Legend in Different Languages
Discover 'Legend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word legend holds a special place in our hearts and minds, as it represents a story, person, or thing that has achieved an iconic status in the collective consciousness. From mythical creatures and historical figures to cultural traditions and popular folklore, legends have the power to inspire, entertain, and teach us valuable lessons about the world and ourselves.
With a rich history that spans centuries and continents, the concept of a legend has been interpreted and translated in various ways across different languages and cultures. For example, in Spanish, the word for legend is leyenda, which also means 'legendary' or 'epic' in English. Meanwhile, in German, a legend is called a Sage, which can also refer to a myth or a fable.
In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of legends in different languages, shedding light on their significance, cultural importance, and the unique ways they are expressed around the globe. So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious about the world we live in, join us on this journey to discover the many faces of legends in different languages.
Legend
Legend in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | legende | ||
| "Legende" originally meant a list of readings in church services, as well as the accompanying stories about the saints. | |||
| Amharic | አፈታሪክ | ||
| 'አፈታሪክ' (legend) derives from 'አፍ' (mouth), and 'ታሪክ' (history). It initially meant oral tradition. The term now also applies to modern written narratives derived from those traditions. | |||
| Hausa | labari | ||
| The Hausa word "labari" can also mean "story", "news", or "information". | |||
| Igbo | akụkọ mgbe ochie | ||
| In Igbo, the word "akụkọ mgbe ochie" may also refer to a historical account or narrative passed down through generations. | |||
| Malagasy | maribolana | ||
| Maribolana, meaning "legend" in Malagasy, is also used to refer to a mischievous spirit associated with haunted forests. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nthano | ||
| Possibly derived from the Ngoni word "intano" meaning "tales from our ancestors" | |||
| Shona | ngano | ||
| The word 'ngano' also means 'tale' or 'story' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | halyeey | ||
| The Somali word "halyeey" does not have any alternate meanings and only means "legend." | |||
| Sesotho | tšōmo | ||
| The word "tšōmo" can also refer to the story of a deceased ancestor or a myth. | |||
| Swahili | hadithi | ||
| `Hadithi` comes from the Arabic `hadith`, which means "story" or "account". | |||
| Xhosa | ilivo | ||
| The word "ilivo" can also mean "a memorial" or "a tombstone" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | arosọ | ||
| Zulu | inganekwane | ||
| The Zulu word "inganekwane" also denotes mythical narratives passed down through oral history. | |||
| Bambara | lezandi | ||
| Ewe | kalẽtɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umugani | ||
| Lingala | legende | ||
| Luganda | omuzira | ||
| Sepedi | nonwane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | okunini | ||
Legend in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عنوان تفسيري | ||
| In English, the word "legend" has several meanings, including a traditional story or fictional tale, an explanatory note accompanying a map or illustration, or a famous or notable person. | |||
| Hebrew | אגדה | ||
| The word אגדה can also refer to the non-legalistic portions of the Talmud, comprising stories, homilies, and parables. | |||
| Pashto | افسانوي | ||
| The word "افسانوي" in Pashto can also mean "fictional" or "mythical". | |||
| Arabic | عنوان تفسيري | ||
| In English, the word "legend" has several meanings, including a traditional story or fictional tale, an explanatory note accompanying a map or illustration, or a famous or notable person. | |||
Legend in Western European Languages
| Albanian | legjendë | ||
| The word "legjendë" in Albanian comes from the Latin word "legenda", meaning "something to be read", and can also refer to a religious text. | |||
| Basque | kondaira | ||
| Kondaira, a loanword from Spanish "leyenda," also refers to a story that is fictional and entertaining rather than true. | |||
| Catalan | llegenda | ||
| In Catalan, "llegenda" also means "message" or "reading". | |||
| Croatian | legenda | ||
| The Croatian term 'legenda' also refers to a 'religious' story of events and/or people that includes some degree of fantasy, exaggeration, or embellishment. | |||
| Danish | legende | ||
| In Danish, "legende" also refers to a religious account of a saint's life. | |||
| Dutch | legende | ||
| In Dutch, "legende" can also refer to a caption or explanation accompanying an illustration. | |||
| English | legend | ||
| Legends were originally religious texts, but can also refer to widely held but unproven stories. | |||
| French | légende | ||
| Légende, from the Latin legenda, also referred to in Old French as legende, means both 'a reading' and 'a legend'. | |||
| Frisian | leginde | ||
| The word "leginde" in Frisian can also mean "lie" or "fable". | |||
| Galician | lenda | ||
| In Galician, the word "lenda" also means "loin" or "waist" in reference to the human body. | |||
| German | legende | ||
| The German word "Legende" can also mean "lesson" or "teaching". | |||
| Icelandic | goðsögn | ||
| Derived from Old Norse "goð", "god", and "saga", "saying", thus referring to tales of gods. | |||
| Irish | finscéal | ||
| Finscéal is also a synonym for 'knowledge' in Irish and stems from a word meaning 'a tale told after dinner'. | |||
| Italian | leggenda | ||
| The word "leggenda" shares its root with the Latin verb "legere," which means "to read," or "to choose," alluding to the careful selection of stories that would compose a legend. | |||
| Luxembourgish | legend | ||
| Legend (Luxemburgish: Legend) can also refer to the title of the highest rank of the Luxembourg National Police. | |||
| Maltese | leġġenda | ||
| Maltese "leġġenda" also refers to a type of local legend, often associated with a particular saint. | |||
| Norwegian | legende | ||
| In Norwegian, "legende" can also refer to a religious text recounting the lives of saints, similar to "hagiography" in English. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lenda | ||
| Portuguese "lenda" also means "firewood" (in a fireplace). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uirsgeul | ||
| Uirsgeul is an Irish Gaelic term composed of two parts: 'uisce' ('water') and 'sgeul' ('story'), suggesting the fluidity and enduring nature of legendary tales passed down through generations | |||
| Spanish | leyenda | ||
| The word "leyenda" derives from the Latin " legenda," meaning "things to be read," and can also refer to a label in a book or an engraving's caption. | |||
| Swedish | legend | ||
| In Swedish, the word "legend" can also refer to a title or caption that explains or identifies something. | |||
| Welsh | chwedl | ||
| The Welsh word "chwedl" can also refer to a fictionalized account or an exaggeration. | |||
Legend in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | легенда | ||
| The Belarusian "легенда" is borrowed from Latin and used to describe fairy tales and myths with a basis in history. | |||
| Bosnian | legenda | ||
| In Bosnian, the word 'legenda' can also refer to a religious story or a fairy tale. | |||
| Bulgarian | легенда | ||
| Bulgarian "легенда" originates from Latin "legenda" and can also mean "religious text read at religious services" or "the text of a life of a saint or martyr". | |||
| Czech | legenda | ||
| V češtině má slovo „legenda“ také význam „text určený k veřejnému čtení pobožnosti“. | |||
| Estonian | legend | ||
| In Estonian, the word "legend" also refers to a "myth" | |||
| Finnish | legenda | ||
| "Legenda" in Finnish also refers to a reading in the Divine Office, a collection of liturgical texts. | |||
| Hungarian | legenda | ||
| A legenda szó a latin "legere" (olvasni) igéből származik, ami arra utal, hogy a legendák eredetileg felolvasásra szánt történetek voltak. | |||
| Latvian | leģenda | ||
| The word "leģenda" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *leg- (to tell) and originally meant "something read aloud," and this meaning has been preserved in the verb "lasīt" (to read) but lost in the noun "leģenda." | |||
| Lithuanian | legenda | ||
| "Legendas" is borrowed from Late Latin *legenda*, "something to be read," originally referring to the reading in the church liturgy. | |||
| Macedonian | легенда | ||
| In Macedonian, легенда (legenda) also means "folklore" or "fairy tale". | |||
| Polish | legenda | ||
| The Polish word "legenda" evolved from Latin and has meanings related to reading and interpretation, such as a text read during religious services or an explanatory caption in an image. | |||
| Romanian | legendă | ||
| The Romanian word "legendă" also has the meanings of "caption" or "explanatory label". | |||
| Russian | легенда | ||
| The Russian word "легенда" also means "caption" or "subscript". | |||
| Serbian | легенда | ||
| It can also be used in a figurative sense to mean "a mythical or extraordinary event, a fairy tale, a myth". | |||
| Slovak | legenda | ||
| The word "legenda" in Slovak can also mean a "collection of saints' lives". | |||
| Slovenian | legenda | ||
| V slovenščini legenda pomeni tako životopise svetnikov kot tudi pripoved o izmišljenih junakih, ki je bila sprva namenjena branju. | |||
| Ukrainian | легенда | ||
| The word "легенда" in Ukrainian can also mean "a lie" or "a false story", likely due to its historical connection with "legend" in English, which comes from the Latin "legenda" meaning "something to be read". | |||
Legend in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কিংবদন্তি | ||
| The word "কিংবদন্তি" can also refer to a traditional story or tale that is passed down from generation to generation, often about a historical or mythical event. | |||
| Gujarati | દંતકથા | ||
| The word "દંતકથા" is derived from the Sanskrit words "danta" meaning "tooth" and "katha" meaning "story", it refers to a story that has been passed down through generations by word of mouth. | |||
| Hindi | किंवदंती | ||
| **किंवदंती** ("legend") is derived from the Latin word "legenda," meaning "things to be read," and was originally used to refer to the lives of saints and martyrs. | |||
| Kannada | ದಂತಕಥೆ | ||
| The Kannada word ದಂತಕಥೆ (legend) originates from the Sanskrit word 'dantakathā,' which literally translates to 'tooth story' | |||
| Malayalam | ഇതിഹാസം | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "Itihasa" originally meant "that which actually happened" and is a genre of literature recording ancient myths and traditions. | |||
| Marathi | आख्यायिका | ||
| "आख्यायिका" also refers to "news". | |||
| Nepali | पौराणिक कथा | ||
| The word "पौराणिक कथा" (legend) in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "पुराण" (ancient lore) and "कथा" (story). It refers to a traditional narrative that is handed down from generation to generation and is often associated with cultural history. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਥਾ | ||
| "ਕਥਾ" refers to a traditional religious discourse or storytelling in Punjab, often involving mythical or historical events. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පුරාවෘත්තය | ||
| Tamil | புராண | ||
| The Tamil word "புராண" is also used in a broader sense to refer to "past stories" or "chronicles". | |||
| Telugu | పురాణం | ||
| The word "పురాణం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पुराण" (purāṇa), which means "ancient lore" or "mythology". | |||
| Urdu | علامات | ||
| The word 'علامات' is derived from the Arabic word 'علم', meaning 'to know' or 'to understand'. It can also refer to a banner, a standard, or a sign. | |||
Legend in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 传说 | ||
| The term "传说" in Chinese can also refer to a folk tale or myth. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 傳說 | ||
| The first character 傳 refers to 'transmit' while the second 說 means 'speak', which captures the idea of a shared narrative, often with mythical or historical origins. | |||
| Japanese | 伝説 | ||
| While commonly understood to mean 'legend' in English, '伝説（でんせつ）' in Japanese can have multiple meanings, including 'fairy tale' or 'folk tale' | |||
| Korean | 전설 | ||
| The word '전설' originates from the Chinese word '典籍' (dianji), which means 'classical texts' or 'historical records'. | |||
| Mongolian | домог | ||
| The word "домог" is derived from the verb "домох" meaning "to tell, to narrate." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဒဏ္.ာရီ | ||
| The word "ဒဏ္.ာရီ" can also refer to a historical event, a myth, or a made-up story. | |||
Legend in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | legenda | ||
| Dalam bahasa Indonesia, "legenda" juga berarti "kisah yang tidak benar-benar terjadi atau tidak memiliki dasar fakta". | |||
| Javanese | legenda | ||
| In Javanese, "legenda" is also used to refer to a type of traditional folk story passed down through generations. | |||
| Khmer | រឿងព្រេង | ||
| The Khmer word for 'legend,' ម្រះវ, is derived from the Sanskrit word रओां, meaning 'story' or 'history'. | |||
| Lao | ນິທານ | ||
| The Lao word for "legend", "ນິທານ", is derived from the Sanskrit word "nidāna", meaning "origin" or "story of origin". | |||
| Malay | legenda | ||
| In addition to its original meaning, the word "legenda" also means "law" and "mythological narrative" in Malay, similar to its usage in Latin and Old French. | |||
| Thai | ตำนาน | ||
| ตำนาน can refer to either a myth or a story passed down through generations | |||
| Vietnamese | huyền thoại | ||
| In Vietnamese, "huyền thoại" derives from the Chinese "虛傳", meaning "false transmission" or "tall tale". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alamat | ||
Legend in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | əfsanə | ||
| The word "əfsanə" ultimately derives from the Arabic "ʾafsāna" (أفسانة), which means "fairy tale" or "mythical story." | |||
| Kazakh | аңыз | ||
| The Kazakh word | |||
| Kyrgyz | легенда | ||
| 'Легенда' ('legend') in Kyrgyz can also mean 'saga,' 'myth,' or 'tale'. | |||
| Tajik | афсона | ||
| Etymology: Persian افسانه (afsâne), ultimately of Arabic origin.} | |||
| Turkmen | rowaýat | ||
| Uzbek | afsona | ||
| The word "afsona" is of Persian origin and also means "tale" or "story". | |||
| Uyghur | رىۋايەت | ||
Legend in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaao | ||
| In addition to its meaning of "legend," the Hawaiian word "kaao" can also refer to a type of traditional Hawaiian chant. | |||
| Maori | pakiwaitara | ||
| The etymology of 'pakiwaitara' suggests a secondary meaning of 'to carry a burden,' referencing the responsibility to guard and transmit legends through generations. | |||
| Samoan | talafatu | ||
| Samoan word 'talafatu' also means 'to narrate stories', highlighting its deep connection to storytelling and cultural preservation. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | alamat | ||
| "Alamat" can also refer to a sign, mark, or omen. | |||
Legend in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sara | ||
| Guarani | mombe'ugua'u | ||
Legend in International Languages
| Esperanto | legendo | ||
| Legendo, which means "legend" in English, also denotes a "reading" in Latin and is related to the word "lecture". | |||
| Latin | legend | ||
| The Latin word "legenda" (legend) also means "something to be read (aloud)", typically hagiographies of the saints. | |||
Legend in Others Languages
| Greek | θρύλος | ||
| The word "θρύλος" (legend) can also refer to a "noisy clamor" or "uproar". | |||
| Hmong | dab neeg | ||
| Dab neeg can also mean 'lore', 'folklore', or 'oral tradition'. | |||
| Kurdish | çîrok | ||
| The Kurdish word "çîrok" can also refer to a story, a fable, or a tale. | |||
| Turkish | efsane | ||
| "Efsane" shares its root with Persian word "afsāneh" meaning "myth" and Arabic word "ufsāna" meaning "idle talk". | |||
| Xhosa | ilivo | ||
| The word "ilivo" can also mean "a memorial" or "a tombstone" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | לעגענדע | ||
| The Yiddish word "לעגענדע" (leygende) can also refer to a folk tale or a fairy tale, unlike its English cognate. | |||
| Zulu | inganekwane | ||
| The Zulu word "inganekwane" also denotes mythical narratives passed down through oral history. | |||
| Assamese | কিংবদন্তী | ||
| Aymara | sara | ||
| Bhojpuri | दंतकथा | ||
| Dhivehi | ލެޖެންޑް | ||
| Dogri | म्हान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alamat | ||
| Guarani | mombe'ugua'u | ||
| Ilocano | tanda | ||
| Krio | soso stori | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەفسانە | ||
| Maithili | किंवदंती | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯔꯤ | ||
| Mizo | thawnthu | ||
| Oromo | cimaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କିମ୍ବଦନ୍ତୀ | ||
| Quechua | yuyapachiq | ||
| Sanskrit | आख्यान | ||
| Tatar | легенда | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣፈ ታሪኽ | ||
| Tsonga | nhenha | ||