Afrikaans prokureur | ||
Albanian avokat | ||
Amharic ነገረፈጅ | ||
Arabic محامي | ||
Armenian իրավաբան | ||
Assamese উকীল | ||
Aymara arxatiri | ||
Azerbaijani hüquqşünas | ||
Bambara awoka | ||
Basque abokatu | ||
Belarusian юрыст | ||
Bengali আইনজীবী | ||
Bhojpuri बकील | ||
Bosnian advokat | ||
Bulgarian адвокат | ||
Catalan advocat | ||
Cebuano abogado | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 律师 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 律師 | ||
Corsican avucatu | ||
Croatian odvjetnik | ||
Czech právník | ||
Danish jurist | ||
Dhivehi ވަކީލުން | ||
Dogri बकील | ||
Dutch advocaat | ||
English lawyer | ||
Esperanto advokato | ||
Estonian advokaat | ||
Ewe senyala | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) abogado | ||
Finnish lakimies | ||
French avocat | ||
Frisian advokate | ||
Galician avogado | ||
Georgian ადვოკატი | ||
German anwalt | ||
Greek δικηγόρος | ||
Guarani ñe'ẽngára | ||
Gujarati વકીલ | ||
Haitian Creole avoka | ||
Hausa lauya | ||
Hawaiian loio | ||
Hebrew עורך דין | ||
Hindi वकील | ||
Hmong kws lij choj | ||
Hungarian jogász | ||
Icelandic lögfræðingur | ||
Igbo ọkàiwu | ||
Ilocano abogado | ||
Indonesian pengacara | ||
Irish dlíodóir | ||
Italian avvocato | ||
Japanese 弁護士 | ||
Javanese pengacara | ||
Kannada ವಕೀಲ | ||
Kazakh заңгер | ||
Khmer មេធាវី | ||
Kinyarwanda umunyamategeko | ||
Konkani वकील | ||
Korean 변호사 | ||
Krio lɔya | ||
Kurdish parêzkar | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) پارێزەر | ||
Kyrgyz юрист | ||
Lao ທະນາຍຄວາມ | ||
Latin advocatus | ||
Latvian advokāts | ||
Lingala avoka | ||
Lithuanian teisininkas | ||
Luganda munamateeka | ||
Luxembourgish affekot | ||
Macedonian адвокат | ||
Maithili वकील | ||
Malagasy mpisolo vava | ||
Malay peguam | ||
Malayalam അഭിഭാഷകൻ | ||
Maltese avukat | ||
Maori roia | ||
Marathi वकील | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯎꯀꯤꯜ | ||
Mizo danhremi | ||
Mongolian хуульч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ရှေ့နေ | ||
Nepali वकिल | ||
Norwegian advokat | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) woyimira mlandu | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଓକିଲ | ||
Oromo abukaatoo | ||
Pashto وكيل | ||
Persian وکیل | ||
Polish prawnik | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) advogado | ||
Punjabi ਵਕੀਲ | ||
Quechua amachaq | ||
Romanian avocat | ||
Russian юрист | ||
Samoan loia | ||
Sanskrit अधिवक्ता | ||
Scots Gaelic neach-lagh | ||
Sepedi ramolao | ||
Serbian адвокат | ||
Sesotho ramolao | ||
Shona gweta | ||
Sindhi وڪيل | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නීතිඥයා | ||
Slovak právnik | ||
Slovenian odvetnik | ||
Somali garyaqaan | ||
Spanish abogado | ||
Sundanese pengacara | ||
Swahili mwanasheria | ||
Swedish advokat | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) abogado | ||
Tajik ҳимоягар | ||
Tamil வழக்கறிஞர் | ||
Tatar адвокат | ||
Telugu న్యాయవాది | ||
Thai ทนายความ | ||
Tigrinya ጠበቃ | ||
Tsonga muyimeri | ||
Turkish avukat | ||
Turkmen aklawçy | ||
Twi (Akan) mmaranimni | ||
Ukrainian юрист | ||
Urdu وکیل | ||
Uyghur ئادۋوكات | ||
Uzbek yurist | ||
Vietnamese luật sư | ||
Welsh cyfreithiwr | ||
Xhosa igqwetha | ||
Yiddish אדוואקאט | ||
Yoruba agbẹjọro | ||
Zulu ummeli |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "Prokureur" is derived from the Dutch word "procureur" and the Latin word "procurator", meaning "manager" or "agent". |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "avokat" ultimately derives from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". |
| Amharic | The word "ነገረፈጅ" is derived from the verb "ነገረ" (to speak) and the noun "ፈጅ" (mouth), meaning "one who speaks for others". |
| Arabic | The Arabic word for 'lawyer', مُحامٍ, originally meant 'protector'. |
| Armenian | The word "իրավաբան" in Armenian also refers to a person who has the right to practice law and who advises clients on legal matters. |
| Azerbaijani | "Hüquqşünas" is a compound word combining "hüquq" (law) and "şünas" (expert) and literally means "expert on law". |
| Basque | The word "abokatu" originally meant "mouthpiece" or "spokesperson". In addition, in old Basque texts, it was also used with the meaning of "intermediary" or "envoy". |
| Bengali | আইনজীবী শব্দটি ফার্সি শব্দ আইন + আরবি শব্দ জীবী থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ আইন অনুসারে জীবন যাপন করা। |
| Bosnian | The word "advokat" originates from the Latin word "advocatus," meaning "one who is called upon to help." |
| Bulgarian | The word "адвокат" in Bulgarian can also mean "legal guardian" or "attorney". |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "advocat" is derived from the Latin word "advocare," which means "to call to one's aid". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | In modern Chinese, "律师" (lǜshī) can also refer to a legal philosopher or historian, while in classical Chinese it could mean a legalist or a clerk. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "律" means "law" and "師" means "master" or "expert." |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "avucatu" comes from the Latin "advocatus," meaning "one who is called to aid." |
| Croatian | "Odvjetnik" derives from the verb "odvratiti" meaning "to turn (someone) away". |
| Czech | The Czech word "právník" derives from the Old Czech word "právo", meaning "law", and originally referred to someone with knowledge of the law, not necessarily a professional lawyer. |
| Danish | "Jurist" is also the name of a plant genus in the family Acanthaceae. |
| Dutch | Historically, "advocaat" meant "advocate" or "speaker" in Dutch, and is not related to the Roman "advocatus". |
| Esperanto | Originating from Latin 'advocatus', it also means 'intercessor', 'defender'. |
| Estonian | The word "advokaat" can also refer to a sweet alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar, and brandy. |
| Finnish | Lakimies literally means "a man of law" - as in a person who knows the law. |
| French | The word "avocat" in French can also refer to an avocado because the tree it comes from is known as "avocatier". |
| Frisian | In Frisian, 'advokate' originally meant 'speaker' or 'solicitor', reflecting the historical role of lawyers as spokespersons for their clients. |
| Galician | In Galician, "avogado" can also refer to the fruit known as avocado in English. |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "ადვოკატი" (advocate) is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", which literally means "one who is called to aid". |
| German | In the Middle Ages, 'Anwalt' originally referred to a legal representative for the nobility and, in a wider sense, to an attorney-in-fact. |
| Greek | The term 'δικηγόρος' stems from ancient Greek, combining 'δίκη' (meaning 'justice' or 'right') and 'αγορεύω' (meaning 'to speak in public' or 'to address an assembly'), denoting an individual who advocates or defends rights in legal proceedings. |
| Gujarati | The word "વકીલ" (vakiil) is derived from the Sanskrit word "vakti", meaning "speaker" or "spokesperson". |
| Haitian Creole | The word "avoka" is a Haitian Creole adaptation of the French word "avocat", which means "lawyer". |
| Hausa | The Hausa word "lauya" originally meant "representative" or "spokesperson" before taking on its current meaning. |
| Hawaiian | The word "loio" in Hawaiian originally meant "skilled in speech" or "advisor" and was also used to refer to priests or judges. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew term "עורך דין" also has several other alternate meanings, including "editor," "organizer," and "manager." |
| Hindi | In the Puranas, the word "वकील" means a judge, arbitrator, or mediator. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "kws lij choj" comes from a Chinese phrase meaning "expert in understanding and defending arguments". |
| Hungarian | The word "jogász" derives from the Hungarian word "jog", meaning "law", and the suffix "-ász", which indicates a person associated with a particular field. |
| Icelandic | The word "lögfræðingur" can also refer to a "judge" or "legal scholar" in Icelandic. |
| Igbo | The word "ọkàiwu" in Igbo is also used to refer to a judge or magistrate. |
| Indonesian | "Pengacara" also means "emcee" or "host" in Indonesian, originating from the Sanskrit word "paṅguru" meaning "one who makes proclamations". |
| Irish | The term 'dlíodóir' derives from the Irish words 'dlí' (law) and 'dóir' (a bearer or carrier), implying one who carries or interprets the law. |
| Italian | "Avvocato," meaning "lawyer" in Italian, comes from the Latin "advocare," meaning "to support" or "call forth." |
| Japanese | 弁護士 (bengoshi) originally referred to a military official in charge of law and order. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, "pengacara" also means "one who speaks for" or "a representative". |
| Kannada | The term is likely an adaptation from Marathi language, derived from "vakil". |
| Kazakh | The word "заңгер" is derived from the Persian word "zangar" meaning "interpreter" or "messenger". |
| Khmer | The word “មេធាវី” may derive from the Pali term "meteyyavā," meaning wise or intelligent. |
| Korean | The term '변호사' is also used to refer to prosecutors, tax attorneys, and other legal professionals in Korea. |
| Kurdish | The word "parêzkar" derives from the verb "parêzkirin" meaning "to protect or defend" and carries the connotation of one who defends the rights and interests of others in a legal context. |
| Kyrgyz | The Kyrgyz word "юрист" is borrowed from the Russian word "юрист", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "iuris" meaning "law". |
| Latin | The word "advocatus" in Latin originally meant "one who is called to", hence its association with legal representation. |
| Latvian | "Advokāts" derives from German "Advokat" and shares the Old French origin "advocatus" meaning "one who is called to speak". |
| Lithuanian | The word "teisininkas" is derived from the Lithuanian word "teise", meaning "law", and the suffix "-ininkas", meaning "one who does something", making it literally mean "one who does law". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Affekot" in Luxembourgish originally meant "advocate" but also denoted "messenger" or "representative" centuries ago. |
| Macedonian | The Macedonian word "адвокат" (lawyer) is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "mpisolo vava" means "lawyer", but originally referred to traditional diviners. |
| Malay | The word peguam was first used in the late 19th century to refer to someone who had taken a course at the College of Law in England, but was replaced by |
| Malayalam | The word "അഭിഭാഷകൻ" originates from Sanskrit and literally means "one who speaks for another". In addition to its primary meaning as "lawyer", it can also signify an advocate, a counselor, or someone who pleads on behalf of another. |
| Maltese | The word "avukat" derives from the Arabic word "wakīl" via the Sicilian word "avucatu" and means "representative" or "agent" in Maltese. |
| Maori | Roia is derived from the English word "lawyer" and is also used as a slang term for a police officer. |
| Marathi | The word "वकील" in Marathi also has the alternate meaning of "a person who speaks for the rights of others." |
| Mongolian | The word "хуульч" in Mongolian ultimately derives from the Chinese word "律師" (lǜshī), which means "legal expert" or "lawyer." |
| Nepali | वकिल is derived from the the Sanskrit word 'vakta' or 'vaktri', meaning "speaker" or "one who speaks". |
| Norwegian | The word "advokat" derives from Latin and originally referred to someone who was invited to give advice. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'woyimira mlandu' literally means 'one who speaks for another' or 'one who defends a cause'. |
| Pashto | "وكيل" means "representative" or "agent" in Arabic, from which it is derived. |
| Persian | The term 'وکیل' can also refer to other roles like 'agent', or someone appointed to act on another's behalf. |
| Polish | In Polish, the word "prawnik" can also refer to a jurist or legal scholar. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word "advogado" is thought to derive from the Latin word "advocare," meaning "to call to one's aid." |
| Punjabi | The term 'ਵਕੀਲ' is derived from the Arabic word 'vakil', meaning 'one who represents'. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, the word "avocat" comes from the Latin word "advocatus" and originally meant "one who is called to help," similar to the meaning of "juror" in English. |
| Russian | The Russian term "юрист", which means "lawyer," derives its origin from the Latin "juris" (meaning "legal") |
| Samoan | Loia can also mean a prophet or a seer in Samoan. |
| Serbian | The word "адвокат" in Serbian is a loanword from the French language, where it has the same meaning. |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, "ramolao" is thought to derive from the phrase "ra mohloa olao," meaning "one who knows the law." |
| Shona | "Gweta" is a Shona word likely derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-kuvuta" meaning "to drag, to pull". |
| Sindhi | "وكيل" can also mean a representative or an agent in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නීතිඥයා is a derivative of the Sanskrit word न्यायिक (nyāyika), meaning "one who is learned in the law". |
| Slovak | The word "právnik" is derived from the Slavic word "prava," meaning "law." |
| Slovenian | The word "odvetnik" derives from the Latin verb "advocatus," meaning "to call to one's aid." |
| Somali | The word 'Garyaqaan' is derived from the Somali words 'gar' ('hand') and 'yaaqin' ('trust'), implying the lawyer's role as a trusted advisor and representative. |
| Spanish | The Spanish word "abogado" derives from the Latin "advocatus," meaning "one who is called upon": it is a cognate with the English "advocate." |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word 'pengacara' also means 'mediator', highlighting the lawyer's role in resolving disputes. |
| Swahili | The word "Mwanasheria" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "mushāwarah" meaning "consultation" or "deliberation". |
| Swedish | "Advokat" in Swedish originates from the Latin "advocare," meaning "to call to one's aid". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "abogado" in Tagalog can also refer to a lawyer who specializes in religious law. |
| Tajik | The word "ҳимоягар" can also refer to a protector or guardian. |
| Telugu | The word న్యాయవాది comes from the Sanskrit word "nyāya," meaning "justice" or "reason," and "vādin," meaning "one who speaks or argues." |
| Thai | "ทนายความ" (lawyer) originates from the Sanskrit "nyaya" (justice) with the addition of "karma" to mean "doer or actor". Thus, a lawyer is a person acting on behalf of justice. |
| Turkish | In Turkish, the word "avukat" originates from the Arabic word "wāqi" meaning "advocate" or "intercessor". |
| Ukrainian | The term "юрист" (lawyer) derives from the Latin "juris," meaning "law." |
| Urdu | The term 'وکیل' originates from Arabic, derived from the root 'wakala', referring to appointing or entrusting someone as a representative, and holds similar implications in English as an authorized representative. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, the word "yurist" also refers to a person who studies law, but is not yet a certified lawyer. |
| Vietnamese | "Luật sư" originates from the Chinese word "律師" (lǜshī), referring to a "legal scholar" or "specialist in the study of law". |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "cyfreithiwr" comes from Old English "laghman" (meaning "judge") and was first adopted to mean "legal official in a bishop's court". |
| Xhosa | The word "igqwetha" is related to the Xhosa word "gqeweta," meaning "to argue." |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, the word "adwokat" ultimately derives from the Latin word "advocatus", which means "one who is called to aid". |
| Yoruba | The word "agbẹjọro" literally translates to "a person who disperses meetings". |
| Zulu | In Xhosa, "ummeli" also refers to a mediator who facilitates conflict resolution in traditional ceremonies. |
| English | The word 'lawyer' comes from the Old French 'loeier', meaning 'to speak for' or 'to defend'. |