Island in Different Languages
Discover 'Island' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An island, a landmass surrounded by water, has always held a significant place in our hearts and minds. Its unique location and isolation have given rise to distinct cultures, traditions, and ecosystems, making it a fascinating subject of study and exploration. The word 'island' has been translated into various languages, reflecting the global fascination with these isolated landforms.
For instance, in Spanish, an island is known as 'isla', while in French, it is 'île'. In German, the translation is 'Insel', and in Japanese, it is 'shima'. These translations not only help us understand the word 'island' in different languages but also offer a glimpse into the cultural significance of islands in various parts of the world.
Moreover, islands have played a crucial role in human history. They have been home to some of the earliest human civilizations, served as strategic military bases, and provided inspiration for countless works of literature and art. Understanding the translation of 'island' in different languages can, therefore, be a fascinating journey into the world's cultural and historical diversity.
Island
Island in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | eiland | ||
| The word "eiland" in Afrikaans can also refer to a lake, lagoon, or a body of land surrounded by marshes. | |||
| Amharic | ደሴት | ||
| Possibly related to Egyptian "ds" (land), "dt" (river bank) and Proto-Semitic *dyz-. | |||
| Hausa | tsibiri | ||
| The word "tsibiri" in Hausa also means "a large body of water surrounded by land", such as a lake. | |||
| Igbo | agwaetiti | ||
| The word "agwaetiti" can also mean "a place where water gathers" or "a place where there is a lot of water". | |||
| Malagasy | nosy | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "nosy" also has other meanings such as "headland" and "peninsula". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilumba | ||
| The etymology of "chilumba" (island) in Nyanja is uncertain, with some linking it to the Proto-Bantu root "*tumba" (hill, mound) or the Proto-Bantu root "*lumba" (to be round). | |||
| Shona | chitsuwa | ||
| In a more poetic sense, "chitsuwa" can also mean "a place where people live". | |||
| Somali | jasiirad | ||
| The word "jasiirad" is derived from the Arabic word "jazīrah", meaning "part of a continent surrounded by water. | |||
| Sesotho | sehlekehleke | ||
| 'Sehlekehleke' is also figuratively used to refer to a small, insignificant village or a small group of people. | |||
| Swahili | kisiwa | ||
| The word "kisiwa" is derived from the Arabic word "jazīra" which means "fragment of land surrounded by water". | |||
| Xhosa | isiqithi | ||
| Isiqithi may also refer to an isolated section of a larger landmass or a group of hills surrounded by valleys. | |||
| Yoruba | erekusu | ||
| "Erekusu" is also used to refer to a group of people or a community that lives on an island. | |||
| Zulu | isiqhingi | ||
| The word isiqhingi is derived from the verb -qhing, which means 'to be surrounded' or 'to be cut off'. | |||
| Bambara | gun | ||
| Ewe | ƒukpo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikirwa | ||
| Lingala | esanga | ||
| Luganda | ekizinga | ||
| Sepedi | sehlakahlaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | supɔ | ||
Island in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جزيرة | ||
| The word "جزيرة" also means "segment" or "part" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | אִי | ||
| אִי in Hebrew also refers to a body of water, similar to its cognates in other Semitic languages and even English. | |||
| Pashto | ټاپو | ||
| The word "ټاپو" in Pashto is of Sanskrit origin and also means "heap" or "mound". | |||
| Arabic | جزيرة | ||
| The word "جزيرة" also means "segment" or "part" in Arabic. | |||
Island in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ishull | ||
| The Albanian word "ishull" likely originates from the Illyrian word "*esku" meaning "island". | |||
| Basque | irla | ||
| The Basque word "irla" for "island" possibly derives from the Proto-Basque *iregi, meaning "damp" or "wet." | |||
| Catalan | illa | ||
| The word "illa" in Catalan comes from the Latin "insula", which means "island", and can also refer to a block of buildings or a group of houses. | |||
| Croatian | otok | ||
| In Old Croatian, 'otok' was applied to larger, riverine islands as opposed to 'otočić' for smaller ones ('otok' in modern Croatian). | |||
| Danish | ø | ||
| The word "ø" can also refer to a small round island or a cluster of islands. | |||
| Dutch | eiland | ||
| The Dutch word "eiland" originates from Middle Dutch "eylant" and Proto-Germanic “*aigw-land-u201d, where “*aigw-” means “water” and “*land-” means “land”. | |||
| English | island | ||
| The word "island" originally meant "dry land" or "low-lying land," a sense preserved in "Iseland" or "Iceland." | |||
| French | île | ||
| The French word 'île' originates from the Latin word 'insula,' meaning 'in the water' or 'between waters'. | |||
| Frisian | eilân | ||
| In Welsh, "eilân" means both "island" and "a glade in a forest". | |||
| Galician | illa | ||
| In Galician, the word "illa" not only means "island", but also refers to a specific type of uninhabited, rocky island. | |||
| German | insel | ||
| The German word Insel is thought to be derived from a pre-Indo-European root *en-, meaning 'water', and is thus related to the English words 'island' and 'insulate'. | |||
| Icelandic | eyja | ||
| The word "eyja" has various meanings in Icelandic, including "island", "pasture", and "a place where sheep are kept". | |||
| Irish | oileán | ||
| The Irish word 'oileán' not only means 'island' but also refers to a small patch of fertile land in a bog. | |||
| Italian | isola | ||
| The word isola derives from the Italian word 'isolare', meaning to isolate or separate. | |||
| Luxembourgish | insel | ||
| The word "Insel" is derived from the Latin word "insula", meaning "island", and can also refer to a peninsula or a piece of land surrounded by water. | |||
| Maltese | gżira | ||
| The Maltese word "gżira" derives from the Arabic "jazīrah", and originally meant "peninsula" or "headland". | |||
| Norwegian | øy | ||
| The Norwegian word "øy" can also refer to a small, isolated piece of land or a small, circular depression in the ground. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ilha | ||
| The Portuguese word "ilha" derives from the Latin "insula", meaning "land surrounded by water". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eilean | ||
| The Gaelic word 'eilean' shares its root with the Old Irish word 'elain', meaning 'a hind' or 'female deer'. | |||
| Spanish | isla | ||
| The word "isla" comes from the Latin word "insula," which also means "building block" or "small house." | |||
| Swedish | ö | ||
| The word "ö" in Swedish may also refer to a small area of land or a piece of land surrounded by water. | |||
| Welsh | ynys | ||
| Welsh 'ynys' ('island') derives from a Proto-Celtic word meaning 'water', and is cognate with English 'inch' which also means 'island'. | |||
Island in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | востраў | ||
| "Востраў" is cognate with the German word "Wüste" and Russian "остров" meaning "desert" | |||
| Bosnian | ostrvo | ||
| Ostrvo also refers to an island-like part of a river, lake or sea that is not surrounded by water on all sides. | |||
| Bulgarian | остров | ||
| The word "остров" in Bulgarian comes from the Slavic root "ostro", meaning "sharp" or "pointed", referring to the rocky or steep coastlines of many islands. | |||
| Czech | ostrov | ||
| The word "ostrov" in Czech can also refer to a peninsula or a sanctuary, but most commonly an island. | |||
| Estonian | saar | ||
| The word "saar" can also mean "a glade in a forest" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | saari | ||
| The word "saari" in Finnish also means a piece of land encircled by water bodies or surrounded by swamps. | |||
| Hungarian | sziget | ||
| While 'sziget' means 'island' in Hungarian, it originates from the Slavic word 'sytь', meaning 'dry land'. | |||
| Latvian | sala | ||
| "Sala" also means "hall" or "room" in Latvian, possibly due to its historical use as a gathering place on islands. | |||
| Lithuanian | sala | ||
| The word "sala" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *sel-, meaning "to flow" or "to be wet. | |||
| Macedonian | остров | ||
| The word "остров" in Macedonian also means "peninsula" or "cape". | |||
| Polish | wyspa | ||
| The Polish word "wyspa" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*vъstъpъ", meaning "a place above the water". | |||
| Romanian | insulă | ||
| The word "insulă" in Romanian comes from Latin "insulam", meaning both "isle" and "peninsula". | |||
| Russian | остров | ||
| The Russian word "остров" also refers to a safe haven or refuge, similar to the English "sanctuary". | |||
| Serbian | острво | ||
| The word "острво" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*ostrovъ", which also means "sharp" or "pointed". | |||
| Slovak | ostrov | ||
| The word "ostrov" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*ostruvъ", meaning "sharp" or "pointed", referring to the shape of many islands. | |||
| Slovenian | otok | ||
| In archaic Slovene, 'otok' could also mean a hill or a castle. | |||
| Ukrainian | острів | ||
| The Ukrainian word "острів" also means "place of exile". | |||
Island in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দ্বীপ | ||
| The word "দ্বীপ" in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "द्वीप" (dvīpa), which also means "island" and "continent". | |||
| Gujarati | ટાપુ | ||
| "ટાપુ" comes from the Sanskrit word "dvipa", meaning "two waters" or "a land between two rivers". It can also refer to a "cluster of trees" or an "inhabited place". | |||
| Hindi | द्वीप | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'द्वीप' (dvīpa) also means 'continent' or 'a large landmass surrounded by water'. | |||
| Kannada | ದ್ವೀಪ | ||
| The word "ದ್ವೀಪ" can also refer to a group of islands or a continent. | |||
| Malayalam | ദ്വീപ് | ||
| The word "ദ്വീപ്" (island) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dvipa", meaning "two" and "drink", referring to the concept of land surrounded by water. | |||
| Marathi | बेट | ||
| The word 'बेट' not only means 'island' but also refers to 'a sandbank that appears in water during the rainy season' | |||
| Nepali | टापु | ||
| In Nepali, the word "टापु" (island) is also used to refer to a small, isolated group of houses or a patch of land surrounded by water. | |||
| Punjabi | ਟਾਪੂ | ||
| The word 'Taapu' likely originates from the Sanskrit word 'Tapa' which in some contexts means 'heat' or 'heat of the sun', perhaps reflecting the hot and humid weather often associated with islands. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දිවයින | ||
| The word "දිවයින" (island) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dvipa", which also means "two" or "pair", referring to the two main parts of an island: the land mass and the surrounding water. | |||
| Tamil | தீவு | ||
| The word "தீவு" (island) in Tamil can also refer to a place of refuge or a sacred place. | |||
| Telugu | ద్వీపం | ||
| ദ്വീപം can also figuratively refer to a small area of land that is surrounded by a sea of something else, such as a group of trees in a desert. | |||
| Urdu | جزیرہ | ||
| The word "جزیرہ" also means "a part" or "a section" in Urdu. | |||
Island in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 岛 | ||
| "岛" has alternate meanings including "islet", "reef", and "sandbank". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 島 | ||
| 島 is also used to refer to a group, sect, or country | |||
| Japanese | 島 | ||
| The character "島" (island) is also used as a unit of measurement, referring to the amount of land that can be cultivated by a single farmer. | |||
| Korean | 섬 | ||
| The word "섬" can also refer to a secluded place or an isolated group of people. | |||
| Mongolian | арал | ||
| In Mongolian, 'арал' can also refer to a 'delta' or a 'sandbank' in a river. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျွန်း | ||
| The word ကျွန်း ("island") in Myanmar (Burmese) also means "to be surrounded by something" and "to be isolated or alone." | |||
Island in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pulau | ||
| "Pulau" in Indonesian may be derived from the Sanskrit word "dvīpa" and can also refer to other isolated or enclosed areas, such as oases and forest clearings. | |||
| Javanese | pulau | ||
| In Javanese, "pulau" can also refer to a sacred place where spirits and deities reside. | |||
| Khmer | កោះ | ||
| The Khmer word "កោះ" may have originated from the Sanskrit word "dvipa" or "dvīpa" meaning "island" or "two drinks". | |||
| Lao | ເກາະ | ||
| The Lao word for "island" can also refer to a "peninsula". | |||
| Malay | pulau | ||
| "Pulau" derives from the Proto-South-East-Asian word *pulaw, meaning "separated place" or "high ground surrounded by water". | |||
| Thai | เกาะ | ||
| The Thai word "เกาะ" not only means island, but also can refer to the nodes of a tree or the nodes of a network. | |||
| Vietnamese | đảo | ||
| The word "Đảo" has multiple origins: "dão" (to turn), "đảo" (upside down), and "đảo" (to swap). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | isla | ||
Island in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ada | ||
| "Ada" also means "justice" in Azerbaijani, coming from the Arabic word "ʿadāla". | |||
| Kazakh | арал | ||
| The word "арал" is also a type of grain or flour and shares etymological roots with the word for "area". | |||
| Kyrgyz | арал | ||
| The word "Арал" in Kyrgyz can also refer to the open sea and not just an island. | |||
| Tajik | ҷазира | ||
| The word "ҷазира" can also refer to an island of land in a wetland or a swampy area. | |||
| Turkmen | ada | ||
| Uzbek | orol | ||
| The word "orol" is also used in Uzbek to refer to the central part of a yurt. | |||
| Uyghur | ئارال | ||
Island in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mokupuni | ||
| "Mokupuni" can also refer to a district or subdivision of a chiefdom, and it is cognate with the Tahitian word "fenua" meaning "land". | |||
| Maori | motu | ||
| The word "motu" can also refer to a group of islands, an atoll, or a reef. | |||
| Samoan | motu | ||
| "Motu" is also used in Samoan to refer to the "space between the legs" of a person sitting down. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | isla | ||
| In Tagalog, the word "isla" not only means "island" but also refers to a "landmass surrounded by water," capturing the nuances of its geography. | |||
Island in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | isla | ||
| Guarani | yno'õ | ||
Island in International Languages
| Esperanto | insulo | ||
| The word "insulo" is derived from the Latin word "insula", which means "island" or "peninsula". | |||
| Latin | insulam | ||
| The Late Latin word _insulam_ derives from the Classical Latin _insula_ (island), itself from the Proto-Indo-European root _*nes-/*nis-_, meaning "to stick out" or "to be raised up," which is also the origin of the Greek word _νῆσος_ (nêsos, island). | |||
Island in Others Languages
| Greek | νησί | ||
| The word "νησί" is the diminutive of the ancient Greek word "νῆσος" (nēsos), meaning "a piece of land surrounded by water." | |||
| Hmong | kob | ||
| The word "kob" can also refer to a piece of land surrounded by water or a group of houses surrounded by fields. | |||
| Kurdish | girav | ||
| In Old Persian, 'girav' ('island') is likely cognate with 'gird' ('round', 'circular'). | |||
| Turkish | ada | ||
| "Ada" can also mean "piece, part" or "name" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | isiqithi | ||
| Isiqithi may also refer to an isolated section of a larger landmass or a group of hills surrounded by valleys. | |||
| Yiddish | אינזל | ||
| The Yiddish word "אינזל" is derived from the German word "Insel" meaning "island" and is the same word in English. | |||
| Zulu | isiqhingi | ||
| The word isiqhingi is derived from the verb -qhing, which means 'to be surrounded' or 'to be cut off'. | |||
| Assamese | দ্বীপ | ||
| Aymara | isla | ||
| Bhojpuri | द्वीप | ||
| Dhivehi | ރަށް | ||
| Dogri | टापू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | isla | ||
| Guarani | yno'õ | ||
| Ilocano | isla | ||
| Krio | ayland | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دوورگە | ||
| Maithili | टापू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯊꯠ | ||
| Mizo | thliarkar | ||
| Oromo | odola | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦ୍ୱୀପ | ||
| Quechua | isla | ||
| Sanskrit | द्वीप | ||
| Tatar | утрау | ||
| Tigrinya | ደሴት | ||
| Tsonga | xihlala | ||