Afrikaans instrument | ||
Albanian instrument | ||
Amharic መሣሪያ | ||
Arabic أداة | ||
Armenian գործիք | ||
Assamese সঁজুলি | ||
Aymara istrumintu | ||
Azerbaijani alət | ||
Bambara minɛn | ||
Basque tresna | ||
Belarusian інструмент | ||
Bengali যন্ত্র | ||
Bhojpuri औजार | ||
Bosnian instrument | ||
Bulgarian инструмент | ||
Catalan instrument | ||
Cebuano instrumento | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 仪器 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 儀器 | ||
Corsican strumentu | ||
Croatian instrument | ||
Czech nástroj | ||
Danish instrument | ||
Dhivehi އިންސްޓްރޫމަންޓް | ||
Dogri उपकरण | ||
Dutch instrument | ||
English instrument | ||
Esperanto instrumento | ||
Estonian pill | ||
Ewe mɔ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) instrumento | ||
Finnish väline | ||
French instrument | ||
Frisian ynstrumint | ||
Galician instrumento | ||
Georgian ინსტრუმენტი | ||
German instrument | ||
Greek όργανο | ||
Guarani tembiporu | ||
Gujarati સાધન | ||
Haitian Creole enstriman | ||
Hausa kayan aiki | ||
Hawaiian mea kani | ||
Hebrew כלי | ||
Hindi यंत्र | ||
Hmong ntsuas | ||
Hungarian hangszer | ||
Icelandic hljóðfæri | ||
Igbo ngwa | ||
Ilocano instrumento | ||
Indonesian instrumen | ||
Irish ionstraim | ||
Italian strumento | ||
Japanese 楽器 | ||
Javanese instrumen | ||
Kannada ಉಪಕರಣ | ||
Kazakh құрал | ||
Khmer ឧបករណ៍ | ||
Kinyarwanda igikoresho | ||
Konkani वाद्य | ||
Korean 악기 | ||
Krio yuz ple myuzik | ||
Kurdish alet | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ئامراز | ||
Kyrgyz аспап | ||
Lao ເຄື່ອງມື | ||
Latin musicorum | ||
Latvian instruments | ||
Lingala esaleli | ||
Lithuanian instrumentas | ||
Luganda ekyuuma | ||
Luxembourgish instrument | ||
Macedonian инструмент | ||
Maithili यंत्र | ||
Malagasy fitaovana | ||
Malay alat | ||
Malayalam ഉപകരണം | ||
Maltese strument | ||
Maori taputapu | ||
Marathi इन्स्ट्रुमेंट | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯈꯨꯠꯂꯥꯏ | ||
Mizo hmanrua | ||
Mongolian хэрэгсэл | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) တူရိယာ | ||
Nepali उपकरण | ||
Norwegian instrument | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chida | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଯନ୍ତ୍ର | ||
Oromo meeshaa | ||
Pashto وسیله | ||
Persian ابزار | ||
Polish instrument | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) instrumento | ||
Punjabi ਸਾਧਨ | ||
Quechua rawkana | ||
Romanian instrument | ||
Russian инструмент | ||
Samoan mea faigaluega | ||
Sanskrit साधन | ||
Scots Gaelic ionnstramaid | ||
Sepedi sedirišwa | ||
Serbian инструмент | ||
Sesotho seletsa | ||
Shona chiridzwa | ||
Sindhi اوزار | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) උපකරණය | ||
Slovak nástroj | ||
Slovenian instrument | ||
Somali qalab | ||
Spanish instrumento | ||
Sundanese instrumén | ||
Swahili chombo | ||
Swedish instrument | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) instrumento | ||
Tajik асбоб | ||
Tamil கருவி | ||
Tatar корал | ||
Telugu పరికరం | ||
Thai เครื่องดนตรี | ||
Tigrinya መሳርሒ | ||
Tsonga xitirhisiwa | ||
Turkish enstrüman | ||
Turkmen gural | ||
Twi (Akan) akadeɛ | ||
Ukrainian інструмент | ||
Urdu آلہ | ||
Uyghur ئەسۋاب | ||
Uzbek asbob | ||
Vietnamese dụng cụ | ||
Welsh offeryn | ||
Xhosa isixhobo | ||
Yiddish קיילע | ||
Yoruba irinse | ||
Zulu insimbi |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "instrument" can also mean "tool" or "device". |
| Albanian | In Albanian, "instrument" may also refer to a musical instrument. |
| Amharic | The word "መሣሪያ" can also refer to a tool, device, or apparatus in Amharic. |
| Arabic | In Medieval Arabic, 'أداة' could also mean 'a tool to draw lines or write with' |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "գործիք" can also refer to a tool, device, or mechanism used to perform a task, as well as to an agent or representative acting on someone's behalf. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "alət" can mean "device", "tool", "means of doing something", or even "body part" in Azerbaijani, depending on the context. |
| Basque | The word "tresna" can also refer to a tool or a device. |
| Belarusian | The word "інструмент" can also be used to refer to a musical instrument or a tool for medical procedures. |
| Bengali | In Sanskrit, 'যন্ত্র' means 'tool' or 'mechanism', and is related to the verb 'यम (yam)', meaning 'to hold' or 'to control'. |
| Bosnian | The word „instrument” was derived from the Latin word 'instrumentum', which means something serving as a means or assistance to accomplish, contribute to accomplish, or provide information. |
| Bulgarian | In Bulgarian, "инструмент" can also mean a "tool" or a "device" used to perform a task. |
| Catalan | "Instrument" derives from the Latin "instrumentum", meaning "tool" or "device", and in Catalan it retains its original meaning, but also has the extended meaning of "musical instrument" |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, the word "instrumento" also refers to a written document or contract. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "仪器" (instrument) derives from the ancient Chinese word "器", meaning "vessel", "tool", or "apparatus." |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The original meaning of the Chinese character 儀 was "ceremony" or "ritual". |
| Corsican | The word 'strumentu' in Corsican can also refer to a musical instrument or a document used in a legal context. |
| Croatian | In Croatian, the word "instrument" can also refer to a tool or a device used for a specific purpose. |
| Czech | Nástroj, kromě významu 'muzikální nástroj', také v obecném jazyce znamená 'prostředek ke dosažení něčeho'. |
| Danish | In Danish, "instrument" can also refer to an official document or a legal act. |
| Dutch | In Dutch, "instrument" can also mean a musical instrument or a legal document. |
| Esperanto | "Instrumento" can also refer to a musical instrument in Portuguese. |
| Estonian | Estonian word "pilli" also means "instrument" but derives from Germanic word "pill" used to define a reed in a wind instrument |
| Finnish | Finnish "väline" is cognate with "valve". |
| French | In French, "instrument" can also mean a legal document or a musical instrument. |
| Frisian | The Frisian word “ynstrumint” can refer to any tool or device, but it can also specifically refer to a musical instrument. |
| Galician | In Galician, the word 'instrumento' means not only an object used for making music, but also a legal document. |
| German | The German word "Instrument" also signifies a musical instrument in English, and may denote a legal document. |
| Greek | The word "όργανο" can also refer to a human body part, typically one that is used for a specific purpose or function. |
| Gujarati | The word "સાધન" can also mean "means" or "way" in Gujarati. |
| Haitian Creole | "Enstriman" can also refer to a musical instrument. |
| Hausa | In an alternate, literary sense 'kayan aiki' can refer to the hands of a skilled tradesman |
| Hawaiian | In the hula context, a "mea kani" is a musical instrument rather than a tool. |
| Hebrew | כלי means "vessel" in Aramaic and "weapon" in Ugaritic, Arabic, and Phoenician, and can be used to refer to musical instruments |
| Hindi | Hindi word 'यंत्र' originally referred to 'restraint' or 'control' and was a synonym for 'nigraha'. Its later sense of 'apparatus' or 'machine' is a secondary development. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "ntsuas" can also refer to a tool or a weapon. |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian word "hangszer" is derived from the root "hang", meaning sound, and the suffix "-szer", denoting a tool or device. |
| Icelandic | The word "hljóðfæri" literally translates to "sound transporter" in Icelandic. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word 'ngwa' also loosely refers to musical instruments specifically, and can be an adjective denoting strength, beauty, or other attributes. |
| Indonesian | The word "instrumen" in Indonesian also means "document", "proof", or "evidence". |
| Irish | The word for "instrument" in Irish, "ionstraim," was first derived from the Old Irish "instram." |
| Italian | "Strumento" derives from Latin, where it originally meant a "thing cut" or "cut off", but can now mean either a "tool" or a "musical instrument". |
| Japanese | The word "楽器" (instrument) is derived from the Chinese word "楽器" (musical instrument), which in turn comes from the Sanskrit word "आलय" (vessel, container). |
| Javanese | In Javanese, “instrumen” also means “measure” and “scale”. |
| Kannada | The word 'ಉಪಕರಣ' in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'उपकरण', meaning 'that which is used for' or 'a tool'. |
| Kazakh | "Құрал" (instrument) has an alternate meaning of "means" or "device" and is cognate with the Mongolian word "хурал" (council). |
| Khmer | The word "ឧបករណ៍" can also refer to the equipment used in the production of a particular item. |
| Korean | 악기 can also refer to musical instruments specifically and is composed of 악, meaning music, and 기, meaning a machine. |
| Kurdish | The word "alet" in Kurdish is cognate with the Persian word "ālāt", which also means "instrument", and ultimately derives from the Arabic word "آلة" ("āla"), meaning "tool" or "device". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "аспап" in Kyrgyz also means "tool" or "device". |
| Lao | This word is derived from Thai and Sanskrit, and in a more restricted sense also means 'tool' or 'utensil'. |
| Latin | The Latin word "musicorum" can also refer to a choir or ensemble of musicians. |
| Latvian | "Instrumenti" means instruments in Latvian, but the word can also refer to money in the context of economics, which has to do with its original Latin roots. |
| Lithuanian | In Lithuanian, "instrumentas" can also refer to a musical instrument or a measuring device. |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, "Instrument" can also refer to an official document or a musical ensemble. |
| Macedonian | The word "инструмент" in Macedonian can also refer to a person who plays a musical instrument. |
| Malagasy | The word "fitaovana" also means "tool" but can be used in a wider sense. |
| Malay | The word "alat" in Malay can also refer to a device or tool used for a specific purpose, such as a camera or a knife. |
| Malayalam | "ഉപകരണം," when used in the context of "measuring instruments" and its use in the performing arts is borrowed from the English word "Instrument". |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "strument" originates from the Italian word "strumento" and also means "tool". |
| Maori | The word "taputapu" can also refer to a sacred object used in religious rituals. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "इन्स्ट्रुमेंट" (instrument) can also refer to a legal document or a musical instrument. |
| Mongolian | The word "хэрэгсэл" can also refer to tools, equipment, or materials used for a specific purpose. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "တူရိယာ" (instrument) in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Sanskrit word "turiya," which also means "the fourth." |
| Nepali | In Nepali, the word "उपकरण" ("instrument") is also used in contexts like "organ" in a body or in a machine. |
| Norwegian | The word "instrument" in Norwegian can also refer to a musical instrument or a tool. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word “chida” is also the name of a traditional Nyanja musical instrument. |
| Pashto | وسیله (instrument) is also used colloquially to refer to a means of transportation, such as a car or a bus. |
| Persian | The Persian word "ابزار" (âbzâr) has multiple meanings including equipment, tool, means, appliance, and implement. |
| Polish | The Polish word "instrument" can also mean "a person who plays a musical instrument". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "instrumento" can also mean a legal document or a musical instrument |
| Punjabi | The word "ਸਾਧਨ" (instrument) in Punjabi can also refer to a "means" or "way" of doing something. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "instrument" also has the meaning of "legal document". |
| Russian | The Russian word "инструмент" also refers to a legal document or statute passed by a governing body. |
| Samoan | "Mea faigaluega" also means equipment, tool, utensil, or device. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word 'ionnstramaid' also means 'a tool' or 'a machine'. |
| Serbian | The word "instrument" can also refer to a tool or device used for performing a task. |
| Sesotho | Seletsa can also mean 'the act of doing'. |
| Shona | The Shona word "chiridzwa" can also refer to a tool or a weapon, depending on the context. |
| Sindhi | The root "وذر" in "اوزار" is an altered form of the Old Persian "Vazbara," meaning "to bring or offer up." |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word පුමවරුයන්, meaning "instrument", derives from *upakarana*, the same word as in Sanskrit. |
| Slovak | The word "nástroj" in Slovak can also refer to a tool or device used for a specific purpose. |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word "instrument" also has a second, metaphorical meaning of "means, tool". |
| Somali | The word "qalab" also refers to a tool or device used for a specific purpose. |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the word "instrumento" also has a legal meaning, referring to a document that establishes a right or obligation. |
| Sundanese | The word "Instrumén" also means "means" or "way" in Sundanese. |
| Swahili | In Tanzania the word chombo can also refer to an aeroplane, ship or vehicle. |
| Swedish | In Swedish, the word "instrument" can also mean "legal document". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "instrumento" comes from the Spanish word "instrumento", also meaning "instrument", and can also refer to legal documents. |
| Tajik | The word "асбоб" in Tajik can also refer to a tool, device, or apparatus. |
| Tamil | "கருவி" can also mean "tool", "means" or "agent" in Tamil. |
| Telugu | The word "పరికరం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "परिकरः", which means "apparatus", "implement", or "device". |
| Thai | The term "เครื่องดนตรี" (instrument) derives from "เครื่อง" (machine) and "ดนตรี" (music), indicating an object primarily designed for creating musical sounds. |
| Turkish | "Enstrüman" also refers to a musical instrument or a mechanism designed to provide a specific function or measurement |
| Ukrainian | In Ukrainian, "інструмент" also means a tool or device, similar to the connotation of the English word "implement". |
| Urdu | The word "آلہ" derives from Arabic and originally meant "a thing"} |
| Uzbek | The word "asbob" is derived from the Persian word "âsbâb," meaning "tools" or "equipment." |
| Vietnamese | The word "dụng cụ" can also mean a tool or device |
| Welsh | The word "offeryn" can also refer to an offering or a gift. |
| Xhosa | The word "isixhobo" can also refer to a weapon, tool, or machine. |
| Yiddish | The word "קיילע" in Yiddish is derived from the Hebrew word "כלי" ("vessel"), which can refer to any tool, utensil, or object used for a specific purpose. |
| Yoruba | The word "irinse" can also refer to a tool or device used for specific tasks. |
| Zulu | In Zulu, "insimbi" can also refer to a musical instrument, especially a stringed instrument like a guitar. |
| English | The term 'instrument' is used in law to refer to a document that serves as evidence or a way of transfering ownership. |