Membership in Different Languages
Discover 'Membership' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Membership is a powerful word that signifies belonging and connection. It represents a commitment to a group, organization, or community, and often comes with certain benefits and responsibilities. Throughout history, membership has played a crucial role in shaping societies and cultures around the world.
For example, in ancient Greece, membership in a philosophical school like the Academy or the Lyceum was highly valued, as it offered access to knowledge, wisdom, and a community of like-minded individuals. Similarly, in many indigenous cultures, membership in a tribe or clan is a source of pride, identity, and social support.
Understanding the meaning and significance of membership in different languages can help us appreciate the richness and diversity of human cultures and traditions. For example, in Spanish, membership is membresía, while in French, it's adhésion, and in German, it's Mitgliedschaft.
In this article, we'll explore the translations of membership in 10 different languages, shedding light on the cultural and historical contexts that shape the way we think about belonging and connection.
Membership
Membership in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | lidmaatskap | ||
| Lidmaatskap comes from the Dutch word "lidmaatschap" (membership), which is in turn derived from the Middle Dutch "lidmaet" (member) and the Old Saxon "lid" (limb). | |||
| Amharic | አባልነት | ||
| The Amharic word "አባልነት" is related to the word "አባል", which means "part" and refers to the idea of belonging to a group. | |||
| Hausa | membobinsu | ||
| The Hausa word "membobinsu" derives from the English word "membership" | |||
| Igbo | otu | ||
| Otu also means 'society' in Igbo, indicating the social aspect of belonging. | |||
| Malagasy | mpikambana | ||
| The Malagasy word "mpikambana" can also mean "participants" or "fellowship." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | umembala | ||
| The word "umembala" originally meant "a group of people who share a common interest". | |||
| Shona | nhengo | ||
| "Nhengo" is also used in Shona to mean "membership dues" or "subscription fees." | |||
| Somali | xubinnimada | ||
| The word "xubinnimada" can also be used to describe the status of being a member of a group or organization. | |||
| Sesotho | botho | ||
| The word "botho" also holds connotations with the concepts of "unity" and "community" | |||
| Swahili | uanachama | ||
| In Swahili, 'uanachama' also refers to the status of being a member, or the group of members. | |||
| Xhosa | ubulungu | ||
| Isixhosa word 'ubulungu' is also a derivative of the word 'uluntu', which means 'humanness' | |||
| Yoruba | ẹgbẹ | ||
| Ẹgbẹ also signifies a group or association of people working together or pursuing a common interest. | |||
| Zulu | ubulungu | ||
| The Zulu word 'ubulungu' can also refer to the position of a member within a social or political group. | |||
| Bambara | tɔndenw ye | ||
| Ewe | hamevinyenye | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abanyamuryango | ||
| Lingala | kozala ba membres | ||
| Luganda | obwammemba | ||
| Sepedi | boleloko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asɔremma a wɔyɛ | ||
Membership in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عضوية | ||
| عضوية refers to body parts when the vowel is lengthened, but membership when it is shortened. | |||
| Hebrew | חֲבֵרוּת | ||
| The term in modern Hebrew, 'חֲבֵרוּת' ('membership'), derives from the Hebrew Bible, where it meant a 'community' or 'association'. This term was often used in a religious context to refer to the community of Israelites. | |||
| Pashto | غړیتوب | ||
| غړیتوب can also mean "being a member of a group or organization" or "the state of being a member of a group or organization" | |||
| Arabic | عضوية | ||
| عضوية refers to body parts when the vowel is lengthened, but membership when it is shortened. | |||
Membership in Western European Languages
| Albanian | anëtarësimi | ||
| The word "anëtarësimi" is derived from the Albanian word "anëtar" meaning "member" and the suffix "-im" which indicates a process or action. | |||
| Basque | kide izatea | ||
| "Kide izatea" (literally "being a member") is a noun used to refer to the status of being a member of an organization or group. | |||
| Catalan | membresía | ||
| In Catalan, "membresía" comes from latin and also refers to a part of a body or object. | |||
| Croatian | članstvo | ||
| "Članstvo" derives from "član" ("/member/n."), which in the 13th c. was "kla(d)no" ("log" or "tree trunk"), lending evidence to Slavic social structure as a kind of tribal log or council. | |||
| Danish | medlemskab | ||
| The word "medlemskab" in Danish is a compound word made up of the words "med" (with) and "lem" (limb), originally meaning "togetherness". | |||
| Dutch | lidmaatschap | ||
| The word "lidmaatschap" in Dutch is derived from the Old Dutch word "lithmata", meaning "community" or "association". | |||
| English | membership | ||
| The word 'membership' comes from the Old English word 'membre', meaning 'limb' or 'part of a body'. | |||
| French | adhésion | ||
| Adhésion derives from the Latin word haerere, meaning 'to cleave to', and originally referred to the act of pledging support or allegiance to a cause or organization. | |||
| Frisian | lidmaatskip | ||
| The word “lidmaatskip“ is derived from the Dutch “lidmaatschappij”, meaning both “association” and “insurance company”. | |||
| Galician | adhesión | ||
| The term "adhesión" in Galician derives from the Latin word "adhaerere", meaning "to stick to" or "to cleave to". | |||
| German | mitgliedschaft | ||
| The word 'Mitgliedschaft' derives from 'Glied' ('limb') and '-schaft' (-ship), suggesting membership as a way of being connected to an organization, like limbs to the torso. | |||
| Icelandic | aðild | ||
| Aðild derives from the Old Norse word 'aðili', meaning 'nobility', and is related to the Old English word 'æþel', meaning 'noble'. | |||
| Irish | ballraíocht | ||
| Italian | l'appartenenza | ||
| "L'appartenenza" derives from the Latin "appartēre," meaning "to pertain to" and from "pars, partis" (a part)" | |||
| Luxembourgish | memberschaft | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Memberschaft" can also refer to the number of members in a group or organization. | |||
| Maltese | sħubija | ||
| The Maltese word "sħubija" also means "partnership" or "association". | |||
| Norwegian | medlemskap | ||
| The Norwegian word 'medlemskap' is derived from the Old Norse word 'meðalmskapr', which meant 'fellowship' or 'community'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | filiação | ||
| The Portuguese word "filiação" derives from the Latin word "filius" (son) and originally meant "legal relationship between a child and its father". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ballrachd | ||
| The word "ballrachd" comes from the Gaelic word "ballr" meaning "round" or "sphere" | |||
| Spanish | afiliación | ||
| "Afiliación" can also mean "affiliation" or "association" with a group or organization. | |||
| Swedish | medlemskap | ||
| The word "medlemskap" is derived from the Old Norse word "lið", meaning "band" or "troop". | |||
| Welsh | aelodaeth | ||
| The Welsh word "aelodaeth" has roots in the noun "aelod" (limb, member) and the suffix "-aeth" (state, quality), conveying a sense of belonging or attachment. | |||
Membership in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сяброўства | ||
| The Belarusian word "сяброўства" ("membership") also means "friendship" or "comradeship" and is a key concept in Belarusian culture. | |||
| Bosnian | članstvo | ||
| The word "članstvo" is derived from the verb "činiti" (to do), and also refers to a set of rules and regulations. | |||
| Bulgarian | членство | ||
| The word "членство" can also mean "organ" or "limb" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | členství | ||
| Členství is also used to refer to a particular member of an organization. | |||
| Estonian | liikmelisus | ||
| "Liikmelisus" originates from "liige" (member), a derivate of "liik" (kind, sort), which is also present in "liikuma" (to move), and means belonging in a certain social group. | |||
| Finnish | jäsenyys | ||
| The etymology of jäsenyys derives from the word "jäsen" meaning "limb" and refers to belonging to a group or organization. | |||
| Hungarian | tagság | ||
| The word "tagság" can also mean "society" or "guild" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | dalība | ||
| "Dalība" in Latvian also means="participation," coming from verb "dalīt" meaning to "divide," referring to "distributing roles" (dalot lomas) in a shared activity. | |||
| Lithuanian | narystė | ||
| "Narystė" is a Lithuanian word derived from the verb "naryti", meaning "to dive" or "to plunge". It can also refer to a "membership" in an organization. | |||
| Macedonian | членство | ||
| The word "членство" can also refer to a person who is a member of an organization or group. | |||
| Polish | członkostwo | ||
| "Czlonkostwo" literally translates to "limbship" from "czlonek" (limb), a reference to the "body" of an organization and its parts (members). | |||
| Romanian | calitatea de membru | ||
| Calitatea de membru comes from the Romanian word "calitate", meaning "quality" or "qualification". | |||
| Russian | членство | ||
| The word "членство" has roots in the word "член" ("member") and shares a stem with the words "членораздельный" ("articulate") and "членение" ("division"). | |||
| Serbian | чланство | ||
| The word "чланство" can also refer to a member of a family or an organization. | |||
| Slovak | členstvo | ||
| "Členstvo" is derived from the verb "členiť sa" (to divide) and refers to a group of people united by a common interest or purpose. | |||
| Slovenian | članstvo | ||
| The word "članstvo" in Slovenian can also refer to the number of members in an organization. | |||
| Ukrainian | членство | ||
| The word членство can also refer to the anatomy of the human body, such as limbs or organs. | |||
Membership in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সদস্যপদ | ||
| সদস্যপদ (membership) শব্দটির আরও এক অর্থ হলো অংশগ্রহণ। | |||
| Gujarati | સભ્યપદ | ||
| The word "સભ્યપદ" can also refer to a member of a political party or organization. | |||
| Hindi | सदस्यता | ||
| The word " सदस्यता " (membership) is derived from the Sanskrit root " sad " (to sit), and refers to the act of being part of a group or organization. | |||
| Kannada | ಸದಸ್ಯತ್ವ | ||
| The word "ಸದಸ್ಯತ್ವ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सदस्यता" (sadasyatā), which means "membership" or "affiliation."} | |||
| Malayalam | അംഗത്വം | ||
| The Malayalam word "അംഗത്വം" (membership) has its etymology in Sanskrit where it means "belonging to a limb", also denoting membership of a group or organization. | |||
| Marathi | सदस्यता | ||
| The word 'सदस्यता' ('membership') in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word 'सदस्य' ('member'), which originally meant 'part of a limb'. | |||
| Nepali | सदस्यता | ||
| The word "सदस्यता" ("membership") in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "सदस्य" ("member"), which means "part of a group or organization". It can also refer to the state of being a member, or the fees or dues paid to maintain membership. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਦੱਸਤਾ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word "ਸਦੱਸਤਾ" (sadassata) can also refer to the position of a member in a group or organization. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාමාජිකත්වය | ||
| This word in Sinhala was adopted from the French word 'société'. | |||
| Tamil | உறுப்பினர் | ||
| The Tamil word 'உறுப்பினர்' etymologically means 'an organ of the body' and is used in the context of 'membership' in organizations. | |||
| Telugu | సభ్యత్వం | ||
| The word "సభ్యత్వం" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सभ्यता" which means "civilization" or "culture". | |||
| Urdu | رکنیت | ||
| The Urdu word "رکنیت" can also mean "pillar", "element" or "ingredient". | |||
Membership in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 会员资格 | ||
| '会员资格'也指会员的资格或资格条件。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 會員資格 | ||
| 會員資格一詞源自拉丁文的 membrum 意指身體的一部分，引申為團體的一分子 | |||
| Japanese | メンバーシップ | ||
| メンバーシップ (membership) derives from the English word "member," meaning a part of a group or organization. | |||
| Korean | 멤버십 | ||
| The word "멤버십" is derived from the English word "member" and the suffix "-ship", and can also refer to a group of people who share a common interest or profession. | |||
| Mongolian | гишүүнчлэл | ||
| "Гишүүнчлэл" (membership) stems from "гишүүн" (member) and can mean membership, participation, or affiliation with an organization or group. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အသင်းဝင် | ||
Membership in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keanggotaan | ||
| In Indonesian, "keanggotaan" can refer to membership in an organization or to the rights and duties associated therewith, and is derived from the word "anggota" meaning "member". | |||
| Javanese | anggota | ||
| In Javanese, "anggota" also means body part or committee member. | |||
| Khmer | សមាជិកភាព | ||
| The Khmer word សមាជិកភាព (membership) is derived from the Sanskrit word "samajika," which means "belonging to a society or community." | |||
| Lao | ສະມາຊິກ | ||
| In some contexts, ສະມາຊິກ can also refer to the rank of a monk or the participants in a group activity. | |||
| Malay | keahlian | ||
| 'Keahlian' is derived from the Proto-Austronesian form '*qahi' meaning 'to own' or 'to have'. In Malay, it has extended to also mean 'skill', 'expertise', or 'ability'. | |||
| Thai | การเป็นสมาชิก | ||
| The word 'การเป็นสมาชิก' comes from the verb 'เป็น' (to be) and the noun 'สมาชิก' (member). | |||
| Vietnamese | thành viên | ||
| The word "thành viên" is a combination of the words "thành" (city) and "viên" (member), meaning "member of the city" or "citizen." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagiging kasapi | ||
Membership in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | üzvlük | ||
| The term "üzvlük" is also used in Azerbaijani to refer to a "limb" or "organ of the body." | |||
| Kazakh | мүшелік | ||
| "мүшелік" is also the Kazakh equivalent of "member" in the context of an organization or a body. | |||
| Kyrgyz | мүчөлүк | ||
| The word "мүчөлүк" can also refer to "belonging, affiliation, connection, or association" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | узвият | ||
| The Tajik word "узвият" is closely related to the Persian word "عضويت" and the Arabic word "عُضوية". | |||
| Turkmen | agzalyk | ||
| Uzbek | a'zolik | ||
| The word "A'zolik" is also used to refer to the contribution or fee paid by a member to join an organization or group. | |||
| Uyghur | ئەزالىق | ||
Membership in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lālā | ||
| Lālā is also used to refer to a member of a group or organization. | |||
| Maori | mema | ||
| The Maori word "mema" also means "part" or "portion". | |||
| Samoan | avea ma sui auai | ||
| "Avea ma sui auai" is derived from the words meaning "to gather together" and "to be in company with." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagiging kasapi | ||
Membership in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | miembros ukanaka | ||
| Guarani | membresía rehegua | ||
Membership in International Languages
| Esperanto | membreco | ||
| Membreco's etymology is a blend of "membro" (member) and "ko" (group). | |||
| Latin | membership | ||
| In Latin, "membership" means "body of members" or "corporate body". | |||
Membership in Others Languages
| Greek | ιδιότητα μέλους | ||
| Ιδιότητα μέλους is also a legal term referring to a member's rights and responsibilities within an organization. | |||
| Hmong | kev ua tswv cuab | ||
| Kurdish | endamî | ||
| In Zazaki, the word 'endamî' does not mean 'membership' but instead denotes 'part, portion'. | |||
| Turkish | üyelik | ||
| Üyelik is derived from "üye", meaning "member," and "-lik", a suffix denoting a state or condition. | |||
| Xhosa | ubulungu | ||
| Isixhosa word 'ubulungu' is also a derivative of the word 'uluntu', which means 'humanness' | |||
| Yiddish | מיטגלידערשאַפט | ||
| The Yiddish word "מיטגלידערשאַפט" can also mean "fellowship" or "affiliation." | |||
| Zulu | ubulungu | ||
| The Zulu word 'ubulungu' can also refer to the position of a member within a social or political group. | |||
| Assamese | সদস্যপদ | ||
| Aymara | miembros ukanaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | सदस्यता के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މެމްބަރުކަން | ||
| Dogri | सदस्यता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagiging kasapi | ||
| Guarani | membresía rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | kinamiembro | ||
| Krio | mɛmbaship fɔ bi mɛmba | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەندامێتی | ||
| Maithili | सदस्यता | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯦꯝꯕꯔꯁꯤꯞ ꯂꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | member nihna a ni | ||
| Oromo | miseensummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସଦସ୍ୟତା | ||
| Quechua | miembron kay | ||
| Sanskrit | सदस्यता | ||
| Tatar | әгъза | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣባልነት | ||
| Tsonga | vuxirho | ||