Milk in Different Languages
Discover 'Milk' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Milk, a staple nourishment across cultures and ages, holds a special spot in the panorama of global culinary traditions. The significance of milk spans nutritional, cultural, and economic domains, making it a fascinating subject for linguistic explorers. Delving into the word 'milk' in different languages opens a window to understanding how cultures around the world have embraced this vital food source. Historically, milk has been synonymous with abundance and fertility, featuring in numerous myths and legends. Its universal appeal makes one curious about its linguistic journey across the globe. From 'leche' in Spanish to 'milch' in German and 'lait' in French, the translations illustrate the shared human experience around this liquid nourishment. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a globetrotting foodie, or just curious, exploring milk in different languages unveils the rich tapestry of human connection and culture.
Below you will find a list of translations of the word 'milk' that will enrich your global vocabulary.
Milk
Milk in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | melk | ||
| The Afrikaans word "melk" derives from the Dutch "melk" and cognate with English "milk" and German "Milch". | |||
| Amharic | ወተት | ||
| The word ወተት (milk) can also be translated as milk product or dairy product. | |||
| Hausa | madara | ||
| The word "madara" in Hausa also means "white" or "pale". | |||
| Igbo | mmiri ara | ||
| The Igbo word "mmiri ara" is a compound of "mmiri" (water) and "ara" (flesh), as milk is seen as a "water of the flesh". | |||
| Malagasy | ronono | ||
| Malagasy has separate words for "mother's milk" and "cow's milk". While the former, "ronono", comes from an early Austronesian origin possibly meaning "to suckle", the latter derives from a Sanskrit root "kṣīra" meaning "milk". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkaka | ||
| The word 'mkaka' also refers to the 'Milky Way' galaxy in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | mukaka | ||
| The Shona word 'mukaka' (meaning 'milk') may also be used to refer to breastmilk or milk in a general sense. | |||
| Somali | caano | ||
| The Somali word "caano" can also mean "nursing mother" or "wet nurse". | |||
| Sesotho | lebese | ||
| Swahili | maziwa | ||
| "Maziwa" can also refer to breast milk or any milky substance in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ubisi | ||
| The word 'ubisi' in Xhosa, which means 'milk,' is also used figuratively to refer to breast milk, cattle, and nourishment. | |||
| Yoruba | wara | ||
| "Wara" also means "white water" and is considered a sacred substance in Yoruba cosmology. | |||
| Zulu | ubisi | ||
| The word "ubisi" also refers to the milky sap of certain plants and the white, sticky latex of the rubber tree. | |||
| Bambara | nɔnɔ | ||
| Ewe | notsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amata | ||
| Lingala | miliki | ||
| Luganda | amata | ||
| Sepedi | maswi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nofosuo | ||
Milk in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حليب | ||
| The Arabic word "حليب" for "milk" is cognate with the Hebrew word for "white," "חָלָב (halav)". | |||
| Hebrew | חלב | ||
| The Hebrew word for 'milk', 'חלב', also means 'white' or 'pale', and is related to the Arabic word 'حليب', which means 'white' or 'bright'. | |||
| Pashto | شيدې | ||
| The Pashto word "شيدې" (milk) is derived from the Persian word "شید" (milk), which itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*ksīr-d-i" (milk). | |||
| Arabic | حليب | ||
| The Arabic word "حليب" for "milk" is cognate with the Hebrew word for "white," "חָלָב (halav)". | |||
Milk in Western European Languages
| Albanian | qumësht | ||
| The word "qumësht" is related to the Indo-European root "*gʰu-m-s", also the origin of the Latin "fūmus" (smoke) and the Irish "cuirm" (ale). | |||
| Basque | esne | ||
| The Basque word "esne" for "milk" is derived from the Proto-Basque form *ezne, which also means "year" or "season". | |||
| Catalan | llet | ||
| The Catalan word "llet" derives from the Latin word "lacte" and is cognate with other Romance languages such as Spanish "leche", French "lait", and Italian "latte". | |||
| Croatian | mlijeko | ||
| The word "mlijeko" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*melko", meaning "milk" or "liquid." | |||
| Danish | mælk | ||
| The Old Norse word “mjǫlkr,” from which “mælk” is derived, also means sap or juice. | |||
| Dutch | melk | ||
| The Dutch word "melk" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "melku", meaning "to milk". | |||
| English | milk | ||
| The word "milk" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *melg-, which also means "to milk". | |||
| French | lait | ||
| "Lait" is a French word that comes from the Latin word "lac", which means "milk". | |||
| Frisian | molke | ||
| In Frisian, "molke" can also refer to buttermilk, whey, or the liquid that remains after cheesemaking. | |||
| Galician | leite | ||
| In Galician, the word "leite" can also refer to the colour of milk or to the milky sap of certain plants. | |||
| German | milch | ||
| The German word "Milch" also refers to the soft roe of fish, derived from the Middle High German word "milch" meaning "soft". | |||
| Icelandic | mjólk | ||
| The Icelandic word "mjólk" is cognate with the English word "milk" and also means "sap" or "juice". | |||
| Irish | bainne | ||
| The word "bainne" in Irish is also used to refer to the Milky Way galaxy, as it is seen as a river of milk flowing across the night sky. | |||
| Italian | latte | ||
| In Italian, the word "latte" can refer to animal milk, a milky sauce or solution, or a specific type of coffee beverage with steamed milk. | |||
| Luxembourgish | mëllech | ||
| The word "Mëllech" is derived from the Proto-West Germanic word "*melk-", related to English "milk", German "Milch" and Dutch "melk". | |||
| Maltese | ħalib | ||
| The word "ħalib" is derived from the Arabic "ḥalīb" and also means "liquid" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | melk | ||
| The Norwegian word "melk" has origins in the Old Norse "mjǫlk", which also meant "sap" or "juice". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | leite | ||
| The Portuguese word "leite" originally referred to the sap of the rubber tree, and is related to the Latin word "latex." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bainne | ||
| From Old Irish "boinn", which is cognate with the Welsh "banna" and the Latin "bennus" and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European "bho-no". | |||
| Spanish | leche | ||
| Leche derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *lak-, meaning 'liquid'. | |||
| Swedish | mjölk | ||
| In Swedish, "mjölk" also refers to the liquid or juice of plants, and is used metaphorically to describe something that nourishes or sustains. | |||
| Welsh | llaeth | ||
| The Welsh word "llaeth" is cognate with the Latin "lac" and the Greek "gala", meaning "milk". | |||
Milk in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | малако | ||
| Bosnian | mlijeko | ||
| The word 'mlijeko' also refers to plant-based or nut milks such as almond or soy milk, and can be used colloquially to refer to breast milk. | |||
| Bulgarian | мляко | ||
| The word "мляко" originally meant "liquid food" in Proto-Indo-European, similar to modern words like "mliko" (Serbian), "молоко" (Russian), and "milk" (English). | |||
| Czech | mléko | ||
| The word "mléko" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *melko, which means "white liquid". | |||
| Estonian | piim | ||
| The word "piim" in Estonian originates from the Proto-Finnic term *pima and shares a common root with the Finnish "piima" and the Proto-Baltic term *pīmen-. | |||
| Finnish | maito | ||
| The word "maito" also refers to the Milky Way or breast milk in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | tej | ||
| The Hungarian word "tej" is cognate with the Mongolian word "tsay" (tea) and originally referred to both beverages. | |||
| Latvian | piens | ||
| The Latvian word | |||
| Lithuanian | pieno | ||
| In old Lithuanian, "pieno" was also used to refer to any kind of juice | |||
| Macedonian | млеко | ||
| The Macedonian word "млеко" is cognate with the Latin word "lac", both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂lak-, meaning "liquid". | |||
| Polish | mleko | ||
| "Mleko" in Polish derives from the Slavic root "melk-," also meaning "wet," reflecting its nourishing qualities. | |||
| Romanian | lapte | ||
| The word "lapte" also means "The Milky Way" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | молоко | ||
| "Молоко" также может означать "опыт, знания" и раньше имело значение "имущество, богатство" | |||
| Serbian | млеко | ||
| The word млеко, meaning "milk" in Serbian, derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *melǵ- meaning "to milk". | |||
| Slovak | mlieko | ||
| Slovak "mlieko" shares a root with the Latin word "mulgere," meaning "to milk". | |||
| Slovenian | mleko | ||
| The Slovenian word "mleko" is also used to refer to the white sap of certain plants, such as dandelions and poppies. | |||
| Ukrainian | молоко | ||
| The word "молоко" (''moloko'') is a cognate of the Russian word "молоко'' (''moloko'') and the Polish word "mleko'' (''milk''), which share a common Slavic origin and also mean "milk" | |||
Milk in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দুধ | ||
| Gujarati | દૂધ | ||
| The Gujarati word "દૂધ" (milk) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dugdha" which also means "to milk". | |||
| Hindi | दूध | ||
| The word "दूध" ("milk") in Hindi also refers to the juice of a coconut or the extract of the opium poppy. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಾಲು | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ಹಾಲು" can also refer to the milky sap of certain plants, such as the rubber tree. | |||
| Malayalam | പാൽ | ||
| The word "പാൽ" also means "sap" or "juice" of plants or fruits in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | दूध | ||
| The Marathi word "दूध" is cognate with the English word "milk" and also refers to the sap of certain trees. | |||
| Nepali | दूध | ||
| The word 'दूध' is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'milking' and also refers to a sweetmeat made by thickening milk. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੁੱਧ | ||
| The word "ਦੁੱਧ" can also mean "nectar" or "milk of life" in a metaphorical sense in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කිරි | ||
| "කිරි" (Kiri) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*kir" meaning "milk". | |||
| Tamil | பால் | ||
| The word "பால்" in Tamil is also used to refer to the white sap of certain plants, such as the rubber tree. | |||
| Telugu | పాలు | ||
| The word "పాలు" (milk) in Telugu is also used to refer to the milky sap of certain plants, such as the rubber tree and the papaya tree. | |||
| Urdu | دودھ | ||
| The word "دودھ" (milk) shares its root with the Persian word "دوشیدن" (to milk) and may also refer to mother's milk or breast milk in certain contexts. | |||
Milk in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 牛奶 | ||
| "牛奶" also refers to a baby's wet nurse. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 牛奶 | ||
| The word "牛奶" also means "mother's milk" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | ミルク | ||
| The term 'みるく', which later evolved into 'ミルク' (miruku) and means milk, was a loan taken from English by Japanese, and it was initially written with 6 katakana: ミルクゥ.''} | |||
| Korean | 우유 | ||
| "우유" (milk) derives from the Mongolian word "sü", meaning "cow liquid". | |||
| Mongolian | сүү | ||
| "Сүү" (milk) in Mongolian is a cognate of the Greek word "gala" (milk) and the English word "gall," suggesting an ancient Indo-European origin. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နို့ | ||
| The term "နို့" can also refer to any creamy liquid or white fluid such as coconut milk, latex, or tree sap. | |||
Milk in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | susu | ||
| Javanese | susu | ||
| The word "susu" in Javanese can also refer to the milky sap of certain plants or the white fluid produced by some insects. | |||
| Khmer | ទឹកដោះគោ | ||
| "ទឹកដោះគោ" can also refer to latex, a sap obtained from several different species of plants, and particularly from the rubber tree. | |||
| Lao | ນົມ | ||
| Malay | susu | ||
| The word 'susu' derives from the Proto-Austronesian word '*susu' meaning 'breast' and is also etymologically related to the word 'susu' in Indonesian, 'susu' in Filipino, and 'susu' in Thai. | |||
| Thai | นม | ||
| "นม" also means "breast" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | sữa | ||
| Sữa also means latex, such as in the milky fluid from rubber trees or young papaya. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gatas | ||
Milk in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | süd | ||
| The word "süd" in Azerbaijani comes from the Old Turkic word "süt", which also means "milk" in other Turkic languages like Turkish, Kazakh, and Uzbek. | |||
| Kazakh | сүт | ||
| In Kazakh, | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүт | ||
| "сүт" (süt) also means "juice" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | шир | ||
| Шир is also a unit of measure used to measure liquids, equal to about four pounds. | |||
| Turkmen | süýt | ||
| Uzbek | sut | ||
| In Uzbek, "sut" is also used to refer to the milky juice of unripe plants and the white sap of trees. | |||
| Uyghur | سۈت | ||
Milk in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | waiū | ||
| The word 'waiū' also means 'sap' or 'juice' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | miraka | ||
| Miraka derives from the word 'waiu', meaning water, and the word 'reka', meaning pleasant or sweet. | |||
| Samoan | susu | ||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gatas | ||
| The word for "milk" in Tagalog, "gatas," is rooted in the Sanskrit word "ghat" and is cognate with the words for "milk" in other Indo-European languages like Greek and Latin. | |||
Milk in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | millk'i | ||
| Guarani | kamby | ||
Milk in International Languages
| Esperanto | lakto | ||
| The Esperanto word | |||
| Latin | lac | ||
| Lac, meaning "milk" in Latin, derives from Proto-Indo-European root *leǵ- meant "to moisten" or "to drip." | |||
Milk in Others Languages
| Greek | γάλα | ||
| The Greek word 'γάλα' means not only 'milk' but also 'white fluid', and is cognate with the English word 'galaxy'. | |||
| Hmong | mis nyuj | ||
| "Mis nyuj" is also used to refer to breast milk. | |||
| Kurdish | şîr | ||
| In Kurdish, besides its main meaning as 'milk', the word 'şîr' is also used to refer to the 'liquid secreted by certain trees', 'the milky liquid in walnuts', or 'the white sap of plants'. | |||
| Turkish | süt | ||
| The Turkish word "Süt" does not only mean "milk" but also "white". This double meaning is explained by the fact that the colour white was historically associated with milk, hence its use as a metaphor for purity and brightness. | |||
| Xhosa | ubisi | ||
| The word 'ubisi' in Xhosa, which means 'milk,' is also used figuratively to refer to breast milk, cattle, and nourishment. | |||
| Yiddish | מילך | ||
| The Yiddish word for "milk," "מילך," also has a secondary meaning of "maternal affection or love." | |||
| Zulu | ubisi | ||
| The word "ubisi" also refers to the milky sap of certain plants and the white, sticky latex of the rubber tree. | |||
| Assamese | গাখীৰ | ||
| Aymara | millk'i | ||
| Bhojpuri | दूध | ||
| Dhivehi | ކިރު | ||
| Dogri | दुद्ध | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gatas | ||
| Guarani | kamby | ||
| Ilocano | gatas | ||
| Krio | milk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شیر | ||
| Maithili | दूध | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯪꯒꯣꯝ | ||
| Mizo | bawnghnute | ||
| Oromo | aannan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କ୍ଷୀର | ||
| Quechua | leche | ||
| Sanskrit | दुग्धं | ||
| Tatar | саварга | ||
| Tigrinya | ጸባ | ||
| Tsonga | ntswamba | ||