Lap in Different Languages
Discover 'Lap' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'lap' holds a special place in our hearts and homes, bringing to mind cozy images of warm embraces and soothing comfort. It's a word that transcends language barriers, resonating with people all over the world in various cultures and traditions. But have you ever wondered how to say 'lap' in different languages? Understanding this simple yet meaningful term in multiple tongues can open up new avenues of communication and cultural exchange.
For instance, in Spanish, 'lap' translates to 'regazo,' while in German, it's 'Schoß.' In French, the word for lap is 'genouillère,' which literally means 'knee guard,' reflecting the protective nature of a lap. In Japanese, the term 'hiza' refers to the lap, but it also symbolizes a sense of security and warmth.
Join us as we delve deeper into the fascinating world of language and culture, exploring the many ways to say 'lap' in different languages. This journey will not only enrich your vocabulary but also provide a unique insight into the hearts and minds of people from various corners of the globe.
Lap
Lap in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | skoot | ||
| "Skoot" derives from the Dutch "schoot" with similar meaning, but can also refer to someone's offspring, or the area where a person's legs are positioned when sitting down. | |||
| Amharic | ጭን | ||
| The word "ጭን" is also used to refer to a small, flat circular piece of bread that is often eaten rolled up with butter or other condiments. | |||
| Hausa | cinya | ||
| The Hausa word "cinya" also means "the edge of a cloth or garment." | |||
| Igbo | apata | ||
| The word 'apata' in Igbo also means 'a place to put something'. | |||
| Malagasy | am-pofoana | ||
| The word "am-pofoana" can also refer to the space between two rows of houses or the front area of a house. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chilolo | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "chilolo" can also refer to the "front of a garment worn around the waist". | |||
| Shona | pamakumbo | ||
| The word "pamakumbo" can also refer to the act of covering oneself with a blanket. | |||
| Somali | dhabta | ||
| The word "dhabta" also means "to put one's legs together" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | lirope | ||
| In Sesotho, "lirope" signifies a lap, specifically the space formed by the lower body when in a sitting position. | |||
| Swahili | paja | ||
| The word "paja" in Swahili can also refer to a mat or a shelter made of leaves or grass. | |||
| Xhosa | ethangeni | ||
| The word "ethangeni" also literally means "the place where meat is divided" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | ipele | ||
| Ipele can also mean 'a child slung on the back' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ithanga | ||
| The Zulu word 'ithanga' also means 'a shelf' or 'a platform' | |||
| Bambara | ka nɛmu | ||
| Ewe | ata dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | lap | ||
| Lingala | toure ya nzela | ||
| Luganda | omubiri | ||
| Sepedi | difaro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | serɛ | ||
Lap in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حضن | ||
| The word 'حضن' can also refer to 'embrace, bosom, womb' and shares a common Semitic root with 'حضن' ('to guard, protect'). | |||
| Hebrew | הקפה | ||
| The word "הקפה" in Hebrew can also refer to circumnavigation or orbiting, deriving from the root "קף" meaning to surround or encompass. | |||
| Pashto | ګود | ||
| The Pashto word "ګود" also refers to a "shallow pit" or "hollow space". | |||
| Arabic | حضن | ||
| The word 'حضن' can also refer to 'embrace, bosom, womb' and shares a common Semitic root with 'حضن' ('to guard, protect'). | |||
Lap in Western European Languages
| Albanian | xhiro | ||
| "Xhiro" comes from Italian "giro" (turn, round), also meaning "trip, tour, circle" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | itzulian | ||
| The Basque word "itzulian" can also refer to a "round", the area a shepherd covers grazing sheep. | |||
| Catalan | volta | ||
| "Volta" can also mean "turn" in Catalan, and is related to the French word "volte" and the Italian word "volta. | |||
| Croatian | krug | ||
| In Serbo-Croatian the word krug means circle or a drinking vessel | |||
| Danish | skød | ||
| 'Skød' can also refer to the inside of a garment or a fold.} | |||
| Dutch | ronde | ||
| In Dutch, "ronde" can also mean a round of drinks or a round of a competition. | |||
| English | lap | ||
| The word "lap" can also refer to a period of time, such as the period between two meals or the period of time before a race. | |||
| French | tour | ||
| In French, the word "tour" can also mean a "turn" or a "round", as in a game or competition. | |||
| Frisian | lap | ||
| In Frisian, "lap" can also refer to a small piece of land or a short distance. | |||
| Galician | colo | ||
| The Galician word “colo” can also refer to a shelter for animals or a small cabin in the mountains. | |||
| German | runde | ||
| The word "Runde" in German comes from the Middle High German word "runde", meaning "circle" or "round thing". | |||
| Icelandic | hring | ||
| Cognate with the Norwegian word 'ring' ('circle'), hringur originally meant a ring or circle, later specializing to mean 'lap' | |||
| Irish | lap | ||
| In Irish, the word "lap" can also refer to an act of worship or reverence. | |||
| Italian | giro | ||
| The Italian noun "giro" (lap) derives from the Greek "gyros" (circle, turn), and in French and English it denotes a banking transaction. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ronn | ||
| The word "Ronn" can also refer to a round object or the act of circling something. | |||
| Maltese | ħoġor | ||
| The Maltese word "ħoġor" is cognate with the Arabic word "حِجر" (hijr), meaning "stone" or "rock", suggesting its possible origin as a reference to the rough and hard surfaces on which people may have traditionally sat. | |||
| Norwegian | runde | ||
| The word "runde" (lap) originated as a Norwegian term for riding around a livestock fence, leading to its use also for a race track and in sporting contexts. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | colo | ||
| The word "colo" comes from the Latin "collum," meaning "neck." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uchd | ||
| The Gaelic word for 'lap' has cognates across many Indo-European languages, for example 'udho' and 'uha' in Sanskrit. | |||
| Spanish | regazo | ||
| The word originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *regh-, meaning "to stretch out" or "to be straight". It has related words in other languages, such as the English "right" and the German "richtig". | |||
| Swedish | knä | ||
| "Knä" in Swedish is often used as a term of endearment, much like the English "dear" or "honey". | |||
| Welsh | lap | ||
| In Welsh, the spelling "lap" means "to speak" | |||
Lap in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | на каленях | ||
| The term "на каленях" (lap) in Belarusian literally translates to "on the knees" in English. | |||
| Bosnian | lap | ||
| The word "lap" in Bosnian can also refer to a fold or a crease in a fabric. | |||
| Bulgarian | скута | ||
| The word "скута" also means "cape" or "coat" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | klín | ||
| The Czech word "klín" is etymologically related to "klín" in other Slavic languages, meaning "wedge" or "corner", and can also refer to a piece of fabric used in traditional clothing. | |||
| Estonian | süles | ||
| "Süles" in Estonian derives from "sülla" (to embrace), related to "südam" (heart), denoting affection and protection through physical closeness. | |||
| Finnish | kierros | ||
| "Kierros" also refers to a revolution, rotation or turn (e.g. of a key). | |||
| Hungarian | öl | ||
| In Hungarian, "öl" also means "5.5 m" and is related to "ölni" (to kill), as a measure of the length of a grave. | |||
| Latvian | klēpis | ||
| The Latvian word **klēpis** originally meant 'swaddling clothes' and is related to Germanic words like English 'clasp'. | |||
| Lithuanian | ratas | ||
| The word "ratas" has multiple meanings, including "wheel", "cycle", "period", "time", "portion", "installment", "rate", and "installment." | |||
| Macedonian | круг | ||
| "Круг" comes from Proto-Slavic *kǫgъ, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷekʷlos, meaning "wheel" or "circle". | |||
| Polish | podołek | ||
| In some Slavic languages, the word "podołek" means "the hem of a garment". | |||
| Romanian | poala | ||
| Poala derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *pelh₂- or *pels-, meaning "flat surface". | |||
| Russian | круг | ||
| "Круг" has a second meaning of a full circle, like a loop | |||
| Serbian | крило | ||
| The word "крило" in Serbian also means wing and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word "крыло" with the same meaning. | |||
| Slovak | kolo | ||
| In Slovak, "kolo" can also refer to a dance or a circle, deriving from the Proto-Slavic root *kolo meaning "wheel". | |||
| Slovenian | naročje | ||
| The word "naročje" is also used metaphorically to mean "protection", "support", or "love". | |||
| Ukrainian | колінах | ||
| The word "колінах" can also mean "bend" or "elbow" in Ukrainian. | |||
Lap in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভাঁজ | ||
| "ভাঁজ" can also refer to a small box or container, or to a fold or crease. | |||
| Gujarati | ખોળો | ||
| Hindi | गोद | ||
| Kannada | ಲ್ಯಾಪ್ | ||
| The word "ಲ್ಯಾಪ್" ("lap") in Kannada can also refer to a type of traditional Indian garment worn by women. | |||
| Malayalam | മടി | ||
| The word "മടി" also means "laziness" and is related to the root word "മന്ദ" (slow) | |||
| Marathi | मांडी | ||
| The word "मांडी" also refers to a small stool used for sitting or to a low platform where people can sit. | |||
| Nepali | गोद | ||
| Punjabi | ਗੋਦੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උකුල | ||
| The word "උකුල" also refers to the part of a garment that folds over onto itself and often has a flap or tassel. | |||
| Tamil | மடியில் | ||
| The word "மடியில்" can also refer to a woman's chest or the fold of a garment. | |||
| Telugu | ఒడి | ||
| In Telugu, "ఒడి" can also mean "care" or "protection", and is derived from the Sanskrit root "ava-di" meaning "to cover" or "to protect". | |||
| Urdu | گود | ||
| In the colloquial sense, the term "گود" can also refer to a place or location, as in the phrase "گھر کی گود" (literally "the lap of a home") meaning "the home environment". | |||
Lap in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 圈数 | ||
| 圈数 in Chinese can also mean a number of times that something is repeated. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 圈數 | ||
| The Chinese term 圈數 literally translates to 'number of rotations,' highlighting its connection to the circular path of a race or track. | |||
| Japanese | ラップ | ||
| The Japanese word "ラップ" can also refer to a type of music, derived from the English term "rap". | |||
| Korean | 무릎 | ||
| In Korean, the word "무릎" (lap) is also used to refer to the knees and thighs. | |||
| Mongolian | тойрог | ||
| The word "тойрог" can also refer to a circle or a ring in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရင်ခွင် | ||
Lap in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | putaran | ||
| The word 'putaran' can also refer to a 'round' or 'rotation' | |||
| Javanese | puteran | ||
| The word "puteran" also means "to turn" or "to rotate" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ភ្លៅ | ||
| The word "ភ្លៅ" can also mean "to fall" or "to drop". | |||
| Lao | ຕັກ | ||
| The word ຕັກ can also mean 'to hang' or 'to be suspended'. | |||
| Malay | pusingan | ||
| "Pusingan" also means "round" or "cycle" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ตัก | ||
| "ตัก" (lap) can also mean to scoop up water or other liquids. | |||
| Vietnamese | lòng | ||
| In Vietnamese, "lòng" can also refer to animal organs or a person's thoughts and feelings. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lap | ||
Lap in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dövrə | ||
| The word "dövrə" has a double meaning in Azerbaijani: both "lap" and "circle". Both meanings go back to the Proto-Turkic verb "tövrü-." This verb meant "to turn" or "to circle around." | |||
| Kazakh | айналым | ||
| "Айналым" also means "my dear" and is used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Kyrgyz | айлампа | ||
| The word 'айлампа' also means 'sleeve' (of a robe) in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | давр | ||
| The word "давр" ("lap") in Tajik also has the meaning of "time", "epoch", and "era". | |||
| Turkmen | aýlaw | ||
| Uzbek | aylana | ||
| The Uzbek word "aylana" also means "area" or "environment". | |||
| Uyghur | lap | ||
Lap in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻūhā | ||
| 'Ūhā' can also mean 'to embrace', 'to hold in close', or 'to carry under one's arm'. | |||
| Maori | kopu | ||
| The Maori word 'kopu', besides meaning 'lap', can refer to the belly or abdomen, a bag or sack, or a basket or container. | |||
| Samoan | vae | ||
| "Vae" also means "time", or "period". It is related to the Tongan word "fae" which means "place", or "spot". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lap | ||
| The Tagalog word "lap" can also refer to the part of the body where the thigh meets the abdomen, similar to the English word "groin". | |||
Lap in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | rijasu | ||
| Guarani | tapypa'ũ | ||
Lap in International Languages
| Esperanto | rondiro | ||
| The word "rondiro" is derived from the French "rond" (circle), and also has the meaning of "round" or "orbit" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | lap | ||
| The Latin word "lap" (lāp.) can also refer to slips or slides. | |||
Lap in Others Languages
| Greek | αγκαλιά | ||
| The Greek word "αγκαλιά" is derived from the word "αγκάλη" which means "elbow" or "armpit". | |||
| Hmong | ceg tawv | ||
| "Ceg tawv" also means "the front of the pants" or "crotch". | |||
| Kurdish | himbêz | ||
| "Himbéz" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*hem-/*hemə" meaning "earth" or "ground", which also gave rise to the English word "home". | |||
| Turkish | tur | ||
| The word "tur" also means "spinning" in Turkish, referring to the act of spinning yarn on a spinning wheel or by hand. | |||
| Xhosa | ethangeni | ||
| The word "ethangeni" also literally means "the place where meat is divided" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | שויס | ||
| The Yiddish word "שויס" (pronounced “shoys”) also refers to a type of traditional Jewish prayer book that is used during festivals and special occasions. | |||
| Zulu | ithanga | ||
| The Zulu word 'ithanga' also means 'a shelf' or 'a platform' | |||
| Assamese | কোলা | ||
| Aymara | rijasu | ||
| Bhojpuri | भाग | ||
| Dhivehi | އުނގު | ||
| Dogri | गोद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lap | ||
| Guarani | tapypa'ũ | ||
| Ilocano | patong | ||
| Krio | fut | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆش | ||
| Maithili | कोरा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯝꯄꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | malchung | ||
| Oromo | sarbaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲାପ୍ | ||
| Quechua | muyu | ||
| Sanskrit | उत्सङ्ग | ||
| Tatar | лап | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕቑፊ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzhumbhu | ||