Lawyer in Different Languages
Discover 'Lawyer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A lawyer, also known as an attorney, is a professional who is licensed to practice law in a specific jurisdiction. They provide legal advice, represent clients in court, and help to navigate the complex world of laws and regulations. The significance of lawyers cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in upholding justice, protecting individual rights, and ensuring that the legal system functions smoothly.
Throughout history, lawyers have been instrumental in shaping the course of events. From the abolition of slavery to the fight for women's rights, lawyers have been at the forefront of some of the most significant social and political movements. Moreover, lawyers continue to be cultural icons, appearing in countless books, movies, and TV shows.
Understanding the translation of the word 'lawyer' in different languages can be fascinating, as it provides insight into the legal and cultural norms of various countries. For instance, in Spanish, a lawyer is called 'abogado', while in French, they are known as 'avocat'. In German, the term is 'Rechtsanwalt', and in Japanese, it is 'bengoshi'.
In this article, we will explore the translations of the word 'lawyer' in various languages, shedding light on the unique legal and cultural contexts of different countries.
Lawyer
Lawyer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | prokureur | ||
| "Prokureur" is derived from the Dutch word "procureur" and the Latin word "procurator", meaning "manager" or "agent". | |||
| Amharic | ነገረፈጅ | ||
| The word "ነገረፈጅ" is derived from the verb "ነገረ" (to speak) and the noun "ፈጅ" (mouth), meaning "one who speaks for others". | |||
| Hausa | lauya | ||
| The Hausa word "lauya" originally meant "representative" or "spokesperson" before taking on its current meaning. | |||
| Igbo | ọkàiwu | ||
| The word "ọkàiwu" in Igbo is also used to refer to a judge or magistrate. | |||
| Malagasy | mpisolo vava | ||
| The Malagasy word "mpisolo vava" means "lawyer", but originally referred to traditional diviners. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | woyimira mlandu | ||
| The word 'woyimira mlandu' literally means 'one who speaks for another' or 'one who defends a cause'. | |||
| Shona | gweta | ||
| "Gweta" is a Shona word likely derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-kuvuta" meaning "to drag, to pull". | |||
| Somali | garyaqaan | ||
| 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. | |||
| Sesotho | ramolao | ||
| In Sesotho, "ramolao" is thought to derive from the phrase "ra mohloa olao," meaning "one who knows the law." | |||
| Swahili | mwanasheria | ||
| The word "Mwanasheria" in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word "mushāwarah" meaning "consultation" or "deliberation". | |||
| Xhosa | igqwetha | ||
| The word "igqwetha" is related to the Xhosa word "gqeweta," meaning "to argue." | |||
| Yoruba | agbẹjọro | ||
| The word "agbẹjọro" literally translates to "a person who disperses meetings". | |||
| Zulu | ummeli | ||
| In Xhosa, "ummeli" also refers to a mediator who facilitates conflict resolution in traditional ceremonies. | |||
| Bambara | awoka | ||
| Ewe | senyala | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umunyamategeko | ||
| Lingala | avoka | ||
| Luganda | munamateeka | ||
| Sepedi | ramolao | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmaranimni | ||
Lawyer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محامي | ||
| The Arabic word for 'lawyer', مُحامٍ, originally meant 'protector'. | |||
| Hebrew | עורך דין | ||
| The Hebrew term "עורך דין" also has several other alternate meanings, including "editor," "organizer," and "manager." | |||
| Pashto | وكيل | ||
| "وكيل" means "representative" or "agent" in Arabic, from which it is derived. | |||
| Arabic | محامي | ||
| The Arabic word for 'lawyer', مُحامٍ, originally meant 'protector'. | |||
Lawyer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | avokat | ||
| The Albanian word "avokat" ultimately derives from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Basque | abokatu | ||
| 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". | |||
| Catalan | advocat | ||
| The Catalan word "advocat" is derived from the Latin word "advocare," which means "to call to one's aid". | |||
| Croatian | odvjetnik | ||
| "Odvjetnik" derives from the verb "odvratiti" meaning "to turn (someone) away". | |||
| Danish | jurist | ||
| "Jurist" is also the name of a plant genus in the family Acanthaceae. | |||
| Dutch | advocaat | ||
| Historically, "advocaat" meant "advocate" or "speaker" in Dutch, and is not related to the Roman "advocatus". | |||
| English | lawyer | ||
| The word 'lawyer' comes from the Old French 'loeier', meaning 'to speak for' or 'to defend'. | |||
| French | avocat | ||
| The word "avocat" in French can also refer to an avocado because the tree it comes from is known as "avocatier". | |||
| Frisian | advokate | ||
| In Frisian, 'advokate' originally meant 'speaker' or 'solicitor', reflecting the historical role of lawyers as spokespersons for their clients. | |||
| Galician | avogado | ||
| In Galician, "avogado" can also refer to the fruit known as avocado in English. | |||
| German | anwalt | ||
| In the Middle Ages, 'Anwalt' originally referred to a legal representative for the nobility and, in a wider sense, to an attorney-in-fact. | |||
| Icelandic | lögfræðingur | ||
| The word "lögfræðingur" can also refer to a "judge" or "legal scholar" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | dlíodóir | ||
| 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 | ||
| "Avvocato," meaning "lawyer" in Italian, comes from the Latin "advocare," meaning "to support" or "call forth." | |||
| Luxembourgish | affekot | ||
| The word "Affekot" in Luxembourgish originally meant "advocate" but also denoted "messenger" or "representative" centuries ago. | |||
| Maltese | avukat | ||
| The word "avukat" derives from the Arabic word "wakīl" via the Sicilian word "avucatu" and means "representative" or "agent" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | advokat | ||
| The word "advokat" derives from Latin and originally referred to someone who was invited to give advice. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | advogado | ||
| The word "advogado" is thought to derive from the Latin word "advocare," meaning "to call to one's aid." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | neach-lagh | ||
| Spanish | abogado | ||
| The Spanish word "abogado" derives from the Latin "advocatus," meaning "one who is called upon": it is a cognate with the English "advocate." | |||
| Swedish | advokat | ||
| "Advokat" in Swedish originates from the Latin "advocare," meaning "to call to one's aid". | |||
| Welsh | cyfreithiwr | ||
| The Welsh word "cyfreithiwr" comes from Old English "laghman" (meaning "judge") and was first adopted to mean "legal official in a bishop's court". | |||
Lawyer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | юрыст | ||
| Bosnian | advokat | ||
| The word "advokat" originates from the Latin word "advocatus," meaning "one who is called upon to help." | |||
| Bulgarian | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" in Bulgarian can also mean "legal guardian" or "attorney". | |||
| Czech | právník | ||
| 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. | |||
| Estonian | advokaat | ||
| The word "advokaat" can also refer to a sweet alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar, and brandy. | |||
| Finnish | lakimies | ||
| Lakimies literally means "a man of law" - as in a person who knows the law. | |||
| Hungarian | jogász | ||
| The word "jogász" derives from the Hungarian word "jog", meaning "law", and the suffix "-ász", which indicates a person associated with a particular field. | |||
| Latvian | advokāts | ||
| "Advokāts" derives from German "Advokat" and shares the Old French origin "advocatus" meaning "one who is called to speak". | |||
| Lithuanian | teisininkas | ||
| 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". | |||
| Macedonian | адвокат | ||
| The Macedonian word "адвокат" (lawyer) is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Polish | prawnik | ||
| In Polish, the word "prawnik" can also refer to a jurist or legal scholar. | |||
| Romanian | avocat | ||
| 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 | юрист | ||
| The Russian term "юрист", which means "lawyer," derives its origin from the Latin "juris" (meaning "legal") | |||
| Serbian | адвокат | ||
| The word "адвокат" in Serbian is a loanword from the French language, where it has the same meaning. | |||
| Slovak | právnik | ||
| The word "právnik" is derived from the Slavic word "prava," meaning "law." | |||
| Slovenian | odvetnik | ||
| The word "odvetnik" derives from the Latin verb "advocatus," meaning "to call to one's aid." | |||
| Ukrainian | юрист | ||
| The term "юрист" (lawyer) derives from the Latin "juris," meaning "law." | |||
Lawyer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আইনজীবী | ||
| আইনজীবী শব্দটি ফার্সি শব্দ আইন + আরবি শব্দ জীবী থেকে এসেছে, যার অর্থ আইন অনুসারে জীবন যাপন করা। | |||
| Gujarati | વકીલ | ||
| The word "વકીલ" (vakiil) is derived from the Sanskrit word "vakti", meaning "speaker" or "spokesperson". | |||
| Hindi | वकील | ||
| In the Puranas, the word "वकील" means a judge, arbitrator, or mediator. | |||
| Kannada | ವಕೀಲ | ||
| The term is likely an adaptation from Marathi language, derived from "vakil". | |||
| Malayalam | അഭിഭാഷകൻ | ||
| 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. | |||
| Marathi | वकील | ||
| The word "वकील" in Marathi also has the alternate meaning of "a person who speaks for the rights of others." | |||
| Nepali | वकिल | ||
| वकिल is derived from the the Sanskrit word 'vakta' or 'vaktri', meaning "speaker" or "one who speaks". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਕੀਲ | ||
| The term 'ਵਕੀਲ' is derived from the Arabic word 'vakil', meaning 'one who represents'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නීතිඥයා | ||
| නීතිඥයා is a derivative of the Sanskrit word न्यायिक (nyāyika), meaning "one who is learned in the law". | |||
| Tamil | வழக்கறிஞர் | ||
| Telugu | న్యాయవాది | ||
| The word న్యాయవాది comes from the Sanskrit word "nyāya," meaning "justice" or "reason," and "vādin," meaning "one who speaks or argues." | |||
| Urdu | وکیل | ||
| 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. | |||
Lawyer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 律师 | ||
| 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) | 律師 | ||
| "律" means "law" and "師" means "master" or "expert." | |||
| Japanese | 弁護士 | ||
| 弁護士 (bengoshi) originally referred to a military official in charge of law and order. | |||
| Korean | 변호사 | ||
| The term '변호사' is also used to refer to prosecutors, tax attorneys, and other legal professionals in Korea. | |||
| Mongolian | хуульч | ||
| The word "хуульч" in Mongolian ultimately derives from the Chinese word "律師" (lǜshī), which means "legal expert" or "lawyer." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှေ့နေ | ||
Lawyer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pengacara | ||
| "Pengacara" also means "emcee" or "host" in Indonesian, originating from the Sanskrit word "paṅguru" meaning "one who makes proclamations". | |||
| Javanese | pengacara | ||
| In Javanese, "pengacara" also means "one who speaks for" or "a representative". | |||
| Khmer | មេធាវី | ||
| The word “មេធាវី” may derive from the Pali term "meteyyavā," meaning wise or intelligent. | |||
| Lao | ທະນາຍຄວາມ | ||
| Malay | peguam | ||
| 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 | |||
| Thai | ทนายความ | ||
| "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. | |||
| Vietnamese | luật sư | ||
| "Luật sư" originates from the Chinese word "律師" (lǜshī), referring to a "legal scholar" or "specialist in the study of law". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | abogado | ||
Lawyer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hüquqşünas | ||
| "Hüquqşünas" is a compound word combining "hüquq" (law) and "şünas" (expert) and literally means "expert on law". | |||
| Kazakh | заңгер | ||
| The word "заңгер" is derived from the Persian word "zangar" meaning "interpreter" or "messenger". | |||
| Kyrgyz | юрист | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "юрист" is borrowed from the Russian word "юрист", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "iuris" meaning "law". | |||
| Tajik | ҳимоягар | ||
| The word "ҳимоягар" can also refer to a protector or guardian. | |||
| Turkmen | aklawçy | ||
| Uzbek | yurist | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "yurist" also refers to a person who studies law, but is not yet a certified lawyer. | |||
| Uyghur | ئادۋوكات | ||
Lawyer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | loio | ||
| The word "loio" in Hawaiian originally meant "skilled in speech" or "advisor" and was also used to refer to priests or judges. | |||
| Maori | roia | ||
| Roia is derived from the English word "lawyer" and is also used as a slang term for a police officer. | |||
| Samoan | loia | ||
| Loia can also mean a prophet or a seer in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | abogado | ||
| The word "abogado" in Tagalog can also refer to a lawyer who specializes in religious law. | |||
Lawyer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arxatiri | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽngára | ||
Lawyer in International Languages
| Esperanto | advokato | ||
| Originating from Latin 'advocatus', it also means 'intercessor', 'defender'. | |||
| Latin | advocatus | ||
| The word "advocatus" in Latin originally meant "one who is called to", hence its association with legal representation. | |||
Lawyer in Others Languages
| Greek | δικηγόρος | ||
| 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. | |||
| Hmong | kws lij choj | ||
| The Hmong word "kws lij choj" comes from a Chinese phrase meaning "expert in understanding and defending arguments". | |||
| Kurdish | parêzkar | ||
| 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. | |||
| Turkish | avukat | ||
| In Turkish, the word "avukat" originates from the Arabic word "wāqi" meaning "advocate" or "intercessor". | |||
| Xhosa | igqwetha | ||
| The word "igqwetha" is related to the Xhosa word "gqeweta," meaning "to argue." | |||
| Yiddish | אדוואקאט | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "adwokat" ultimately derives from the Latin word "advocatus", which means "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Zulu | ummeli | ||
| In Xhosa, "ummeli" also refers to a mediator who facilitates conflict resolution in traditional ceremonies. | |||
| Assamese | উকীল | ||
| Aymara | arxatiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | बकील | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަކީލުން | ||
| Dogri | बकील | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | abogado | ||
| Guarani | ñe'ẽngára | ||
| Ilocano | abogado | ||
| Krio | lɔya | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پارێزەر | ||
| Maithili | वकील | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯀꯤꯜ | ||
| Mizo | danhremi | ||
| Oromo | abukaatoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଓକିଲ | ||
| Quechua | amachaq | ||
| Sanskrit | अधिवक्ता | ||
| Tatar | адвокат | ||
| Tigrinya | ጠበቃ | ||
| Tsonga | muyimeri | ||