Military in Different Languages
Discover 'Military' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The 'military' is a vital institution that has played a significant role in shaping the course of history. Its cultural importance cannot be overstated, as it has been the driving force behind many victories, conquests, and peacekeeping efforts. The word 'military' itself is derived from the Latin word 'militaris,' which means 'belonging to the soldiers.'
Understanding the translation of 'military' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view this institution. For instance, in Spanish, 'military' is translated as 'militar,' while in French, it is 'militaire.' In German, it is 'Militär,' and in Russian, it is 'военный' (voennyy).
Moreover, knowing the translation of 'military' in various languages can be useful for travelers, language learners, and anyone interested in international relations. It can also help break down language barriers and foster a better understanding between people of different backgrounds and cultures.
In the following list, you will find the translations of 'military' in over 50 languages, from Arabic to Zulu. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a history buff, or simply curious, this list is sure to provide you with some fascinating insights.
Military
Military in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | militêre | ||
| In Old French, the word "militêre" also refers to a "knight's servant". | |||
| Amharic | ወታደራዊ | ||
| The word ውታደራዊ has its roots in the Ge'ez word ውትድ (witǝd), which means "war" or "battle." | |||
| Hausa | soja | ||
| The word 'soja' (military) in Hausa also means a type of traditional Hausa footwear. | |||
| Igbo | ndị agha | ||
| The word 'ndị agha' literally means 'people of the farm' in Igbo, but was extended to mean 'military' during the Biafran War. | |||
| Malagasy | miaramila | ||
| The word "miaramila" is derived from the French word "militaire," which means "military." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wankhondo | ||
| The word "wankhondo" also means "war" or "battle" in Chichewa. | |||
| Shona | zvechiuto | ||
| The term "zvechiuto" is derived from the Proto-Bantu noun class *u-ci-uto meaning "weapon". | |||
| Somali | militari | ||
| The word "militari" can also mean "soldier" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | sesole | ||
| "Sesole" also refers to the traditional regiments and the people who make them up, and is often used to refer to the military in general, including the South African National Defence Force. | |||
| Swahili | kijeshi | ||
| Kijeshi's alternate meanings in Swahili include 'one who is strong' or 'a tough person,' which aligns with the concept of military prowess. | |||
| Xhosa | emkhosini | ||
| In Xhosa, 'emkhosini' can also refer to people residing in military barracks or bases. | |||
| Yoruba | ologun | ||
| The Yoruba word "ologun" has its root in the phrase "oni Ogun," meaning "the worshiper of Ogun," the god of iron and warfare. | |||
| Zulu | ezempi | ||
| The Zulu word "ezempi" additionally means "defend" or "protect". | |||
| Bambara | sɔrɔdasi | ||
| Ewe | asrafowo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gisirikare | ||
| Lingala | soda | ||
| Luganda | amajje | ||
| Sepedi | sešole | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asraafoɔ | ||
Military in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الجيش | ||
| The word "الجيش" comes from the root "ج-ش-ع", meaning "to gather together". | |||
| Hebrew | צבאי | ||
| The Hebrew word "צבאי" means "military" but is also derived from the word "צבא" which means "army". | |||
| Pashto | نظامي | ||
| The word "نظامي" in Pashto can also refer to a type of traditional music. | |||
| Arabic | الجيش | ||
| The word "الجيش" comes from the root "ج-ش-ع", meaning "to gather together". | |||
Military in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ushtarake | ||
| "Ushtarake" is a loanword from Ottoman Turkish, "askerî" meaning "of the army". | |||
| Basque | militarra | ||
| The word "militarra" in Basque is also used in a more general sense to refer to military personnel, or people who have had military training or experience. | |||
| Catalan | militar | ||
| The term “militar” also means “soldier” or “warrior” in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | vojni | ||
| The word "vojni" in Croatian can also mean "warlike" or "belligerent" | |||
| Danish | militær | ||
| "Militær" in Danish also refers to "military forces", and comes from the Latin word "miles", which means "soldier." | |||
| Dutch | leger | ||
| "Leger" also means "camp" in Dutch | |||
| English | military | ||
| The word "military" derives from Latin "miles", meaning "soldier", and "-tary", meaning "of or concerning". | |||
| French | militaire | ||
| The word "militaire" in French also refers to a type of bread or fabric. | |||
| Frisian | militêr | ||
| The word "militêr" in Frisian comes from the Latin word "miles", meaning "soldier". | |||
| Galician | militar | ||
| “Militar” is also used in Galician to refer to a rank in the army, like “sargento” (“sergeant”) or “capitán” (“captain”). | |||
| German | militär- | ||
| The term 'Militär-' is derived from the Latin word 'miles', which means soldier, and is used in German to refer to anything military-related. | |||
| Icelandic | her | ||
| In Icelandic, "her" is the neuter singular form of the word "herr" which also means "army, host". | |||
| Irish | míleata | ||
| The term “míleata” in Irish can have additional implications of being “warrior-like” or “fierce”. | |||
| Italian | militare | ||
| The Italian word "militare" also refers to "soldier," stemming from the Latin "miles," meaning "warrior." | |||
| Luxembourgish | militäresch | ||
| In French, the word "militaires" refers to military personnel, while in Luxembourgish it has a broader meaning, encompassing everything related to the military, including weapons, equipment, and strategy. | |||
| Maltese | militari | ||
| The word militari comes from the Italian militare, which in turn originates from the Latin miles which may be linked to the ancient Greek μειλία / meilíā "ash tree, spear made from ash" | |||
| Norwegian | militær | ||
| In Swedish, "militär" means "pants", due to the pants being the first part of the military uniform to be adopted by civilians. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | militares | ||
| The word "militares" in Portuguese derives from the Latin word "miles," meaning "soldier." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | armachd | ||
| Scots Gaelic "armachd" derives from "arm"" as in English but the Gaelic word also refers to "the navy," "weapons," and "forces" | |||
| Spanish | militar | ||
| The word "militar" in Spanish originates from the Latin "mīles" meaning "soldier", and retains this connotation in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | militär- | ||
| "Militär-" is also used figuratively in Swedish, such as in "militaristisk" (militaristic) or "militärstat" (military state). | |||
| Welsh | milwrol | ||
| Milwrol (military) originates from the Latin "miles", meaning soldier, and also has the secondary meaning of "militia." | |||
Military in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | ваенны | ||
| Bosnian | vojni | ||
| In Serbo-Croatian, the word vojni can also refer to a person serving in the military. | |||
| Bulgarian | военни | ||
| Bulgarian "военни" can also refer to military exercises or actions, or to military personnel. | |||
| Czech | válečný | ||
| “Válečný” also means “warlike” in Czech, sharing a similar meaning with “bojovný,” “válečnický,” and “útočný.” | |||
| Estonian | sõjaväe | ||
| The word "sõjaväe" is derived from the Estonian words "sõda" (war) and "vägi" (force). | |||
| Finnish | sotilaallinen | ||
| Etymology: from French *militaire* or German *militärisch*, both from Latin *miles* "soldier" | |||
| Hungarian | katonai | ||
| In Hungarian, "katonai" (military) is derived from the Ancient Greek word "katon" (soldier), likely brought to the language by the Celts. | |||
| Latvian | militārais | ||
| The word "militārais" in Latvian comes from the French word "militaire", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "miles", meaning "soldier". | |||
| Lithuanian | karinis | ||
| The word "karinis" can also mean "armed" or "combat-ready" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | воени | ||
| The word "воени" can also refer to a unit of soldiers in an army or to soldiers in general. | |||
| Polish | wojskowy | ||
| The word "wojskowy" is derived from the Polish word "wojsko" (army) and is often used to refer to military personnel, equipment, or operations. | |||
| Romanian | militar | ||
| In Romanian, "militar" is not only used for things related to the military, but can also mean "person who serves in the military". | |||
| Russian | военные | ||
| The word 'военные' is plural and has an older cognate form of 'вой' which originally means 'warrior'. | |||
| Serbian | војни | ||
| "Војни" also means "warlike" or "martial". | |||
| Slovak | vojenské | ||
| vojenské is derived from the Latin word "miles" meaning "soldier" and can also mean "martial" or "warlike" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vojaški | ||
| In Slovene, the word "vojaški" can also mean "aggressive" or "hostile" | |||
| Ukrainian | військовий | ||
| The word "військовий" is derived from the Slavic root "voj" meaning "to fight" and has the alternate meaning of "soldier". | |||
Military in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সামরিক | ||
| সামরিক শব্দটির আরেকটি অর্থ হল 'যুদ্ধ সংক্রান্ত বিষয়'। | |||
| Gujarati | લશ્કરી | ||
| In Hindi (लश्करी), the word can also refer to a type of heavy fabric known for its durability and is often used in military uniforms. | |||
| Hindi | सैन्य | ||
| The term "सैन्य" can also refer to an organized group or a force, not necessarily military in nature. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಿಲಿಟರಿ | ||
| ಮಿಲಿಟರಿ (military) is ultimately derived from the Latin word "miles," which means "soldier." | |||
| Malayalam | മിലിട്ടറി | ||
| The Malayalam word 'മിലിട്ടറി' is derived from the English word 'military' and has the same meaning. | |||
| Marathi | सैन्य | ||
| The word "सैन्य" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सेना" and ultimately from the Indo-European root *sen- meaning "to conquer". | |||
| Nepali | सैन्य | ||
| The word "सैन्य" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सेना" which means "army." | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੌਜੀ | ||
| The Sanskrit origin of the Punjabi word 'ਫੌਜੀ' suggests not just the military but also one who fights in combat. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යුද | ||
| The word 'යුද' can also mean 'war' or 'battle' in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | இராணுவம் | ||
| The Tamil word 'இராணுவம்' ('iraNuvam') originates from the Sanskrit word 'रक्ष' ('rakṣa'), meaning 'to protect', and is cognate with the English word 'regiment'. | |||
| Telugu | సైనిక | ||
| The word "సైనిక" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सैनिक" (sainika), meaning "soldier" or "warrior." | |||
| Urdu | فوجی | ||
| The word 'فوجی' is derived from the Arabic word 'فوج', meaning a group or a band. | |||
Military in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 军事 | ||
| "军事" originally referred to the skills of hunting and fishing, and later extended to military affairs, meaning 'martial art'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 軍事 | ||
| 軍事 in Chinese traditionally refers to both military affairs and martial arts. | |||
| Japanese | 軍隊 | ||
| The word '軍隊' (military) can also mean 'the armed forces', 'military troops', or 'the army' in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 군 | ||
| The word "군" is also the Sino-Korean reading of the native Korean word "무리" ("group") which is a homonym to another Sino-Korean reading of "軍". | |||
| Mongolian | цэргийн | ||
| The word "цэргийн" can also refer to "armed forces" or "troops". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စစ်ရေး | ||
Military in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | militer | ||
| In Indonesian the word "militer" comes from the Dutch word "militair" which means military. | |||
| Javanese | militèr | ||
| In Javanese, "militèr" can also refer to a traditional ritual performance involving martial arts and dance. | |||
| Khmer | យោធា | ||
| The word យោធា (military) in Khmer also means "fighting" or "combat". | |||
| Lao | ທະຫານ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malay | tentera | ||
| In Malay, 'tentera' can also refer to a group of people or animals, especially when they are in a defensive or aggressive stance. | |||
| Thai | ทหาร | ||
| The root word "ทหาร" is "ทหาร" which translates to "to protect" meaning the military "protects" society. | |||
| Vietnamese | quân đội | ||
| "Quân đội" is the Hán tự term for "army" which means "troops". The word also has an alternate meaning of "military force" or "armed forces". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | militar | ||
Military in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hərbi | ||
| The word "hərbi" also means "related to war" and "violent" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | әскери | ||
| The word "әскери" can also refer to "soldier" or "army" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аскердик | ||
| Tajik | ҳарбӣ | ||
| The word "харбӣ" is derived from the Arabic word "حربي" (harbi), meaning "pertaining to war" | |||
| Turkmen | harby | ||
| Uzbek | harbiy | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "harbiy" not only means "military", but also refers to "strict" or "serious" matters. | |||
| Uyghur | ھەربىي | ||
Military in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pūʻali koa | ||
| The word "puaʻali koa" literally means "puaʻa (pig)" and "koa (warrior)", symbolizing the bravery of pigs going to war. | |||
| Maori | ope taua | ||
| In Māori mythology, "ope taua" also refers to the warriors of Tane, the god of forests. | |||
| Samoan | militeli | ||
| The Samoan word 'militeli' is derived from the English word 'military', and is used to describe both military forces and the military profession. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | militar | ||
| The word "militar" in Tagalog can also mean "soldier" or "warrior". | |||
Military in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | militara | ||
| Guarani | milíko | ||
Military in International Languages
| Esperanto | militistaro | ||
| The word "militistaro" is derived from the Latin word "miles," which means "soldier." | |||
| Latin | militum | ||
| "Militum" is derived from the Oscan word *melis" and is related to the Sanskrit word *mlet" (to destroy). | |||
Military in Others Languages
| Greek | στρατός | ||
| The term 'Στρατός' originally meant an army assembled at a certain place for action rather than a standing military force. | |||
| Hmong | tub rog | ||
| The word 'Tub rog' is also used to refer to a 'warlord' in the Hmong language. | |||
| Kurdish | leşkerî | ||
| The word "leşkerî" is derived from the Persian word "lashkar", meaning "army" or "troops". | |||
| Turkish | askeri | ||
| "Askeri" also means "monk" in Turkish, coming from the Arabic word "askar" (army) which in turn comes from the Greek word "askētés" (monk). | |||
| Xhosa | emkhosini | ||
| In Xhosa, 'emkhosini' can also refer to people residing in military barracks or bases. | |||
| Yiddish | מיליטעריש | ||
| The word "military" (מיליטעריש) in Yiddish also has the alternate meaning of "heroic." | |||
| Zulu | ezempi | ||
| The Zulu word "ezempi" additionally means "defend" or "protect". | |||
| Assamese | সৈনিক | ||
| Aymara | militara | ||
| Bhojpuri | सेना | ||
| Dhivehi | ހެވިކަން | ||
| Dogri | फौज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | militar | ||
| Guarani | milíko | ||
| Ilocano | militaria | ||
| Krio | soja | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەربازی | ||
| Maithili | सेना | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯟꯒꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sipai | ||
| Oromo | loltuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାମରିକ | ||
| Quechua | militar | ||
| Sanskrit | सैन्यदल | ||
| Tatar | хәрби | ||
| Tigrinya | ወተሃደራዊ ኣገልግሎት | ||
| Tsonga | masocha | ||