Minority in Different Languages
Discover 'Minority' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'minority' holds great significance in today's globalized world, as it represents groups that are smaller in number or less influential in a society. Understanding the cultural importance of minorities is crucial to promoting diversity, equality, and inclusivity. Moreover, knowing the translation of 'minority' in different languages can help bridge cultural gaps and foster mutual respect.
Did you know that the term 'minority' was first used in the context of population studies in the 16th century? Since then, it has evolved to encompass various social, political, and cultural dimensions. For instance, in the United States, 'minority' often refers to racial and ethnic groups such as African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, 'minority' may refer to linguistic, religious, or sexual minorities.
Here are some translations of 'minority' that highlight the diversity and richness of languages and cultures around the world:
Minority
Minority in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | minderheid | ||
| The word "minderheid" in Afrikaans does not hold the connotation of "legal disability" as it does in English. | |||
| Amharic | አናሳዎች | ||
| አናሳዎች in Amharic can also refer to marginalized or disadvantaged individuals or groups. | |||
| Hausa | tsiraru | ||
| The word 'tsiraru' in Hausa also has alternate meanings such as "small in number" and "few in quantity". | |||
| Igbo | ndi pere mpe | ||
| "Ndi pere mpe" can also mean "those in the other direction," implying social or political distance. | |||
| Malagasy | vitsy an'isa | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ochepa | ||
| "Ochepa" can also mean "the few" or "the weak". | |||
| Shona | vashoma | ||
| The word 'vashoma' has roots in the Bantu language family, meaning 'to be small or insignificant'. | |||
| Somali | tirada yar | ||
| The word 'tirada yar' can also mean 'the number of' or 'the quantity of' in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | fokolang | ||
| An alternative meaning of 'fokolang' is a person who is marginalized or disadvantaged. | |||
| Swahili | wachache | ||
| The word “wachache” originates from the Swahili word “wachache,” which means “few” or “small in number.” | |||
| Xhosa | bambalwa | ||
| "Bambalwa" in Xhosa can also refer to a specific group of people or a clan. | |||
| Yoruba | to nkan | ||
| 'To nkan' also means 'the other'} | |||
| Zulu | idlanzana | ||
| Idlanzana is a term used to describe a group of people who share a particular trait or characteristic, and it can also refer to a person who belongs to that group. | |||
| Bambara | mɔgɔ fitininw | ||
| Ewe | ame ʋɛ aɖewo ko | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bake | ||
| Lingala | bato moke | ||
| Luganda | abatono | ||
| Sepedi | bonnyane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nnipa kakraa bi | ||
Minority in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | أقلية | ||
| The word "أقلية" can also mean "a few". | |||
| Hebrew | מיעוט | ||
| The word מיעוט (minority) also means "lack" or "insufficiency" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | اقلیت | ||
| The Pashto word "اقلیت" can also mean "a small group of people who are different from the majority in some way, such as in their religion, ethnicity, or political views." | |||
| Arabic | أقلية | ||
| The word "أقلية" can also mean "a few". | |||
Minority in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pakica | ||
| The word 'pakica' derives from Proto-Romance *pak-, meaning 'to guard' | |||
| Basque | gutxiengoa | ||
| "Gutxiengoa" is derived from "gutxi" (few) and "engo" (situation), so it literally means "situation of fewness". | |||
| Catalan | minoria | ||
| The word "minoria" in Catalan can also mean a "minority of age" (a minor). | |||
| Croatian | manjina | ||
| The word “manjina” in Croatian is derived from the Turkish word “münakkan”, which means “little, small”. However, “manjina” and “mali” (“small” in Croatian) are not related. | |||
| Danish | mindretal | ||
| The word "mindretal" is derived from the Latin word "minoritas" and can also refer to a minority in other contexts. | |||
| Dutch | minderheid | ||
| The Dutch word "minderheid" literally means "lesser quantity" and can also refer to a "disadvantage". | |||
| English | minority | ||
| The word "minority" has a linguistic origin meaning "lesser in number." | |||
| French | minorité | ||
| In French, "minorité" also means "underage" or "non-adulthood". | |||
| Frisian | minderheid | ||
| In Frisian, the word "minderheid" also has the meaning of "inferiority". | |||
| Galician | minoritario | ||
| The word "minoritario" in Galician also means "lesser" or "inferior". | |||
| German | minderheit | ||
| The German word "Minderheit" derives from the Middle High German word "minderheite," which means "inferiority" or "lesser part" | |||
| Icelandic | minnihluta | ||
| The word "minnihluti" originally referred to a subset or group within a larger population, but has since taken on the specific meaning of "minority group". | |||
| Irish | mionlach | ||
| Mionlach can also mean 'fragment' or 'small division' in Irish, reflecting its derivation from the word 'mion', meaning 'small' or 'petty'. | |||
| Italian | minoranza | ||
| The word "minoranza" can also refer to a musical term indicating the lower part of a harmony. | |||
| Luxembourgish | minoritéit | ||
| Maltese | minoranza | ||
| "Minoranza" in Maltese derives from the Italian "minoranza" and can also mean "disability" | |||
| Norwegian | minoritet | ||
| "Minoritet" is also the Norwegian term for a minor scale in music. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | minoria | ||
| The Portuguese word "minoria" can also mean "minority shareholders" particularly in the context of company law. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beag-chuid | ||
| The Gaelic word "beag-chuid" is derived from "beag" (meaning little, small) and "chuid" (meaning part), thus literally meaning "small part". | |||
| Spanish | minoría | ||
| In Spanish, "minoría" comes from the Latin "minor" and means a less significant group | |||
| Swedish | minoritet | ||
| Minority (minoriteten) in Swedish can refer both to groups that make up less than half or less than any other part of the population. | |||
| Welsh | lleiafrif | ||
| The Welsh word lleiafrif comes from an earlier "lleiaf", possibly from Proto-Brittonic and ultimately Indo-European and with an original meaning "something left or remainder". | |||
Minority in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | меншасць | ||
| "Меншасць" - походить від слова "меншы" (menshy, «маленький»), також може означати «недостатньо» або "неповнота". | |||
| Bosnian | manjina | ||
| The word 'manjina' can also refer to a person belonging to a minority group. | |||
| Bulgarian | малцинство | ||
| The Bulgarian word "малцинство" (minority) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "малъ" (small) and the suffix "-ство" (state, condition). | |||
| Czech | menšina | ||
| In the Czech language, "menšina" can also refer to "sexual minorities" (as opposed to heterosexuals), a specific group within the broader category of minorities. | |||
| Estonian | vähemus | ||
| "Vähemus" is derived from the word "vähe", meaning "small" or "little." | |||
| Finnish | vähemmistö | ||
| The word "vähemmistö" can also mean "a group of people who disagree with the majority on a specific issue". | |||
| Hungarian | kisebbség | ||
| Kisebbség is an older and a more formal word for minority in Hungarian, with the word szűkebb kör used more nowadays. | |||
| Latvian | minoritāte | ||
| The word "minoritāte" in Latvian also means "smallness". | |||
| Lithuanian | mažuma | ||
| The word "mažuma" is derived from the Lithuanian word "mažas", meaning "small". | |||
| Macedonian | малцинство | ||
| "Малцинство" (minority) comes from the words "мал" (small) and "цин" (kind). | |||
| Polish | mniejszość | ||
| In a broader sense, it means "lesser," or "lower." | |||
| Romanian | minoritate | ||
| "Minoritate" derives from Latin "minoritas" (minority), "minor" (smaller). | |||
| Russian | меньшинство | ||
| The word "меньшинство" can also mean "inferiority" or "shortcoming" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | мањина | ||
| The word "мањина" (minority) in Serbian also has the alternate meaning of "small change" or "coins". | |||
| Slovak | menšina | ||
| The word 'menšina' also means 'coins' or 'change' in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | manjšina | ||
| Manjšina derives from the word 'manj' meaning 'less', and its plural 'manjšine' means 'minorities'. In historical contexts, it can also refer to an individual or group that is 'smaller' or 'inferior'. | |||
| Ukrainian | меншість | ||
| The Ukrainian word "меншість" derives from the Slavic root "menšъ", meaning "less than" or "smaller". | |||
Minority in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নাবালকত্ব | ||
| The Bengali word "নাবালকত্ব" also refers to the Hindu concept of a "fifth caste" of people outside the traditional four-caste system. | |||
| Gujarati | લઘુમતી | ||
| The word "લઘુમતી" (minority) is derived from the Sanskrit word "laghu," meaning "small" or "insignificant," and the Persian word "mati," meaning "people" or "group." | |||
| Hindi | अल्पसंख्यक | ||
| The term 'अल्पसंख्यक' has roots in Sanskrit, derived from the words 'alpa' (little, less) and 'samkhya' (number). | |||
| Kannada | ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತರು | ||
| ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತರು (alpasaṅkhyātaru), which translates to "minority," is also used to refer to underprivileged or less represented groups. | |||
| Malayalam | ന്യൂനപക്ഷം | ||
| In Malayalam, "ന്യൂനപക്ഷം" can also refer to a small section or group within a larger entity. | |||
| Marathi | अल्पसंख्याक | ||
| The word "अल्पसंख्याक" (minority) in Marathi derives from the Sanskrit words "अल्प" (small) and "संख्या" (number) and can also mean "handful" or "a small group of people". | |||
| Nepali | अल्पसंख्यक | ||
| The root of the word "अल्पसंख्यक" is "अल्प" (small) and "संख्या" (number), and it can also refer to a small or insignificant part of something. | |||
| Punjabi | ਘੱਟ ਗਿਣਤੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුළුතරය | ||
| සුළුතරය originally meant a small fraction of a unit of time, like a small moment. | |||
| Tamil | சிறுபான்மை | ||
| சிறுபான்மை is also used to refer to the 'junior branches' of a joint family. | |||
| Telugu | మైనారిటీ | ||
| The word 'minority' originated from the Latin word 'minor', meaning 'smaller'. | |||
| Urdu | اقلیت | ||
| اقلیت (aqalliyat) is an Urdu word borrowed from Arabic that originally meant 'smallness or paucity,' 'scarcity,' or 'need.' | |||
Minority in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 少数民族 | ||
| In Chinese, "少数民族" (minority) literally means "small number (少数) ethnic groups (民族)" and is used to refer to non-Han ethnic groups. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 少數民族 | ||
| In Chinese, "少數民族" can also refer to indigenous peoples or ethnic groups with unique cultures and traditions. | |||
| Japanese | 少数 | ||
| 少数 can also mean "small number" or "few." | |||
| Korean | 소수 | ||
| The word 소수 ('minority') in Korean can also refer to prime numbers. | |||
| Mongolian | цөөнх | ||
| The Mongolian word 'цөөнх' ('minority') can also refer to something that is 'small' or 'few' in quantity. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူနည်းစု | ||
Minority in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | minoritas | ||
| In Indonesian, "minoritas" also means "lacking" or "insufficient". | |||
| Javanese | minoritas | ||
| The Old Javanese minoritas means 'chief' or 'boss'. | |||
| Khmer | ជនជាតិភាគតិច | ||
| Lao | ຊົນເຜົ່າສ່ວນນ້ອຍ | ||
| Its literal translation is "small ethnic group". | |||
| Malay | minoriti | ||
| In Malay, "minoriti" can also refer to a group of people who are politically or socially marginalized. | |||
| Thai | ชนกลุ่มน้อย | ||
| The term "ชนกลุ่มน้อย" (minority) in Thai can also refer to ethnic groups in the country, particularly those with a distinct language, culture, or way of life. | |||
| Vietnamese | thiểu số | ||
| Thiểu số can also mean "few" or "small in number". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | minorya | ||
Minority in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | azlıq | ||
| "Azlıq" in Azerbaijani is etymologically related to the word "az" meaning "few" and can also refer to numerical inferiority or scarcity. | |||
| Kazakh | азшылық | ||
| "Азшылық" in Kazakh specifically refers to ethnic minorities, as opposed to other types of social minorities. | |||
| Kyrgyz | азчылык | ||
| The root "аз (az)" means "few or little". | |||
| Tajik | ақаллият | ||
| The word "ақаллият" originates from the Arabic word "أقلية" (aqalliyat), which also means "minority" but additionally denotes numerical smallness or insignificance. | |||
| Turkmen | azlyk | ||
| Uzbek | ozchilik | ||
| The Uzbek word "ozchilik" can also refer to the concept of "ethnicity" or "nationality." | |||
| Uyghur | ئاز سانلىق مىللەت | ||
Minority in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hapa liʻiliʻi | ||
| It literally means "the small side" with "small" being an indicator of the less numerous side. | |||
| Maori | tokoiti | ||
| 'Tokoitī' derives from the Maori verb 'tokoi,' meaning to press down or hold back. | |||
| Samoan | toʻaitiiti | ||
| In Samoan, "toʻaitiiti" may also refer to a person of lesser rank or a group with less power and influence. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | minorya | ||
| The word "minorya" in Filipino also means "small group". | |||
Minority in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | minoría ukankirinaka | ||
| Guarani | minoría rehegua | ||
Minority in International Languages
| Esperanto | malplimulto | ||
| Esperanto originally had another word for "minority", malplimulto, which is now obsolete in favor of malplimulto. | |||
| Latin | pars | ||
| The Latin word "pars" can also refer to a part, portion, or share of something. | |||
Minority in Others Languages
| Greek | μειονότητα | ||
| The term 'μειονότητα' can also refer to a 'disability' or 'handicap' in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | haiv neeg tsawg | ||
| "Haiv neeg tsawg" in Hmong language means "minority group" or "small people". | |||
| Kurdish | kêmî | ||
| The word 'kêmî' in Kurdish can also refer to the 'smaller part' of something. | |||
| Turkish | azınlık | ||
| The word "azınlık" also means "deficit" or "insufficiency" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | bambalwa | ||
| "Bambalwa" in Xhosa can also refer to a specific group of people or a clan. | |||
| Yiddish | מינאָריטעט | ||
| Yiddish 'minority' comes from Latin 'minor' via French 'minorité', and means 'the state of being less important'. | |||
| Zulu | idlanzana | ||
| Idlanzana is a term used to describe a group of people who share a particular trait or characteristic, and it can also refer to a person who belongs to that group. | |||
| Assamese | সংখ্যালঘু | ||
| Aymara | minoría ukankirinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | अल्पसंख्यक के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މައިނޯރިޓީ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | अल्पसंख्यक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | minorya | ||
| Guarani | minoría rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | minoria | ||
| Krio | di wan dɛn we nɔ bɔku | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کەمینە | ||
| Maithili | अल्पसंख्यक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯥꯏꯅꯣꯔꯤꯇꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | minority te an ni | ||
| Oromo | xiqqaadha | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସଂଖ୍ୟାଲଘୁ | ||
| Quechua | aslla runakuna | ||
| Sanskrit | अल्पसंख्याकाः | ||
| Tatar | азчылык | ||
| Tigrinya | ውሑዳት ዝኾኑ | ||
| Tsonga | vanhu vatsongo | ||