Metal in Different Languages
Discover 'Metal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Metal is a versatile and culturally significant material, with a rich history that dates back to ancient civilizations. Its significance lies in its durability, malleability, and conductivity, making it an essential component in various industries such as construction, engineering, and technology. Moreover, metal has played a crucial role in the evolution of art, music, and fashion, giving birth to subcultures and movements that have left a lasting impact on modern society.
Given its global importance, it's no surprise that the word 'metal' has been translated into various languages, each with its unique cultural context and significance. For instance, in Spanish, metal is 'metal,' while in French, it's 'métal.' In German, it's 'Metall,' and in Japanese, it's '金属 (kinzoku).' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also offer a glimpse into how different cultures have interacted with and perceived this versatile material throughout history.
In this article, we explore the translations of the word 'metal' in different languages, shedding light on the cultural significance and historical contexts associated with this fascinating material.
Metal
Metal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | metaal | ||
| In Dutch and Afrikaans, "metaal" also refers to certain nonmetallic elements such as boron and silicon. | |||
| Amharic | ብረት | ||
| The word "ብረት" can also refer to copper, especially in the context of cultural artifacts. | |||
| Hausa | karfe | ||
| The word "karfe" also means "iron" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ígwè | ||
| The word 'ígwè' in Igbo also means 'weapon' or 'tool'. | |||
| Malagasy | metaly | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "metaly" not only denotes metals but can also refer to the concept of prestige and honor. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitsulo | ||
| The word "chitsulo" also means "currency" or "money" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | simbi | ||
| The word "simbi" also refers to copper and the traditional currency of the Karanga people. | |||
| Somali | bir | ||
| In Proto-Somali, "bir" originally meant "iron", but its meaning was later expanded to include all metals. | |||
| Sesotho | tšepe | ||
| Sesotho "tšepe" also refers to coins or other items made of metal. | |||
| Swahili | chuma | ||
| The word "chuma" in Swahili can also refer to a variety of metal tools, such as knives, axes, and hoes. | |||
| Xhosa | isinyithi | ||
| 'Isinyithi' shares the same root with 'isinyo,' which means 'tooth', referring to the hardness of both teeth and metal. | |||
| Yoruba | irin | ||
| The word | |||
| Zulu | insimbi | ||
| The Zulu word "insimbi" can also refer to jewelry or money, reflecting the historical and cultural significance of metal in Zulu society. | |||
| Bambara | nɛgɛ | ||
| Ewe | ga | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyuma | ||
| Lingala | libende | ||
| Luganda | kyuuma | ||
| Sepedi | tšhipi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dadeɛ | ||
Metal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | معدن | ||
| The word "معدن" is derived from the root "دن" meaning "to be low or hidden", and it originally referred to mines or underground resources. | |||
| Hebrew | מַתֶכֶת | ||
| The word "מַתֶכֶת" (metal) in Hebrew can also refer to a coin or currency. | |||
| Pashto | فلزي | ||
| The Pashto word "فلزي" is derived from the Arabic word "فلز" which also means "metal". | |||
| Arabic | معدن | ||
| The word "معدن" is derived from the root "دن" meaning "to be low or hidden", and it originally referred to mines or underground resources. | |||
Metal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | metali | ||
| Albanian 'metali' possibly comes from Proto-Albanian *met'al, which also meant 'stone' and 'stone tool'. | |||
| Basque | metala | ||
| In prehistoric Basque the word *metala meant both “mineral” and “metal”, a semantic distinction lost in present-day Basque, as metalak now only means “metal”. | |||
| Catalan | metall | ||
| In Catalan, the word "metall" can also refer to a type of heavy door or gate. | |||
| Croatian | metal | ||
| The Croatian word 'metal' derives from the Greek verb meaning 'mine' or 'extract' ('metallo'). | |||
| Danish | metal | ||
| The word can also mean 'heroic' or 'courageous' in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | metaal | ||
| Metaal is Dutch for metal, and also refers to the Dutch band, Metalocalypse. | |||
| English | metal | ||
| In the Middle Ages, the word "metal" could also refer to an alchemy element that was not necessarily metallic, such as the element "earth." | |||
| French | métal | ||
| Métal is also slang for "weapon". | |||
| Frisian | metaal | ||
| The word 'metaal' in Frisian also refers to the material used to make coins. | |||
| Galician | metal | ||
| In Galician, "metal" (pronounced [meˈtal]) also refers to a specific type of traditional Galician folk music. | |||
| German | metall | ||
| As a noun, "Metall" in German can also refer to a piece of scrap metal or metal waste. | |||
| Icelandic | málmur | ||
| The word 'málmur' in Icelandic is derived from the Old Norse word 'málmr', which referred to all types of metals, both ferrous and non-ferrous. | |||
| Irish | miotal | ||
| The word "miotal" can also refer to a mineral or ore found in the earth, or to the metallic parts of a tool or weapon. | |||
| Italian | metallo | ||
| In Italian, "metallo" derives from the Greek "métalon," originally meaning "mine or quarry," and later acquiring the sense of "metal." | |||
| Luxembourgish | metal | ||
| The word "Métal" also means "Metal" in French, and in both languages it shares the same etymology. | |||
| Maltese | metall | ||
| The Maltese word "metall" may also refer to "mining" or the "mining industry". | |||
| Norwegian | metall | ||
| In addition to the chemical element, "metall" relates to a person's "strength" and the type of "material." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | metal | ||
| The Portuguese word "metal" comes from the Latin word "metallum", which means "mine" or "quarry". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | meatailt | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "meatailt" not only means "metal" but also "ore" or "mineral". | |||
| Spanish | metal | ||
| In Spanish, "metal" also refers to "courage" or "spirit." | |||
| Swedish | metall | ||
| The word "metall" in Swedish can also refer to "alloy" or "ore". | |||
| Welsh | metel | ||
| The Welsh word metel can also refer to 'ore' and 'matter' | |||
Metal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | металу | ||
| The word “металу” can also refer to a piece of metal or a metal object. | |||
| Bosnian | metal | ||
| The word "metal" derives from the Ancient Greek word "metallon" which can mean anything that is extracted from the Earth, while in Bosnian the word "metal" means exclusively metals in the chemical sense. | |||
| Bulgarian | метал | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "метал" also refers to a musical genre and style. | |||
| Czech | kov | ||
| The Czech word "kov" originated from Latin and is related to English "coin" | |||
| Estonian | metallist | ||
| The Estonian word "metallist" also has the connotation of a person who is a skilled worker in the metalworking industry. | |||
| Finnish | metalli- | ||
| The word "metalli" in Finnish has multiple meanings, including "a substance with a shiny surface", "a musical genre", and "a person who works with metal". | |||
| Hungarian | fém | ||
| The word "fém" can also refer to a surgical instrument or a clasp, lock, or buckle. | |||
| Latvian | metāls | ||
| The Latvian word "metāls" is derived from the Greek "metálla" meaning "mine" and is also related to the verb "methein" meaning "to search for". | |||
| Lithuanian | metalas | ||
| The word "metalas" is also used in Lithuanian to refer to a type of alloy, such as brass or bronze. | |||
| Macedonian | метал | ||
| In Macedonian, "метал" can also refer to a "courageous person" or "a strong-willed person". | |||
| Polish | metal | ||
| The word "metal" in Polish can also refer to the musical genre, or to the hard parts of the body. | |||
| Romanian | metal | ||
| The Romanian word "metal" comes from the Greek word "metallon", meaning "mine" or "quarry". It can also refer to a type of music, typically heavy rock or hard rock. | |||
| Russian | металл | ||
| The term has been suggested to be an early borrowing from a Slavic loanword in Persian. | |||
| Serbian | метал | ||
| The word "метал" in Serbian can also refer to bravery, strength, and courage. | |||
| Slovak | kov | ||
| The word 'kov' is also used to refer to the iron used for horseshoes. | |||
| Slovenian | kovine | ||
| The root of the Slovenian word "kovina" ("metal") is the root "kov-" in the Indo-European language, denoting a smith or a metalworker. | |||
| Ukrainian | металеві | ||
| The word "металеві" in Ukrainian can also mean "metallic" or "metal-like". | |||
Metal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধাতু | ||
| The word "ধাতু" can also refer to the "fundamental substance" of something | |||
| Gujarati | ધાતુ | ||
| The Gujarati word ધાતુ (dhatu) also refers to an element or an ingredient. | |||
| Hindi | धातु | ||
| The term धातु can also refer to bodily fluids or the essence of a thing, derived from the Sanskrit root 'dhā' meaning 'to hold' or 'to support'. | |||
| Kannada | ಲೋಹದ | ||
| The word "ಲೋಹದ" is also used to refer to weapons made of metal or metallic objects in general in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ലോഹം | ||
| The word "ലോഹം" in Malayalam also refers to the element iron specifically, as well as an alloy of copper and zinc known as brass. | |||
| Marathi | धातू | ||
| 'धातू' (metal) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'धातु' (element), which also refers to the human body and its constituents. | |||
| Nepali | धातु | ||
| The word "धातु" can also refer to a metallic substance used in Ayurvedic medicine, or the basic form of a word in Sanskrit grammar. | |||
| Punjabi | ਧਾਤ | ||
| The word "ਧਾਤ" in Punjabi can also mean "the main constituent of a thing" or "the essence of something". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ලෝහ | ||
| In classical usage, ලෝහ primarily referred to copper, later extended to iron and other metals, and finally to all hard, sonorous, opaque, and shiny substances | |||
| Tamil | உலோகம் | ||
| The word உலோகம் can also mean 'wealth' or 'gold' in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | లోహం | ||
| The word 'లోహం' (metal) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लोह' (iron), which ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂es- ('copper'). | |||
| Urdu | دھات | ||
| The word "دھات" also means "essence", "nature", or "constituent element" in Urdu. | |||
Metal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 金属 | ||
| The character 金 (metal) is also used in other words like 金钱 (money) and 金刚 (diamond), reflecting the importance of metal in Chinese culture | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 金屬 | ||
| 金屬 in Chinese (Traditional) also means "money". | |||
| Japanese | 金属 | ||
| The word "金属" (metal) can also mean "money" in certain contexts. | |||
| Korean | 금속 | ||
| The word "금속" originally referred to bronze in ancient Korea, and later expanded to include other metals. | |||
| Mongolian | металл | ||
| Mongolian word "металл" originally referred to metallic coins, not ores or pure metals. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သတ္တု | ||
| The word သတ္တု (satta) in Myanmar (Burmese) is ultimately derived from Sanskrit and means "hard, fixed, stable, or permanent". | |||
Metal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | logam | ||
| "Logam" may refer to a musical instrument, as a gong or a bell, in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | logam | ||
| The Old Javanese word "logam" also refers to an instrument for making music. | |||
| Khmer | ហៈ | ||
| The Khmer word "ហៈ" derives from Sanskrit "loha" via Pali "loha" and Thai "lok". | |||
| Lao | ໂລຫະ | ||
| The word "ໂລຫະ" can also refer to coins or currency in Lao. | |||
| Malay | logam | ||
| In Malay, "logam" also refers to objects made of metal, such as jewelry, utensils, or money. | |||
| Thai | โลหะ | ||
| The word "โลหะ" in Thai also refers to a type of currency, similar to "coins" in English. | |||
| Vietnamese | kim loại | ||
| 'Kim loại' (metal) in Vietnamese is a compound of 'kim' and 'loại', which translates to 'gold' and 'type' respectively. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | metal | ||
Metal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | metal | ||
| The word "metal" comes from the Greek word "metallon", which means "mine" or "quarry". The word "metal" now refers to a variety of materials that are found in the earth's crust and can be used for construction, manufacture, and other purposes. | |||
| Kazakh | металл | ||
| The word «металл» has no other meanings and comes from Greek μετάλλον «mine, quarry». | |||
| Kyrgyz | металл | ||
| The word "металл" in Kyrgyz comes from the Kyrgyz word "мет" which means "tough" and the Persian suffix "ال" which means "material". | |||
| Tajik | металл | ||
| The word металл may also originate from the Persian language. | |||
| Turkmen | metal | ||
| Uzbek | metall | ||
| The word "metall" is also used in Uzbek to refer to the chemical element of a certain type of metal | |||
| Uyghur | مېتال | ||
Metal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea hao | ||
| "Mea hao" can also mean "good thing" or "gift" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whakarewa | ||
| In Maori, the word "whakarewa" can also mean "an iron axe" or "a chisel". | |||
| Samoan | uamea | ||
| The word "uamea" is not a traditional Samoan word but rather a relatively recent loanword from English. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | metal | ||
| The word 'metal' in Tagalog comes from the Proto-Austronesian root *metaleq, meaning mineral or rock. | |||
Metal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mital | ||
| Guarani | kuatepoti | ||
Metal in International Languages
| Esperanto | metalo | ||
| In Esperanto, "metalo" can also refer to the metallic elements found in the periodic table. | |||
| Latin | metallum | ||
| In Late Latin, "metallum" (metal) also referred to a mine, quarry, or stone pit. | |||
Metal in Others Languages
| Greek | μέταλλο | ||
| The Greek word 'μέταλλο' (metal) initially denoted 'mine' or 'quarry' and specifically 'gold mine', and only in the Hellenistic period acquired the wider meaning of 'metal'. | |||
| Hmong | hlau | ||
| The Hmong word "hlau" can also refer to jewelry or valuable items beyond its primary meaning of metal. | |||
| Kurdish | hesinî | ||
| The word hesini also means 'metallic' in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | metal | ||
| In Turkish, "metal" can also mean "essence" or "the hard part of a thing". | |||
| Xhosa | isinyithi | ||
| 'Isinyithi' shares the same root with 'isinyo,' which means 'tooth', referring to the hardness of both teeth and metal. | |||
| Yiddish | מעטאַל | ||
| In Yiddish, the word 'מעטאַל' originated from the German word 'Metall', which in turn came from the Greek word 'μέταλλον' referring to a mine or quarry. | |||
| Zulu | insimbi | ||
| The Zulu word "insimbi" can also refer to jewelry or money, reflecting the historical and cultural significance of metal in Zulu society. | |||
| Assamese | ধাতু | ||
| Aymara | mital | ||
| Bhojpuri | धातु | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަގަނޑު | ||
| Dogri | धातु | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | metal | ||
| Guarani | kuatepoti | ||
| Ilocano | landok | ||
| Krio | ayɛn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کانزا | ||
| Maithili | धात्तु | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯙꯥꯇꯨ | ||
| Mizo | thir | ||
| Oromo | sibiila | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧାତୁ | ||
| Quechua | anta | ||
| Sanskrit | धातु: | ||
| Tatar | металл | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓጺን | ||
| Tsonga | nsimbhi | ||