Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'joint' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, often referring to a place where two things come together. It can describe the connection between bones in the body, or a meeting point of roads. In popular culture, a 'joint' is also a slang term for a marijuana cigarette. But did you know that the word 'joint' has roots in Old French, and was once used to describe a fastening device?
Understanding the translation of 'joint' in different languages can offer a unique glimpse into the cultural importance of this word around the globe. For example, in Spanish, 'joint' translates to 'articulación,' which also refers to a joint in the body. In German, 'joint' becomes 'Gelenk,' which can refer to a hinge or a connection. And in Japanese, 'joint' is translated to '� weak joint' (knee), highlighting the anatomical significance of the word.
Exploring the translations of 'joint' in different languages can enrich our understanding of this versatile word, and offer insight into how other cultures perceive the concept of connection and unity.
Afrikaans | gewrig | ||
The word 'gewrig' likely derives from the Dutch word 'gewricht', meaning 'joint', although the term can also be used to refer to a 'knot' or 'hitch'. | |||
Amharic | መገጣጠሚያ | ||
The Amharic word "መገጣጠሚያ" (joint) comes from the verb "መጋጠም" (to join), which also means to come to an agreement or understanding. | |||
Hausa | hadin gwiwa | ||
In Hausa, "hadin gwiwa" can also refer to a section of a book, a part of a journey, a portion of food, or a period of time. | |||
Igbo | nkwonkwo | ||
An Igbo word for "union" or "connection" with similar roots to the word for "peace". Sometimes shortened to "nkwo". | |||
Malagasy | iraisana | ||
The word "iraisana" in Malagasy can also mean "to be attached to something" or "to be close to someone." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | olowa | ||
The term "olowa" in Nyanja can also refer to a gathering or a meeting. | |||
Shona | mubatanidzwa | ||
The word "mubatanidzwa" can also refer to a meeting or a committee. | |||
Somali | wadajirka ah | ||
Wada jirka ah can also mean | |||
Sesotho | kopaneng | ||
In Sesotho, 'kopaneng' also refers to a meeting place or a social gathering. | |||
Swahili | pamoja | ||
The word 'pamoja' can also mean 'together' or 'united'. | |||
Xhosa | ngokudibeneyo | ||
The word "ngokudibeneyo" in Xhosa can also refer to a meeting or gathering of people for a common purpose, such as a meeting of elders or a religious ceremony. | |||
Yoruba | apapọ | ||
The term 'apapọ' in Yoruba can also refer to a place or event where people converge. | |||
Zulu | ngokuhlanganyela | ||
In Zulu, the word ngokuhlanganyela can also be used to refer to a person or thing that acts as a mediator or intermediary. | |||
Bambara | tuguda | ||
Ewe | kpeƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | gufatanya | ||
Lingala | elongo | ||
Luganda | ennyingo | ||
Sepedi | makopano | ||
Twi (Akan) | apɔ so | ||
Arabic | مشترك | ||
The word "مشترك" (joint) in Arabic also means "shared" or "common". | |||
Hebrew | משותף | ||
The word "משותף" can also mean "shared" or "common". | |||
Pashto | ګډ | ||
The word "ګډ" in Pashto can also mean "combined" or "mixed". | |||
Arabic | مشترك | ||
The word "مشترك" (joint) in Arabic also means "shared" or "common". |
Albanian | të përbashkët | ||
Basque | juntadura | ||
"Juntadura" is also used to refer to the place where two bones meet. | |||
Catalan | articulació | ||
The word 'articulació' in Catalan also means 'enunciation', 'pronunciation', or 'utterance'. | |||
Croatian | zglobni | ||
The word 'zglobni' in Croatian also means 'related to the zodiac'. | |||
Danish | samling | ||
"Samling" in Danish can also refer to a collection of objects, such as a collection of stamps or a collection of poems. | |||
Dutch | gewricht | ||
"Gewricht" can also refer to the "axis of a machine" or the "joint of a plant"} | |||
English | joint | ||
In Middle English, 'joint' meant 'connection' and could refer to a hinge, a knot in wood or a union of two bones, as well as a piece of meat with attached bone, giving it two distinct but connected meanings. | |||
French | mixte | ||
The word "mixte" in French means "joint", but it can also refer to a school or a class that is attended by both boys and girls. | |||
Frisian | joint | ||
The Frisian word for "joint" is "junt", which can also mean a "junction" or "union" | |||
Galician | xunta | ||
The Galician word "xunta" can also refer to a political assembly or a regional government. | |||
German | joint | ||
In German, "Joint" can also refer to a joint venture, a meeting, a musical composition, a joint of meat, or a type of marijuana cigarette. | |||
Icelandic | sameiginlegt | ||
In Icelandic, "sameiginlegt" also means "communal" or "shared". | |||
Irish | comhpháirteach | ||
Italian | comune | ||
The word "comune" in Italian derives from the Latin word "communis" and can also mean "town" or "municipality". | |||
Luxembourgish | gemeinsame | ||
The Luxembourgish word "gemeinsame" is derived from the German word "gemeinsame" meaning "common". | |||
Maltese | konġunt | ||
The word "konġunt" may also refer to a juncture or junction. | |||
Norwegian | ledd | ||
The word "ledd" in Norwegian, meaning "joint", is cognate with the English word "link" and the German word "Glied". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | junta | ||
In Portuguese, the word "junta" can also mean "seam" or "joint (in masonry)". It comes from the Latin word "iūncta" meaning "joined". | |||
Scots Gaelic | còmhla | ||
"Còmhla" can also mean "agreement" or "in conjunction with." | |||
Spanish | articulación | ||
In anatomy, an articulación can refer to a point of connection between bones or to the entire system of joints in the body. | |||
Swedish | gemensam | ||
The Swedish word "gemensam" comes from the Proto-Germanic word *gamain-. | |||
Welsh | ar y cyd | ||
The Welsh word 'ar y cyd' literally means 'on the together' and can also refer to a joint effort or a joint venture. |
Belarusian | сумесны | ||
The word "сумесны" in Belarusian also means "mixed" or "jointly". | |||
Bosnian | joint | ||
Riječ 'joint' na bosanskom može značiti spoj, zglob ili čak marihuanu. | |||
Bulgarian | става | ||
The word "става" (joint) also means "to happen", "to become", or "to take place" in Bulgarian | |||
Czech | kloub | ||
The word 'kloub' can also refer to a club or organization in Czech. | |||
Estonian | ühine | ||
The Estonian word "ühine" derives from "ühti" meaning "to unite" and is also the root of "ühiskond" meaning "society". | |||
Finnish | yhteinen | ||
The word "yhteinen" also means "common" and is related to the word "yhteys" (connection). | |||
Hungarian | közös | ||
Közös can also mean "common" or "shared", emphasizing the communal or cooperative nature of something. | |||
Latvian | locītavu | ||
The word "locītavu" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gel-, meaning "to bend or curve." | |||
Lithuanian | bendras | ||
In Lithuanian the word "bendras" also means "common" or "shared", reflecting the collective nature of the concept of a joint. | |||
Macedonian | заеднички | ||
The word can also mean "common" or "shared". | |||
Polish | połączenie | ||
The word "połączenie" in Polish can also mean "connection" or "combination". | |||
Romanian | comun | ||
"Comun" can also mean "shared" or "in common" (e.g. "proprietate comuna" = "shared property"). | |||
Russian | совместный | ||
The Russian word "совместный" can also mean "cooperative" or "united". | |||
Serbian | зглоб | ||
A less common usage of the word, mostly heard in Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Bosnia, is in the plural form, "зглобови" (sglobovi), meaning "knees" or "legs." | |||
Slovak | kĺb | ||
The Slovak word "kĺb" is etymologically related to the Czech "kloub" and the Old Church Slavonic "klьbb", all derived from the Proto-Slavic "*klьbъ", meaning "joint". | |||
Slovenian | sklep | ||
The word 'sklep' also means 'conclusion' or 'resolution' in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | суглобові | ||
"Суглобові" literally translates to "relating to joints" but can also refer to "jointed" or "hinged" objects. |
Bengali | যৌথ | ||
The Bengali word "যৌথ" (joint) has its origins in the Sanskrit word "yug" (to join), implying a state of connection or unity. | |||
Gujarati | સંયુક્ત | ||
Hindi | संयुक्त | ||
The word 'संयुक्त' ('joint' in Hindi) derives from Sanskrit and can also refer to a compound or union. | |||
Kannada | ಜಂಟಿ | ||
The Kannada word "ಜಂಟಿ" can also refer to a meeting, assembly, or group. | |||
Malayalam | ജോയിന്റ് | ||
In Malayalam, "joint" can also refer to a type of traditional necklace or a group of musicians playing together. | |||
Marathi | संयुक्त | ||
The Marathi word 'संयुक्त' (joint) can also mean 'combination' or 'cooperation'. | |||
Nepali | संयुक्त | ||
संयुक्त is derived from Sanskrit and means both "joint" (as in a body part) and "united" (as in a group or organization). | |||
Punjabi | ਸੰਯੁਕਤ | ||
The word ਸੰਯੁਕਤ (Sanyukt) in Punjabi can refer to both a literal 'joint' as well as a 'union' or 'association'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඒකාබද්ධ | ||
The word can also mean "combined" or "united". | |||
Tamil | கூட்டு | ||
In Tamil, "கூட்டு" can also refer to a mathematical operation, a group, or a mixture. | |||
Telugu | ఉమ్మడి | ||
ఉమ్మడి means 'combined' or 'interconnected' in Telugu and can also refer to a 'pool' or 'joint committee'. | |||
Urdu | مشترکہ | ||
In addition to being used as an adjective meaning "common (to many)", "united" or "shared", "مشترکہ" can also function as a noun denoting a share (of a company or partnership) or a partnership itself. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 联合 | ||
The word "联合" can also mean "unite" or "combine". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 聯合 | ||
In Traditional Chinese, "聯合" means to join or unite, and can also mean a coalition or association | |||
Japanese | ジョイント | ||
In Japanese, ジョイント (joint) also means to join, connect, or meet together. | |||
Korean | 관절 | ||
관절 is a hanja word meaning 'joint', but it also means 'article' or 'clause' in grammar. | |||
Mongolian | хамтарсан | ||
The Mongolian word "хамтарсан" is related to the Tibetan word "མཐུན་སྦྱོར་" (thün jor, "harmony") and the Old Turkic word "yoldaş" (companion). | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အဆစ် | ||
The word “အဆစ်” (“joint”) in Myanmar (Burmese) can also mean “to be jointed together” or “to be connected”. |
Indonesian | bersama | ||
"Bersama" in Indonesian can also refer to "together" or "united." | |||
Javanese | sendi | ||
"Sendi" also refer to the interlocking point between any two parts of a thing or the point at which two or more roads, rivers, etc., meet | |||
Khmer | រួមគ្នា | ||
The word រួមគ្នា can also refer to a combination of things, such as a joint venture or a coalition. | |||
Lao | ຮ່ວມກັນ | ||
The word 'ຮ່ວມກັນ' can either mean 'joint'; or 'together,' 'in cooperation with,' 'in conjunction with,' 'jointly,' 'collectively,' 'cooperatively,' 'commonly,' and in some cases, 'collaboratively' | |||
Malay | sendi | ||
Sendi's etymology, meaning 'knot' or 'tie', is related to the Sanskrit word 'samdhi', meaning 'union' or 'junction'. | |||
Thai | ข้อต่อ | ||
In Thai, the word "ข้อต่อ" can also refer to a junction or connection, such as the point where two bones meet or the place where two pipes are joined. | |||
Vietnamese | chung | ||
The word "chung" is also used in Vietnamese to refer to a shared ownership or interest in something. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | magkadugtong | ||
Azerbaijani | birgə | ||
The word "birgə" also means "together" or "collaborative" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | буын | ||
The Kazakh word 'буын' ('joint') also refers to 'generation', 'syllable', and 'node'. | |||
Kyrgyz | биргелешкен | ||
The word "биргелешкен" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a collective or a group. | |||
Tajik | муштарак | ||
The word 'муштарак' also refers to a specific part of the plow that helps make furrows, or to an instrument for making the mark for sewing along a hem. | |||
Turkmen | bogun | ||
Uzbek | qo'shma | ||
Qo'shma is also used to refer to the place where two bones connect or the point of connection between two parts of anything. | |||
Uyghur | بىرلەشمە | ||
Hawaiian | ami | ||
Ami can also refer to a knot for tying fishing nets or lines, a joint between bones, a crease, or a fold. | |||
Maori | hononga | ||
Hononga denotes not only 'joints' in the physical sense, but also those between people, between generations, and between the physical and spiritual realms. | |||
Samoan | soʻoga | ||
The word “soʻoga” is also used in Samoan as a term for the extended family. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | magkasabay | ||
The Tagalog word "magkasabay" can also refer to "simultaneous actions" or "accompanying one another". |
Aymara | junta | ||
Guarani | kanguejoajuha | ||
Esperanto | artiko | ||
The Esperanto word "artiko" is derived from the same root as the Latin word "articulus," which means "small joint." | |||
Latin | iuncturam | ||
Iuncturam, meaning "joint" in Latin, also refers to the "point of union" or a "juncture" in a broader sense. |
Greek | άρθρωση | ||
"Άρθρωση" is derived from the verb "αρθρ-ώ," meaning "to fit together," and is related to words like "αράω" (to fit) and "επι-αρμόζω" (to join together). | |||
Hmong | sib koom ua ke | ||
The word “sib koom ua ke” can also be used as the slang term “to be in a relationship”. | |||
Kurdish | movirk | ||
The word "movirk" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "movur" and the Kurdish suffix "-k". | |||
Turkish | bağlantı | ||
"Bağlantı" also refers to a connection between objects or people and carries the meaning of "link" in English. | |||
Xhosa | ngokudibeneyo | ||
The word "ngokudibeneyo" in Xhosa can also refer to a meeting or gathering of people for a common purpose, such as a meeting of elders or a religious ceremony. | |||
Yiddish | שלאָס | ||
'שלאָס' also means 'lock' or 'castle' in Yiddish. | |||
Zulu | ngokuhlanganyela | ||
In Zulu, the word ngokuhlanganyela can also be used to refer to a person or thing that acts as a mediator or intermediary. | |||
Assamese | গাঁঠি | ||
Aymara | junta | ||
Bhojpuri | जोड़ | ||
Dhivehi | ޖޮއިންޓް | ||
Dogri | सांझा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | magkadugtong | ||
Guarani | kanguejoajuha | ||
Ilocano | agtipun | ||
Krio | togɛda | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوبەش | ||
Maithili | संयुक्त | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯄꯨꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo | inzawmna | ||
Oromo | bakka wanti lamaa fi isaa olii itti wal argu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ମିଳିତ | ||
Quechua | huñusqa | ||
Sanskrit | संयुक्त | ||
Tatar | уртак | ||
Tigrinya | መጋጥም | ||
Tsonga | mahlangana | ||