Law in Different Languages
Discover 'Law' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, 'law' is a system of rules that governs the behavior of a community or society, established and enforced through social or governmental institutions. Its significance is paramount, as it maintains order, resolves disputes, and safeguards the rights of individuals. The concept of law is deeply ingrained in various cultures and societies, shaping civilizations and leaving indelible marks on history.
Delving into the translations of 'law' in different languages offers a fascinating glimpse into the cultural nuances and legal traditions around the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'law' is 'ley'; in French, 'droit'; in German, 'Recht'; in Mandarin, '法律' (fǎlǜ); in Japanese, '法律' (hōritsu); in Arabic, 'قانون' (qānūn).
Did you know that the oldest written code of law is the Code of Ur-Nammu, dating back to 2100 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia? Or that the Roman Law, which has greatly influenced modern legal systems, was inscribed in the Twelve Tables in 450 BCE? Understanding the term 'law' in various languages not only expands one's linguistic repertoire but also fosters an appreciation for the rich legal heritage that spans continents and centuries.
Law
Law in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wetgewing | ||
| It is derived from the Dutch word "wet", meaning "knowledge" or "law". | |||
| Amharic | ሕግ | ||
| "ሕግ" means law in Amharic, but can also refer to the "right to do something" or a "legal custom". | |||
| Hausa | doka | ||
| The term 'doka' (law) in Hausa may also refer to traditional customs and practices recognized in local communities and the wider society | |||
| Igbo | iwu | ||
| The Igbo word "iwu" can also refer to a custom, tradition, or taboo. | |||
| Malagasy | lalàna | ||
| Lalàna means "law," "justice" or "truth" and ultimately derives from Proto-Austronesian *lalan "way" or "road," related to Proto-Austronesian *laju "travel". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lamulo | ||
| A synonym of lamulo is boma, though boma also means the traditional homestead. | |||
| Shona | mutemo | ||
| In Shona, the word "mutemo" also has connotations of truth and fairness, emphasizing the role of law in upholding societal norms. | |||
| Somali | sharciga | ||
| The Somali word "sharciga" originates from the Arabic word "sharia," referring to Islamic law. | |||
| Sesotho | molao | ||
| The word 'molao' can also refer to a rule or regulation or an agreement between individuals. | |||
| Swahili | sheria | ||
| The Swahili word "sheria" derives from the Arabic "shari'ah," referring to Islamic religious law. | |||
| Xhosa | umthetho | ||
| The word 'umthetho' in Xhosa originates from the root word 'thetha,' which means 'to speak' or 'to discuss,' suggesting that laws are derived from conversations and agreements within the community. | |||
| Yoruba | ofin | ||
| The word ofin has historical and etymological connections to "law", "ethics", "religion", "power", "jurisprudence", "legality", and "justice" in Yoruba thought. | |||
| Zulu | umthetho | ||
| The Zulu word "umthetho" has legal meanings as either a rule or law and has a colloquial meaning, often derogatory, implying an unnecessary and burdensome regulation or control. | |||
| Bambara | sariya | ||
| Ewe | se | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amategeko | ||
| Lingala | mobeko | ||
| Luganda | amateeka | ||
| Sepedi | molao | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmara | ||
Law in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القانون | ||
| القانون also means 'canon' in the sense of 'a body of religious law' and 'a decree' in the sense of 'religious law' | |||
| Hebrew | חוֹק | ||
| The Hebrew word "חוֹק" (law) also means "decree" or "statute", and its root is related to words for "to carve" or "to inscribe". | |||
| Pashto | قانون | ||
| The Pashto word "قانون" also refers to a type of traditional musical instrument similar to a lute. | |||
| Arabic | القانون | ||
| القانون also means 'canon' in the sense of 'a body of religious law' and 'a decree' in the sense of 'religious law' | |||
Law in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ligji | ||
| The word "ligji" in Albanian likely originates from the Latin "lex" or Greek "nomos," both of which translate to "law." | |||
| Basque | legea | ||
| The Basque word "legea" ("law") derives from the Latin word "lex" via Spanish, but it can also be a synonym for "religion". | |||
| Catalan | llei | ||
| Llei (Catalan for "law") likely derives from the Latin word "lex" (law), which also gave rise to similar words in many other languages. | |||
| Croatian | zakon | ||
| The word 'zakon' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'zakonъ', which means 'ordinance' or 'decree'. | |||
| Danish | lov | ||
| In addition to its main sense “law,” the noun lov (law) can also mean “appreciation, approval” in Danish, stemming from the Old Norse lǫf (praise). | |||
| Dutch | wet | ||
| The Dutch word "wet" can also mean "damp" or "to soak", and derives from the Proto-Germanic root *watia-. | |||
| English | law | ||
| The word "law" originates from the Old English word "lagu", which means "something laid down or fixed." | |||
| French | loi | ||
| The French word "loi" originates from the Latin word "lex," meaning "law" or "statute." | |||
| Frisian | wet | ||
| Frisian "wet" also refers to a dyke, a type of water management infrastructure. | |||
| Galician | lei | ||
| The word "lei" in Galician also means "faith" and was originally a synonym for "religion". | |||
| German | recht | ||
| The word "Recht" in German is derived from the Old High German word "rihti," meaning "straight" or "correct," and also has connotations of "justice" and "order." | |||
| Icelandic | lögum | ||
| The Icelandic word 'lögum' can also refer to 'the body of law' or 'a collection of laws' | |||
| Irish | dlí | ||
| The term 'Dlí' also has connotations of 'rule' and 'justice' in the Irish language. | |||
| Italian | legge | ||
| "Legge" is derived from the Latin "legere" meaning "to read" and is also used to mean "reading" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gesetz | ||
| In the German-speaking part of the country, the term "Gesetz" also refers to a set of rules or principles, such as the laws of nature or physics. | |||
| Maltese | liġi | ||
| "Liġi" is likely derived from the Arabic "qanoun" meaning "norm, rule, law". | |||
| Norwegian | lov | ||
| The Norwegian word "lov" is etymologically related to the Old Norse word "lǫg" and the English word "law". It can also refer to a promise or an agreement. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lei | ||
| The word "lei" also means "auction" in the context of livestock or goods. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | lagh | ||
| The word "lagh" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a tax or tribute. | |||
| Spanish | ley | ||
| In Galician place names and in Spain, "ley" can mean "hill" or "elevation". | |||
| Swedish | lag | ||
| 'Lag' also means 'team' in the context of sports or other activities. | |||
| Welsh | deddf | ||
| The word "deddf" also refers to the "form" of a person or an animal and can describe "habit" or "nature". | |||
Law in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | закон | ||
| The term 'закон' derives from the Proto-Slavic root '*konъ', meaning 'boundary', or 'end'. | |||
| Bosnian | zakon | ||
| The word "zakon" in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "zakonъ", which also means "custom" or "tradition." | |||
| Bulgarian | закон | ||
| The Bulgarian word "закон" is derived from a Slavic root and has cognates in many other Slavic languages. | |||
| Czech | zákon | ||
| "Zákon" also means "spell" or "incantation" in Czech, derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*zákъ" meaning "command" or "order". | |||
| Estonian | seadus | ||
| The word 'seadus' in Estonian derives from a Proto-Baltic noun meaning 'binding' or 'order'. | |||
| Finnish | laki | ||
| The word "laki" in Finnish is thought to be derived from the Proto-Finnic word *laki, which meant "joint" or "hinge". | |||
| Hungarian | törvény | ||
| "Törvény" comes from the same root as "tör" (break), indicating "a line drawn to prevent someone from exceeding a boundary" | |||
| Latvian | likumu | ||
| Likumu can also refer to a system of rules and regulations enforced by a social group or organization. | |||
| Lithuanian | įstatymas | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "įstatymas" also means "a rule" and "an order." | |||
| Macedonian | закон | ||
| The word "закон" in Macedonian comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "закънъ", which meant "regulation" or "order". | |||
| Polish | prawo | ||
| Prawo in Polish can also mean 'the right', such as in human rights. | |||
| Romanian | lege | ||
| The word "lege" in Romanian ultimately derives from the Slavic word for "right" and is related to words like "legal" and "legitimate" in English. | |||
| Russian | закон | ||
| "Закон" also means "fate" in Russian, derived from the verb "заходить" (to go down). | |||
| Serbian | закон | ||
| The word "закон" derives from the Proto-Slavic "zakonъ", meaning "established rule or order". | |||
| Slovak | zákon | ||
| The word 'zákon' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '`zakonъ`', which also means 'custom' or 'decree' | |||
| Slovenian | pravo | ||
| The word 'pravo' also means 'rectangle' or 'square' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | закон | ||
| "Закон" in Ukrainian can also mean "order" or "principle". | |||
Law in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আইন | ||
| Bengali "আইন" ('law') comes from the Sanskrit word "ayin" meaning "order", "rule", or "command". | |||
| Gujarati | કાયદો | ||
| In Gujarati, the word "કાયદો" is derived from Sanskrit and is related to Sanskrit words meaning "act" or "procedure". | |||
| Hindi | कानून | ||
| The Hindi word “कानून” originates from the Arabic word “qanun,” meaning “rule” or “principle”. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಾನೂನು | ||
| The word "ಕಾನೂನು" originates from the Sanskrit word "कानून" meaning "rule or regulation". | |||
| Malayalam | നിയമം | ||
| The word "നിയമം" is also used to describe the system of rules or the process of law making. | |||
| Marathi | कायदा | ||
| The Marathi word "कायदा" (kāyadā) originates from the Arabic term "قاعدة" (qā'ida), meaning "a standing rule" or "a general principle". | |||
| Nepali | कानुन | ||
| In ancient times, the word "कानुन" also meant "ear" or "listening" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਨੂੰਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නීතිය | ||
| The Sinhala word "නීතිය" can also refer to "justice", "decree" or "sentence". | |||
| Tamil | சட்டம் | ||
| The Tamil word 'சட்டம்' ('law'), derived from Sanskrit, initially denoted an 'action' and 'ritual' but gradually gained the meaning of 'law'. | |||
| Telugu | చట్టం | ||
| Derived from 'chaṭakaṃ', meaning 'firm, fixed', or 'rule, regulation'. | |||
| Urdu | قانون | ||
| The word قانون (qānūn) is derived from the Greek word "kanon," meaning "rule" or "standard" | |||
Law in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 法 | ||
| 法 (fǎ) can also mean 'method', 'way', 'principle', or 'Dharma'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 法 | ||
| 法 in Chinese (Traditional) can also mean 'methods' or 'ways'. | |||
| Japanese | 法律 | ||
| 法律, the Japanese word for "law," stems from the Chinese legalist philosopher Han Feizi's term "法治," meaning rule of law. | |||
| Korean | 법 | ||
| 법 (beop) is also used as a verb, meaning "to prohibit". | |||
| Mongolian | хууль | ||
| "Хууль" also means "rule" or "regulation" and is cognate with the Turkic word "hul" and "ulu". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဥပဒေ | ||
| The word "ဥပဒေ" is derived from Pali, the language of the ancient Buddhist scriptures, and means "that which holds or restrains". | |||
Law in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | hukum | ||
| The term 'hukum' is also used in Islam, where its interpretation refers to 'divine law'. | |||
| Javanese | ukum | ||
| The term 'ukum' is also used to refer to religious teachings and the principles guiding a pious life. | |||
| Khmer | ច្បាប់ | ||
| ច្បាប់ is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "jñapti, | |||
| Lao | ກົດ ໝາຍ | ||
| Malay | undang-undang | ||
| The Malay word "undang-undang" also refers to a specific type of traditional Malay textile, typically made from hand-woven cotton or silk. | |||
| Thai | กฎหมาย | ||
| The word 'กฎหมาย' originally comes from the Sanskrit word 'vyavahāra', meaning 'usage', 'conduct', or 'rule'. | |||
| Vietnamese | pháp luật | ||
| The word "pháp luật" is derived from the Chinese word "法律", which means "law" or "regulation." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | batas | ||
Law in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qanun | ||
| The word "qanun" in Azerbaijani, besides meaning "law", also has a meaning of "regulation, order, rule". | |||
| Kazakh | заң | ||
| The word "заң" also means "religion" or "faith" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | мыйзам | ||
| The term "мыйзам" traces its roots to the Old Turkic root "mīz-," meaning "to appoint or arrange." | |||
| Tajik | қонун | ||
| The word "қонун" in Tajik originates from the Arabic word "قانون" (qānūn), meaning "rule" or "canon", and has been used in the Persian language since at least the 14th century. | |||
| Turkmen | kanun | ||
| Uzbek | qonun | ||
| In Persian, Arabic, and Urdu, "qonun" means "rule" or "principle," while in Turkish, it means "law" or "statute." | |||
| Uyghur | قانۇن | ||
Law in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kānāwai | ||
| The word 'kānāwai' is derived from 'kā' (to establish) and 'nawai' (a cord or line), suggesting the idea of establishing order or boundaries. | |||
| Maori | ture | ||
| Derived from Proto-Polynesian *ture, meaning 'correct, proper, right, lawful', and related to Proto-Austronesian *tujuq, meaning 'to point, show, direct, aim'. | |||
| Samoan | tulafono | ||
| The word "tulafono" comes from the Proto-Samoan word "*tulafono,*" meaning "a prohibition, a taboo, a commandment." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | batas | ||
| The word "batas" also has pre-colonial roots meaning "boundary" or "measure". | |||
Law in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kamachi | ||
| Guarani | léi | ||
Law in International Languages
| Esperanto | juro | ||
| The Esperanto word "juro" is derived from the Latin "jus" and also means "right" or "justice". | |||
| Latin | iuris | ||
| In Latin, "iuris" originates from "ius" meaning both "law" and "right," suggesting a close connection between the two concepts. | |||
Law in Others Languages
| Greek | νόμος | ||
| The Greek word 'νόμος' shares the same root as 'νεμώ' ('to distribute'), hence its additional meaning of 'custom' or 'convention'. | |||
| Hmong | txoj cai lij choj | ||
| The word "txoj cai lij choj" in Hmong also means something that is straight or just, or something that is correct or right. | |||
| Kurdish | qanûn | ||
| The word "qanûn" in Kurdish can also refer to a code, standard, or regulation. | |||
| Turkish | yasa | ||
| Though the Turkish word "yasa" is usually translated as "law," it also carries the connotation of "decree" or "rule" | |||
| Xhosa | umthetho | ||
| The word 'umthetho' in Xhosa originates from the root word 'thetha,' which means 'to speak' or 'to discuss,' suggesting that laws are derived from conversations and agreements within the community. | |||
| Yiddish | געזעץ | ||
| "געזעץ" in Yiddish can also refer to a set of rules or principles governing behavior, or to a physical law or scientific regularity. | |||
| Zulu | umthetho | ||
| The Zulu word "umthetho" has legal meanings as either a rule or law and has a colloquial meaning, often derogatory, implying an unnecessary and burdensome regulation or control. | |||
| Assamese | আইন | ||
| Aymara | kamachi | ||
| Bhojpuri | कानून | ||
| Dhivehi | ޤާނޫނު | ||
| Dogri | कनून | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | batas | ||
| Guarani | léi | ||
| Ilocano | linteg | ||
| Krio | lɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | یاسا | ||
| Maithili | कानून | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯏꯟ | ||
| Mizo | dan | ||
| Oromo | seera | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିୟମ | ||
| Quechua | kamachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | विधि | ||
| Tatar | закон | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕጊ | ||
| Tsonga | nawu | ||