Updated on March 6, 2024
A journal is a daily record of experiences, thoughts, and observations. It's a place to express yourself, set goals, and document your personal growth. The significance of the journal cannot be overstated, as it has been a trusted companion for many great minds throughout history.
From Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks to the diary of Anne Frank, journals have played a crucial role in shaping our cultural landscape. They offer a unique window into the human experience, providing insight into the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of individuals from all walks of life.
Understanding the translation of the word 'journal' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural exchange. For example, in Spanish, a journal is called 'diario', while in French, it's 'journal'. In German, it's 'Tagebuch', and in Japanese, it's '日記' (nikki).
By learning these translations, you can connect with people from different cultures, gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives, and share your own experiences in a more meaningful way.
Afrikaans | joernaal | ||
The Afrikaans word "joernaal" derives from the Dutch "journaal" and ultimately from the French "diurnal," meaning "daily," as a journal is a record of daily events. | |||
Amharic | መጽሔት | ||
The word "መጽሔት" derives from the root "መጽሕ" meaning "book" or "writing", and originally referred to any written work, but later came to mean specifically a periodical publication. | |||
Hausa | mujallar | ||
"Mujallar" in Hausa, meaning "journal," also refers to a large, cylindrical container for storing sorghum or millet. | |||
Igbo | akwụkwọ akụkọ | ||
In the Igbo language, the word 'akwụkwọ akụkọ' directly translates to 'paper for stories,' capturing the original meaning of a journal as a medium for storytelling. | |||
Malagasy | gazety | ||
The word "gazety" derives from the French word "gazette" and ultimately from the Italian word "gazzetta." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhani | ||
The word "nkhani" in the Bantu language Nyanja (Chichewa) has the same origin as the Xhosa word for "story" and the Zulu word for "affair". | |||
Shona | chinyorwa | ||
The word "chinyorwa" in Shona can also refer to a document, writing, or record. | |||
Somali | joornaal | ||
The Somali word "Joornaal" can also refer to a diary or a logbook, similar to its English counterpart "journal". | |||
Sesotho | koranta | ||
The word 'koranta' comes from the Zulu word 'ikhoranta', which means 'to announce'. | |||
Swahili | jarida | ||
The word 'jarida' is also used to refer to a newspaper or magazine, as well as a type of traditional song form in Swahili culture. | |||
Xhosa | ijenali | ||
Ijenali ultimately derives from the root word "jena" meaning "speak" or "say". | |||
Yoruba | iwe iroyin | ||
In Yoruba, 'iwe' means 'paper' or 'book' and 'iroyin' means 'news' or 'story'. | |||
Zulu | iphephabhuku | ||
Iphephabhuku derives from 'phepha' (paper) and 'bhuku' (book), and refers to a written record as well as a book as we know it. | |||
Bambara | zurunali kɔnɔ | ||
Ewe | magazine | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikinyamakuru | ||
Lingala | zulunalo | ||
Luganda | journal | ||
Sepedi | jenale ya | ||
Twi (Akan) | nsɛmma nhoma | ||
Arabic | مجلة | ||
The word "مجلة" (journal) derives from the root "جل" (to gather), referring to the compilation of information within its pages. | |||
Hebrew | כתב עת | ||
The Hebrew word "כתב עת" literally means "written at a time" and can also refer to a periodical or newspaper. | |||
Pashto | ژورنال | ||
"ژورنال" (/dʒurnɑːl/) is a Pashto word with multiple meanings, including "newspaper", "magazine", and "logbook." | |||
Arabic | مجلة | ||
The word "مجلة" (journal) derives from the root "جل" (to gather), referring to the compilation of information within its pages. |
Albanian | ditar | ||
The word 'ditar' is derived from Latin 'dies' meaning 'day', and its plural 'dita' means 'days' in Albanian. | |||
Basque | aldizkaria | ||
In some places, 'aldizkaria' refers to a magazine that is published periodically, while in others it is a book used for writing down personal notes (diary). | |||
Catalan | revista | ||
En castellano, "revista" significa "pasar revista a las tropas", mientras que en catalán también significa "publicación periódica". | |||
Croatian | časopis | ||
"Časopis" (journal) is also used colloquially for a magazine or any other periodical. | |||
Danish | tidsskrift | ||
In Danish, "tidsskrift" has its roots in the words "tid" (time) and "skrift" (writing), referring to a periodic publication containing written content. | |||
Dutch | logboek | ||
The Dutch word 'logboek' derives from the Middle Dutch 'loghboec' and originally referred to a book of records kept aboard a ship. | |||
English | journal | ||
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French "jornal," from Late Latin "diurnalis," from Latin "diurnus," from "dies," day. | |||
French | journal | ||
"Journal" in French derives from the Latin "diurnalis" (daily), indicating a daily or regular record. | |||
Frisian | sjoernaal | ||
Sjoernaal is derived from the Latin word "diurnalis" meaning "daily" and refers to the practice of keeping a daily record or log. | |||
Galician | diario | ||
Galician “diario” derives from Latin “diarium,” also meaning “daily ration of food or money given to soldiers” and “daily allowance given to artisans.” | |||
German | tagebuch | ||
The word 'Tagebuch' is derived from the Middle High German 'tac' (day) and 'buoch' (book), and originally referred to a book of daily accounts or records. | |||
Icelandic | dagbók | ||
Dagbók is originally a Scandinavian word, where 'dag' means 'day', and 'bók' means 'book'. Thus it literally means 'day-book', in the sense of a diary. | |||
Irish | dialann | ||
The Irish word "dialann" derives from the Old Irish "diall" (day), indicating its original use as a daily record. | |||
Italian | rivista | ||
The word "rivista" means both "journal" and "review" in Italian, but it comes from the verb "rivedere," meaning "to review" or "to revise." | |||
Luxembourgish | zäitschrëft | ||
Maltese | ġurnal | ||
The word 'ġurnal' is derived from the French word 'journal', which in turn comes from the Latin word 'diurnalis', meaning 'daily'. | |||
Norwegian | tidsskrift | ||
The term 'tidsskrift' is formed from the combination of 'tid' ('time') and 'skrift' ('script') and means a periodical publication released at regular intervals. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | diário | ||
The Portuguese word "diário" comes from the Latin "diarium," meaning "daily allowance" or "daily record." | |||
Scots Gaelic | iris | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "iris" also signifies a messenger. | |||
Spanish | diario | ||
The word "diario" in Spanish originally meant "daily" and is derived from the Latin word "diarium", meaning "an account of each day's events" | |||
Swedish | tidning | ||
The word "tidning" originates from the Old Swedish word "tidhande", meaning "event" or "occurrence". | |||
Welsh | cyfnodolyn | ||
The word 'cyfnodolyn' is of Welsh origin and has other meanings beyond its primary definition as a 'journal'. |
Belarusian | часопіс | ||
The Belarusian word "часопіс" derives from the Polish word "czasopismo" which in turn is based on the Latin word "tempus" meaning "time". | |||
Bosnian | časopis | ||
The word "časopis" originally referred to a "watch" and acquired its current meaning in the 18th century. | |||
Bulgarian | списание | ||
The word "списание" is derived from "списвам", meaning "to write down," and also refers to "writing off an expense or debt" in accounting. | |||
Czech | časopis | ||
The term "časopis" is also used to refer to a magazine, which is more focused on current events and popular culture than a scholarly journal. | |||
Estonian | ajakiri | ||
The word "ajakiri" is derived from the German word "Zeitschrift" and originally meant "newspaper". | |||
Finnish | päiväkirja | ||
"Päiväkirja" literally translates to "day book," because it was originally used to record daily events. | |||
Hungarian | folyóirat | ||
The word "folyóirat" is derived from "folyó" (river) and "irat" (written work), implying a stream of written ideas. | |||
Latvian | žurnāls | ||
"Žurnāls" in Latvian ultimately derives from the French word "journal," meaning "daily," and was originally used to refer to a daily record of events. | |||
Lithuanian | žurnalas | ||
In Lithuanian, "žurnalas" also refers to a type of traditional Lithuanian pastry. | |||
Macedonian | дневник | ||
The word "дневник" (journal) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "dьnь", meaning "day". | |||
Polish | dziennik | ||
In Polish, 'dziennik' also refers to a daily newspaper and a student's diary. | |||
Romanian | jurnal | ||
In Romanian, "jurnal" can also refer to a daily newspaper or a personal diary. | |||
Russian | журнал | ||
In Russian, the word "журнал" can also refer to a scientific or scholarly publication. | |||
Serbian | часопис | ||
"Часопис" (Serbian for "journal") ultimately derives from the Turkish word "çashı" (market), as journals were initially sold in the market in Serbia. | |||
Slovak | denník | ||
The word "denník" in Slovak is derived from the Slavic word for "day" and literally means "daily record". | |||
Slovenian | revija | ||
The word 'revija' is derived from the French word 'revue', meaning a periodical publication or a staged musical performance. | |||
Ukrainian | журнал | ||
In Ukraine, "журнал" can also refer to a magazine. |
Bengali | জার্নাল | ||
The word "জার্নাল" originates from the Latin word "diurnalis", meaning "daily", and has the same root as the word "journey", referring to a daily account or record of events. | |||
Gujarati | જર્નલ | ||
The word "journal" can also refer to a daily record of events or a newspaper. | |||
Hindi | पत्रिका | ||
The word "पत्रिका" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पत्र" meaning "leaf" and signifies a collection of written material, akin to how leaves make up a book. | |||
Kannada | ಜರ್ನಲ್ | ||
It can also refer to a book used to record daily events and occurrences. | |||
Malayalam | ജേണൽ | ||
In Malayalam, the word "ജേണൽ" also refers to an account book or a diary. | |||
Marathi | जर्नल | ||
The Marathi word 'जर्नल' (journal) originated from the Latin word 'diurnalis', meaning 'daily', as journals were originally daily records of events. | |||
Nepali | पत्रिका | ||
पत्रिका (patrika) also means a magazine, newsletter, or a letter. | |||
Punjabi | ਰਸਾਲਾ | ||
The word "ਰਸਾਲਾ" can also refer to a magazine, a collection of articles on a particular subject, or a document containing official announcements or regulations. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජර්නලය | ||
The Sinhala word ජර්නලය comes from the Portuguese word 'diurnal', which means 'daily' or 'a book in which daily entries are made'. | |||
Tamil | இதழ் | ||
The word இதழ் derives from Tamil root word 'itu' meaning 'speak,' and is found in many south Indian languages with alternate meanings like 'leaf', 'blade' of a knife, 'lip', 'mouth', 'eye' and 'sound' and often refers to something that 'comes out' or 'projects outwardly'. | |||
Telugu | పత్రిక | ||
The Telugu word 'పత్రిక' is derived from Sanskrit and can also refer to a leaf or a document. | |||
Urdu | جریدہ | ||
"جریدہ" (jarida) is also known as "jarida, ruznama", meaning "newspaper" or "magazine" in Persian. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 日志 | ||
日志 (rìzhì), meaning "daily record," originally referred to the ship's logbook recording daily events during a voyage. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 日誌 | ||
日誌, written with the character for 'sun' and 'log', can refer to both a ship's log and the journal of a writer. | |||
Japanese | ジャーナル | ||
「ジャーナル」は航海日誌という意味もある。 | |||
Korean | 일지 | ||
일지 (ilji) also means 'one's daily course,' 'daily record,' 'log,' or 'diary.' | |||
Mongolian | тэмдэглэл | ||
"Тэмдэглэл" can also mean "record" or "notation" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဂျာနယ် | ||
The Burmese word “ဂျာနယ်” or “journal” is derived from the French word “journal” and is often used to refer to newspapers, magazines, and other written or digital publications |
Indonesian | jurnal | ||
"Jurnal" in Indonesian also means "diary" or "logbook", with slight differences in usage compared to English. | |||
Javanese | jurnal | ||
In Javanese, "jurnal" can also refer to a traditional writing used in religious ceremonies and rituals | |||
Khmer | ទិនានុប្បវត្តិ | ||
Lao | ວາລະສານ | ||
Malay | jurnal | ||
"Jurnal" in Malay can also refer to a newspaper or magazine, and is derived from the Arabic word "jarīdah" meaning "a newspaper". | |||
Thai | วารสาร | ||
The Thai word "วารสาร" can also refer to a "newspaper" or an "academic journal". | |||
Vietnamese | tạp chí | ||
The word "tạp chí" can also refer to a magazine, periodical, or other publication. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | talaarawan | ||
Azerbaijani | jurnal | ||
The word "jurnal" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a daybook, a ledger, or a magazine. | |||
Kazakh | журнал | ||
"Журнал" (journal) comes from the French word "journal", meaning "daily record". | |||
Kyrgyz | журнал | ||
In Kyrgyz, "журнал" can have dual meanings: a periodical publication or a logbook. | |||
Tajik | маҷалла | ||
The Tajik word "маҷалла" is a loanword from Arabic which primarily means "meeting", "session", or "gathering", and is not used in this sense in Arabic. | |||
Turkmen | .urnal | ||
Uzbek | jurnal | ||
The Uzbek word “jurnal” comes from the French “journal” or Arabic “yawmiyya”. It may also refer to a “log” or “ledger” instead of a publication. | |||
Uyghur | ژۇرنال | ||
Hawaiian | puke pai | ||
The word 'puke pai', which means 'to write' in English, also has cultural connotations of 'composing' and 'reciting'. It shares a root with the words 'puku' (a swelling) and 'pu'a' (a flower), suggesting growth and potential. | |||
Maori | hautaka | ||
Hautaka also means a 'place of hiding' or 'a storage place'. | |||
Samoan | tusi o talaaga | ||
The word "tusi o talaaga" literally means "book of accounts" in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | talaarawan | ||
"Talaarawan" is derived from the two Tagalog words "tala" (star) and "araw" (day) and can also refer to a daily record of events, such as a diary. |
Aymara | diario ukanxa | ||
Guarani | diario rehegua | ||
Esperanto | ĵurnalo | ||
The Esperanto word "ĵurnalo" is derived from the French word "journal" and can also mean "newspaper" or "diary". | |||
Latin | journal | ||
The Latin word "diurnalis" meant "daily," and referred to a military order issued on a daily basis. |
Greek | εφημερίδα | ||
"Εφημερίδα" initially referred to the daily proceedings of Athenian public assemblies inscribed on stone. | |||
Hmong | phau ntawv ceev xwm txheej | ||
Kurdish | rojname | ||
Rojname is also a Kurdish feminine given name meaning "newspaper". | |||
Turkish | günlük | ||
The word "günlük" originally meant "daily" in Turkish, referring to the practice of writing in a journal each day. | |||
Xhosa | ijenali | ||
Ijenali ultimately derives from the root word "jena" meaning "speak" or "say". | |||
Yiddish | זשורנאַל | ||
The Yiddish word 'זשורנאַל' is derived from the French word 'journal,' which itself comes from the Latin word 'diurnalis,' meaning 'daily.' | |||
Zulu | iphephabhuku | ||
Iphephabhuku derives from 'phepha' (paper) and 'bhuku' (book), and refers to a written record as well as a book as we know it. | |||
Assamese | জাৰ্নেল | ||
Aymara | diario ukanxa | ||
Bhojpuri | जर्नल के ह | ||
Dhivehi | ޖާނަލް އެވެ | ||
Dogri | जर्नल | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | talaarawan | ||
Guarani | diario rehegua | ||
Ilocano | journal | ||
Krio | journal | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گۆڤار | ||
Maithili | पत्रिका | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯖꯔꯅꯦꯜ ꯑꯁꯤꯅꯥ ꯑꯦꯟ.ꯗꯤ.ꯑꯦ | ||
Mizo | journal a ni | ||
Oromo | joornaalii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପତ୍ରିକା | ||
Quechua | diario nisqapi | ||
Sanskrit | journal | ||
Tatar | журнал | ||
Tigrinya | መጽሔት። | ||
Tsonga | journal | ||