Mayor in Different Languages
Discover 'Mayor' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The role of a mayor holds great significance in many societies across the world. As the head of a city or a town, a mayor serves as a crucial representative of their community, working to enhance the quality of life for all citizens. This position is often steeped in cultural importance, with mayors playing a vital part in local traditions and customs.
Understanding the translation of the word 'mayor' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into the unique linguistic and cultural nuances of various regions. For instance, in Spanish, the word for mayor is 'alcalde', while in French, it's 'maire'. In German, the word is 'Bürgermeister', and in Italian, it's 'sindaco'.
Moreover, exploring the translations of 'mayor' can also shed light on the historical contexts of different regions. For example, in some Nordic countries, the word for mayor has roots in the Old Norse language, reflecting the region's rich Viking history.
Join us as we delve into the translations of 'mayor' in various languages, uncovering intriguing cultural and historical facts along the way.
Mayor
Mayor in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hoër | ||
| Afrikaans word "hoër" also means "higher" and is derived from Dutch "hoger". | |||
| Amharic | ከፍ ያለ | ||
| The word "ከፍ ያለ" ("mayor") also means "high" or "tall" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | mafi girma | ||
| The word 'mafi girma' in Hausa denotes not only a mayor but also a village's most respected and senior elder. | |||
| Igbo | nke ka elu | ||
| The Igbo word 'nke ka elu' means 'the one who takes precedence over others', highlighting the hierarchical nature of traditional Igbo communities. | |||
| Malagasy | ambony | ||
| The word "ambony" also means "head of the village" or "person in charge of organizing community work" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | apamwamba | ||
| The word "apamwamba" can also refer to a leader, a headman, or a chief. | |||
| Shona | yakakwirira | ||
| The word "yakakwirira" is derived from the verb "kukwira" meaning "to go up" or "to ascend". It refers to the role of the mayor as the highest-ranking official in a town or city. | |||
| Somali | sare | ||
| The word "sare" can also refer to a chief or leader, and is derived from the Arabic word "sahr" meaning "city". | |||
| Sesotho | hodimo | ||
| "Hodimo" derives from the Sesotho word "ho dima" meaning "to judge". | |||
| Swahili | juu zaidi | ||
| Xhosa | ngaphezulu | ||
| The word ngaphezulu is also used to describe someone who has "high" status in the community, such as wealthy or powerful people. | |||
| Yoruba | ti o ga julọ | ||
| The Yoruba word "ti o ga julọ" translates to "the one who is tallest", referring to the mayor's authority and elevated position within the community. | |||
| Zulu | ngaphezulu | ||
| The Zulu word "ngaphezulu" means "above" and is also used to refer to the highest-ranking person in a community. | |||
| Bambara | dugutigi | ||
| Ewe | dudzikpɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuyobozi | ||
| Lingala | mokambi ya engumba | ||
| Luganda | meeya | ||
| Sepedi | ramotse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔmanpanyin | ||
Mayor in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أعلى | ||
| In Levantine Arabic, "أعلى" can also mean "old". In the Quran, verse 12:67, it refers to "chief." In the Quran, verse 41:30, it means "high." | |||
| Hebrew | גבוה יותר | ||
| גבוה יותר (gavoh yoter) means "higher" or "taller" in Hebrew but is also the title of a song by the Israeli rock band Mashina. | |||
| Pashto | لوړ | ||
| The Pashto word "لوړ" is derived from the Persian word "بلند" meaning "high" or "tall". | |||
| Arabic | أعلى | ||
| In Levantine Arabic, "أعلى" can also mean "old". In the Quran, verse 12:67, it refers to "chief." In the Quran, verse 41:30, it means "high." | |||
Mayor in Western European Languages
| Albanian | më të larta | ||
| Më të larta is the Albanian term for the city's highest official and has no connection to measurement, with the root being | |||
| Basque | gorago | ||
| The word "gorago" in Basque may also refer to a "boss" or "chief". | |||
| Catalan | major | ||
| The Catalan word "major" (mayor) is cognate with the French word "majeur" (major), also meaning "older or adult" and "principal or more important." | |||
| Croatian | više | ||
| The word više has its roots in the Proto-Slavic term “*vьšьjь”, meaning “larger” or “higher”. | |||
| Danish | højere | ||
| The word "højere" can also mean "higher" or "louder" in Danish, reflecting its Germanic roots. | |||
| Dutch | hoger | ||
| The word "hoger" is also used to refer to a person who is higher in rank or authority than others. | |||
| English | mayor | ||
| "Mayor" derives from the Latin "maior," meaning "greater" or "elder." | |||
| French | plus haute | ||
| The term 'plus haute' originates from the Latin word 'plus', meaning 'more', and is also used as a preposition and an adjective. | |||
| Frisian | heger | ||
| Heger in Frisian is a cognate of German "Heger" (hedge) and "Hüter" (keeper) and originally referred to the caretaker of the village green. | |||
| Galician | máis alto | ||
| "Máis alto" also means "highest" or "taller" and comes from the Latin word "magis altus" which means "more high." | |||
| German | höher | ||
| The German word "höher" is etymologically related to the English word "higher" and can also mean "higher" or "more elevated" in a non-political context. | |||
| Icelandic | hærra | ||
| The word 'hærra' comes from Old Norse and originally meant 'lord' or 'master', and is still used in some contexts, especially in rural areas, to address a man with respect. | |||
| Irish | níos airde | ||
| Níos airde, meaning 'mayor', is derived from the Irish word for 'nobleman' or 'chief'. | |||
| Italian | più alto | ||
| "Più alto" in Italian means "more high" or "higher", while "mayor" in English is the head of a town or city. | |||
| Luxembourgish | méi héich | ||
| Méi héich, meaning 'higher up', has also been in use since the 16th century to refer to a person of authority or status. | |||
| Maltese | ogħla | ||
| "Ogħla" derives from an Arabic term for „notable“ and is cognate to the Sicilian and Italian „augello" or "augelli". | |||
| Norwegian | høyere | ||
| The word "høyere" has the same linguistic root as the word "high" in English, indicating a position of authority or superiority. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | superior | ||
| In Portuguese, "superior" can also mean "higher authority" or "person in charge" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | nas àirde | ||
| The term "nas àirde" has alternate meanings such as "a chief" or "an overseer" in certain Gaelic dialects | |||
| Spanish | mayor | ||
| The word "alcalde" (mayor) comes from the Arabic "al-qādī" (judge), and it was originally used to refer to the chief judge of a town or city. | |||
| Swedish | högre | ||
| "Högre" is also a comparative form of "hög" (high) and can mean "higher" or "more important." | |||
| Welsh | uwch | ||
| The term "uwch" has additional meanings in Welsh, including "high" or "elevated" indicating the status of a mayor as a respected and esteemed individual in the community. | |||
Mayor in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вышэй | ||
| The word "вышэй" can also mean "higher" or "above" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | više | ||
| The word "više" meaning "more" in Bosnian is derived from the Old Slavic word "vьśe" with the same meaning. | |||
| Bulgarian | по-висок | ||
| "По-висок" also means "taller" in Bulgarian, sharing the same root with "висок" ("tall"). | |||
| Czech | vyšší | ||
| "Vyšší" is the comparative form of the Czech adjective "vysoký" which in turn comes from Proto-Slavic "vьsokъ", related to the English word "wassail". | |||
| Estonian | kõrgem | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "mayor", "kõrgem" can also mean "higher" or "superior" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | korkeampi | ||
| The word "korkeampi" also means "higher" or "taller" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | magasabb | ||
| The word "magasabb" also means "higher" in Hungarian, as it derives from the word "magas" (meaning "high") with the addition of the comparative suffix "-abb". | |||
| Latvian | augstāk | ||
| The word "augstāk" also means "higher" or "on top" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | didesnis | ||
| The word "didesnis" is used to denote both the "greater" in size and the "older" in age in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | повисоки | ||
| The term повисоки is derived from the Old Slavonic word “povišem” meaning “higher.” | |||
| Polish | wyższy | ||
| "Wyższy" can also mean "higher," "more highly developed," or "more advanced" | |||
| Romanian | superior | ||
| The Romanian term "superior" is also used in the context of religious order, denoting the highest ranking monk or nun in a monastery. | |||
| Russian | выше | ||
| The word "выше" also means "higher" or "above" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | више | ||
| The word 'више' (mayor) in Serbian also means 'more' or 'higher' and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'višь', meaning 'higher' | |||
| Slovak | vyššie | ||
| In Slovak, the word "vyšší" can also refer to a higher-ranking official or a person of authority. | |||
| Slovenian | višje | ||
| The word "višje" also means "higher" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *vyšьjь, meaning "more" or "greater." | |||
| Ukrainian | вище | ||
| The word 'вище' also means 'higher' and 'above' and is related to the word 'верх', which means 'top'. | |||
Mayor in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঊর্ধ্বতন | ||
| The word "ঊর্ধ্বতন" in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "उर्ध्वतनु" (ūrdhvatanu), meaning "standing above" or "superior in rank." | |||
| Gujarati | ઉચ્ચ | ||
| The word "ઉચ્ચ" can also refer to a person of high rank or status, or to something of great importance. | |||
| Hindi | उच्चतर | ||
| उच्चतर, संस्कृत शब्द 'उच्च' से व्युत्पन्न, जिसका अर्थ | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ | ||
| The word 'ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ' (hecchina) is also used to denote 'more', 'abundance' or 'exceedingly' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉയർന്നത് | ||
| The word "ഉയർന്നത്" (mayor) is derived from the Sanskrit word "उच्च" (high), referring to the senior position or authority associated with the role. | |||
| Marathi | उच्च | ||
| The word "उच्च" in Marathi also means "high" or "elevated". | |||
| Nepali | उच्च | ||
| The Nepali word "उच्च" is derived from the Sanskrit word "उच्चा" which means "high, elevated, or superior". | |||
| Punjabi | ਉੱਚਾ | ||
| The word "ਉੱਚਾ" can also mean "high" or "tall" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉහළ | ||
| "ඉහළ" also means "high" or "above". | |||
| Tamil | அதிக | ||
| The word "அதிக" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अधिक" (adhiaka), which means "superior". It has also been used in Tamil to refer to a chief or a leader. | |||
| Telugu | ఉన్నత | ||
| The word “ఉన్నత” literally means “high” or “higher” in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | زیادہ | ||
| The Urdu word "زیادہ" is derived from the Persian word "زیاد" meaning "abundance" or "excess". | |||
Mayor in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 更高 | ||
| "更高" means 'higher' or 'more advanced' in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 更高 | ||
| It is also used in the context of a mathematical inequality where it is translated as “greater than.” | |||
| Japanese | より高い | ||
| "より高い" can also mean "greater than" or "more than." | |||
| Korean | 더 높은 | ||
| 더 높은 can also mean 'to go up' or 'to climb higher' in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | илүү өндөр | ||
| The word 'илүү өндөр' in Mongolian can also mean more elevated or higher in altitude. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိုမိုမြင့်မား | ||
Mayor in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lebih tinggi | ||
| The word "lebih tinggi" in Indonesian originates from the Malay word "lebeh tnggi" which means "higher" or "more elevated". | |||
| Javanese | luwih dhuwur | ||
| Luwih dhuwur also means "more above" or "higher above" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្ពស់ជាងនេះ | ||
| Lao | ສູງກວ່າ | ||
| Malay | lebih tinggi | ||
| In Malay, the term "lebih tinggi" has the dual connotation of a higher political office and an elder or senior figure. | |||
| Thai | สูงกว่า | ||
| The word "สูงกว่า" also means "higher" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | cao hơn | ||
| In some contexts "cao hơn" can mean "more expensive", "higher", or "better quality." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mayor | ||
Mayor in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | daha yüksək | ||
| The word "daha yüksək" is also used to refer to a person who is older or more experienced. | |||
| Kazakh | жоғары | ||
| The Kazakh word "жоғары" also means "high" or "upwards". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жогору | ||
| The word "жогору" also means "upward" and "higher" in Kyrgyz, indicating the mayor's elevated position and authority. | |||
| Tajik | баландтар | ||
| The term "баландтар" (mayor) is derived from the Persian word "بالاتر" (higher, superior) and is used to denote someone with high authority in a community. | |||
| Turkmen | häkim | ||
| Uzbek | yuqori | ||
| The Uzbek word "yuqori" means "high" and is a loanword from Persian. | |||
| Uyghur | شەھەر باشلىقى | ||
Mayor in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kiʻekiʻe aʻe | ||
| In addition to its mayoral significance, "kiʻekiʻe aʻe" can also refer to a chief or leader in traditional Hawaiian culture. | |||
| Maori | teitei ake | ||
| The Maori word 'teitei ake' originally referred to the highest point of a mountain or hill. | |||
| Samoan | maualuga atu | ||
| The term 'maualuga atu' is a Samoan phrase meaning 'the leader who stands above' or 'the one who has the highest rank'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mas mataas | ||
| "Mas | |||
Mayor in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alcalde ukhamawa | ||
| Guarani | intendente | ||
Mayor in International Languages
| Esperanto | pli alta | ||
| The word "pli alta" literally means "more high" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | altiorem | ||
| Altiorem is derived from the Latin word altus, meaning 'high' or 'deep'. | |||
Mayor in Others Languages
| Greek | πιο ψηλά | ||
| The term 'πιο ψηλά' can also refer to a 'higher elevation' or 'greater height'. | |||
| Hmong | siab dua | ||
| The word "siab dua" is a compound word that literally means "one who leads or guides others". | |||
| Kurdish | bilintir | ||
| Bilintir is the Kurdish word for mayor, derived from the Persian word "balatar" meaning "chief". | |||
| Turkish | daha yüksek | ||
| The word "daha yüksek" originally meant "more high" in Turkish, but over time its meaning shifted to "mayor". | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphezulu | ||
| The word ngaphezulu is also used to describe someone who has "high" status in the community, such as wealthy or powerful people. | |||
| Yiddish | העכער | ||
| In Yiddish, "העכער" (hekher) means “mayor” but has another meaning, "higher one," possibly deriving from the German word "hoch." | |||
| Zulu | ngaphezulu | ||
| The Zulu word "ngaphezulu" means "above" and is also used to refer to the highest-ranking person in a community. | |||
| Assamese | মেয়ৰ | ||
| Aymara | alcalde ukhamawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मेयर के रूप में काम कइले बाड़न | ||
| Dhivehi | މޭޔަރެވެ | ||
| Dogri | मेयर जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mayor | ||
| Guarani | intendente | ||
| Ilocano | mayor | ||
| Krio | mɛya | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرۆکی شارەوانی | ||
| Maithili | मेयर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯦꯌꯔꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯍꯨꯠ ꯑꯣꯏꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | mayor a ni | ||
| Oromo | kantiibaa magaalaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମେୟର | ||
| Quechua | alcalde | ||
| Sanskrit | महापौरः | ||
| Tatar | мэр | ||
| Tigrinya | ከንቲባ | ||
| Tsonga | meyara | ||