Motion in Different Languages
Discover 'Motion' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Motion is a fundamental concept that underpins our understanding of the world around us. It refers to the movement or change of position of an object over time. From the smallest atomic particles to the vast expanses of the universe, motion is a constant and unifying force.
The significance of motion extends beyond the realm of physics, as it also plays a crucial role in our cultural and linguistic heritage. For instance, in dance and theater, motion is a powerful means of expression and storytelling. Similarly, in visual arts, motion can convey dynamism, emotion, and movement.
Given the pervasive influence of motion in our lives, it's not surprising that many languages have multiple words to describe different types of motion. For example, in Spanish, there are separate words for 'motion' as a general concept ('movimiento') and for 'motion' in the sense of a legal motion ('moción').
Understanding the translations of motion in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural nuances and linguistic traditions of various societies. In the following list, you'll find a selection of translations of motion in over 40 languages, from Afrikaans to Yiddish.
Motion
Motion in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beweging | ||
| Afrikaan's "beweging" translates as "motion" and "movement" in English, and originates from the Dutch word "beweging". | |||
| Amharic | እንቅስቃሴ | ||
| Hausa | motsi | ||
| "Mòtsī" also means "movement" or "act of doing". | |||
| Igbo | ngagharị | ||
| The Igbo word "ngagharị" also means "conduct" or "behavior". | |||
| Malagasy | mihetsika | ||
| The word "mihetsika" in Malagasy also means "tremble" or "shake". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyenda | ||
| The word "kuyenda" in Nyanja can also mean "to travel over a short distance, especially for social reasons". | |||
| Shona | kufamba | ||
| "Kufamba" means "motion" but is also used to describe walking long distances. | |||
| Somali | dhaqaaq | ||
| Somali 'dhaqaaq' shares an etymology with its Arabic cognate 'daqa' meaning 'knock', 'pound', and 'beat'. | |||
| Sesotho | tshisinyo | ||
| The word 'tshisinyo' can also mean 'manner' or 'customary behaviour'. | |||
| Swahili | mwendo | ||
| In addition to 'motion', 'mwendo' can also mean 'journey', 'travel', or 'trek' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | intshukumo | ||
| _Intshukumo_ can also mean 'progress' or 'advancement' | |||
| Yoruba | išipopada | ||
| Ìṣìpọ̀ọ̀pàá literally means 'a bunch of small sticks gathered together to make a big one' | |||
| Zulu | ukunyakaza | ||
| "Ukunyakaza" originally meant "to travel" and was extended to all sorts of motion. | |||
| Bambara | mosiyɔn | ||
| Ewe | zɔɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyerekezo | ||
| Lingala | koningana | ||
| Luganda | okuwenya | ||
| Sepedi | tšhišinyo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | animkɔ | ||
Motion in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اقتراح | ||
| The Arabic word "اقتراح" (motion) derives from the root "قَرَحَ" (to strike) suggesting the act of bringing something to attention or discussion. | |||
| Hebrew | תְנוּעָה | ||
| The word "תְנוּעָה" also refers to the vowel system in the Hebrew language and to a sociopolitical movement. | |||
| Pashto | خوځښت | ||
| خوضشت (موشن) ښ پشتو (عضلة) کی ماخذ کګلو (استاندارد) سره ولا لرشتي (ولسل) کی چند سره بھی نشان دا نوض سنشع کګلو (بدلنده) کی پورتون سره کي سبب ښ معنى کود ښ دا خوضشت سره معنى استاندارد. | |||
| Arabic | اقتراح | ||
| The Arabic word "اقتراح" (motion) derives from the root "قَرَحَ" (to strike) suggesting the act of bringing something to attention or discussion. | |||
Motion in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lëvizje | ||
| The Albanian word "lëvizje" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *leweg-, meaning "to bend, to turn". | |||
| Basque | mugimendua | ||
| The word "mugimendua" (motion) also means "exercise" or "gymnastics" in Basque, and derives from the verb "mugitu" (to move). | |||
| Catalan | moviment | ||
| In astronomy, the Catalan word "moviment" is also used to refer to the revolution and rotation of celestial bodies. | |||
| Croatian | pokret | ||
| The Croatian word 'pokret' derives from the Proto-Slavic '*porchati', meaning 'to move', and also relates to 'pokraj' ('beside') and 'pričati' ('to tell'). | |||
| Danish | bevægelse | ||
| In Danish, "bevægelse" can also refer to a social or political movement. | |||
| Dutch | beweging | ||
| The word "beweging" in Dutch also means "movement" in a political or social sense, such as a political party or a social movement. | |||
| English | motion | ||
| The word 'motion' is derived from the Latin word 'motus', meaning 'movement', and is related to the French word 'mouvement'. | |||
| French | mouvement | ||
| The French word 'mouvement' also means 'movement' in the sense of an organised group of people pursuing a particular cause. | |||
| Frisian | moasje | ||
| The word "moasje" in Frisian can also refer to a person's mood or disposition. | |||
| Galician | movemento | ||
| "Movemento" derives from the Latin "motus," meaning "change of position," and also means "social movement" in Galician. | |||
| German | bewegung | ||
| The word 'Bewegung' can also mean 'movement' or 'exercise' in German. | |||
| Icelandic | hreyfing | ||
| Cognate with movement in English and Bewegung in German | |||
| Irish | tairiscint | ||
| The word 'tairiscint' is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *tegs-, meaning 'to flee' or 'to run'. | |||
| Italian | movimento | ||
| The Italian word "movimento" originates from the Latin verb "movere" (to move), and also refers to various artistic movements such as Futurism and Surrealism. | |||
| Luxembourgish | bewegung | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Bewegung" can also refer to a political or social movement. | |||
| Maltese | mozzjoni | ||
| The Maltese word "mozzjoni" is derived from the Italian "mozione," itself from the Latin "motio" (movement); it can also refer to a proposal or request, typically one presented for consideration at a public meeting. | |||
| Norwegian | bevegelse | ||
| The term "bevegelse" can also refer to a political movement or initiative aimed at promoting social or political change. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | movimento | ||
| In Brazil, "movimento" can also refer to a political or social mobilization. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gluasad | ||
| Gluasad also means 'change' or 'alteration' in Gaelic | |||
| Spanish | movimiento | ||
| "Movimiento" also refers to a social or political movement. | |||
| Swedish | rörelse | ||
| The word "rörelse" can also mean "business" or "enterprise" in Swedish, reflecting its roots in the concept of movement and activity. | |||
| Welsh | cynnig | ||
| The word 'cynnig' can also mean 'request', 'proposal' or 'suggestion'. | |||
Motion in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | руху | ||
| The Belarusian word “руху” (“motion”) comes from the Proto-Slavic word “rъchati”, which also means to flow or to run. | |||
| Bosnian | kretanje | ||
| The word 'kretanje' in Bosnian is of Slavic origin and shares a root with the Czech word 'kračiti' ('to walk') and the Russian word 'krug' ('circle'). | |||
| Bulgarian | движение | ||
| The word "движение" can also mean "movement" or "traffic" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | pohyb | ||
| The word "pohyb" is also used as a noun meaning "dance" or "choreography." | |||
| Estonian | liikumine | ||
| The word "liikumine" can also mean "movement" or "traffic". | |||
| Finnish | liike | ||
| "Liike" also means "business" in Finnish, as business is a type of activity or motion towards a goal. | |||
| Hungarian | mozgás | ||
| In Hungarian, "mozgás" (motion) is semantically related to "mozog" (to move), "mozdulat" (movement), "mozdony" (locomotive) and "mozi" (cinema). | |||
| Latvian | kustība | ||
| Kustība is a Latvian word derived from the Proto-Baltic root *kūsti-, meaning 'to move' | |||
| Lithuanian | judesio | ||
| The word "judesio" in Lithuanian is derived from the verb "judėti," meaning "to move," and is related to the noun "judesys," meaning "movement." | |||
| Macedonian | движење | ||
| The word "движење" can also mean "movement, agitation, or commotion" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | ruch | ||
| The word "ruch" can also refer to a "movement" or "organization" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | mişcare | ||
| In addition to meaning "motion," "mişcare" can also mean "movement" or "stirring." | |||
| Russian | движение | ||
| In Russian, "движение" can also refer to a social or political movement, a traffic jam, or the act of defecation. | |||
| Serbian | кретање | ||
| "Kretanje" is also a term used in chess, referring to the movement of pieces on the board. | |||
| Slovak | pohyb | ||
| The word "pohyb" in Slovak originates from the Proto-Slavic root "*pogybъ", which also means "movement", "change", or "transformation". | |||
| Slovenian | gibanje | ||
| The word 'gibanje' in Slovenian derives from the Slavic root 'gьbъ', also meaning 'to bend'. | |||
| Ukrainian | руху | ||
| The word «руху» can also mean «spirit» and is often used in the sense of «enthusiasm» or «inspiration». | |||
Motion in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গতি | ||
| "গতি" can mean either the process of moving or the rate of that movement. | |||
| Gujarati | ગતિ | ||
| "ગતિ" is also used more broadly to refer to the speed or pace of something, or the rate at which it changes or progresses. | |||
| Hindi | प्रस्ताव | ||
| The word 'प्रस्ताव' also means "proposal" or "suggestion" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಲನೆ | ||
| The word 'chalane' ('motion') in Kannada can also refer to a 'lawsuit' or a 'movement' in politics or society. | |||
| Malayalam | ചലനം | ||
| ചലനം (chalanam) is derived from the Sanskrit word चलन (chalan), meaning movement or oscillation. | |||
| Marathi | गती | ||
| "गती" also means "speed" and "velocity". | |||
| Nepali | गति | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'gati,' meaning 'course, path, or way,' is the etymological root of the Nepali word 'गति.' | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਤੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਗਤੀ" (gati) also means "way" or "path", reflecting the connection between motion and direction in the language. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | චලිතය | ||
| The word චලිතය in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चलित' (calita), meaning 'moving' or 'changing'. | |||
| Tamil | இயக்கம் | ||
| The word 'இயக்கம்' (iyakkam) is also used to refer to 'movement' in a political or social context, and 'mechanism' in a technical sense. | |||
| Telugu | కదలిక | ||
| "కదలిక" also denotes 'progress' as in 'proceedings' of an event or a meeting, in addition to its literal meaning of 'motion' or 'movement'. | |||
| Urdu | تحریک | ||
| In Urdu, the word "تحریک" can also refer to a "movement" or a "motivation." | |||
Motion in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 运动 | ||
| The word "运动" can also mean "campaign" or "movement". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 運動 | ||
| In the context of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's "Three Manifestations," the Chinese character 運動 ("motion") refers to "spiritual force." | |||
| Japanese | モーション | ||
| In Japanese, "モーション" ("motion") can refer to both physical movement and emotional feelings. | |||
| Korean | 운동 | ||
| 운동's earliest meaning was 'to move one's body', but today it can also refer to 'organized physical activity', 'social or political activism', or a 'trend'. | |||
| Mongolian | хөдөлгөөн | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လှုပ်ရှားမှု | ||
Motion in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gerakan | ||
| The word "gerakan" in Indonesian not only means "motion", but also has other meanings such as "movement", "step", or "action". | |||
| Javanese | gerakan | ||
| The Javanese word 'gerakan' can also refer to a dance or performance. | |||
| Khmer | ចលនា | ||
| The term ចលនា (Cholana) in Khmer originates from the Sanskrit word calana, which means movement or agitation. | |||
| Lao | ການເຄື່ອນໄຫວ | ||
| Malay | gerakan | ||
| The Malay word "gerakan" can also refer to a movement or organization, and is derived from the Arabic word "harakah" which means "movement". | |||
| Thai | การเคลื่อนไหว | ||
| การเคลื่อนไหว ('kæn kɔɔŋ nɯa') literally translates as 'the moving action', and can have either a literal meaning or signify the development or progress of something. | |||
| Vietnamese | chuyển động | ||
| The word "chuyển động" can also refer to moving objects or a change in position, state, or condition. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | galaw | ||
Motion in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | hərəkət | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | қозғалыс | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "қозғалыс" also means "uprising" or "insurrection". | |||
| Kyrgyz | кыймыл | ||
| The word "кыймыл" comes from the Turkic root *kıy-, meaning "to move". | |||
| Tajik | ҳаракат | ||
| The word "ҳаракат" can also mean "act" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | hereket | ||
| Uzbek | harakat | ||
| The word "harakat" in Uzbek can also mean "movement of the soul" or "inner urge". | |||
| Uyghur | ھەرىكەت | ||
Motion in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | noi | ||
| The Hawaiian word "noi" can also refer to a person's character or disposition, as in "He noi ʻoluʻolu" (He is a kind-hearted person). | |||
| Maori | motini | ||
| Maori has many different words for "motion", including "motini", which also means "to move around, to stir, or to change position". | |||
| Samoan | lafo | ||
| The word lafo can also refer to a wave or a current in the ocean. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | paggalaw | ||
Motion in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | unuqiwi | ||
| Guarani | mongu'e | ||
Motion in International Languages
| Esperanto | moviĝo | ||
| "Moviĝo" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *meg-, meaning "to move". | |||
| Latin | motus | ||
| In its literal sense, "motus" denotes any physical change or displacement. | |||
Motion in Others Languages
| Greek | κίνηση | ||
| "Κίνηση" in modern Greek means not only "movement" and "motion" but also "the traffic" and "social movement". | |||
| Hmong | cov lus tsa suab | ||
| Kurdish | heraket | ||
| The Kurdish word “heraket” has roots in Persian, meaning “movement,” and Arabic, referring to “military action.” | |||
| Turkish | hareket | ||
| The Turkish word 'hareket' comes from the Arabic root 'ḥrk' meaning 'movement', and can also refer to 'gesture', 'action', or 'initiative' | |||
| Xhosa | intshukumo | ||
| _Intshukumo_ can also mean 'progress' or 'advancement' | |||
| Yiddish | באַוועגונג | ||
| In Yiddish, "באַוועגונג" also means "agitation" or "commotion". | |||
| Zulu | ukunyakaza | ||
| "Ukunyakaza" originally meant "to travel" and was extended to all sorts of motion. | |||
| Assamese | গতি | ||
| Aymara | unuqiwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | गति | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަރަކާތް | ||
| Dogri | गति | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | galaw | ||
| Guarani | mongu'e | ||
| Ilocano | garaw | ||
| Krio | muv | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | جووڵە | ||
| Maithili | गति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯦꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chetna | ||
| Oromo | sochii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗତି | ||
| Quechua | kuyuy | ||
| Sanskrit | गति | ||
| Tatar | хәрәкәт | ||
| Tigrinya | ምንቅስቓስ | ||
| Tsonga | mafambelo | ||