Milk in Different Languages
Discover 'Milk' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Milk
Afrikaans melk | ||
Albanian qumësht | ||
Amharic ወተት | ||
Arabic حليب | ||
Armenian կաթ | ||
Assamese গাখীৰ | ||
Aymara millk'i | ||
Azerbaijani süd | ||
Bambara nɔnɔ | ||
Basque esne | ||
Belarusian малако | ||
Bengali দুধ | ||
Bhojpuri दूध | ||
Bosnian mlijeko | ||
Bulgarian мляко | ||
Catalan llet | ||
Cebuano gatas | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 牛奶 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 牛奶 | ||
Corsican latte | ||
Croatian mlijeko | ||
Czech mléko | ||
Danish mælk | ||
Dhivehi ކިރު | ||
Dogri दुद्ध | ||
Dutch melk | ||
English milk | ||
Esperanto lakto | ||
Estonian piim | ||
Ewe notsi | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) gatas | ||
Finnish maito | ||
French lait | ||
Frisian molke | ||
Galician leite | ||
Georgian რძე | ||
German milch | ||
Greek γάλα | ||
Guarani kamby | ||
Gujarati દૂધ | ||
Haitian Creole lèt | ||
Hausa madara | ||
Hawaiian waiū | ||
Hebrew חלב | ||
Hindi दूध | ||
Hmong mis nyuj | ||
Hungarian tej | ||
Icelandic mjólk | ||
Igbo mmiri ara | ||
Ilocano gatas | ||
Indonesian susu | ||
Irish bainne | ||
Italian latte | ||
Japanese ミルク | ||
Javanese susu | ||
Kannada ಹಾಲು | ||
Kazakh сүт | ||
Khmer ទឹកដោះគោ | ||
Kinyarwanda amata | ||
Konkani दूद | ||
Korean 우유 | ||
Krio milk | ||
Kurdish şîr | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) شیر | ||
Kyrgyz сүт | ||
Lao ນົມ | ||
Latin lac | ||
Latvian piens | ||
Lingala miliki | ||
Lithuanian pieno | ||
Luganda amata | ||
Luxembourgish mëllech | ||
Macedonian млеко | ||
Maithili दूध | ||
Malagasy ronono | ||
Malay susu | ||
Malayalam പാൽ | ||
Maltese ħalib | ||
Maori miraka | ||
Marathi दूध | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯪꯒꯣꯝ | ||
Mizo bawnghnute | ||
Mongolian сүү | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) နို့ | ||
Nepali दूध | ||
Norwegian melk | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mkaka | ||
Odia (Oriya) କ୍ଷୀର | ||
Oromo aannan | ||
Pashto شيدې | ||
Persian شیر | ||
Polish mleko | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) leite | ||
Punjabi ਦੁੱਧ | ||
Quechua leche | ||
Romanian lapte | ||
Russian молоко | ||
Samoan susu | ||
Sanskrit दुग्धं | ||
Scots Gaelic bainne | ||
Sepedi maswi | ||
Serbian млеко | ||
Sesotho lebese | ||
Shona mukaka | ||
Sindhi کير | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කිරි | ||
Slovak mlieko | ||
Slovenian mleko | ||
Somali caano | ||
Spanish leche | ||
Sundanese susu | ||
Swahili maziwa | ||
Swedish mjölk | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) gatas | ||
Tajik шир | ||
Tamil பால் | ||
Tatar саварга | ||
Telugu పాలు | ||
Thai นม | ||
Tigrinya ጸባ | ||
Tsonga ntswamba | ||
Turkish süt | ||
Turkmen süýt | ||
Twi (Akan) nofosuo | ||
Ukrainian молоко | ||
Urdu دودھ | ||
Uyghur سۈت | ||
Uzbek sut | ||
Vietnamese sữa | ||
Welsh llaeth | ||
Xhosa ubisi | ||
Yiddish מילך | ||
Yoruba wara | ||
Zulu ubisi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "melk" derives from the Dutch "melk" and cognate with English "milk" and German "Milch". |
| Albanian | 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). |
| Amharic | The word ወተት (milk) can also be translated as milk product or dairy product. |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "حليب" for "milk" is cognate with the Hebrew word for "white," "חָלָב (halav)". |
| Armenian | Armenian կաթ (milk), as well as the name of the Milky Way, Ծիր կաթ (lit. — 'Milky Way'), are derived from the Indo-European root *gʰalak-, meaning 'white'. |
| Azerbaijani | 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. |
| Basque | The Basque word "esne" for "milk" is derived from the Proto-Basque form *ezne, which also means "year" or "season". |
| Bosnian | 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 | The word "мляко" originally meant "liquid food" in Proto-Indo-European, similar to modern words like "mliko" (Serbian), "молоко" (Russian), and "milk" (English). |
| Catalan | 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". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "gatas" also means "coconut milk" and originally referred to the breast milk of a woman or animal. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "牛奶" also refers to a baby's wet nurse. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The word "牛奶" also means "mother's milk" in Chinese. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, the word "latte" also means "suckling pig" or "small child" |
| Croatian | The word "mlijeko" in Croatian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*melko", meaning "milk" or "liquid." |
| Czech | The word "mléko" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *melko, which means "white liquid". |
| Danish | The Old Norse word “mjǫlkr,” from which “mælk” is derived, also means sap or juice. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "melk" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "melku", meaning "to milk". |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word |
| Estonian | 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 | The word "maito" also refers to the Milky Way or breast milk in Finnish. |
| French | "Lait" is a French word that comes from the Latin word "lac", which means "milk". |
| Frisian | In Frisian, "molke" can also refer to buttermilk, whey, or the liquid that remains after cheesemaking. |
| Galician | In Galician, the word "leite" can also refer to the colour of milk or to the milky sap of certain plants. |
| Georgian | The Georgian word |
| German | The German word "Milch" also refers to the soft roe of fish, derived from the Middle High German word "milch" meaning "soft". |
| Greek | The Greek word 'γάλα' means not only 'milk' but also 'white fluid', and is cognate with the English word 'galaxy'. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "દૂધ" (milk) is derived from the Sanskrit word "dugdha" which also means "to milk". |
| Haitian Creole | "Lèt" is also used to refer to the mother's milk in Haitian Creole. |
| Hausa | The word "madara" in Hausa also means "white" or "pale". |
| Hawaiian | The word 'waiū' also means 'sap' or 'juice' in Hawaiian. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word for 'milk', 'חלב', also means 'white' or 'pale', and is related to the Arabic word 'حليب', which means 'white' or 'bright'. |
| Hindi | The word "दूध" ("milk") in Hindi also refers to the juice of a coconut or the extract of the opium poppy. |
| Hmong | "Mis nyuj" is also used to refer to breast milk. |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian word "tej" is cognate with the Mongolian word "tsay" (tea) and originally referred to both beverages. |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "mjólk" is cognate with the English word "milk" and also means "sap" or "juice". |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "mmiri ara" is a compound of "mmiri" (water) and "ara" (flesh), as milk is seen as a "water of the flesh". |
| Irish | 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 | 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. |
| Japanese | 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.''} |
| Javanese | The word "susu" in Javanese can also refer to the milky sap of certain plants or the white fluid produced by some insects. |
| Kannada | In Kannada, the word "ಹಾಲು" can also refer to the milky sap of certain plants, such as the rubber tree. |
| Kazakh | In Kazakh, |
| Khmer | "ទឹកដោះគោ" can also refer to latex, a sap obtained from several different species of plants, and particularly from the rubber tree. |
| Korean | "우유" (milk) derives from the Mongolian word "sü", meaning "cow liquid". |
| Kurdish | 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'. |
| Kyrgyz | "сүт" (süt) also means "juice" in Kyrgyz. |
| Latin | Lac, meaning "milk" in Latin, derives from Proto-Indo-European root *leǵ- meant "to moisten" or "to drip." |
| Latvian | The Latvian word |
| Lithuanian | In old Lithuanian, "pieno" was also used to refer to any kind of juice |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Mëllech" is derived from the Proto-West Germanic word "*melk-", related to English "milk", German "Milch" and Dutch "melk". |
| Macedonian | The Macedonian word "млеко" is cognate with the Latin word "lac", both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂lak-, meaning "liquid". |
| Malagasy | 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". |
| Malay | 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. |
| Malayalam | The word "പാൽ" also means "sap" or "juice" of plants or fruits in Malayalam. |
| Maltese | The word "ħalib" is derived from the Arabic "ḥalīb" and also means "liquid" in Maltese. |
| Maori | Miraka derives from the word 'waiu', meaning water, and the word 'reka', meaning pleasant or sweet. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "दूध" is cognate with the English word "milk" and also refers to the sap of certain trees. |
| Mongolian | "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) | The term "နို့" can also refer to any creamy liquid or white fluid such as coconut milk, latex, or tree sap. |
| Nepali | The word 'दूध' is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'milking' and also refers to a sweetmeat made by thickening milk. |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word "melk" has origins in the Old Norse "mjǫlk", which also meant "sap" or "juice". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'mkaka' also refers to the 'Milky Way' galaxy in Nyanja. |
| Pashto | 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). |
| Persian | In Persian, "شیر" (milk) also refers to a brave warrior or lion, highlighting the association between nourishment and strength. |
| Polish | "Mleko" in Polish derives from the Slavic root "melk-," also meaning "wet," reflecting its nourishing qualities. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "leite" originally referred to the sap of the rubber tree, and is related to the Latin word "latex." |
| Punjabi | The word "ਦੁੱਧ" can also mean "nectar" or "milk of life" in a metaphorical sense in Punjabi. |
| Romanian | The word "lapte" also means "The Milky Way" in Romanian. |
| Russian | "Молоко" также может означать "опыт, знания" и раньше имело значение "имущество, богатство" |
| Scots Gaelic | From Old Irish "boinn", which is cognate with the Welsh "banna" and the Latin "bennus" and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European "bho-no". |
| Serbian | The word млеко, meaning "milk" in Serbian, derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *melǵ- meaning "to milk". |
| Shona | The Shona word 'mukaka' (meaning 'milk') may also be used to refer to breastmilk or milk in a general sense. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "کير" also has the alternate meaning of "curds" or "yoghurt". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "කිරි" (Kiri) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*kir" meaning "milk". |
| Slovak | Slovak "mlieko" shares a root with the Latin word "mulgere," meaning "to milk". |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word "mleko" is also used to refer to the white sap of certain plants, such as dandelions and poppies. |
| Somali | The Somali word "caano" can also mean "nursing mother" or "wet nurse". |
| Spanish | Leche derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *lak-, meaning 'liquid'. |
| Swahili | "Maziwa" can also refer to breast milk or any milky substance in Swahili. |
| Swedish | In Swedish, "mjölk" also refers to the liquid or juice of plants, and is used metaphorically to describe something that nourishes or sustains. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | 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. |
| Tajik | Шир is also a unit of measure used to measure liquids, equal to about four pounds. |
| Tamil | The word "பால்" in Tamil is also used to refer to the white sap of certain plants, such as the rubber tree. |
| Telugu | 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. |
| Thai | "นม" also means "breast" in Thai. |
| Turkish | 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. |
| Ukrainian | 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" |
| Urdu | 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. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, "sut" is also used to refer to the milky juice of unripe plants and the white sap of trees. |
| Vietnamese | Sữa also means latex, such as in the milky fluid from rubber trees or young papaya. |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "llaeth" is cognate with the Latin "lac" and the Greek "gala", meaning "milk". |
| Xhosa | The word 'ubisi' in Xhosa, which means 'milk,' is also used figuratively to refer to breast milk, cattle, and nourishment. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word for "milk," "מילך," also has a secondary meaning of "maternal affection or love." |
| Yoruba | "Wara" also means "white water" and is considered a sacred substance in Yoruba cosmology. |
| Zulu | The word "ubisi" also refers to the milky sap of certain plants and the white, sticky latex of the rubber tree. |
| English | The word "milk" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *melg-, which also means "to milk". |