Layer in Different Languages
Discover 'Layer' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'layer' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that is spread or placed over a surface or substance. It's a versatile term, used in various fields such as geology, cooking, fashion, and technology. Culturally, layers have been essential in many traditions, from the intricate layering of a wedding cake to the symbolic layers in religious texts.
Moreover, the concept of layers has fascinated linguists and anthropologists, as many languages have unique ways of expressing this idea. For instance, in Spanish, 'layer' translates to 'capa' (pronounced: kah-pah), while in German, it's 'Schicht' (pronounced: shikt). In Mandarin Chinese, it's '层' (pronounced: céng), and in Japanese, it's '層' (sou).
Understanding the translation of 'layer' in different languages not only enriches our vocabulary but also offers a glimpse into the unique ways different cultures perceive and interact with the world around them.
Layer
Layer in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | laag | ||
| "Laag" can also mean "low" or "shallow". | |||
| Amharic | ንብርብር | ||
| The word "ንብርብር" can also refer to a layer of clothing or a group of people standing in a line. | |||
| Hausa | layer | ||
| The Hausa word 'layer' can also mean 'a group of people or things that are arranged in a particular way'. | |||
| Igbo | oyi akwa | ||
| The Igbo word 'oyi akwa' can also refer to a 'stack' or 'pile'. | |||
| Malagasy | sosona | ||
| Sosona also means 'floor' in some parts of Madagascar. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wosanjikiza | ||
| The word "wosanjikiza" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the verb "sanjika" (to stack) and the prefix "wo" (indicating a state or condition). | |||
| Shona | rukoko | ||
| The Shona word "rukoko" also refers to a piece of cloth or hide used to cover a sleeping child. | |||
| Somali | lakabka | ||
| The Somali word "lakabka" is derived from the Arabic word "tabaka" meaning "layer" or "strata." | |||
| Sesotho | mokato | ||
| The word 'mokato' in Sesotho also refers to a 'shelf' or a 'story' of a building. | |||
| Swahili | safu | ||
| It can also refer to a stratum of stratified rock such as shale | |||
| Xhosa | uluhlu | ||
| Xhosa 'uluhlu' and 'isigaba' share the root '-hlu', suggesting a relationship between 'layer' and 'piece'. | |||
| Yoruba | fẹlẹfẹlẹ | ||
| The word fẹlẹfẹlẹ can be used figuratively to describe someone who is very thin or someone who is very poor. | |||
| Zulu | ungqimba | ||
| The Zulu word "ungqimba" can also refer to a heap or a pile. | |||
| Bambara | lazɛri | ||
| Ewe | ɖoɖo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urwego | ||
| Lingala | couche | ||
| Luganda | omugigi | ||
| Sepedi | llaga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmeamu | ||
Layer in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طبقة | ||
| طبقة, meaning layer, also refers to class or stratum in the context of society or hierarchy. | |||
| Hebrew | שִׁכבָה | ||
| In Talmudic Hebrew, the noun "שִׁכבָה" ("shikva") can also refer to a bed or a couch. | |||
| Pashto | پرت | ||
| The word "پرت" ("layer") in Pashto is derived from an unknown source and has no other known meanings. | |||
| Arabic | طبقة | ||
| طبقة, meaning layer, also refers to class or stratum in the context of society or hierarchy. | |||
Layer in Western European Languages
| Albanian | avokat | ||
| The Albanian word "avokat" is derived from the Latin word "advocatus", meaning "one who is called to aid". | |||
| Basque | geruza | ||
| "Geruza" also means a "piece of meat" and likely originates in the word "gereziŋ" (cherry). | |||
| Catalan | capa | ||
| Capa's other meanings in Catalan include 'raincoat', 'cape' and 'mantle' | |||
| Croatian | sloj | ||
| The Slavic root sloj- meaning 'to lay' is common to all Slavic languages and appears in English (e.g., 'slice', 'sloe'). | |||
| Danish | lag | ||
| The word | |||
| Dutch | laag | ||
| The Dutch word "laag" (layer) is also used to signify "low" or "humble" when describing people, objects, or situations. | |||
| English | layer | ||
| The word 'layer' comes from the Old French word 'laie,' which means 'a broad strip of land'. | |||
| French | couche | ||
| "Couche" in French can refer to a baby's diaper or a thin sheet, deriving from the Latin "collocare" meaning "to place". | |||
| Frisian | laach | ||
| The Frisian word "laach" may derive from an Old Frisian term for "pool"} | |||
| Galician | capa | ||
| Galician's "capa" also denotes the outer coating (in a nut) as well as the earth layer covering a rock | |||
| German | schicht | ||
| „Schicht“ is also used to refer to a shift worked by a group of people, likely deriving from the idea of alternating layers of workers. | |||
| Icelandic | lag | ||
| The word "lag" in Icelandic also refers to the thickness or size of an object. | |||
| Irish | ciseal | ||
| Irish 'ciseal' may relate to Latin 'caesa' ('a cut'), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European 'kei-' ('to cut'). | |||
| Italian | strato | ||
| The Italian word 'strato' derives from the Ancient Greek word 'stratum', which means 'layer' or 'bed'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | layer | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Layer" denotes both a geological stratum and a part of clothing that covers the legs. | |||
| Maltese | saff | ||
| The word "saff" in Maltese shares the same root as "sofa" in English | |||
| Norwegian | lag | ||
| From Old Norse "lag" (n.), meaning "layer," "stratum," or "bedded ice". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | camada | ||
| The word "camada" comes from the Latin "cama" (bed), and also means "bed" in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | còmhdach | ||
| The Gaelic word "còmhdach" can also mean "protection" or "covering." | |||
| Spanish | capa | ||
| The word 'capa' also means 'cloak' or 'cape' in Spanish, reflecting its use as a protective covering. | |||
| Swedish | lager | ||
| In Swedish, "lager" also refers to a type of beer, derived from the German "Lagerbier" denoting storage or aging. | |||
| Welsh | haen | ||
| 'Haen' can also mean 'pack', 'bundle' or 'troop'. | |||
Layer in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пласт | ||
| The word “пласт” is also used in physics, to refer to an electrically charged object. | |||
| Bosnian | sloj | ||
| In Bosnian, "sloj" can also mean "caste" or "class" socially or economically. | |||
| Bulgarian | слой | ||
| The Russian word "слой" can also mean "stratum", "class" or "social group". | |||
| Czech | vrstva | ||
| The word "vrstva" originates from the Proto-Slavic term "vertъ", meaning "to turn". | |||
| Estonian | kiht | ||
| The word "kiht" in Estonian can also refer to a social stratum or class. | |||
| Finnish | kerros | ||
| Kerros (Finnish for "layer") likely derives from Proto-Germanic *karr, meaning rock or cliff. | |||
| Hungarian | réteg | ||
| Hungarian "réteg" also means "order", as in "social order" ("társadalmi réteg"), or "class", as in class struggle ("osztályréteg"). | |||
| Latvian | slānis | ||
| "Slānis" is related to the Proto-Slavic verb *slati "to stretch out." | |||
| Lithuanian | sluoksnis | ||
| The word "sluoksnis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*srew-/*sru-/*sruw-", which means "to flow, to stream". | |||
| Macedonian | слој | ||
| The Macedonian word "Слој" also refers to a social class or stratum. | |||
| Polish | warstwa | ||
| The word 'warstwa' can also refer to a 'segment of society' or a 'group of people'} | |||
| Romanian | strat | ||
| The Romanian word "strat" also means "floor" in buildings and "storey" of a building. | |||
| Russian | слой | ||
| Слово "слой" также означает "пласт","прослойка" и "пленка" | |||
| Serbian | слој | ||
| In geology, 'слој' can also refer to a stratum or layer within the Earth's crust. | |||
| Slovak | vrstva | ||
| The Slovak word "vrstva" can also mean stratum, class, or social hierarchy. | |||
| Slovenian | plast | ||
| Plast, meaning layer, originates from German word "flaster" | |||
| Ukrainian | шар | ||
| The word "шар" can also refer to a ball or a sphere in Ukrainian. | |||
Layer in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্তর | ||
| "স্তর" can also mean "the earth" or "a group of people of the same kind or status" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્તર | ||
| The word "સ્તર" can also mean "level" or "standard". | |||
| Hindi | परत | ||
| The word "परत" can also refer to a membrane or film, or to a layer of clothing. | |||
| Kannada | ಪದರ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಪದರ" can also mean a kind of cloth worn by women. | |||
| Malayalam | ലെയർ | ||
| The word "layer" comes from the Old English word "leger", which means "to lay down". In Malayalam, the word "ലെയർ" can also refer to a "flat, thin piece of something" or a "coat of paint or other material". | |||
| Marathi | थर | ||
| The word "थर" in Marathi can also refer to a group or clan, or to the soil at the bottom of a river or pond. | |||
| Nepali | तह | ||
| The word "तह" can also refer to the bottom or base of something. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਰਤ | ||
| The word "ਪਰਤ" can also mean "a fold" or "a plait" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ස්තරය | ||
| The word "ස්තරය" can also refer to a social class or stratum. | |||
| Tamil | அடுக்கு | ||
| The Tamil word "அடுக்கு" (aḍukku) also means "to repeat" or "to iterate". | |||
| Telugu | పొర | ||
| The word "పొర" is thought to be derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*poṟu" meaning "to cover" or "to hide". | |||
| Urdu | پرت | ||
| The Persian and Hindi word 'part' is often used synonymously with the Urdu word 'پرت'} | |||
Layer in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 层 | ||
| "层" (cénɡ) originally meant "ice" but can also refer to a "storey" in a building or a "section" of a text or population. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 層 | ||
| Originally intended to mean a sequence of horizontal strata, '層' has also been used to signify hierarchy, status, and different levels of society. | |||
| Japanese | 層 | ||
| In Chinese, 層 can also mean 'class' or 'level' of a building. | |||
| Korean | 층 | ||
| The word "층" originally referred to the stories of a building, and its meaning expanded to include layers in general. | |||
| Mongolian | давхарга | ||
| The Mongolian word "давхарга" can also refer to a shelf or a platform. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလွှာ | ||
Layer in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lapisan | ||
| Lapisan can also refer to a social stratum or class, deriving from the root kata "lapis" (layer). | |||
| Javanese | lapisan | ||
| Lapisan, meaning 'layer' in Indonesian, has its roots in the Sanskrit word 'lapisa', also meaning 'layer'. | |||
| Khmer | ស្រទាប់ | ||
| Stratum is the Latin word for layer; "stratum" is also the origin of the English word "strata". | |||
| Lao | ຊັ້ນ | ||
| The word 'ຊັ້ນ' can also refer to a level of a building. | |||
| Malay | lapisan | ||
| The word "lapisan" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word "*lapis", meaning "stone" or "slab". | |||
| Thai | ชั้น | ||
| The Thai word "ชั้น" can also mean "floor" or "shelf". | |||
| Vietnamese | lớp | ||
| The word "lớp" can also have the metaphorical meaning of a social status or grade. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | layer | ||
Layer in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qat | ||
| "Qat" also means "line" in Azerbaijani; it can mean "floor" in various contexts. | |||
| Kazakh | қабат | ||
| Қабат can also mean a 'layer of people', or a collection of people with the same profession or social status. | |||
| Kyrgyz | катмар | ||
| The word "катмар" in Kyrgyz originates from the Persian word "katmar" meaning "fold" or "layer". | |||
| Tajik | қабати | ||
| Turkmen | gatlak | ||
| Uzbek | qatlam | ||
| Uyghur | قەۋەت | ||
Layer in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | papa | ||
| The Hawaiian word "papa" is shared by several Pacific languages, meaning a stone slab or platform, a layer or stratum, as well as meaning "flat." | |||
| Maori | paparanga | ||
| "Paparanga" in Māori has many meanings including 'layer', a 'layer in a construction, a part, portion', a 'stage or rung of a ladder', 'to spread out in layers', a 'foundation or base' or 'the layer next to a person." | |||
| Samoan | vaega | ||
| The Samoan word "vaega" can also mean "part" or "section". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | patong | ||
| Patong can also refer to a flat cake or pancake made of a mixture of flour, sugar, and baking powder. | |||
Layer in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kapa | ||
| Guarani | apeao | ||
Layer in International Languages
| Esperanto | tavolo | ||
| The Esperanto word "tavolo" also means "table" in Italian. | |||
| Latin | stratum | ||
| The Latin word stratum has an alternate meaning of 'litter' or 'bedclothes'. | |||
Layer in Others Languages
| Greek | στρώμα | ||
| The term 'στρώμα' can also refer to a mattress, bed, or bedding. | |||
| Hmong | txheej | ||
| The word txheej also means "level" or "tier" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | pel | ||
| The word "pel" is also used in the sense of "covering" in the Kurdish language. | |||
| Turkish | katman | ||
| In Turkish, 'katman' also means a large pot used to make yogurt. | |||
| Xhosa | uluhlu | ||
| Xhosa 'uluhlu' and 'isigaba' share the root '-hlu', suggesting a relationship between 'layer' and 'piece'. | |||
| Yiddish | שיכט | ||
| The Yiddish word 'shikht' is derived from the German word 'Schicht', which means 'layer', 'level', or 'stratum'. | |||
| Zulu | ungqimba | ||
| The Zulu word "ungqimba" can also refer to a heap or a pile. | |||
| Assamese | স্তৰ | ||
| Aymara | kapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | परत | ||
| Dhivehi | ލޭޔަރ | ||
| Dogri | परत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | layer | ||
| Guarani | apeao | ||
| Ilocano | agsit | ||
| Krio | pat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چین | ||
| Maithili | परत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩꯔꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | thuah | ||
| Oromo | baqqaana | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସ୍ତର | ||
| Quechua | lasta | ||
| Sanskrit | स्तर | ||
| Tatar | катлам | ||
| Tigrinya | ሽፋን | ||
| Tsonga | leyara | ||