Killing in Different Languages
Discover 'Killing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'killing' holds a significant and often somber place in many languages and cultures around the world. Its translation varies, reflecting the unique linguistic and cultural contexts in which it is used. Understanding the nuances of this word in different languages can provide valuable insights into the ways that different societies view and address issues of life and death.
For instance, in Spanish, 'killing' is 'matar', while in French, it is 'tuer'. In German, the word is 'töten', and in Japanese, it is 'korosu'. Each of these translations carries with it a set of cultural and historical associations that can tell us much about the values and beliefs of the people who speak these languages.
In some cases, the translation of 'killing' may vary depending on the context in which it is used. For example, in Arabic, the word for 'killing' in the sense of murder is 'qatl', while the word for 'killing' in the sense of putting an animal to death for food is 'dhabh'. These distinctions reflect the importance of context in understanding the meaning of this word in different languages and cultures.
In short, the translation of 'killing' in different languages is a fascinating topic that can shed light on the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of our world. Below, you will find a list of translations of 'killing' in a variety of languages, along with some interesting facts and historical contexts associated with each translation.
Killing
Killing in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | doodmaak | ||
| The word "doodmaak" is derived from the Old Dutch word "dootmaecken", which means "to put to death" or "to execute". | |||
| Amharic | መግደል | ||
| The word "መግደል" can also refer to a monastery or church in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | kisa | ||
| The Hausa word 'kisa' also means 'slaying' and 'destruction'. | |||
| Igbo | na-egbu | ||
| The Igbo word "na-egbu" also refers to a type of divinatory ritual. | |||
| Malagasy | famonoana | ||
| The word | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupha | ||
| The word "kupha" can also mean "to die" in Nyanja, highlighting the reciprocal nature of life and death in the language. | |||
| Shona | kuuraya | ||
| The word "kuuraya" in Shona also means "murder" or "assassinate". | |||
| Somali | dilid | ||
| The word "dilid" also means "annihilation" or "destruction" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ho bolaea | ||
| The word "ho bolaea" in Sesotho has multiple meanings, including "to kill" and "to destroy". | |||
| Swahili | kuua | ||
| In Swahili, 'kuua' can also mean 'to put out' or 'to extinguish' (a fire or light). | |||
| Xhosa | ukubulala | ||
| The word "ukubulala" in Xhosa is also used to describe the act of slaughtering livestock for meat. | |||
| Yoruba | pipa | ||
| “Pipa” is also the name for a “big masquerade” in the Edo language spoken in parts of Nigeria. | |||
| Zulu | ukubulala | ||
| The word "ukubulala" ("killing") in Zulu originates from the word "ubulala," which means "to take life." | |||
| Bambara | mɔgɔfaga | ||
| Ewe | amewuwu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwica | ||
| Lingala | koboma bato | ||
| Luganda | okutta abantu | ||
| Sepedi | go bolaya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | awudifo | ||
Killing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قتل | ||
| The Arabic word "قتل" not only means "killing" but also "to write". | |||
| Hebrew | הֶרֶג | ||
| The Hebrew word "הֶרֶג" ("killing") is an uncommon form of "הִקְטִיל ("to cause killing"), used when the subject refers to an action involving an accident. | |||
| Pashto | وژنه | ||
| "وژنه" is derived from Avestan word "vīzana", meaning harm. | |||
| Arabic | قتل | ||
| The Arabic word "قتل" not only means "killing" but also "to write". | |||
Killing in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vrasjen | ||
| The Albanian word "vrasjen" (killing) is also used figuratively to mean "to completely destroy or ruin something." | |||
| Basque | hiltzen | ||
| The term "hiltzen" is also used to refer to the act of "dying" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | matar | ||
| The verb "matar" in Catalan is not related to the English word "matter", but derives from the Latin word "mactare", meaning "to sacrifice" or "to kill in a ritual way". | |||
| Croatian | ubijanje | ||
| The word "ubijanje" can also mean "beating" or "slaughtering". | |||
| Danish | drab | ||
| The word "drab" in Danish has an alternate meaning of "monotonous" or "boring". | |||
| Dutch | doden | ||
| In the Netherlands, during the 13th and 14th centuries, 'doden' was also used to refer to 'a battle', 'a murder', and 'a fatal blow to the body'. | |||
| English | killing | ||
| The word "killing" can also refer to an instance of great success or profit. | |||
| French | meurtre | ||
| "Meurtre" is derived from the Latin "mors", meaning "death", and can also refer to manslaughter or murder. | |||
| Frisian | killing | ||
| In Saterland Frisian "killing" can also mean "slaughtering" | |||
| Galician | matar | ||
| "Matar" in Galician can also mean "extinguish" (a light, fire), "repress" (an emotion) and "quench" (thirst). | |||
| German | tötung | ||
| The German word "Tötung" has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as the English "to tug" and the Dutch "trekken". | |||
| Icelandic | drepa | ||
| The word "drepa" in Icelandic is derived from the Old Norse word "drepa", meaning "to strike, kill, or execute." | |||
| Irish | marú | ||
| The Irish word 'marú' derives from an Old Celtic word meaning 'destruction', and is related to the Latin 'mors' and Greek 'moros'. | |||
| Italian | uccidere | ||
| The Italian word "uccidere" comes from the Latin word "occidere" meaning "to kill". | |||
| Luxembourgish | ëmbréngen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "ëmbréngen" comes from the Middle High German word "embrengen". The Middle High German word "embrengen" comes from the Old High German word "imbrengan". The Old High German word "imbrengan" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*imbraŋgjanan". The Proto-Germanic word "*imbraŋgjanan" means "to kill". | |||
| Maltese | qtil | ||
| In Maltese, "qtil" can also refer to a person who has been killed | |||
| Norwegian | drepe | ||
| The word "drepe" in Norwegian has additional meanings such as "to slaughter" and "to extinguish". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | matando | ||
| In Portuguese, "matando" can also mean "extinguishing" or "quenching". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | marbhadh | ||
| The term "marbhadh" can also refer to a graveyard or the act of burying a body in some regions of Scotland. | |||
| Spanish | asesinato | ||
| The Spanish word "asesinato" originates from the Arabic word "hashishin", referring to a group of assassins in the Levant. | |||
| Swedish | dödande | ||
| The word "dödande" has cognates in other Germanic languages like "death" in English, "dood" in Dutch, and "Tod" in German. | |||
| Welsh | lladd | ||
| The Welsh word “lladd” can also mean “to slay, to destroy, to ruin, to undo” or “to finish completely,” and possibly originates from an older verb meaning “to spill” or “to shed.” | |||
Killing in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | забойства | ||
| The Belarusian word "забойства" ("killing") can also refer to a cattle slaughter in a meat-processing plant. | |||
| Bosnian | ubijanje | ||
| The word "ubijanje" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *ubiti, meaning "to kill" or "to strike". | |||
| Bulgarian | убийство | ||
| The word "убийство" (killing) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "убити" (to kill), which is cognate with the Latin word "occidere" (to kill). | |||
| Czech | zabíjení | ||
| The word "zabíjení" in Czech also means "slaughter" or "massacre". | |||
| Estonian | tapmine | ||
| The word "tapmine" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tep-", meaning "to strike". It also has a secondary meaning of "to sacrifice" or "to kill ritually". | |||
| Finnish | tappaminen | ||
| The Finnish word "tappaminen" is derived from "tappaa" ("to kill"), which ultimately originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tep-" ("to strike"). | |||
| Hungarian | gyilkolás | ||
| In Hungarian, "gyilkolás" can also mean "murder" or "manslaughter". | |||
| Latvian | nogalināšana | ||
| "Nogalināšana" also refers to an early 20th century Latvian death metal band. | |||
| Lithuanian | žudymas | ||
| In Lithuanian, "žudymas" may also refer to a specific type of ritual sacrifice in ancient pagan traditions. | |||
| Macedonian | убивање | ||
| The Macedonian word "убивање" (killing) is derived from the verb "убивам" (to kill), which comes from the Proto-Slavic word *oubiti. | |||
| Polish | zabicie | ||
| The word "zabicie" can also mean "manslaughter" or "homicide", depending on the context in which it is used. | |||
| Romanian | ucidere | ||
| "Ucidere" is derived from the Latin word "occidere" and also means "to set" (the sun). | |||
| Russian | убийство | ||
| The word "убийство" (killing) in Russian is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "убити", which means "to kill" or "to strike." | |||
| Serbian | убијање | ||
| The word "убијање" (killing) in Serbian also refers to the act of finishing off an animal after it has been hunted or slaughtered. | |||
| Slovak | zabíjanie | ||
| In Slovak, the word "zabíjanie" can also refer to a traditional pig slaughter festival held during winter. | |||
| Slovenian | ubijanje | ||
| The word "ubijanje" in Slovenian also means "beating" or "torture". | |||
| Ukrainian | вбивство | ||
| The Ukrainian word ''вбивство'' can also refer to manslaughter or murder. | |||
Killing in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হত্যা | ||
| In Bengali, the word "হত্যা" means "killing", but it can also refer to a form of religious suicide common among devotees of Vishnu. | |||
| Gujarati | હત્યા | ||
| The word "હત્યા" can also mean "sacrifice" or "immolation". | |||
| Hindi | हत्या | ||
| The word 'हत्या' (hatya, killing) in Sanskrit also has the connotation of a 'human sacrifice'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೊಲ್ಲುವುದು | ||
| The word "ಕೊಲ್ಲುವುದು" can also mean "to destroy" or "to ruin" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | കൊല്ലുന്നു | ||
| Marathi | हत्या | ||
| हत्या' (hatya) is a Marathi word derived from Sanskrit, meaning both 'killing' and 'sacrifice' in a religious context. | |||
| Nepali | मार्नु | ||
| The Nepali word "मारनु" can also mean to hit, beat, or strike. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹੱਤਿਆ | ||
| The Punjabi word “ਹੱਤਿਆ” also refers to murder with a deadly weapon and can be used for both humans and animals. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මරනවා | ||
| Tamil | கொலை | ||
| The word " கொலை " (killing) in Tamil also refers to the act of "stealing" | |||
| Telugu | చంపడం | ||
| చంపడం' may originate from the word 'చం' ('cham'), meaning 'to cut' or 'to separate' | |||
| Urdu | قتل | ||
Killing in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 杀人 | ||
| The term 杀人, which means to "kill a person", can be traced to the phrase 害人之心不可有, meaning "one should not have the intention of harming others." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 殺人 | ||
| The Chinese characters 殺人 mean 'killing', but can also be interpreted as 'to become a man' or 'to gain power'. | |||
| Japanese | 殺害 | ||
| The word "殺害" (satsugai) can also mean "to torture" or "to murder". | |||
| Korean | 죽이는 | ||
| The word "죽이는" (pronounced "chuk-i-neu") can also mean "to put someone to sleep". | |||
| Mongolian | алах | ||
| The Mongolian word "алах" (killing) can also refer to "execution" or "punishment". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သတ်ဖြတ်မှု | ||
Killing in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pembunuhan | ||
| In Indonesian, the word "pembunuhan" can also refer to a murder that is carried out in a planned and deliberate manner. | |||
| Javanese | mateni | ||
| The word 'mateni' (killing) in Javanese also has alternate meanings, such as 'to extinguish' and 'to put out'. | |||
| Khmer | ការសម្លាប់ | ||
| The word ការសម្លាប់ ('killing') in Khmer originally referred to the execution of criminals but has expanded to include any act of killing. | |||
| Lao | ການຂ້າ | ||
| In another sense, ການຂ້າ may refer to a specific period in the history of Laos when there was widespread violence. | |||
| Malay | membunuh | ||
| The word "membunuh" (killing) in Malay is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *bunuH, which also means "to strike" or "to beat". | |||
| Thai | ฆ่า | ||
| Vietnamese | giết chóc | ||
| The word "giết chóc" can also mean "massacre" or "slaughter". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpatay | ||
Killing in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | öldürmək | ||
| The word "öldürmək" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Old Turkic word "öldür", meaning "to put to death" or "to kill". It also has a secondary meaning of "to hurt" or "to injure". | |||
| Kazakh | өлтіру | ||
| The verb "өлтіру" in Kazakh can also refer to hunting and warfare, or be employed in the metaphorical sense as "killing time". | |||
| Kyrgyz | өлтүрүү | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "өлтүрүү" means "killing" and can also refer to "murder" or "homicide". | |||
| Tajik | куштан | ||
| The word "куштан" also means "slaughter" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | öldürmek | ||
| Uzbek | o'ldirish | ||
| The verb "o'ldirish" in Uzbek also means "to extinguish" or "to cancel" in addition to "to kill". The term "o'chirish" can be used to express "to turn something off". | |||
| Uyghur | قاتىل | ||
Killing in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pepehi kanaka ʻana | ||
| The term 'pepehi kanaka ʻana' is a euphemism that could also be interpreted as 'to kill a man' in the contexts of warfare and sacrifice. | |||
| Maori | kohurutanga | ||
| The word "kohurutanga" can also refer to a state of extreme anger or rage. | |||
| Samoan | fasioti tagata | ||
| The term 'fasioti tagata' can also be translated as 'taking a life' in the context of a serious crime. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagpatay | ||
| The word "pagpatay" also means "murder" or "homicide" in Tagalog. | |||
Killing in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiwayaña | ||
| Guarani | jejuka | ||
Killing in International Languages
| Esperanto | mortigo | ||
| The word "mortigo" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "mors", meaning "death". It can also refer to a painful sensation, such as a toothache. | |||
| Latin | occisio | ||
| In ancient Roman law, "occisio" could also denote manslaughter or murder. | |||
Killing in Others Languages
| Greek | φόνος | ||
| In Homeric Greek,φόνος (phónos) denotes a killing for which someone is responsible and that calls for retribution | |||
| Hmong | tua | ||
| In Hmong, 'tua' can also mean to 'defeat' or 'overcome'. | |||
| Kurdish | kuştin | ||
| The Kurdish word "kuştin" shares the same root with the Persian word "koštan", both meaning "to kill". This shared etymology points to the close linguistic and cultural ties between the Kurdish and Persian languages | |||
| Turkish | öldürme | ||
| In Turkish, 'öldürme' is both a noun meaning 'killing' and a verbal noun meaning 'the act of killing'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubulala | ||
| The word "ukubulala" in Xhosa is also used to describe the act of slaughtering livestock for meat. | |||
| Yiddish | מאָרד | ||
| "מאָרד" ("killing") derives from the Proto-Germanic word "murþr-â" meaning "secret killing", akin to the Old Saxon "mortho" and "murthian" and Old English "morþ" and "myrþrian." | |||
| Zulu | ukubulala | ||
| The word "ukubulala" ("killing") in Zulu originates from the word "ubulala," which means "to take life." | |||
| Assamese | হত্যা কৰা | ||
| Aymara | jiwayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | हत्या के काम कइल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | މަރާލުން | ||
| Dogri | मारना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpatay | ||
| Guarani | jejuka | ||
| Ilocano | panangpapatay | ||
| Krio | kil pipul dɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کوشتن | ||
| Maithili | हत्या करब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯥꯠꯄꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | thah a ni | ||
| Oromo | ajjeesuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହତ୍ୟା | ||
| Quechua | wañuchiy | ||
| Sanskrit | वधः | ||
| Tatar | үтерү | ||
| Tigrinya | ምቕታል | ||
| Tsonga | ku dlaya | ||