Legacy in Different Languages
Discover 'Legacy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'legacy' carries a profound weight of significance, representing the lasting impact and memories that we leave behind. It is a cultural cornerstone, woven into the fabric of our societies and histories. From the Latin 'legatum' meaning 'something left behind,' the term has evolved to encompass both physical possessions and intangible values passed down through generations.
Understanding the translation of 'legacy' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into how various cultures perceive and preserve their heritage. For instance, in Spanish, 'legado' not only refers to an inheritance but also to a task or mission left to be accomplished. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'isan' embodies the idea of leaving behind a name or reputation that endures beyond one's lifetime.
Join us as we delve into the multifaceted translations of 'legacy' across diverse languages and cultures, uncovering intriguing nuances and historical contexts along the way.
Legacy
Legacy in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | nalatenskap | ||
| The Afrikaans word "nalatenskap" is derived from the Dutch word "nalatenschap", which also means "inheritance" or "bequest". | |||
| Amharic | ውርስ | ||
| Hausa | gado | ||
| Hausa word "gado" also means "the first of a series" or "the best of a group". | |||
| Igbo | ihe nketa | ||
| Ihe nketa refers to items or knowledge passed down through generations or to the enduring impact of an idea or historical event. | |||
| Malagasy | lova | ||
| The word "lova" in Malagasy can also mean "tradition" or "heritage". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholowa | ||
| "Cholowa" derives from a Nyanja word meaning "the place where we settled and will stay." | |||
| Shona | nhaka | ||
| The Shona word "nhaka" can also refer to a "home" or a "family lineage." | |||
| Somali | dhaxal | ||
| "Dhaxal" also refers to a type of traditional court case involving an inheritance matter. | |||
| Sesotho | lefa | ||
| The Sesotho word "lefa" can also mean "inheritance" or "what is passed down from one generation to another." | |||
| Swahili | urithi | ||
| The Swahili word "urithi" can also refer to inheritance, heritage, or a person's ancestral land. | |||
| Xhosa | ilifa | ||
| Ilifa can also refer to a clan name or a traditional council meeting. | |||
| Yoruba | ogún | ||
| The word 'ogún' in Yoruba also means 'war' or 'battle'. | |||
| Zulu | ifa | ||
| The Zulu word "ifa" can also refer to a traditional religious system practiced in West Africa. | |||
| Bambara | tiɲɛ | ||
| Ewe | domenyinu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umurage | ||
| Lingala | biloko bitikela | ||
| Luganda | ekitiibwa | ||
| Sepedi | bohwa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | agyapadeɛ | ||
Legacy in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ميراث | ||
| In Arabic, 'ميراث' (legacy) additionally denotes one's share of an inheritance, especially landed property. | |||
| Hebrew | מוֹרֶשֶׁת | ||
| In Hebrew, 'moréshet' (מוֹרֶשֶׁת) not only means 'legacy', but also 'tradition' or 'heritage'. | |||
| Pashto | میراث | ||
| The word “میراث” ("legacy") in Pashto shares linguistic roots with the Persian word “میراث” ("heritage"), both ultimately derived from the Arabic root “موروث” ("to inherit"). | |||
| Arabic | ميراث | ||
| In Arabic, 'ميراث' (legacy) additionally denotes one's share of an inheritance, especially landed property. | |||
Legacy in Western European Languages
| Albanian | trashëgimi | ||
| "Trashëgimi" originates from the Proto-Albanian word "*traʃ-i-memi" (from "*traʃ-u" ["fat, plump"] + "*-i-" [suffix denoting abundance] + "*-memi" [suffix denoting collective]) and cognate with Greek "tragos" (goat), referring to the "abundance of goat meat" as an heirloom, which became "legacy" in the modern sense. | |||
| Basque | ondarea | ||
| Basque "ondarea" also means "inheritance" and is derived from the Latin "hereditas". | |||
| Catalan | llegat | ||
| The word "llegat" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "legatum", meaning "something left behind" or "a bequest." | |||
| Croatian | baština | ||
| Baština derives from the Proto-Slavic word *baština, meaning "the part that is given to the younger brother or son". | |||
| Danish | eftermæle | ||
| The word 'eftermæle' is derived from the Old Norse word 'eftirmáli', meaning 'something said after someone's death'. | |||
| Dutch | erfenis | ||
| The word "erfenis" in Dutch can also mean "plot" or "heritage". | |||
| English | legacy | ||
| The word "legacy" shares its etymological roots with "legend," both deriving from the Latin "legere" meaning "to read" or "to gather." | |||
| French | héritage | ||
| While “héritage” usually means “legacy” in French, it also refers to “inheritance” in the sense of property passed after a person dies. | |||
| Frisian | legaat | ||
| The word 'legaat' is a loanword from Latin word 'legatum', which meant 'official assignment'. | |||
| Galician | legado | ||
| In Galician, the word "legado" can also mean "apostle" or "envoy." | |||
| German | erbe | ||
| "Erbe" is a word of Old High German origin, meaning "inheritance" or "heritage". | |||
| Icelandic | arfleifð | ||
| The word 'arfleifð' derives from the Old Norse word 'erfi' meaning 'inheritance' and 'leifð' meaning 'remainder'. | |||
| Irish | oidhreacht | ||
| The word "oidhreacht" in Irish can also refer to "an inheritance" or "a patrimony". | |||
| Italian | eredità | ||
| "Eredità" originally meant "heirship" or "inheritance" in Latin, but it has now come to mean "legacy" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | ierfschaft | ||
| Ierfschaft, derived from Old High German "erbscaft", has multiple meanings including inheritance, heritage, ancestry, and estate. | |||
| Maltese | wirt | ||
| In some instances, "wirt" can also refer to a person who holds an ancestral heirloom. | |||
| Norwegian | arv | ||
| The word "arv" can also mean "inheritance" or "heritage" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | legado | ||
| In Portuguese, 'legado' can also refer to a group of people appointed to carry out a task, like the executors of a will. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dìleab | ||
| In Irish literature, 'dìleab' was used to describe a poetic composition that was intended to be passed down through generations, often containing a moral or lesson. | |||
| Spanish | legado | ||
| The Spanish word "legado" can also mean "envoy" or "legate". | |||
| Swedish | arv | ||
| The word "arv" in Swedish can also refer to a genetic inheritance passed down from parents to offspring. | |||
| Welsh | etifeddiaeth | ||
| "Etifeddiaeth" comes from "etifedd", which can also refer to a child or a prince | |||
Legacy in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спадчына | ||
| "Спадчына" is also an archaic term for a person who has inherited something, or an heir. | |||
| Bosnian | nasleđe | ||
| Nasleđe is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *naslědъ, meaning "what is passed down; inheritance; posterity." | |||
| Bulgarian | наследство | ||
| The word "наследство" also means "inheritance" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | dědictví | ||
| The Czech word "dědictví" shares its etymology with the English word "heritage," both tracing back to the Latin word "hereditas," meaning "inheritance." | |||
| Estonian | pärand | ||
| "Pärand" means "heritage" in Estonian, but it used to mean an "ancestral burden". | |||
| Finnish | perintö | ||
| The word "perintö" derives from the Proto-Finnic word "*perä", meaning "back, hindmost, last". | |||
| Hungarian | örökség | ||
| Örökség, meaning both legacy and inheritance, derives from the verb “örököl” (to inherit). | |||
| Latvian | mantojums | ||
| The word "mantojums" directly translates to "inheritance" in English. | |||
| Lithuanian | palikimas | ||
| Palikimas, a Lithuanian word for "legacy," also means "a gift left by the dead to the living." | |||
| Macedonian | наследство | ||
| This word is a loan from the Old Church Slavonic language, and it also has the meaning of "inheritance". | |||
| Polish | dziedzictwo | ||
| The word "dziedzictwo" in Polish can also refer to "inheritance" or "heritage". | |||
| Romanian | moştenire | ||
| The Romanian word "moştenire" derives from the Slavic "moštь", meaning "estate", "heritage", and is cognate with the Albanian "mohtra", "mother's dowry". | |||
| Russian | наследие | ||
| The word "наследие" can also refer to "heritage" or "inheritance". | |||
| Serbian | наслеђе | ||
| The word 'наслеђе' in Serbian also means 'inheritance'. | |||
| Slovak | dedičstvo | ||
| The Slovak word "dedičstvo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dědь", meaning "grandfather" or "ancestor". In addition to its primary meaning of "legacy", "dedičstvo" can also refer to "inheritance", "heritage", or "tradition". | |||
| Slovenian | zapuščina | ||
| The word 'zapuščina' in Slovenian also means 'estate'. | |||
| Ukrainian | спадщина | ||
| The word "спадщина" (legacy) stems from "спадати" (to descend) and originally referred to family property inherited from ancestors. | |||
Legacy in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উত্তরাধিকার | ||
| The word 'উত্তরাধিকার' in Bengali is derived from Sanskrit 'uttara' (after), and 'adhikaran' (a right, an interest, property); thus, 'that which is owned after (by a person)' | |||
| Gujarati | વારસો | ||
| વારસો stems from the Sanskrit word 'varsha' meaning 'to rain' and originally denoted 'inheritance', but it now also refers to a person's 'legacy'. | |||
| Hindi | विरासत | ||
| The Hindi word 'विरासत' is derived from Sanskrit and its root word 'वृष्' meaning 'to dwell' or 'to grow'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪರಂಪರೆ | ||
| The word "ಪರಂಪರೆ" also means "tradition" or "heredity". | |||
| Malayalam | പാരമ്പര്യം | ||
| In Malayalam, 'പാരമ്പര്യം' ('legacy') derives from Sanskrit and also refers to inherited traditions or customs. | |||
| Marathi | वारसा | ||
| The Marathi word "वारसा" (legacy) initially meant "a share in ancestral property" and is linked to the root word "वारा" (share). | |||
| Nepali | विरासत | ||
| The word 'विरासत' comes from the Sanskrit word 'virāś', meaning 'inheritance' or 'succession'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਰਾਸਤ | ||
| The word "ਵਿਰਾਸਤ" (virasat) is derived from the Sanskrit word "viras" meaning "hero" and "rat" meaning "wealth", indicating the inheritance of a heroic lineage or noble heritage. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උරුමය | ||
| The Sinhala word "උරුමය" ("legacy") also has a second, slightly archaic, meaning of "custom" or "tradition". | |||
| Tamil | மரபு | ||
| The Tamil word 'மரபு' has alternate meanings of 'tradition' and 'heredity'. | |||
| Telugu | వారసత్వం | ||
| "వారసత్వం" also refers to an inherited quality or characteristic, especially from one's ancestors or predecessors. | |||
| Urdu | میراث | ||
| In Urdu, "میراث" can also refer to an inherited characteristic or quality. | |||
Legacy in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 遗产 | ||
| In Chinese, "遗产" can refer to cultural heritage, ancestral property, or even one's reputation. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 遺產 | ||
| 遺產 can also mean "orphans and widows" | |||
| Japanese | レガシー | ||
| In Japanese, ``レガシー'' (legacy) also refers to outmoded technology or systems inherited from the past. | |||
| Korean | 유산 | ||
| "유산" is used in Korean to refer to both assets inherited from an ancestor and cultural traditions originating from past generations. | |||
| Mongolian | өв | ||
| Өв can also mean "debt" or "inheritance". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမွေအနှစ် | ||
Legacy in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | warisan | ||
| "Warisan" also means "inheritance" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | pusaka | ||
| "Pusaka" (literally "inheritance"), in modern Javanese, refers to tangible or intangible objects with ancestral or cultural significance inherited from previous generations. | |||
| Khmer | កេរ្តិ៍ដំណែល | ||
| Lao | ມໍລະດົກ | ||
| Malay | warisan | ||
| The word "warisan" in Malay signifies not only a legacy but also an inheritance or bequest, encompassing both material and non-material possessions passed down from ancestors or predecessors. | |||
| Thai | มรดก | ||
| The word "มรดก" can also refer to a dowry or inheritance. | |||
| Vietnamese | di sản | ||
| The word "di sản" is also used to mean "heritage", "inheritance", or "relic" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamana | ||
Legacy in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | miras | ||
| The word "miras" (legacy) in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "mīrās" (inheritance), which in turn originates from the Arabic word "mīrāth" (inheritance). | |||
| Kazakh | мұра | ||
| The word "мұра" also means "inheritance" or "heritage" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | мурас | ||
| In Persian, “مُراد” means “intent,” which could refer to the intent or wish that a person had for their heir. | |||
| Tajik | мерос | ||
| The word "мерос" in Tajik can also mean "inheritance". | |||
| Turkmen | mirasy | ||
| Uzbek | meros | ||
| In Uzbek, "meros" is also used to refer to something that is handed down from one generation to another, like a tradition or a custom. | |||
| Uyghur | مىراس | ||
Legacy in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoilina | ||
| The Hawaiian term hoʻoilina also means "line of descent" and "to bequeath". | |||
| Maori | taonga tuku iho | ||
| The word "taonga tuku iho" comes from the Maori language and translates to "treasure passed down from generation to generation". | |||
| Samoan | talatuu | ||
| The Samoan word "talatuu" can also refer to traditional songs or dances that have been passed down through generations. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pamana | ||
| "Pamana" is a cognate of the Malay word "warisan" and the Indonesian word "pusaka", all meaning "inheritance". | |||
Legacy in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | waxt'a | ||
| Guarani | hapykuereja | ||
Legacy in International Languages
| Esperanto | heredaĵo | ||
| The Esperanto word "heredaĵo" derives from the Latin "hereditas" (inheritance) and also means "heritage". | |||
| Latin | legatum | ||
| The Latin legacy is inherited from the word legatum, meaning a bequest or embassy. | |||
Legacy in Others Languages
| Greek | κληρονομιά | ||
| The Greek word "κληρονομιά" also denotes an "estate of land passed down by one generation to another". | |||
| Hmong | txojsia | ||
| The word "txojsia" is also used to refer to a person's "heritage" or "ancestry" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | mîrat | ||
| "Mîrat" shares its etymological root with "mîras" in Persian, but also means "inheritance" in the sense of cultural heritage or lineage. | |||
| Turkish | miras | ||
| "Miras" also means "inheritance" and "estate" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ilifa | ||
| Ilifa can also refer to a clan name or a traditional council meeting. | |||
| Yiddish | לעגאַט | ||
| The Yiddish word לעגאַט derives from the Latin legatus, meaning "ambassador" or "envoy". | |||
| Zulu | ifa | ||
| The Zulu word "ifa" can also refer to a traditional religious system practiced in West Africa. | |||
| Assamese | উত্তৰাধিকাৰ | ||
| Aymara | waxt'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | विरासत | ||
| Dhivehi | ލެގަސީ | ||
| Dogri | बरासत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamana | ||
| Guarani | hapykuereja | ||
| Ilocano | tawid | ||
| Krio | wetin yu lɛf fɔ yu pikin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | میرات | ||
| Maithili | विरासत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯛꯍꯥꯛꯀꯤꯗꯃꯛꯇ ꯊꯝꯕꯤꯔꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rochhiah | ||
| Oromo | ashaaraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉତ୍ତରାଧିକାରୀ | | ||
| Quechua | saqisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | संप्रत्ति | ||
| Tatar | мирас | ||
| Tigrinya | መምርሕ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzhaka | ||