Afrikaans lening | ||
Albanian hua | ||
Amharic ብድር | ||
Arabic قرض | ||
Armenian վարկ | ||
Assamese ঋণ | ||
Aymara mayt'awi | ||
Azerbaijani kredit | ||
Bambara juru | ||
Basque mailegu | ||
Belarusian крэдыт | ||
Bengali loanণ | ||
Bhojpuri उधार | ||
Bosnian zajam | ||
Bulgarian заем | ||
Catalan préstec | ||
Cebuano pahulam | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 贷款 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 貸款 | ||
Corsican prestitu | ||
Croatian zajam | ||
Czech půjčka | ||
Danish lån | ||
Dhivehi ލޯން | ||
Dogri लोन | ||
Dutch lening | ||
English loan | ||
Esperanto prunto | ||
Estonian laen | ||
Ewe gadodo | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) pautang | ||
Finnish lainata | ||
French prêt | ||
Frisian liening | ||
Galician préstamo | ||
Georgian სესხი | ||
German darlehen | ||
Greek δάνειο | ||
Guarani jeporupy | ||
Gujarati લોન | ||
Haitian Creole prè | ||
Hausa lamuni | ||
Hawaiian hōʻaiʻē | ||
Hebrew לְהַלווֹת | ||
Hindi ऋण | ||
Hmong qiv | ||
Hungarian hitel | ||
Icelandic lán | ||
Igbo mgbazinye ego | ||
Ilocano pautang | ||
Indonesian pinjaman | ||
Irish iasacht | ||
Italian prestito | ||
Japanese ローン | ||
Javanese utangan | ||
Kannada ಸಾಲ | ||
Kazakh қарыз | ||
Khmer កំចី | ||
Kinyarwanda inguzanyo | ||
Konkani रीण | ||
Korean 차관 | ||
Krio lon | ||
Kurdish sened | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) قەرز | ||
Kyrgyz насыя | ||
Lao ເງິນກູ້ | ||
Latin loan | ||
Latvian aizdevums | ||
Lingala kodefa | ||
Lithuanian paskola | ||
Luganda ebbanja | ||
Luxembourgish prêt | ||
Macedonian заем | ||
Maithili कर्जा | ||
Malagasy findramam-bola | ||
Malay pinjaman | ||
Malayalam വായ്പ | ||
Maltese self | ||
Maori taurewa | ||
Marathi कर्ज | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯄꯨꯍꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo leiba | ||
Mongolian зээл | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ချေးငွေ | ||
Nepali .ण | ||
Norwegian låne | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) ngongole | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଋଣ | ||
Oromo liqaa | ||
Pashto پور | ||
Persian وام | ||
Polish pożyczka | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) empréstimo | ||
Punjabi ਕਰਜ਼ਾ | ||
Quechua manu | ||
Romanian împrumut | ||
Russian ссуда | ||
Samoan nonogatupe | ||
Sanskrit ऋणं | ||
Scots Gaelic iasad | ||
Sepedi kadimo | ||
Serbian зајам | ||
Sesotho kalimo | ||
Shona chikwereti | ||
Sindhi قرض | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ණය | ||
Slovak pôžička | ||
Slovenian posojilo | ||
Somali amaah | ||
Spanish préstamo | ||
Sundanese injeuman | ||
Swahili mkopo | ||
Swedish lån | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) pautang | ||
Tajik қарз | ||
Tamil கடன் | ||
Tatar кредит | ||
Telugu ఋణం | ||
Thai เงินกู้ | ||
Tigrinya ልቃሕ | ||
Tsonga loni | ||
Turkish kredi | ||
Turkmen karz | ||
Twi (Akan) besea | ||
Ukrainian позику | ||
Urdu قرض | ||
Uyghur قەرز | ||
Uzbek kredit | ||
Vietnamese tiền vay | ||
Welsh benthyciad | ||
Xhosa mboleko | ||
Yiddish אַנטלייַען | ||
Yoruba awin | ||
Zulu ukubolekwa |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "lening" derives from the Old Dutch "leen", meaning both "loan" and "feudal fiefdom" and is cognate to English "lend" and German "Lehen". |
| Albanian | The word 'hua' in Albanian also means 'money', 'treasure', or 'fortune' |
| Amharic | The word "ብድር" also means "betrayal", which is the act of helping someone only to benefit oneself while causing them harm, and it can also mean a "burden" or "obstacle". |
| Arabic | "قرض" also means "to cut" indicating that the "loaner" cuts some of his wealth and gives it to the "borrower" |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "վարկ" can also be used to refer to credit, debt, or trust. |
| Azerbaijani | "Kredit" in Azerbaijani derives from the Persian "qarz" and means a sum of money lent at interest. |
| Basque | The word 'mailegu' also has the alternate meaning of 'debt' or 'obligation'. |
| Belarusian | "Крэдыт" in Belarusian originates from the Polish "kredyt", which in turn comes from the German "Kredit" and the Italian "credito", both meaning "trust" or "belief." |
| Bengali | The word "loan" in Bengali (pronounced "lon") ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "luṇa" meaning "debt" or "obligation." |
| Bosnian | The word "zajam" is derived from the Persian word "qarz". |
| Bulgarian | The word "заем" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "заимовати" meaning "to borrow". |
| Catalan | The Catalan word 'préstec' can also refer to a 'borrowing' of an object or idea. |
| Cebuano | "Pahulam" is derived from the Spanish "paluma" (pigeon) because the original lenders in Pre-Hispanic Philippines were debt collectors who used debt notes carried by pigeons. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "贷款" (loan) in Chinese is a loanword from the English "loan". It can also refer to "invest". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The character "貸" can also mean "to let out" or "to rent out." |
| Corsican | The word 'prestitu' also means 'debt' in Corsican. |
| Croatian | The word "zajam" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic term *za-jemъ, meaning "to seize" or "to grab". |
| Czech | The word "půjčka" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pojik-, meaning "to borrow". |
| Danish | Lån derives from the Old Norse word "lân", meaning "something given or transferred". |
| Dutch | In Dutch, "lening" can also refer to a piece of land given for temporary use, a loanword from the Frisian "leen" |
| Esperanto | The word "prunto" comes from the Latin word "prōmptō", meaning "ready" or "prepared". |
| Estonian | Laen is also used to refer to a loan of money or other items. |
| Finnish | The word 'lainata' is derived from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root *laina- ('to lend, to borrow'). |
| French | "Prêt" also means "ready" because in the 12th century, a lender was "ready" to give his money, which had to be repaid later." |
| Frisian | The word "liening" in Frisian is derived from the Old Frisian word "lien", meaning "to borrow" or "to give on loan". |
| Galician | "Préstamo" can also mean "interest" in Galician, and derives from the Latin "praestare" (to advance or to grant). |
| Georgian | The word "სესხი" (loan) in Georgian also refers to borrowing something, such as an object or an idea. |
| German | "Darlehen" (loan) derives from the Middle High German term "darlîhen" and originally referred to a "giving" or "granting". |
| Greek | In Greek, "δάνειο" can also refer to "money lent at interest" or "debt". |
| Gujarati | In English, 'loan' means not only money but also an informal agreement to use something belonging to another person, such as a car. |
| Haitian Creole | The word "prè" in Haitian Creole is derived from the French word "prêt", meaning "ready" or "prepared". |
| Hausa | The Hausa word "lamuni" can also refer to a "debtor" or "borrower". |
| Hawaiian | The word "hōʻaiʻē" can also mean "to borrow" or "to lend". |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word for "loan," "לְהַלווֹת," also means "to lend" and is related to the word "לווה," meaning "borrower." |
| Hindi | The word "ऋण" also means "debt" in Hindi. |
| Hmong | Qiv literally means 'to borrow,' but is usually used just for loans of money or large amounts of food. |
| Hungarian | The word 'hitel' is derived from the Hungarian word 'hit', which means 'faith' or 'belief', and the suffix '-el', which indicates a state or condition. |
| Icelandic | Icelandic 'lán' shares its etymology with the English word 'lent', meaning the act of temporarily giving something to someone. |
| Igbo | The Igbo phrase 'mgbazinye ego', often translated as simply 'loan', also carries the connotation of 'trust', emphasising the significance of trust and goodwill in lending practices. |
| Indonesian | "Pinjaman" can also refer to an act of borrowing something, not just money. |
| Irish | Iasacht may also mean "service" or "help" in contexts outside of economics. |
| Italian | The word "prestito" in Italian can also mean "advance" or "accommodation" in the sense of a temporary loan of money. |
| Japanese | The word ローン (loan) derives from the English word “loan” and was likely introduced to Japanese in the late 19th or early 20th century. |
| Javanese | The word "utangan" in Javanese can refer to a debt owed to an individual or a deity, which highlights the significance of social and religious obligations in Javanese culture. |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಸಾಲ" (loan), also refers to a queue, line, or range. |
| Kazakh | "Қарыз" means "debt" in Kazakh. It is cognate with the Arabic word "qardh" with the same meaning |
| Khmer | "កំចី" can also mean interest on a loan or rent. |
| Korean | "차관" originally meant "additional installment" or "additional payment". |
| Kurdish | The word "sened" in Kurdish has additional meanings such as "a promise" or "to lend something". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "насыя" in Kyrgyz is derived from the verb "насуу", meaning "to borrow". |
| Latin | "Locan" in Latin refers to "granting" and the Roman goddess Locana was believed to protect the poor with monetary favours. |
| Latvian | The word "aizdevums" also means "credit" or "borrowing". |
| Lithuanian | In Lithuanian, "paskola" can also refer to a sum of money borrowed from a financial institution. |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "Prêt" is closely related to the French loan and the English "pray". |
| Macedonian | Македонската дума „заем” има икономическо и лингвистичко значение. |
| Malagasy | "Findramam-bola" comes from the Malagasy words "findramam" which means "to seek" and "bola" which means "money" or "goods." |
| Malay | The word "pinjaman" in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word "prāyama" meaning "to extend". |
| Malayalam | "വായ്പ" derives from the Sanskrit "vāypa" which means "commerce" or "trade." |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "self" is also used to indicate the return of an object that has been lent or something that is given in return for a favour. |
| Maori | Derived from the Māori words "tau" (to exchange, trade) and "rewa" (to return), a "taurewa" originally referred to a type of reciprocal agreement or contract. |
| Marathi | In Marathi, "कर्ज" (loan) originates from the Sanskrit word "क्रुश" (to buy, to acquire), signifying a financial obligation. |
| Mongolian | The word "зээл" (loan) can also mean "to owe" or "to be indebted to someone" in Mongolian. |
| Nepali | In ancient times, .ण referred to a type of interest-free loan known as "dharma ऋण". |
| Norwegian | The word "låne" is etymologically related to the English word "loan", and also has the alternate meaning of "to borrow" in Norwegian. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | "Ngongole" is derived from the verb "kugononga", meaning "to tie", reflecting the sense of an obligation that binds the borrower to the lender. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "پور" can also refer to a daughter's son, or to the young of certain animals, such as a calf. |
| Persian | The word "وام" (loan) in Persian also refers to "hope" or "reliance". |
| Polish | The word "pożyczka" also means "borrowing" or "lending". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "empréstimo" also refers to loans in a more figurative sense, such as borrowing from other cultures or languages. |
| Punjabi | The Punjabi word 'ਕਰਜ਼ਾ' (karza) originates from the Sanskrit word 'kṛṣṇa' meaning 'black', possibly referring to the dark mark placed on a person who owes a debt. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "împrumut" derives from the Latin "emprunutare" meaning "to borrow" and is related to "emprestare" meaning "to lend". |
| Russian | "Ссуда" is a financial term used in Russian, that derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "съсоудити" (to lend). |
| Samoan | The meaning of the Samoan word “nonogatupe” can also refer to the process of a person taking something that they own and giving it to someone else without the expectation of being paid back. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Gaelic word 'iasad' not only means 'loan' but also has an archaic meaning of 'beseech', which is evident in the surname MacIasgaidh ('son of the beseecher') |
| Serbian | The Serbian word "зајам" can also mean "borrowed" or "debt". |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, 'kalimo' can also refer to the traditional bride price paid by the groom to the bride's family. |
| Shona | The Shona word "chikwereti" shares a root with the word "kukweretesa," which means "to carry something on the back." |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "قرض" is also used to refer to the act of borrowing money, a debt, or a loan that is taken out. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "ණය" also means "debt" in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | The Slovak word “pôžička” derives from the Slavic verb “požiti”, which means “to use”. |
| Slovenian | The word "posojilo" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "posъditi", meaning "to lend". |
| Somali | The word 'amaah' can also mean 'debt' in Somali. |
| Spanish | The word "préstamo" in Spanish can also mean "borrowing" or "advance payment". |
| Sundanese | The word "injeuman" also means "to borrow money" in Sundanese. |
| Swahili | Mkopo is a Swahili loanword from the Arabic word 'qard' (credit) via Persian 'qarz'. |
| Swedish | The word låna is an archaic word used for borrowing in general and was in the past mainly used by the nobility. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "pautang" traces its roots to the Hokkien Chinese word "poatang," which refers to a "debt" or a "loan." |
| Tajik | The word "қарз" also means "debt" in Tajik. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "கடன்" (kaḍan) also refers to "bondage" and "obligation". |
| Telugu | The word "ఋణం" also means "debt" or "obligation" in Telugu. |
| Thai | The term "เงินกู้" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṛta", meaning "done" or "owed." |
| Turkish | "Kredi" may also mean trust, reliance, or belief in Turkish. |
| Ukrainian | The word “позику” in Ukrainian can also refer to “lending” and is derived from the Proto-Slavic term *posǫka, meaning “aid”, “assistance”. |
| Urdu | قرض originated from the Arabic word "qarḍ" which means a "cut", this is because in the past a piece of wood or a stick would be split into two and each party would keep one half, and when they needed to repay the amount they would match the sticks to ensure that they were the same. |
| Uzbek | The word 'kredit' also refers to a letter of credit or a credit card in Uzbek. |
| Vietnamese | In Vietnamese, the word "tiền vay" can also refer to the "principal" or "interest" of a loan. |
| Welsh | The Welsh word 'benthyciad' is derived from the Latin word 'beneficium', which means 'a kindness' or 'a favor'. |
| Xhosa | "Mboleko" is also a term used to describe a traditional Xhosa courtship dance performed by young men and women, often during wedding celebrations. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "אַנטלייַען" comes from the German word "entlehnen," but it also carries the meaning of giving something to someone with the expectation that it will be returned. |
| Yoruba | 'Awin' in Yoruba can also mean 'credit' or 'debt'. |
| Zulu | Ukubolekwa literally means "to be taken from," but also has a figurative meaning of "to receive a loan." |
| English | "Loan" derives from Middle English "lonen" (to lend), from Old English "lænan" |