Medicine in Different Languages
Discover 'Medicine' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Medicine, a word of profound significance and cultural importance, has been shaping human lives and civilizations for millennia. Derived from the Latin 'medicina' meaning 'the art of healing', medicine has evolved from humble beginnings to the cutting-edge medical marvels we know today.
Throughout history, medicine has been a universal language, connecting diverse cultures and people in the quest for health and well-being. From ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls detailing medical practices to the groundbreaking discoveries of modern medical science, the pursuit of medical knowledge has been a testament to human curiosity and resilience.
Understanding the translation of medicine in different languages is not only a fascinating exploration of linguistic and cultural diversity but also a tribute to the shared human experience. Here are a few sample translations to pique your interest:
- French: médecine
- Spanish: medicina
- German: Medizin
- Mandarin: 醫學 (Yīxué)
- Japanese: 医学 (Igaku)
- Russian: медицина (meditsína)
- Arabic: الطب (at-tibb)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of medicine translations in various languages, showcasing the rich tapestry of human heritage and the power of communication across borders.
Medicine
Medicine in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | medisyne | ||
| The Afrikaans word "medisyne" originates from the Middle Dutch word "medicijne" and ultimately derives from the Latin "medicina", meaning "the art of healing". | |||
| Amharic | መድሃኒት | ||
| Hausa | magani | ||
| The Hausa word for "medicine", "magani", also means "potion" or "remedy". | |||
| Igbo | ọgwụ | ||
| Ọgwụ is also a title given to the village's oldest male (or sometimes oldest female) in Igbo culture who acts as the local spiritual leader and keeper of knowledge and tradition. | |||
| Malagasy | fanafody | ||
| The word "fanafody" in Malagasy is derived from the Arabic word "dawa'" meaning "cure" or "remedy". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mankhwala | ||
| The word "mankhwala" is also used to refer to a traditional healer or a shaman. | |||
| Shona | mushonga | ||
| Mushonga in Shona also means 'poison', indicating the fine line between treatment and harm in traditional medicine. | |||
| Somali | daawo | ||
| Somali's "Daawo" also means advice or suggestion. | |||
| Sesotho | moriana | ||
| The word "moriana" is also used to refer to a potion or a traditional cure. | |||
| Swahili | dawa | ||
| "Dawa" also means "potion" or "love potion" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | iyeza | ||
| The word 'iyeza' has alternate meanings in the context of Xhosa culture and healing beliefs, such as being associated with ancestral knowledge and spiritual power. | |||
| Yoruba | òògùn | ||
| The word "òògùn" also means "charm" or "amulet" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | umuthi | ||
| "Umuthi" (medicine) is derived from a word "umutho" (a charm) | |||
| Bambara | fura | ||
| Ewe | atike | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubuvuzi | ||
| Lingala | nkisi ya monganga | ||
| Luganda | eddagala | ||
| Sepedi | sehlare | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aduro | ||
Medicine in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الدواء | ||
| The word "الدواء" can also mean "the cure" or "the remedy" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | תרופה | ||
| The Hebrew word "תרופה" (medicine) comes from the root word "רפא" (to heal) and can also mean "remedy" or "cure". | |||
| Pashto | دارو | ||
| The word "دارو" can also mean "herb" or "poison" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | الدواء | ||
| The word "الدواء" can also mean "the cure" or "the remedy" in Arabic. | |||
Medicine in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bar | ||
| Bar, the term for "medicine" in Albanian, is thought to be of Illyrian origin, related to the Slavic "barati" (to take) and "brah" (brotherhood), as it was often shared and used to strengthen communal bonds. | |||
| Basque | medikuntza | ||
| The word medikuntza (medicine) comes from the Latin “medicīna” (healing). | |||
| Catalan | medicament | ||
| In Catalan, "medicament" can also refer to a specific type of medication, such as a pill or injection. | |||
| Croatian | lijek | ||
| The word 'lijek' (medicine) in Croatian originally referred to a healing potion or charm. | |||
| Danish | medicin | ||
| The Danish word "medicin" comes from the Latin word "medicus," meaning "physician" or "healer." | |||
| Dutch | geneesmiddel | ||
| An alternate meaning of "geneesmiddel" in Dutch is "healing agent". | |||
| English | medicine | ||
| The word 'medicine' derives from the Latin 'medicina', meaning 'art of healing' and also 'drug'. | |||
| French | médicament | ||
| The word « médicament » etymologically means « what heals » and can also refer to magic potions. | |||
| Frisian | medisinen | ||
| The Frisian word "medisinen" is derived from Latin "medicamen" and can also mean "poison" or "treatment". | |||
| Galician | medicina | ||
| In Galician, "medicina" also refers to magic and witchcraft. | |||
| German | medizin | ||
| The German word "Medizin" can refer to either medical science or the actual medications used to treat illnesses. | |||
| Icelandic | lyf | ||
| In Old Norse, "lyf" also referred to magical potions, spells, or anything used to heal or protect against harm. | |||
| Irish | cógas | ||
| The word "cógas" in Irish is related to the word "cos" meaning "foot" and originally referred to a salve applied to the feet. | |||
| Italian | medicinale | ||
| The word "medicinale" can also refer to a plant or substance used for healing purposes. | |||
| Luxembourgish | medizin | ||
| "Medizin" has the same meaning in German and Luxembourgish | |||
| Maltese | mediċina | ||
| The word 'mediċina' is derived from the Latin word 'medicina', which means 'the science or practice of diagnosing, treating, or preventing illness'. | |||
| Norwegian | medisin | ||
| The word "medisin" in Norwegian can also refer to veterinary medicine and healing arts. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | remédio | ||
| The word "remédio" in Portuguese comes from the Latin word "remedium", meaning "cure" or "relief". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | leigheas | ||
| The Gaelic "leigheas" derives from the PIE root "legh", meaning "to lay". | |||
| Spanish | medicamento | ||
| The word "medicamento" comes from the Latin "medicamentum", which means "a remedy". In Spanish, "medicamento" can mean any kind of medicine or drug, including prescription and nonprescription medications, as well as traditional and natural remedies. | |||
| Swedish | medicin | ||
| "Medicin" in Swedish can also be used to refer to a type of medical treatment, such as a therapy or procedure. | |||
| Welsh | meddygaeth | ||
| The word "meddygaeth" in Welsh derives from the Old Welsh word "meddyg," meaning "physician," and ultimately comes from the Proto-Celtic root "*med-," meaning "to heal." | |||
Medicine in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | лекі | ||
| Belarusian word "лекі" also means "remedies" or "cures". | |||
| Bosnian | lijek | ||
| The word 'lijek' in Bosnian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'lěkъ', which also means 'remedy' or 'cure'. | |||
| Bulgarian | лекарство | ||
| The word "лекарство" comes from the Proto-Slavic root *lěkъ, which also means "remedy," "cure," or "poison." | |||
| Czech | lék | ||
| In Czech, the term 'lék' derives from an old Slavic root meaning 'to cure' and can also refer to the act of healing. | |||
| Estonian | ravim | ||
| The word "ravim" is a loanword from Finnish, where it originally meant "ointment" or "balm". | |||
| Finnish | lääke | ||
| The word lääke is derived from läätti, which means 'patch' or 'plaster', indicating its original use as a topical remedy. | |||
| Hungarian | gyógyszer | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "gyógyszer" is also used figuratively to refer to something that provides relief or solution to a problem or difficulty. | |||
| Latvian | medicīna | ||
| The word "medicīna" originates from the Latin word "medicina", meaning "the art of healing", and shares a common root with "medicare" and "medication." | |||
| Lithuanian | vaistas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vaistas" is etymologically connected to the Sanskrit word "ved" and the Latin word "videre", both containing the notion of knowledge, which reflects the ancient understanding of medicine as a field based on study and observation. | |||
| Macedonian | лек | ||
| The word "лек" also means "remedy" or "cure" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | medycyna | ||
| The word "Medycyna" in Polish comes from the Latin word "medicina" and also refers to the field of medicine in general. | |||
| Romanian | medicament | ||
| "Medicament" comes from the Latin verb *medicare* meaning "to heal" and is related to the words "medical", "doctor" and "remedy". | |||
| Russian | лекарство | ||
| The word "лекарство" derives from the Old Church Slavonic "лѣкъ", meaning "remedy", "cure", and is related to "лечить" (to cure). | |||
| Serbian | лек | ||
| The word "лек" also means "cure" or "remedy" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | liek | ||
| The word liek also means a "cure" or "remedy", and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *lēkъ, meaning "healing" or "medicine". | |||
| Slovenian | zdravilo | ||
| The word "zdravilo" also means "health" or "well-being" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | ліки | ||
| The Ukrainian word "ліки" (medicine) has an alternate meaning of "fate" or "destiny". | |||
Medicine in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ওষুধ | ||
| "ওষুধ" literally means “the thing by which (যাহা দ্বারা) one obtains a desirable condition (ওষ = a good condition) such as the relief of a disease or promotion of overall health and well-being." | |||
| Gujarati | દવા | ||
| The Gujarati word "દવા" (medicine) can also refer to a drug, a cure, or a remedy. | |||
| Hindi | दवा | ||
| The word 'दवा' (medicine) in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'दिव्य' (divine), signifying its healing properties. | |||
| Kannada | ಔಷಧಿ | ||
| The word 'ಔಷಧಿ' (medicine) in Kannada derives from the Sanskrit word 'औषधी' meaning 'herb' or 'plant used for healing'. | |||
| Malayalam | മരുന്ന് | ||
| "മരുന്ന്" is a loanword from Sanskrit and originally meant "poison" or "venom". | |||
| Marathi | औषध | ||
| The word औषध is an amalgamation of the Sanskrit words "ओष" (herb) and "ध" (to give), hence meaning "to give herbs". | |||
| Nepali | औषधी | ||
| The term 'औषधी' (medicine) stems from the Vedic Sanskrit term ‘oSadhi,’ referring to plants or herbs with medicinal properties. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦਵਾਈ | ||
| The word can also mean a 'recipe' or 'instruction' in the context of cooking or other activities. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඖෂධය | ||
| The word "ඖෂධය" can also refer to "a charm or spell". | |||
| Tamil | மருந்து | ||
| "Marundu" is also the Tamil word for "tree" and "herb," the latter being the source of many traditional medicines. | |||
| Telugu | మందు | ||
| The word "మందు" in Telugu can also mean "intoxication" or "alcohol", derived from the Sanskrit word "mada". | |||
| Urdu | دوائی | ||
| دوائی can also refer to a charm or spell cast or recited over a potion. | |||
Medicine in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 药物 | ||
| In traditional Chinese medicine, 药物 can also refer to herbal remedies or other natural substances used for healing. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 藥物 | ||
| The character 藥 (yào) in the word "藥物" (medicine) is composed of the radical 艹 (grass) and the character 酉 (wine), suggesting its origins in herbal remedies and the use of liquor as a medicine. | |||
| Japanese | 薬 | ||
| The word 薬 originally applied only to Chinese herbal medicine and was later borrowed to refer to imported European medicines and then modern medicine as a whole. | |||
| Korean | 약 | ||
| 약 (“medicine”) is sometimes used to colloquially refer to a person’s “weak point”. | |||
| Mongolian | эм | ||
| "Эм" means medicine in Mongolian but it can also be understood as "something valuable." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆေးဝါး | ||
Medicine in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | obat | ||
| "Obat" is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit word "udbhid" meaning "plant". | |||
| Javanese | obat | ||
| 'Obat' also means 'to heal' in Javanese, which makes sense given its use as a medicine | |||
| Khmer | ថ្នាំ | ||
| The term ថ្នាំ can also refer to a specific type of traditional Khmer herbal treatment consisting of plant materials boiled or steeped in alcohol. | |||
| Lao | ຢາ | ||
| The Lao word for medicine, “ຢາ” (yaa), comes from the Old Lao word “ຍາ” (ya), meaning “to give”, reflecting that medicines are traditionally given to the sick. | |||
| Malay | ubat | ||
| The word "ubat" is also used in Malay to refer to a type of traditional medicine or herbal remedy. | |||
| Thai | ยา | ||
| The Thai word "ยา" can refer to many different things, including plants, drugs, and knowledge. | |||
| Vietnamese | thuốc | ||
| Thuốc' is derived from the Chinese character '藥', meaning 'herb' or 'drug', and can also refer to 'spell' or 'magic' in Vietnamese slang. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gamot | ||
Medicine in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dərman | ||
| "Dərman" is of Indo-Iranian origin and is a cognate to Sanskrit "dharmán" (religion, religious duty, law, justice) and Persian "darmān" (remedy, cure, treatment). | |||
| Kazakh | дәрі | ||
| The Kazakh word "дәрі" (dəri) also refers to treatment, cure or remedy, as well as "ointment" in Kyrgyz and other Turkic languages. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дары | ||
| The word "дары" can also refer to "gifts" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | дорувори | ||
| The word "дорувори" in Tajik comes from the Persian word "دارو" (dārū), meaning "remedy" or "medicine". | |||
| Turkmen | lukmançylyk | ||
| Uzbek | dori | ||
| The word 'Dori' in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word 'Dārū', which means 'tree' or 'wood', and was originally used to refer to medicinal plants or herbs. | |||
| Uyghur | medicine | ||
Medicine in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lāʻau lapaʻau | ||
| The term 'lāʻau lapaʻau' may also refer to the practice of herbal medicine in Hawaiian tradition. | |||
| Maori | rongoa | ||
| "Rongoa" is also the name of a god who is said to have brought healing to the world | |||
| Samoan | vailaʻau | ||
| The word 'vailaʻau' can also refer to herbs, drugs, or any substance used for healing or medical purposes in Samoan culture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gamot | ||
| "Gamot" originally referred to a spell or incantation to cure illnesses, and later came to mean any form of remedy, including herbs and potions. | |||
Medicine in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qulla | ||
| Guarani | pohanokuaa | ||
Medicine in International Languages
| Esperanto | medikamento | ||
| In Esperanto, | |||
| Latin | medicamentum | ||
| The word 'medicamentum' in Latin encompasses not only 'medicine' but also 'a remedy' or 'a healing potion'. | |||
Medicine in Others Languages
| Greek | φάρμακο | ||
| The word φάρμακο also carries the connotation of "poison" or "drug", reflecting its historical association with the practice of healing and poisoning | |||
| Hmong | tshuaj kho mob | ||
| Kurdish | derman | ||
| In some Kurdish dialects, the word can also refer to poison. | |||
| Turkish | ilaç | ||
| İlaç, meaning "medicine" in Turkish, originally stems from the Arabic word "ilaj" meaning "cure" or "treatment". | |||
| Xhosa | iyeza | ||
| The word 'iyeza' has alternate meanings in the context of Xhosa culture and healing beliefs, such as being associated with ancestral knowledge and spiritual power. | |||
| Yiddish | מעדיצין | ||
| The Yiddish word "מעדיצין" (meditsin) also means "pharmaceuticals" and comes from the Latin "medicina" via German "Medizin". | |||
| Zulu | umuthi | ||
| "Umuthi" (medicine) is derived from a word "umutho" (a charm) | |||
| Assamese | দৰৱ | ||
| Aymara | qulla | ||
| Bhojpuri | दवाई | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޭސް | ||
| Dogri | दुआई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gamot | ||
| Guarani | pohanokuaa | ||
| Ilocano | medisina | ||
| Krio | mɛrɛsin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەرمان | ||
| Maithili | दवाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯤꯗꯥꯛ ꯂꯥꯡꯊꯛ | ||
| Mizo | damdawi | ||
| Oromo | qoricha | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | medicine ଷଧ | ||
| Quechua | hanpi | ||
| Sanskrit | चिकित्सा | ||
| Tatar | медицина | ||
| Tigrinya | መድሓኒት | ||
| Tsonga | murhi | ||