Updated on March 6, 2024
A laboratory, often abbreviated as 'lab', is a facility where scientific research, experiments, and analyses are conducted. This space is essential for innovations and breakthroughs, as it provides a controlled environment for curious minds to explore, discover, and test their theories. The laboratory is not only a place of great significance in the scientific community, but it also holds cultural importance as a symbol of human curiosity, progress, and advancement.
Throughout history, laboratories have been the birthplace of groundbreaking inventions and Nobel Prize-winning discoveries. For instance, the structure of DNA was discovered in a lab by James Watson and Francis Crick, revolutionizing the field of genetics. Moreover, the development of vaccines, antibiotics, and other life-saving medications can be traced back to lab experiments.
Understanding the translation of 'laboratory' in different languages can be beneficial for various reasons. For global researchers and students, knowing the word in multiple languages can facilitate cross-cultural collaboration and communication. Additionally, it can enrich one's vocabulary and cultural awareness, making them a more informed and empathetic citizen of the world.
Here are a few translations of the word 'laboratory' to pique your interest:
Afrikaans | laboratorium | ||
In Afrikaans, "laboratorium" also means "womb" or "uterus". | |||
Amharic | ላቦራቶሪ | ||
The word "ላቦራቶሪ" is derived from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work". The word can also mean "workshop" or "factory" in some contexts. | |||
Hausa | dakin gwaje-gwaje | ||
The word "dakin gwaje-gwaje" is also used to refer to a place where secrets are kept. | |||
Igbo | laabu | ||
The word "laabu" is derived from the Igbo word "la," meaning "to work," and "u," meaning "a place." | |||
Malagasy | laboratoara | ||
The word "laboratoara" is derived from the French word "laboratoire", which itself comes from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work" or "to toil." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | labotale | ||
The word 'labotale' in Nyanja is derived from the English word 'laboratory', and also refers to a place where experiments are conducted. | |||
Shona | murabhoritari | ||
The word murabhoritari was coined from the words mura (fire), bhora (bellows), and itari (a place where something is done). | |||
Somali | sheybaar | ||
Sheybaar is a Somalian word for laboratory that also means 'place of observation'. | |||
Sesotho | laboratori | ||
In Sesotho, 'laboratori' is a noun meaning 'laboratory' and comes from the English 'laboratory'. The plural is 'laboratori.' | |||
Swahili | maabara | ||
The word "maabara" can also mean "research" or "experimentation" in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | elebhu | ||
The word 'elebhu' derives from the English word 'laboratory'. | |||
Yoruba | yàrá | ||
The word "yàrá" can also refer to a hut or a dwelling where people live. | |||
Zulu | ilabhorethri | ||
The Zulu word "ilabhorethri" is derived from the English word "laboratory", but it also has the alternate meaning of "a place where people work together to achieve a common goal". | |||
Bambara | laboratuwari la | ||
Ewe | nudokpɔƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | laboratoire | ||
Lingala | laboratoire na laboratoire | ||
Luganda | laboratory mu laboratory | ||
Sepedi | laboratori ya laboratori | ||
Twi (Akan) | aduruyɛdan mu | ||
Arabic | مختبر | ||
The word "مختبر" also means "experimenter" in Arabic. | |||
Hebrew | מַעבָּדָה | ||
The Hebrew word for "laboratory", "מעבדה", comes from the root "עבד" (to work) and can also mean a workshop or studio. | |||
Pashto | لابراتوار | ||
The Pashto word "لابراتوار" is of French origin, deriving from the Latin word "laboratorium", meaning a place where scientific or technical research or experiments are conducted. | |||
Arabic | مختبر | ||
The word "مختبر" also means "experimenter" in Arabic. |
Albanian | laboratorike | ||
Albanian "laboratorike" originates from Latin “laborator” meaning “a place to work,” deriving from the word “laborare,” meaning “to work.” | |||
Basque | laborategia | ||
In Basque, the word "laborategia" derives from the Latin "laboratorius," meaning "worker" or "workplace". | |||
Catalan | laboratori | ||
The Catalan word "laboratori" comes from the Latin "laborare", meaning "to work" or "to toil". | |||
Croatian | laboratorija | ||
The word "laboratorija" comes from the Latin word "laborare," meaning "to work," and was first used in the 17th century. | |||
Danish | laboratorium | ||
In Danish, "laboratorium" also means "toilet" or "outhouse". | |||
Dutch | laboratorium | ||
"Laboratorium" can also mean "experiment" or "test" in Dutch. | |||
English | laboratory | ||
The word "laboratory" originally referred to a room or building where alchemists practiced alchemy. | |||
French | laboratoire | ||
The French word "laboratoire" derives from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work", and thus also refers to a place of hard work and experimentation. | |||
Frisian | laboratoarium | ||
In Frisian, "laboratoarium" can also mean "study room" or "workshop". | |||
Galician | laboratorio | ||
The Galician word "laboratorio" can also mean "laboratory" in Portuguese and Spanish, "laboratory" in Italian, and "laboratory" in Romanian. | |||
German | labor | ||
The German word "Labor" also means "toil". This stems from the fact that alchemists had to perform many laborious tasks while experimenting. | |||
Icelandic | rannsóknarstofu | ||
The word rannsóknarstofa literally means "research room" in Icelandic, reflecting the historical use of rooms set aside for scientific research. | |||
Irish | saotharlann | ||
The word "saotharlann" is also used in Irish to refer to a workshop or study, and is derived from the words "saothar" (work) and "lann" (place). | |||
Italian | laboratorio | ||
In Italian, the word "laboratorio" also means "workshop" or "studio". | |||
Luxembourgish | labo | ||
Luxembourgish "Labo" (laboratory) derives from German "Labor" (work), hence the alternate meaning "work" in Luxembourgish, too. | |||
Maltese | laboratorju | ||
The Maltese word "laboratorju" derives from the Latin "laboratorium," meaning "a place for work". | |||
Norwegian | laboratorium | ||
Laboratorium comes from the Latin word 'laborare', meaning 'to work', and refers to a place where scientific experiments are conducted. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | laboratório | ||
The word "laboratório" comes from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work", and originally referred to a place where alchemists and scientists conducted their experiments. | |||
Scots Gaelic | obair-lann | ||
In Scots Gaelic, "obair-lann" means a "place of work" or a "workshop" as well as a "laboratory". | |||
Spanish | laboratorio | ||
The word "laboratorio" comes from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work" or "to toil". | |||
Swedish | laboratorium | ||
The word "laboratorium" was adopted from German and originally meant a room where alchemists worked. | |||
Welsh | labordy | ||
The Welsh word "labordy" derives from the Latin "laboratorium", meaning "place of work". |
Belarusian | лабараторыя | ||
The word "лабараторыя" (laboratory) derives from the Latin word "laboratorium" which means "a place where one works" | |||
Bosnian | laboratorija | ||
The Bosnian word "laboratorija" derives from the Latin word "laboratorius", meaning "a place where one works". | |||
Bulgarian | лаборатория | ||
The word "лаборатория" in Bulgarian shares the same Latin origin (`laboratorium`) as its English counterpart. | |||
Czech | laboratoř | ||
The Czech word "laboratoř" comes from the Latin word "laboratorium," which originally meant a workshop or a room where alchemists worked. | |||
Estonian | laboratoorium | ||
The word "laboratoorium" derives from Latin "laborare" meaning "to work" and was initially used to describe places where alchemists practiced their work. | |||
Finnish | laboratorio | ||
In Finnish, laboratorio also refers to a type of bread roll. | |||
Hungarian | laboratórium | ||
In Hungarian, "laboratórium" also refers to a laboratory assistant or a pharmacist. | |||
Latvian | laboratorija | ||
In Latvian, "laboratorija" comes from the word "laborator", which in turn derives from Latin "labor" and means "work", highlighting the practical aspect of experimentation. | |||
Lithuanian | laboratorija | ||
In Latin, laboratorija meant "workshop", from which it derives its meaning in Lithuanian. | |||
Macedonian | лабораторија | ||
The word "лабораторија" (laboratory) in Macedonian derives from the Latin word "laborare" (to work) and originally referred to a place where alchemists worked. | |||
Polish | laboratorium | ||
In Polish, the word "laboratorium" can also refer to a laboratory or workshop for artists or craftsmen, a place for scientific research or artistic experimentation. | |||
Romanian | laborator | ||
In Romanian, 'laborator' originally referred to a small room in a monastery used for alchemical experiments or the work of goldsmiths. | |||
Russian | лаборатория | ||
The word "лаборатория" comes from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work". | |||
Serbian | лабораторија | ||
The word "лабораторија" (laboratory) in Serbian originates from the Latin word "laborare" (to work), indicating a place for scientific work and experimentation. | |||
Slovak | laboratórium | ||
Slovak word "laboratórium" also means "a crucible" in Latin and "a place where metals are worked" in Arabic. | |||
Slovenian | laboratorij | ||
The Slovenian word laboratorij comes from the Latin word laborare, meaning to work or toil. | |||
Ukrainian | лабораторія | ||
The word "лабораторія" in Ukrainian originated from the Latin word "laborare", meaning "to work," and is closely related to the English word "laboratory." |
Bengali | পরীক্ষাগার | ||
Gujarati | પ્રયોગશાળા | ||
Hindi | प्रयोगशाला | ||
The word प्रयोगशाला is derived from the Sanskrit words प्रयोग ('prayoga'), meaning 'experiment', and शाला ('shala'), meaning 'house' or 'place', hence indicating a 'place for experimenting'. | |||
Kannada | ಪ್ರಯೋಗಾಲಯ | ||
Malayalam | ലബോറട്ടറി | ||
The word "ലബോറട്ടറി" ('laboratorry') is derived from the Latin word "laborare" meaning "to work" and can also refer to a workshop or a place of experimentation. | |||
Marathi | प्रयोगशाळा | ||
The word प्रयोगशाळा (prayogashala) is derived from the Sanskrit word "prayoga", meaning "experimentation". The term also refers to a "workshop" or "studio" where creative or experimental work is done. | |||
Nepali | प्रयोगशाला | ||
The word प्रयोगशाला, meaning “laboratory” in Nepali, is derived from the Sanskrit word प्रयोग, meaning “use” or “experiment”. | |||
Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਯੋਗਸ਼ਾਲਾ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රසායනාගාරය | ||
Tamil | ஆய்வகம் | ||
The word "ஆய்வகம்" (laboratory) is also used in Tamil to refer to a "workshop". This is likely because laboratories are places where experiments and research are carried out, which are often similar to activities that take place in workshops. | |||
Telugu | ప్రయోగశాల | ||
The word ప్రయోగశాల (laboratory) comes from the Sanskrit word 'prayoga', meaning 'experiment', and 'shala', meaning 'house'. Thus, the Telugu word means 'a place where experiments are conducted'. | |||
Urdu | لیبارٹری | ||
The term "لیبارٹری" is derived from "laborare," meaning "to work." Laboratories are workspaces for experimentation and research. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 实验室 | ||
实验室一词源自拉丁语laborare,意为'工作'、'努力'或'辛勤'。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 實驗室 | ||
實驗室這個詞的實驗一詞源自於試驗,室則為場所的意思。 | |||
Japanese | 実験室 | ||
実験室 (jikkenshitsu) originally meant "an alchemist's workshop" but has come to mean "a laboratory" in general. | |||
Korean | 실험실 | ||
"실험실" (laboratory) can also refer to a "room of tests" or a "test site" in Korean. | |||
Mongolian | лаборатори | ||
The word "laboratori" in Mongolian is derived from the Latin word "laboratorium", which means "a place for working". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | စမ်းသပ်ခန်း | ||
Indonesian | laboratorium | ||
The word "laboratorium" in Indonesian refers to a laboratory, but its original Latin meaning is "a place to work". | |||
Javanese | laboratorium | ||
In Javanese, laboratorium, which means laboratory, stems from Latin, where its alternative meaning is “work place”, referring to the place where experimental and scientific work is conducted. | |||
Khmer | មន្ទីរពិសោធន៍ | ||
Lao | ຫ້ອງທົດລອງ | ||
Malay | makmal | ||
The Malay word "makmal" derives from the Arabic word "ma'mal", which means "place of work" or "factory." | |||
Thai | ห้องปฏิบัติการ | ||
The Thai word "ห้องปฏิบัติการ" ("lab") derives from Sanskrit "kara" (to do) and "pati" (lord), meaning "a place to do the work of a lord" (a scholar). | |||
Vietnamese | phòng thí nghiệm | ||
"Phòng thí nghiệm" literally means "room for experiment." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | laboratoryo | ||
Azerbaijani | laboratoriya | ||
"Laboratoriya" is also a name for "chemistry" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | зертхана | ||
"Zertxana" comes from the Persian word "zarkhane", meaning "goldsmith's workshop". | |||
Kyrgyz | лаборатория | ||
In Kyrgyz, the word "лаборатория" can also be translated as "test workshop" or "research and development center". | |||
Tajik | лаборатория | ||
В таджикском языке слово «лаборатория» также может означать «испытательная» или «аналитическая». | |||
Turkmen | barlaghana | ||
Uzbek | laboratoriya | ||
In Arabic and Tajiki, the word "laboratoriya" means "chemical plant". | |||
Uyghur | تەجرىبىخانا | ||
Hawaiian | hale hana hoʻokolohua | ||
The term literally means "house of preparation" or "house of concoction" | |||
Maori | taiwhanga | ||
In some Polynesian languages, Taiwhanga means 'workshop or factory'. | |||
Samoan | fale suesue | ||
Fale suesue translates to "house of inquiry" in Samoan, highlighting its purpose as a place for exploration and discovery. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | laboratoryo | ||
The Tagalog word "laboratoryo" can also mean "experimental" or "investigative." |
Aymara | laboratorio ukanxa | ||
Guarani | laboratorio-pe | ||
Esperanto | laboratorio | ||
Latin | laboratorium | ||
.laboratory" is actually derived from "laborare" which means "to work" in Latin. |
Greek | εργαστήριο | ||
The word "εργαστήριο" comes from the ancient Greek word "εργάζομαι", meaning "to work or cultivate", and originally referred to a place where artisans or craftsmen worked. | |||
Hmong | chaw kuaj | ||
The word "chaw kuaj" in Hmong also means "a place of learning". | |||
Kurdish | lêkolînxane | ||
The word "lêkolînxane" is derived from the Persian words "lêkol" (study) and "xane" (house). | |||
Turkish | laboratuar | ||
The word 'laboratuar' is derived from the Latin word 'laborare', meaning 'to work' or 'to toil'. | |||
Xhosa | elebhu | ||
The word 'elebhu' derives from the English word 'laboratory'. | |||
Yiddish | לאַבאָראַטאָריע | ||
The Yiddish word "לאַבאָראַטאָריע" is derived from the Latin word "laboratorium", meaning "a place of work". | |||
Zulu | ilabhorethri | ||
The Zulu word "ilabhorethri" is derived from the English word "laboratory", but it also has the alternate meaning of "a place where people work together to achieve a common goal". | |||
Assamese | লেবৰেটৰী | ||
Aymara | laboratorio ukanxa | ||
Bhojpuri | प्रयोगशाला के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ލެބޯޓްރީގައެވެ | ||
Dogri | प्रयोगशाला च | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | laboratoryo | ||
Guarani | laboratorio-pe | ||
Ilocano | laboratorio | ||
Krio | laboratori na di laboratori | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | تاقیگە | ||
Maithili | प्रयोगशाला | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯦꯕꯣꯔꯦꯇꯔꯤꯗꯥ ꯂꯩꯕꯥ ꯌꯨ.ꯑꯦꯁ | ||
Mizo | laboratory-ah dah a ni | ||
Oromo | laaboraatoorii keessatti argamu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଲାବୋରେଟୋରୀ | ||
Quechua | laboratorio nisqapi | ||
Sanskrit | प्रयोगशाला | ||
Tatar | лаборатория | ||
Tigrinya | ቤተ-ፈተነ | ||
Tsonga | laboratori ya le laboratori | ||