Legislation in Different Languages
Discover 'Legislation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Legislation, a cornerstone of any functioning society, refers to the laws and regulations that govern a country or region. Its significance lies in maintaining social order, protecting citizens' rights, and providing a framework for resolving disputes. But have you ever wondered how this vital concept is expressed in different languages?
Understanding the translation of legislation in various languages can offer fascinating insights into cultural nuances and legal systems worldwide. For instance, in Spanish, legislation is legislación, while in French, it becomes législation. In Mandarin Chinese, the term is 立法 (lìfǎ), and in Japanese, it is 立法 (risshihō).
Delving into these translations not only broadens our linguistic horizons but also deepens our appreciation for the diversity of legal traditions across the globe. Join us as we explore the intriguing world of legislation in different languages!
Legislation
Legislation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wetgewing | ||
| The word "wetgewing" in Afrikaans is a calque from the German "Gesetzgebung", sharing the same meaning and root. | |||
| Amharic | ሕግ ማውጣት | ||
| The verb ማውጣት ('to give birth') can also mean 'to legislate', in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | doka | ||
| In Hausa, "doka" also means "a person who is always making trouble". | |||
| Igbo | iwu | ||
| The Igbo word 'iwu' also refers to a type of traditional Igbo law that predated colonialism and is based on customary practices. | |||
| Malagasy | lalàna | ||
| The Malagasy word "lalàna" also means "law" or "rule" and is derived from the proto-Austronesian word "*laŋa". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | malamulo | ||
| The word 'malamulo' is thought by some to be derived from the phrase 'mu lamulo' meaning 'in the law'. | |||
| Shona | mutemo | ||
| The word "mutemo" in Shona also refers to the traditional laws and customs of the Shona people. | |||
| Somali | sharci | ||
| The word "sharci" in Somali also refers to "Islamic law" and "regulation". | |||
| Sesotho | molao | ||
| The word 'molao' in Sesotho is derived from the root word 'aola', which means 'to establish' or 'to fix' something. | |||
| Swahili | sheria | ||
| The Swahili word "sheria," originally meaning "path," is cognate with the Arabic "shari'ah," meaning "Islamic law." | |||
| Xhosa | umthetho | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "umthetho" not only means "legislation" but also refers to a traditional council composed of chiefs and elders responsible for governing and maintaining order within a community. | |||
| Yoruba | ofin | ||
| As a title, the term 'ofin' can be translated as 'lawmaker', 'judge' or 'lawyer'. | |||
| Zulu | umthetho | ||
| "Umthetho" is a word in the Zulu language that has a range of meanings, including "law," "order," and "tradition." | |||
| Bambara | sariyasunba | ||
| Ewe | sedede | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amategeko | ||
| Lingala | mibeko ya kosala | ||
| Luganda | amateeka agafuga | ||
| Sepedi | molao wa molao | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmarahyɛ bagua | ||
Legislation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التشريع | ||
| The word التشريع ('tashri') in Arabic is derived from the verb شرع ('shara') which means to start or to initiate, hence تشريع can also refer to a new beginning, a new law or a new precedent. | |||
| Hebrew | חֲקִיקָה | ||
| חֲקִיקָה (legislation) derives from חָקַק (to engrave), and also means "inscribing". | |||
| Pashto | قانون جوړونه | ||
| In Pashto, "قانون جوړونه" can also refer to the process of enacting laws. | |||
| Arabic | التشريع | ||
| The word التشريع ('tashri') in Arabic is derived from the verb شرع ('shara') which means to start or to initiate, hence تشريع can also refer to a new beginning, a new law or a new precedent. | |||
Legislation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | legjislacioni | ||
| The word "legjislacioni" is derived from the Latin word "legislatio," which means "a law or statute." | |||
| Basque | legedia | ||
| The Basque word "legedia", meaning "legislation", is derived from the Latin word "lex", meaning "law". | |||
| Catalan | legislació | ||
| The word "legislació" in Catalan derives from the Latin "legislatio", meaning "the action of enacting laws". | |||
| Croatian | zakonodavstvo | ||
| "Zakonodavstvo" is derived from "zakon" (law) and "davati" (to give), implying the process of lawmaking. | |||
| Danish | lovgivning | ||
| While the word "lovgivning" literally means "law giving" in Danish, it has the wider connotation of "legislation". | |||
| Dutch | wetgeving | ||
| "Wetgeving" is derived from the Dutch words "wet" (law) and "geving" (giving), and can also refer to the process of passing laws or the resulting laws themselves. | |||
| English | legislation | ||
| The word "legislation" derives from the Latin word "lex," meaning "law," and the suffix "-tion," meaning "action," and thus refers to the activity of making laws. | |||
| French | législation | ||
| The word « législation » in French can also refer to "legislative power" or a "collection of laws". | |||
| Frisian | wetjouwing | ||
| "Wetjouwing" also means "wet clothing" in Frisian, referring to the old custom of hanging wet clothes over laws to protect them from tearing. | |||
| Galician | lexislación | ||
| In Galician, "lexislación" also refers to the study of language and its structure. | |||
| German | gesetzgebung | ||
| German Gesetzgebung derives from Gesetz (law) and Gebung (giving) and implies the enactment of laws by a legislative body. | |||
| Icelandic | löggjöf | ||
| "Löggjöf" derives from "lögg" (law) and "gjof" (gift), implying legislation as "the gift of law". | |||
| Irish | reachtaíocht | ||
| In the Old Irish period the word was used in the sense of "guarantor". | |||
| Italian | legislazione | ||
| While "legislazione" exclusively means "legislation" in Italian, in Spanish it also means "jurisprudence". | |||
| Luxembourgish | gesetzgebung | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Gesetzgebung" is also used to refer to the process of making laws. | |||
| Maltese | leġiżlazzjoni | ||
| The etymology of "leġiżlazzjoni" derives from the Latin word "legislatio", meaning "legislative authority" or "the act of making laws". | |||
| Norwegian | lovgivning | ||
| The word "lovgivning" comes from the Old Norse word "lög", meaning "law," and "gjöra", meaning "to do" or "to make." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | legislação | ||
| The Portuguese word "legislação" comes from the Latin word "legislatio," meaning "the act of making laws." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | reachdas | ||
| The word "reachdas" in Scots Gaelic also means "law" or "act". | |||
| Spanish | legislación | ||
| Legislación derives from the Latin ''legislatio'', which means the action of enacting laws. | |||
| Swedish | lagstiftning | ||
| The word "lagstiftning" is derived from the Old Norse word "lǫg", meaning "law". | |||
| Welsh | deddfwriaeth | ||
| The word "deddfwriaeth" derives from the Welsh words "deddf" (law) and "gwriaeth" (right), suggesting a connection between law and the rights of individuals. | |||
Legislation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | заканадаўства | ||
| The word "заканадаўства" is derived from the Slavic root "законъ" (zakon), meaning "law", and the suffix "-ство" (-stvo), indicating a system or set of rules. | |||
| Bosnian | zakonodavstvo | ||
| Bosnian 'zakonodavstvo' derives from 'zakon' ('law') originally meaning both 'legislature' and 'legislation'. | |||
| Bulgarian | законодателство | ||
| In Slavic languages, "закон" (zakon) means 'law' and "дателство" (datelstvo) means 'giving'. | |||
| Czech | legislativa | ||
| Legislativa comes from "legisl", meaning law, and "aktiv", meaning to do. | |||
| Estonian | seadusandlus | ||
| "Seadusandlus" comes from the word "seadus" which means "law". The suffix "-andlus" describes a process, so "seadusandlus" describes the process of creating laws. | |||
| Finnish | lainsäädännössä | ||
| The word "lainsäädännössä" comes from the Finnish word "laki" (law) and the suffix "-ssä" (in). | |||
| Hungarian | jogszabályok | ||
| A "jogszabályok" szó a "jog" (törvény) és a "szabályok" szavak összevonásával keletkezett. | |||
| Latvian | likumdošana | ||
| In Latvian, the word "likumdošana" originates from the word "likums" (law), indicating the process of establishing laws and regulations. | |||
| Lithuanian | teisės aktus | ||
| Lithuanian "teisės aktus" derives from Middle Dutch "acte", likely through Middle Low German | |||
| Macedonian | законодавството | ||
| The word "законодавството" is derived from the Slavic root "законъ", meaning "law" or "decree". | |||
| Polish | ustawodawstwo | ||
| The Polish word "ustawodawstwo" is derived from "ustawa," meaning "law or statue." | |||
| Romanian | legislație | ||
| "Legislație" is derived from French "législation" and ultimately Latin "lex, legis" (law). | |||
| Russian | законодательство | ||
| The term 'законодательство' can also refer to the body of laws or statutes enacted by a governing authority. | |||
| Serbian | законодавство | ||
| "Законодавство" is derived from the Slavic root "закон," meaning "law" or "right," and the suffix "-ство," indicating a state or condition. | |||
| Slovak | právnych predpisov | ||
| The word »právnych predpisov« is derived from the Slavic word »pravo«, meaning »law« or »right«. | |||
| Slovenian | legalizacija | ||
| In Slovenia, the word "legalizacija," which translates to "legislation" in English, also has an alternate meaning of "legalization," specifically in the context of drugs.} | |||
| Ukrainian | законодавство | ||
| The word "законодавство" can also refer to the body of laws governing a country or organization. | |||
Legislation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আইন | ||
| The term 'আইন' in Bengali also denotes a rule or a system of rules. | |||
| Gujarati | કાયદો | ||
| The Gujarati word "કાયદો" can also refer to a rule or regulation. | |||
| Hindi | कानून | ||
| The word "कानून" is derived from the Arabic word "القانون" (al-qānūn), which originally referred to a set of rules or norms. | |||
| Kannada | ಶಾಸನ | ||
| The word "ಶಾಸನ" comes from the Sanskrit word "शासन" (śāsana), meaning "rule, government, or authority." | |||
| Malayalam | നിയമനിർമ്മാണം | ||
| The term 'നിയമനിർമ്മാണം' in Malayalam has its origin in the Sanskrit root 'niyam', meaning 'law, regulation, ordinance, or rule'. | |||
| Marathi | कायदे | ||
| In its original Persian form, 'qaida' also meant 'rule' or 'procedure' (as in 'qaida-e-nizam,' meaning 'rules and regulations'), but in Marathi it became specifically associated with the laws passed by the British colonial government. | |||
| Nepali | कानून | ||
| The Sanskrit word "कानून" comes from "कान" which means "to hear", and "अनु" which means "after." This reflects the ancient practice of public hearings before laws were passed.} | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਨੂੰਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නීති සම්පාදනය | ||
| The word "නීති සම්පාදනය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "nīti", meaning "law" or "justice", and the suffix "-sambhāvanā", meaning "preparation" or "making". It also has the alternate meaning of "legislative assembly" or "parliament". | |||
| Tamil | சட்டம் | ||
| The term 'சட்டம்' derives from the Sanskrit root 'sha' meaning 'to cut or divide,' suggesting the division and distribution of laws and regulations. | |||
| Telugu | చట్టం | ||
| చట్టం (legislation) derives from the Sanskrit word "śāstra", meaning "teaching" or "doctrine". | |||
| Urdu | قانون سازی | ||
| The Urdu word for legislation can also refer to the act of establishing and implementing rules. | |||
Legislation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 立法 | ||
| 立法 refers to the creation of laws and regulations, as well as the process of enacting them. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 立法 | ||
| The word '立法' in Chinese can also mean 'to establish laws' or 'to make rules'. | |||
| Japanese | 立法 | ||
| 立法 (legislation) in Japanese means "rulemaking" in the broad sense, not necessarily laws passed by the legislature. | |||
| Korean | 법률 제정 | ||
| The Sino-Korean word “법률제정(立法)” is also interpreted as “법을 제정하다(establish law)” in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | хууль тогтоомж | ||
| Mongolian | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဥပဒေပြဌာန်း | ||
Legislation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | undang-undang | ||
| The word 'undang-undang' derives from the Malay 'undang-undang' meaning 'law' or 'statute' and is cognate with the Filipino 'utang na loob' meaning 'debt of gratitude'. | |||
| Javanese | undang-undang | ||
| "Undang-undang", a Javanese term for legislation, also means "to summon" or "to gather". | |||
| Khmer | ច្បាប់ | ||
| The word ច្បាប់ can also refer to a royal decree or a traditional law. | |||
| Lao | ນິຕິ ກຳ | ||
| Malay | perundangan | ||
| The word "perundangan" can also refer to the science of law and jurisprudence. | |||
| Thai | กฎหมาย | ||
| The term "กฎหมาย" also refers to the collection of judicial statutes and regulations. | |||
| Vietnamese | pháp luật | ||
| "Pháp luật" is a Sino-Vietnamese word, which can also mean "law" or "legal system". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | batas | ||
Legislation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qanunvericilik | ||
| "Qanunvericilik" is derived from the Arabic word "qanun" (law) and the Persian suffix "-ver" (having, possessing). It can also refer to the specific laws and regulations enacted by a legislative body. | |||
| Kazakh | заңнама | ||
| The Kazakh word "заңнама" is derived from the Persian word "قانون" (qānūn), which means "rule" or "law." | |||
| Kyrgyz | мыйзамдар | ||
| "Мыйзамдар" in Kyrgyz is based on the Arabic word "mawdhui", which means "content". | |||
| Tajik | қонунгузорӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "қонунгузорӣ" comes from the Persian "قانونگذاری" and ultimately derives from the Arabic "قانون," meaning "law" or "rule." | |||
| Turkmen | kanunçylygy | ||
| Uzbek | qonunchilik | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "qonunchilik" means both "legislation" and "jurisprudence" | |||
| Uyghur | قانۇن چىقىرىش | ||
Legislation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kānāwai | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kānāwai" is related to the word "kawa" meaning "law" or "right", and shares its root with "kanohi", meaning "face" or "expression", possibly denoting a "showing of the face" of the law. | |||
| Maori | ture | ||
| In Māori ture means both "law" and "history" or "story". | |||
| Samoan | tulafono | ||
| The word 'tulafono' also refers to a law, rule, or regulation, and it is related to the words 'tutu' (to decree) and 'fono' (to speak). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | batas | ||
| "Batas" also means "boundary" in Tagalog, and it is related to the Malay-Polynesian roots "batas" and "batang", which both mean "stalk" or "trunk". | |||
Legislation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kamachina qhananchaña | ||
| Guarani | legislación rehegua | ||
Legislation in International Languages
| Esperanto | leĝaro | ||
| The Esperanto word "leĝaro" is related to the Esperanto word for "law", "leĝo", and to the Latin word "lex" (law), from which many words for "law" in European languages are derived. | |||
| Latin | leges | ||
| "Lex", the root of "leges", meant "sacred decree, statute" before gaining the meaning "legislative body" during the Republic and "law" under Augustus. | |||
Legislation in Others Languages
| Greek | νομοθεσία | ||
| "Νομοθεσία" can also mean "legitimate" or "legal." | |||
| Hmong | txoj cai | ||
| In Hmong, 'txoj cai' literally means 'the path of water', with 'cai' meaning water and 'txoj' meaning path. | |||
| Kurdish | qanûmda | ||
| The word "qanûnda" in Kurdish originated from the Arabic word "qanun". The word "qanun" literally means "law" and is used in this context in various other languages in the Middle East. | |||
| Turkish | mevzuat | ||
| In Turkish, 'mevzuat' also refers specifically to legal texts as well as legal regulations and rulings | |||
| Xhosa | umthetho | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "umthetho" not only means "legislation" but also refers to a traditional council composed of chiefs and elders responsible for governing and maintaining order within a community. | |||
| Yiddish | געסעצ - געבונג | ||
| In Yiddish, געסעצ - געבונג (legislation) can also refer to a rule or regulation. | |||
| Zulu | umthetho | ||
| "Umthetho" is a word in the Zulu language that has a range of meanings, including "law," "order," and "tradition." | |||
| Assamese | আইন প্ৰণয়ন | ||
| Aymara | kamachina qhananchaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | कानून बनावे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ގާނޫނު ހެދުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | कानून बनाना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | batas | ||
| Guarani | legislación rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | lehislasion | ||
| Krio | lɔ we dɛn mek | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | یاسادانان | ||
| Maithili | कानून के निर्माण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯦꯖꯤꯁ꯭ꯂꯦꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | dan siam a ni | ||
| Oromo | seera baasuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିୟମ | ||
| Quechua | kamachiy | ||
| Sanskrit | विधानम् | ||
| Tatar | законнары | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕጊ ምውጻእ እዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | milawu | ||