Afrikaans moordenaar | ||
Albanian vrases | ||
Amharic ገዳይ | ||
Arabic القاتل | ||
Armenian մարդասպան | ||
Assamese হত্যাকাৰী | ||
Aymara jiwayiri | ||
Azerbaijani qatil | ||
Bambara mɔgɔfagala | ||
Basque hiltzailea | ||
Belarusian забойца | ||
Bengali ঘাতক | ||
Bhojpuri हत्यारा के कहल जाला | ||
Bosnian ubica | ||
Bulgarian убиец | ||
Catalan assassí | ||
Cebuano mamumuno | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 杀手 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 殺手 | ||
Corsican assassinu | ||
Croatian ubojica | ||
Czech zabiják | ||
Danish morder | ||
Dhivehi ޤާތިލެކެވެ | ||
Dogri कत्ल करने वाला | ||
Dutch moordenaar | ||
English killer | ||
Esperanto murdisto | ||
Estonian tapja | ||
Ewe amewula | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) mamamatay tao | ||
Finnish tappaja | ||
French tueur | ||
Frisian moardner | ||
Galician asasina | ||
Georgian მკვლელი | ||
German mörder | ||
Greek φονιάς | ||
Guarani asesino rehegua | ||
Gujarati ખૂની | ||
Haitian Creole asasen | ||
Hausa mai kisa | ||
Hawaiian mea pepehi kanaka | ||
Hebrew רוֹצֵחַ | ||
Hindi हत्यारा | ||
Hmong neeg tua neeg | ||
Hungarian gyilkos | ||
Icelandic morðingi | ||
Igbo ogbu mmadu | ||
Ilocano mammapatay | ||
Indonesian pembunuh | ||
Irish marú | ||
Italian uccisore | ||
Japanese キラー | ||
Javanese tukang mateni | ||
Kannada ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ | ||
Kazakh өлтіруші | ||
Khmer ឃាតករ | ||
Kinyarwanda umwicanyi | ||
Konkani खून करपी | ||
Korean 살인자 | ||
Krio pɔsin we de kil pɔsin | ||
Kurdish mirdar | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) بکوژ | ||
Kyrgyz киллер | ||
Lao ນັກຂ້າ | ||
Latin occisor | ||
Latvian slepkava | ||
Lingala mobomi | ||
Lithuanian žudikas | ||
Luganda omutemu | ||
Luxembourgish killer | ||
Macedonian убиец | ||
Maithili हत्यारा | ||
Malagasy mpamono olona | ||
Malay pembunuh | ||
Malayalam കൊലയാളി | ||
Maltese qattiel | ||
Maori kaipatu | ||
Marathi खुनी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯀꯤꯂꯥꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo mi thattu a ni | ||
Mongolian алуурчин | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) လူသတ်သမား | ||
Nepali हत्यारा | ||
Norwegian morder | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) wakupha | ||
Odia (Oriya) ହତ୍ୟାକାରୀ | ||
Oromo ajjeesaa | ||
Pashto وژونکی | ||
Persian قاتل | ||
Polish zabójca | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) assassino | ||
Punjabi ਕਾਤਲ | ||
Quechua wañuchiq | ||
Romanian ucigaş | ||
Russian убийца | ||
Samoan fasioti tagata | ||
Sanskrit घातकः | ||
Scots Gaelic marbhadh | ||
Sepedi mmolai | ||
Serbian убица | ||
Sesotho 'molai | ||
Shona mhondi | ||
Sindhi قاتل | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ler ාතකයා | ||
Slovak zabijak | ||
Slovenian morilec | ||
Somali dilaa | ||
Spanish asesino | ||
Sundanese jelema nu maehan | ||
Swahili muuaji | ||
Swedish mördare | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) mamamatay-tao | ||
Tajik қотил | ||
Tamil கொலையாளி | ||
Tatar киллер | ||
Telugu కిల్లర్ | ||
Thai ฆาตกร | ||
Tigrinya ቀታሊ | ||
Tsonga mudlayi | ||
Turkish katil | ||
Turkmen ganhor | ||
Twi (Akan) owudifo | ||
Ukrainian вбивця | ||
Urdu قاتل | ||
Uyghur قاتىل | ||
Uzbek qotil | ||
Vietnamese sát thủ | ||
Welsh llofrudd | ||
Xhosa umbulali | ||
Yiddish רעצייעך | ||
Yoruba apaniyan | ||
Zulu umbulali |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "moordenaar" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "moordenaer", which originally meant "accomplice in murder" |
| Albanian | Vrases is also a plant of the genus Salvia. |
| Amharic | In Amharic, "ገዳይ" can also mean "a person who has killed someone." |
| Arabic | The word "القاتل" (killer) can also refer to a type of venomous snake found in the Middle East and North Africa. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "qatil" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "murderer" or a "slayer". |
| Basque | A word of Proto-Basque origin, "hiltzailea" also means "mortal", "dead". |
| Belarusian | The word 'забойца' in Belarusian has also been used to refer to a slaughterhouse worker or a butcher. |
| Bengali | The term "ঘাতক" in Bengali derives from the Sanskrit words "घृ" (to hurt) and "तक" (to do), thus literally meaning "perpetrator of violence". |
| Bosnian | "Ubica" in Bosnian is a derivative of the word "ubiti" which means "to kill". The word "ubica" can also be used as a noun to refer to a "murderer". |
| Bulgarian | The word "убиец" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "убити", meaning "to kill", and originally meant "one who kills". It later acquired the additional meaning of "assassin". |
| Cebuano | "Mamumuno" is literally means "one who kills" |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "杀手"源于戏曲术语,指武艺高强却沦为凶手的角色,寓意“杀人不眨眼”。 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 殺手 (shāshǒu) can also refer to a martial arts master, assassin, or secret agent. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, the word "assassinu" can also refer to a type of traditional Corsican polyphonic singing. |
| Croatian | The word 'ubojica' can also refer to a slaughterhouse in Croatian, highlighting the connection between killing and food production. |
| Czech | In colloquial Czech, "zabiják" can also refer to a very attractive person. |
| Danish | The word "morder" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *murðrą, which also means "murder". |
| Dutch | The word "moordenaar" is derived from the Old Dutch word "mordenare," meaning "one who murders" or "assassin." |
| Estonian | The word "tapja" was derived from the Estonian word "tapma," which means "to kill." |
| Finnish | The word "tappaja" can also refer to a type of Finnish folk song that tells a story of murder. |
| French | The word "tueur" in French could also refer to a 'butcher', 'slaughterer', or someone tasked with killing. |
| Frisian | Frisian 'moardner' is cognate with English 'murder', ultimately deriving from Old English 'morþor' and Proto-Germanic '*murþraz'. |
| Galician | The term "asasina" derives from the Arabic verb "assassin", which was used to describe members of a secretive order of assassins in the medieval Middle East. |
| German | The German word |
| Greek | The Greek word "φονιάς" (killer) is derived from the verb "φονεύω" (to kill), which further derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "gʰen-." This root also appears in Sanskrit's "hanati" (to kill). |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "ખૂની" also means "criminal" or "offender." |
| Haitian Creole | The word 'asasen' in Haitian Creole is derived from the Arabic word 'assas' meaning 'follower of al-Hashshāshīn'. |
| Hausa | As a term of endearment, a 'mai kisa' is a cherished person who is also a formidable defender of their loved ones. |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word "mea pepehi kanaka" can also be translated to mean "instrument of killing" or "murder weapon". |
| Hebrew | While the primary meaning of רוֹצֵחַ is "killer", it can also refer to an assassin or murderer. |
| Hindi | The word हत्यारा derives from the Sanskrit word हत (hat), meaning 'killed' or 'destroyed'. |
| Hmong | The term "neeg tua neeg" in Hmong can also be used to refer to a person who has been killed. |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian “gyilkos” is derived from the verb “gyilkol,” which means “to assassinate” or “to murder”. |
| Icelandic | The word “morðingi” derives from the Old Norse word “morðr” meaning “murder” and the suffix “-ingi” indicating a perpetrator or agent. |
| Igbo | "Ogbu mmadu" can also mean "a hero" or "a warrior" in some contexts. |
| Indonesian | In Malay, the word "pembunuh" also means "murderer". |
| Irish | **Marú** derives from an Old Irish word that also meant "great" or "noble". |
| Italian | The Italian word "uccisore" derives from the Latin word "occīsor," meaning "murderer" or "slayer." |
| Japanese | The word キラー can also refer to a type of whale or a kind of tofu, depending on the context. |
| Javanese | The word 'tukang mateni' in Javanese can also refer to a slaughterer or an executioner, highlighting its association with taking life. |
| Kannada | The word 'ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ' is derived from the Kannada word 'ಕೊಲೆ' meaning 'murder' and the suffix '-ಗಾರ' indicating the agent or doer of an action. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "өлтіруші" literally means "one who kills" and can also refer to an executioner or assassin. |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "ឃាតករ" (killer) is derived from the Sanskrit word "घातक" (ghataka), meaning "one who kills" or "murderer". |
| Korean | 살인자 (salinja) literally means "person who committed murder" but can also be used figuratively to refer to ruthless or brutal person |
| Kurdish | Mirdar shares its origin with the Ancient Greek word 'myriarch', meaning 'commander of ten thousand'. |
| Kyrgyz | Киллер in Kyrgyz can refer to an intentional killing or an unintentional killing of a human being. |
| Latin | The Latin word "occisor" originally referred to a victim or sacrifice, and only later came to mean "killer". |
| Latvian | The word "slepkava" in Latvian also means "lazy" or "sluggish". |
| Lithuanian | The word "žudikas" is derived from the Lithuanian word "žudyti", meaning "to kill". |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, "Killer" is derived from the French word "quiller", meaning "to write". |
| Macedonian | The word "убиец" is derived from the Slavic verb "убити", which means "to kill" or "to murder". |
| Malagasy | In Malagasy, the word "mpamono olona" has a literal meaning of "human killer" and can also refer to a serial killer or assassin. |
| Malay | While pembunuh in Malay means "killer", it also refers to the "female flower of a betel leaf vine" in Javanese, demonstrating the nuances of its etymology. |
| Malayalam | In Malayalam, the word "കൊലയാളി" not only means "killer" but also refers to a type of venomous snake, specifically the king cobra. |
| Maltese | The word “qattiel” is also used metaphorically to refer to a person who is very skilled at something. |
| Maori | The word "kaipatu" in Maori can also refer to a cannibal or a person who eats human flesh. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "खुनी" can also mean "stained" or "tarnished". |
| Mongolian | "Алуурчин" may also refer to "the act of killing" in Mongolian. |
| Nepali | The word हत्यारा can also mean murderer, assassin, executioner or slayer. |
| Norwegian | The word "morder" in Norwegian may also refer to a "nightmare" or a "spectre". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | In Nyanja, "wakupha" can also denote a police officer or prosecutor. |
| Pashto | 'وژونکی' is also slang for 'beautiful' or 'attractive'. |
| Persian | قاتل (qatel) also means 'a person who kills; murderer; assassin; slaughterer'. |
| Polish | "Zabójca" also refers to a certain type of wild boar in Polish. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "assassino" comes from the Arabic word "hashshashin", referring to a group of assassins who used hashish. |
| Punjabi | In Punjabi, 'ਕਾਤਲ' can also refer to one who kills animals. |
| Romanian | Etymologically, "ucigaş" is closely related to the word "ucenic," meaning "student," and both words refer to the act of killing, but in different contexts. |
| Russian | In Russian, the word "убийца" evolved from the phrase "у битый", meaning "struck to death". |
| Samoan | The word "fasioti tagata" in Samoan can also mean "a person who causes harm or damage". |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "marbhadh" in Scots Gaelic is also used to refer to a person who performs a killing or murder. |
| Serbian | 'Убица' is a Serbian word with a complex etymology rooted in Slavic languages and can also refer to a 'murderer' or 'assassin'. |
| Sesotho | The Sesotho word 'molai' can also be used to describe someone who is stubborn or difficult to deal with. |
| Shona | The Shona word "mhondi" can also refer to a person who has been cursed or is believed to be cursed. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi term "قاتل" is derived from the Arabic word "قاتل" which means "one who kills". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | This word is derived from the Sanskrit word |
| Slovak | The word 'zabijak' originally referred to a strong and healthy person who could complete difficult tasks. |
| Slovenian | The word "morilec" derives from the verb "moriti" (to kill), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic "*moriti" (to kill or to die). |
| Somali | The word "dilaa" in Somali likely comes from the root word "dil," meaning "to end" or "to finish," and is also related to the word "dilo," meaning "blood." |
| Sundanese | "Jeulema nu maehan" (killer) may literally translate to "one who gets a kill". It can also refer to "one who has a kill streak". |
| Swahili | Muuaji can also refer to a hangman or executioner. |
| Swedish | "Mö" in "mördare" refers to "death", a term also found in the Old English word "morth" |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "mamamatay-tao" in Tagalog has no alternate meanings and its etymology is unknown. |
| Tajik | The word "қотил" is a Tajik loanword from Russian "котель" ("boiler") but it also means "killer". |
| Tamil | கொலையாளி, which translates to |
| Telugu | 'కిల్లర్' ('killer') is a slang word used to describe someone who is very good at something |
| Thai | ฆาตกร derived from the Pali word khataṃ which means 'cutting', implying the act of murder. |
| Turkish | In Turkish, "katil" has a secondary meaning of "suspect" due to its derivation from Arabic "qatala," meaning "to kill or murder." |
| Ukrainian | "Вбивця" also means "to hammer in" in Ukrainian. |
| Uzbek | Uzbek "qotil" also means "the one who is killed". |
| Vietnamese | The word "sát thủ" in Vietnamese originally referred to a hunter, but now it exclusively means "killer". |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "llofrudd" is derived from the words "llof" (heat) and "rhudd" (red) and was originally used to describe someone with red hands from bloodshed. |
| Xhosa | The word "umbulali" can also refer to a person who has committed murder or a dangerous animal capable of killing, showcasing its versatility in describing deadly entities. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "רעצייעך" (reytseyech) ultimately derives from the Old French "recevour", meaning "receiver" or "collector." |
| Yoruba | "Apaniyan" also means "one who has done what is great" and is used as a praise name. |
| Zulu | In Zulu, "umbulali" is also a type of large cat similar to a leopard |
| English | The term "killer" can also refer to an exceptionally powerful or impressive person, thing, or event |