "आगमन" (arrival). It can also refer to the act of entering a place or the process of becoming a citizen of a country. | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਮੀਗ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආගමන | ||
| In Sinhala, ආගමන (āgamaṇa) also means "arrival" or "the act of coming to a place." | |||
| Tamil | குடியேற்றம் | ||
| Telugu | వలస వచ్చు | ||
| The word "వలస వచ్చు" can also mean "to migrate" or "to settle in a new place". | |||
| Urdu | امیگریشن | ||
| امیگریشن (immigration) is ultimately derived from the Latin word “migrare,” which means to move from one place to another. | |||
Immigration in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 移民 | ||
| 移民 is also used to refer to non-ethnic Chinese who have settled in China. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 移民 | ||
| 移民 in Chinese (Traditional) means "migrant" and also "emigrant". | |||
| Japanese | 移民 | ||
| The Japanese word for “immigrant” (移民 imin) literally translates as “person from a different rice paddy” (異国からの米いみ). | |||
| Korean | 이주 | ||
| The word "이주" can also mean "transferring one's household or residence." | |||
| Mongolian | цагаачлал | ||
| Цагаачлал derives from the Mongolian word "цагаан" (white) and means "to turn white" or "to bleach". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူဝင်မှုကြီးကြပ်ရေး | ||
Immigration in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | imigrasi | ||
| The Indonesian word 'imigrasi' originates from the Dutch 'immigratie', and also bears the alternate meaning of 'emigration'. | |||
| Javanese | imigrasi | ||
| In Javanese, "imigrasi" can also mean "migration" or "the process of moving from one place to another." | |||
| Khmer | អន្តោប្រវេសន៍ | ||
| Lao | ການອົບພະຍົບ | ||
| Malay | imigresen | ||
| The word "imigresen" is derived from the Indonesian word "imigrasi" which means "immigration". | |||
| Thai | การอพยพ | ||
| The word "การอพยพ" (immigration) also means "emigration" in Thai, but in a formal or literary context. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhập cư | ||
| From Chinese nhập cư, meaning "to enter" or "to arrive". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | imigrasyon | ||
Immigration in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | immiqrasiya | ||
| The word "immiqrasiya" in Azerbaijani is borrowed from English and has no alternative meanings. | |||
| Kazakh | иммиграция | ||
| В переводе с латинского «im» — это «внутрь», а «agratio» — это «вхождение», то есть иммиграция — это процесс переселения в другую страну на постоянное место жительства. | |||
| Kyrgyz | иммиграция | ||
| The word "иммиграция" in Kyrgyz is derived from the Russian word "иммиграция", which in turn comes from the Latin word "immigratio", meaning "to move into". | |||
| Tajik | муҳоҷират | ||
| The word "муҳоҷират" in Tajik comes from the word "migration", denoting an international movement of people. | |||
| Turkmen | immigrasiýa | ||
| Uzbek | immigratsiya | ||
| The word "immigratsiya" is derived from the Latin word "immigrare," meaning "to move into". | |||
| Uyghur | كۆچمەنلەر | ||
Immigration in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ka hele malihini | ||
| "Ka hele malihini" in Hawaiian also refers to someone who has only recently arrived or is new to a place. | |||
| Maori | hekenga | ||
| The Maori word hekenga, derived from the verb heke meaning "to go down," originally referred to descent from a chiefly ancestor, later extended to include migration and, in modern times, immigration. | |||
| Samoan | femalagaaʻiga | ||
| The word 'femalagaaʻiga' also has connotations of "taking under one's wing" and providing hospitality. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | imigrasyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "imigrasyon" comes from the Spanish word "inmigración", which in turn comes from the Latin word "immigratio". | |||
Immigration in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | inmigración ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Guarani | inmigración rehegua | ||
Immigration in International Languages
| Esperanto | enmigrado | ||
| "Enmigrado" also means "refugee" in Esperanto, although it is not as common in this sense. | |||
| Latin | nullam | ||
| The word "Nullam" can also mean "no one" in Latin, indicating that immigration could be seen as a "no one" zone or a place where no one is allowed. | |||
Immigration in Others Languages
| Greek | μετανάστευση | ||
| The Greek word 'metanastefsi' comes from the word 'metanaevo,' which literally means 'to move in the middle,' implying movement from one place to another. | |||
| Hmong | tuaj txawv teb chaws | ||
| The first word, tuaj, means 'to come,' and txawv teb chaws means 'different land or country'. | |||
| Kurdish | macirî | ||
| The word 'macirî' is derived from the Persian word 'muhajir', meaning 'emigrant' or 'refugee'. | |||
| Turkish | göç | ||
| Turkish "göç" also means "migration", "movement", or "transition" in a broader sense, not just immigration. | |||
| Xhosa | ukufudukela kwelinye ilizwe | ||
| As a noun, "ukufudukela kwelinye ilizwe" also refers to the act of going into exile or fleeing your homeland for political or religious reasons. | |||
| Yiddish | אימיגראציע | ||
| The Yiddish word אימיגראציע (immigration) is derived from the German word Einwanderung, which also means immigration. | |||
| Zulu | ukuthuthela kwelinye izwe | ||
| The Zulu word "ukuthuthela kwelinye izwe" has its roots in the verb "thuthela," meaning "to move" or "to transport," and the noun "izwe," meaning "country" or "land." | |||
| Assamese | অনুপ্ৰৱেশ | ||
| Aymara | inmigración ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | आप्रवासन के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އިމިގްރޭޝަން | ||
| Dogri | आप्रवासन दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | imigrasyon | ||
| Guarani | inmigración rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | imigrasion | ||
| Krio | imigrɛshɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆچبەری | ||
| Maithili | आप्रवासन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯃꯤꯒ꯭ꯔꯦꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | immigration chungchang a ni | ||
| Oromo | immigireeshinii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଇମିଗ୍ରେସନ | ||
| Quechua | inmigración nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | आप्रवासनम् | ||
| Tatar | иммиграция | ||
| Tigrinya | ኢሚግሬሽን ዝምልከት ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | ku rhurhela ematikweni mambe | ||