Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'industry' carries significant weight in our vocabulary, denoting a sector of the economy that produces a good or service. Its importance extends beyond economics, however, as it also represents human ingenuity, progress, and cultural development. From the Latin 'industria' meaning 'diligence, activity', the term has evolved to encompass a wide range of human endeavor.
Throughout history, industries have shaped societies and civilizations. The Industrial Revolution, for instance, transformed the socio-economic landscape of Europe and North America in the 18th and 19th centuries, leading to unprecedented urbanization and technological advancement. This historical context underscores the profound impact industries have on our cultural evolution.
Understanding the translation of 'industry' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures perceive and interact with this concept. Here are a few examples:
Stay tuned for more translations and cultural insights into the world of industries.
Afrikaans | industrie | ||
In Afrikaans, "industrie" also refers to "diligence" or "application to work". | |||
Amharic | ኢንዱስትሪ | ||
The word "ኢንዱስትሪ" in Amharic can refer to the concept of "diligence" or "hard work". | |||
Hausa | masana'antu | ||
In Hausa, the word "masana'antu" also means "skill" or "craft". | |||
Igbo | ụlọ ọrụ | ||
Malagasy | orinasa | ||
The word "orinasa" in Malagasy also means "organization" or "enterprise". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | makampani | ||
Makampani in Nyanja also means "group of people who work together". | |||
Shona | indasitiri | ||
The Shona word "indasitiri" is derived from the prefix "in" meaning "in" and the root "dasitiri" meaning "to work", hence it literally means "in working" or "in the state of working". | |||
Somali | warshadaha | ||
The Somali word "warshadaha" (industry) is derived from the Arabic word "صناعة" (crafted or manufactured items). | |||
Sesotho | indasteri | ||
The word "indasteri" in Sesotho can also refer to the diligent quality of a person. | |||
Swahili | sekta | ||
The Swahili word “sekta” derives from the Arabic word “shaqa”, meaning to work or split. | |||
Xhosa | ishishini | ||
The word 'ishishini', meaning 'industry', has been borrowed into Zulu from Xhosa and Sotho languages, where it originally meant a 'workshop'. | |||
Yoruba | ile ise | ||
The word "ile ise" (industry) in Yoruba comes from the words "ile" (home) and "ise" (work), indicating that a home is a place of work, or a place where work is done. | |||
Zulu | umkhakha | ||
The Zulu word "umkhakha" (industry) comes from the verb "khakha" (to forge). | |||
Bambara | ɛndisiri | ||
Ewe | dɔ | ||
Kinyarwanda | inganda | ||
Lingala | mosala | ||
Luganda | yindasitule | ||
Sepedi | intasteri | ||
Twi (Akan) | mfididwuma | ||
Arabic | صناعة | ||
In Arabic, the word "صناعة" (industry) also refers to crafts, trades, and skills. | |||
Hebrew | תַעֲשִׂיָה | ||
תַעֲשִׂיָה comes from the Hebrew root עָשָׂה, which means 'to do' or 'to make', and relates to the activity of producing or manufacturing goods. | |||
Pashto | صنعت | ||
The Pashto word صنعت "industry" can also refer to art or craftsmanship. | |||
Arabic | صناعة | ||
In Arabic, the word "صناعة" (industry) also refers to crafts, trades, and skills. |
Albanian | industria | ||
The word "industria" is directly derived from Albanian "industrializëm" and ultimately from Latin "industria", which originally meant "quality". | |||
Basque | industria | ||
In Basque, the word "industria" can also refer to a "factory" or a "workshop". | |||
Catalan | indústria | ||
The Catalan word "indústria" also means "cleverness" or "skill". | |||
Croatian | industrija | ||
The word "industrija" in Croatian also refers to a specific type of traditional folk dance. | |||
Danish | industri | ||
The Danish word 'industri' comes from the Latin word 'industria', meaning diligence, activity, or occupation. | |||
Dutch | industrie | ||
In Dutch, the word "industrie" can also refer to "diligence" or "ingenuity". | |||
English | industry | ||
The word 'industry' derives from the Latin word 'industria', meaning 'diligence' or 'assiduity'. | |||
French | industrie | ||
The word 'industrie' is derived from the Latin word 'industria', meaning 'skill, diligence, or assiduity', and shares its root with words such as 'industribus' ('active, diligent'). | |||
Frisian | yndustry | ||
The Frisian word "yndustry" can also refer to "work" or "diligence". | |||
Galician | industria | ||
In Galician, "industria" is derived from the Latin "industria", meaning "skill, activity, or diligence". | |||
German | industrie | ||
In German, "Industrie" also refers to the craft sector, unlike its English cognate "industry". | |||
Icelandic | iðnaður | ||
The word "iðnaður" can also refer to crafts, handicrafts, or manufacture. | |||
Irish | tionscal | ||
The Irish word "tionscal" originates from the Latin "tonus", meaning "tension" or "strain", suggesting a connection between industry and hard work or effort. | |||
Italian | industria | ||
"Industria" in Italian derives from the Latin "industria" which means "diligence" and "skill". | |||
Luxembourgish | industrie | ||
Derived from the French word, the Luxembourgish word "Industrie" can also refer to a trade or craft. | |||
Maltese | industrija | ||
Industrija comes from the Latin word industria, meaning "diligence" or "skill" | |||
Norwegian | industri | ||
The word "industri" in Norwegian can also refer to "hard work" or "diligence" | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | indústria | ||
In Portuguese, "indústria" can also refer to a particular branch or sector of the economy. | |||
Scots Gaelic | gnìomhachas | ||
The word derives from the Gaelic word for "deed," "enterprise," or "labour". | |||
Spanish | industria | ||
The word "industria" can also refer to the diligence and effort invested in some activity. | |||
Swedish | industri | ||
The Swedish word "industri" can also be used to refer to a "craft" or "skill". | |||
Welsh | diwydiant | ||
The term "diwydiant" can also refer to "crafts" or "trades" |
Belarusian | прамысл | ||
The word "прамысл" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *promyslъ*, which had the meanings "hunting", "fishing", and "gathering". In modern Belarusian, "прамысл" can also refer to a business or enterprise, especially one that extracts or processes natural resources. | |||
Bosnian | industrija | ||
The word "industrija" in Bosnian also refers to diligence or effort spent on a particular task | |||
Bulgarian | промишленост | ||
The Bulgarian word "промишленост" ("industry") comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "промысл" ("thought", "design") and originally meant "thought", "intention" or "plan". | |||
Czech | průmysl | ||
The word "průmysl" derives from the Czech word "promysl", meaning "foresight" | |||
Estonian | tööstuses | ||
The word "tööstuses" in Estonian is derived from the German word "Industrie" and also means "trade" or "commerce". | |||
Finnish | ala | ||
The word "ala" can also refer to a specific field of study or a particular branch of knowledge. | |||
Hungarian | ipar | ||
The word 'ipar' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'obrъ', meaning 'craft, trade'. | |||
Latvian | rūpniecībā | ||
The word "rūpniecībā" also means "the process of manufacture", "a branch of manufacturing", and "an entire system of manufacture". The word comes from the Latin word "industria", meaning "diligence, activity, or skill". | |||
Lithuanian | industrija | ||
From Proto-Indo-European *h₁n-dʰi-, meaning 'to set on fire' and 'to burn'. Cognate with English 'ignite' and 'induce'. | |||
Macedonian | индустријата | ||
The word "индустријата" in Macedonian derives from the Latin word "industria" via the Old Church Slavonic language, and originally meant "diligence" or "assiduity". It has since expanded in meaning to encompass the broader concept of industry. | |||
Polish | przemysł | ||
Przemysł was also a common Polish name, e.g. Duke Przemysł II of Poland. | |||
Romanian | industrie | ||
The word "industrie" in Romanian also means "skill" or "art." | |||
Russian | промышленность | ||
The Russian word "промышленность" comes from the word "промысел", which originally referred to hunting or fishing, but later came to be used to describe any activity that involved the production of goods. | |||
Serbian | индустрија | ||
The word "индустрија" comes from Latin "industria", meaning "diligence" or "skill", reflecting a focus on human agency in early industries. | |||
Slovak | priemysel | ||
The Slovak word "priemysel" is ultimately derived from the German "Fleiß", meaning "diligence" or "application". | |||
Slovenian | industriji | ||
The Slovenian word "industriji" is derived from the Latin word "industria", meaning "diligence" or "skill." | |||
Ukrainian | промисловості | ||
In Ukrainian, "промисловості" can also refer to the hunting, fishing, forestry, and extraction of mineral resources. |
Bengali | শিল্প | ||
The word "শিল্প" also means "art" in Bengali and is related to the Sanskrit word "शिल्प" meaning "craft" or "skill." | |||
Gujarati | ઉદ્યોગ | ||
The Gujarati word 'ઉદ્યોગ' (industry) originates from Sanskrit 'उद्योग' (endeavour, effort) and also means 'hard work' or 'diligence'. | |||
Hindi | उद्योग | ||
In ancient India, the term "उद्योग" also denoted "effort," "enterprise," "endeavor," and "exertion." | |||
Kannada | ಉದ್ಯಮ | ||
The Kannada word "ಉದ್ಯಮ" (industry) is derived from the Sanskrit word "उद्यम" (effort), which also means "enterprise, initiative, or undertaking." | |||
Malayalam | വ്യവസായം | ||
The term "വ്യവസായം" in Malayalam can trace its etymological roots back to the Sanskrit term "व्यवसाय" (vyavāsaya), meaning "occupation," "profession," or "calling." | |||
Marathi | उद्योग | ||
"उद्योग" (udyog) in Marathi also means "effort, endeavor, enterprise, pursuit". | |||
Nepali | उद्योग | ||
The word "उद्योग" also means "effort" or "endeavour" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਉਦਯੋਗ | ||
The word "ਉਦਯੋਗ" originates from Sanskrit and also means "effort" or "endeavor" in Punjabi. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කර්මාන්ත | ||
The word 'කර්මාන්ත' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'karmanta', which means 'action', 'activity' or 'work'. In Sinhala, it has also been used in the context of 'art', 'craft' or 'trade'. | |||
Tamil | தொழில் | ||
Telugu | పరిశ్రమ | ||
The Telugu word పరిశ్రమ (industry) is derived from the Sanskrit word परिषद् (council), suggesting a collective effort of individuals. | |||
Urdu | صنعت | ||
The Urdu word "صنعت" can also refer to "rhetorical devices" or "art". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 行业 | ||
行业 can also mean profession or sector in Chinese, and its original meaning is 行列 (line and column), where 行 refers to line and 业 refers to column. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 行業 | ||
在中文裡,「行業」同時有「產業」和「職業」的意思,而「產業」又是從「行業」發展而來的詞彙。 | |||
Japanese | 業界 | ||
The word 業界 (gyōkai) originally referred to the four major industries of Japan: agriculture, commerce, industry, and fishing. | |||
Korean | 산업 | ||
The Korean word 산업 ('industry') originally meant 'craft' and referred to a group of artisans working together. | |||
Mongolian | аж үйлдвэр | ||
The word аж үйлдвэр (industry) originally meant 'to make things' in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စက်မှုလုပ်ငန်း | ||
Indonesian | industri | ||
The word 'industri' is derived from the Dutch word 'industrie', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'industria', meaning 'diligence' or 'skill'. | |||
Javanese | industri | ||
In Javanese, "industri" also refers to a type of performing art that combines music, theater, and dance. | |||
Khmer | ឧស្សាហកម្ម | ||
Lao | ອຸດສາຫະ ກຳ | ||
Malay | industri | ||
The root word 'indu' also signifies 'mother', suggesting industry involves caring for and producing. | |||
Thai | อุตสาหกรรม | ||
The word comes from Sanskrit and originally meant 'zeal' or 'eagerness'. | |||
Vietnamese | ngành công nghiệp | ||
"Ngành công nghiệp" literally means "branch of labor", reflecting the diverse activities that fall under this term. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | industriya | ||
Azerbaijani | sənaye | ||
"Sənaye" derives from New Persian "sināyat" meaning "skill" and "know-how". Historically in Azerbaijani, it has been used in the sense of "art". | |||
Kazakh | өнеркәсіп | ||
The word "өнеркәсіп" is derived from the Persian word "hunar", meaning "art" or "skill", and the Arabic word "kasb", meaning "trade" or "profession". | |||
Kyrgyz | өнөр жай | ||
The word "өнөр жай" ("industry") has also been used to refer to "art" and "professionalism" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | саноат | ||
The word "саноат" in Tajik comes from the Persian word "صنعت" (sana'at), which means "art, craft, or trade". | |||
Turkmen | senagaty | ||
Uzbek | sanoat | ||
The word "sanoat" in Uzbek ultimately derives from the Arabic word "صناعة" (Arabic: ṣināʿah), meaning "craftsmanship" or "art." | |||
Uyghur | سانائەت | ||
Hawaiian | ʻoihana | ||
In Hawaiian, ʻoihana can also mean "occupation", "profession", or "business". | |||
Maori | umanga | ||
The word "umanga" also means "tribe" or "clan" in Maori, reflecting the collective nature of traditional Maori work and enterprise. | |||
Samoan | alamanuia | ||
The word 'alamanuia' also means 'diligence' or 'assiduity' in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | industriya | ||
In Tagalog, the word "industriya" shares a root with "industrious" in English, both originating from Latin "industria" meaning "diligence" or "activity". |
Aymara | intustriya | ||
Guarani | tembiapo ñemboaporekopýva | ||
Esperanto | industrio | ||
Esperanto's “industrio” is derived from Latin, originally meaning "diligence" or "activity," unlike most Esperanto words derived from French. | |||
Latin | industria | ||
In Latin, industria originally meant "diligence" or "skill", and was not specifically associated with manufacturing or commerce. |
Greek | βιομηχανία | ||
In Greek, the word "βιομηχανία" also has the alternate meaning of "manufacture" or "production." | |||
Hmong | kev lag luam | ||
The Hmong word "kev lag luam" is a compound of the words "kev" (work), "lag" (make, produce), and "luam" (buy, sell, trade), suggesting a comprehensive concept of industry that encompasses production and commerce. | |||
Kurdish | ava | ||
The term 'ava' has roots in both Proto-Indo-European and Persian languages, indicating 'work' and 'skill' respectively. | |||
Turkish | endüstri | ||
The word "endüstri" is derived from the French word "industrie" and can also mean "hard work" or "effort" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | ishishini | ||
The word 'ishishini', meaning 'industry', has been borrowed into Zulu from Xhosa and Sotho languages, where it originally meant a 'workshop'. | |||
Yiddish | אינדוסטריע | ||
The Yiddish 'industrye' is derived from the German 'industrie' or the Latin 'industria,' which can mean the state of diligence or hard work as well as an individual branch of a larger economic system based on the production of specific goods in a particular manner. | |||
Zulu | umkhakha | ||
The Zulu word "umkhakha" (industry) comes from the verb "khakha" (to forge). | |||
Assamese | উদ্যোগ | ||
Aymara | intustriya | ||
Bhojpuri | उद्योग | ||
Dhivehi | އިންޑަސްޓްރީ | ||
Dogri | उद्योग | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | industriya | ||
Guarani | tembiapo ñemboaporekopýva | ||
Ilocano | industria | ||
Krio | fil | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پیشەسازی | ||
Maithili | उद्योग | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯅꯗꯁꯇ꯭ꯔꯤ | ||
Mizo | khawl hmunpui | ||
Oromo | indaastirii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଶିଳ୍ପ | ||
Quechua | industria | ||
Sanskrit | उद्योग | ||
Tatar | сәнәгате | ||
Tigrinya | ኢንዱስትሪ | ||
Tsonga | vumaki | ||