Afrikaans motor | ||
Albanian motorike | ||
Amharic ሞተር | ||
Arabic محرك | ||
Armenian շարժիչ | ||
Assamese মটৰ | ||
Aymara motor ukampi | ||
Azerbaijani motor | ||
Bambara motɛri | ||
Basque motorra | ||
Belarusian рухавік | ||
Bengali মোটর | ||
Bhojpuri मोटर के बा | ||
Bosnian motor | ||
Bulgarian мотор | ||
Catalan motor | ||
Cebuano motor | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 发动机 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 發動機 | ||
Corsican mutore | ||
Croatian motor | ||
Czech motor | ||
Danish motor | ||
Dhivehi މޮޓޯ | ||
Dogri मोटर | ||
Dutch motor | ||
English motor | ||
Esperanto motoro | ||
Estonian mootor | ||
Ewe motor | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) motor | ||
Finnish moottori | ||
French moteur | ||
Frisian motor | ||
Galician motor | ||
Georgian საავტომობილო | ||
German motor- | ||
Greek μοτέρ | ||
Guarani motor rehegua | ||
Gujarati મોટર | ||
Haitian Creole motè | ||
Hausa mota | ||
Hawaiian kaʻa | ||
Hebrew מָנוֹעַ | ||
Hindi मोटर | ||
Hmong lub cev muaj zog | ||
Hungarian motor | ||
Icelandic mótor | ||
Igbo moto | ||
Ilocano motor | ||
Indonesian motor | ||
Irish mótair | ||
Italian il motore | ||
Japanese モーター | ||
Javanese motor | ||
Kannada ಮೋಟಾರ್ | ||
Kazakh мотор | ||
Khmer ម៉ូតូ | ||
Kinyarwanda moteri | ||
Konkani मोटार | ||
Korean 모터 | ||
Krio motoka | ||
Kurdish motor | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ماتۆڕ | ||
Kyrgyz мотор | ||
Lao ມໍເຕີ | ||
Latin motricium | ||
Latvian motors | ||
Lingala moteur ya moteur | ||
Lithuanian variklis | ||
Luganda motor | ||
Luxembourgish motor | ||
Macedonian мотор | ||
Maithili मोटर | ||
Malagasy maotera | ||
Malay motor | ||
Malayalam മോട്ടോർ | ||
Maltese mutur | ||
Maori motuka | ||
Marathi मोटर | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯃꯣꯇꯣꯔꯗꯥ ꯆꯠꯂꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo motor hmanga siam a ni | ||
Mongolian мотор | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) မော်တာ | ||
Nepali मोटर | ||
Norwegian motor | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) galimoto | ||
Odia (Oriya) ମୋଟର | ||
Oromo mootora | ||
Pashto موټر | ||
Persian موتور | ||
Polish silnik | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) motor | ||
Punjabi ਮੋਟਰ | ||
Quechua motor | ||
Romanian motor | ||
Russian мотор | ||
Samoan afi | ||
Sanskrit मोटर | ||
Scots Gaelic motair | ||
Sepedi enjene ya | ||
Serbian моторни | ||
Sesotho dilenaneo | ||
Shona mota | ||
Sindhi موٽر | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) මෝටර් | ||
Slovak motor | ||
Slovenian motor | ||
Somali matoorka | ||
Spanish motor | ||
Sundanese motor | ||
Swahili motor | ||
Swedish motor- | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) motor | ||
Tajik муҳаррик | ||
Tamil மோட்டார் | ||
Tatar мотор | ||
Telugu మోటారు | ||
Thai เครื่องยนต์ | ||
Tigrinya ሞተር | ||
Tsonga motor | ||
Turkish motor | ||
Turkmen motor | ||
Twi (Akan) motor no | ||
Ukrainian двигун | ||
Urdu موٹر | ||
Uyghur motor | ||
Uzbek vosita | ||
Vietnamese động cơ | ||
Welsh modur | ||
Xhosa iimoto | ||
Yiddish מאָטאָר | ||
Yoruba motor | ||
Zulu imoto |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "motor" can also mean "engine", "motive" or "stimulus". |
| Albanian | Motorike is also used to describe someone who is clumsy or ungraceful in their movements. |
| Amharic | The Amharic word ሞተር "motor" ultimately derives from the German "Motor" via English or French, and is also a cognate of the Greek "μοτέρ" "motive power," meaning "mover." |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "محرك" (motor) literally means "mover" and can also refer to an "engine" or "generator." |
| Azerbaijani | The word "motor" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "pump" or a "fan" |
| Basque | It comes from the Latin "motor" and also means "cause". |
| Belarusian | The word "рухавік" (motor) in Belarusian is also used to refer to the engine of a car or other vehicle. |
| Bengali | The word "মোটর" (motor) comes from the Latin word "motor," which means "mover" or "engine." |
| Bosnian | In Bosnian, the word 'motor' can also refer to an electric engine or the part of a machine that generates power. |
| Bulgarian | In Bulgarian, "мотор" can also refer to a person who talks a lot and is always in action. |
| Catalan | "Motor" derives from the Latin "movere," meaning "to move". |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, the word 'motor' can also mean 'machine' or 'engine'. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word 发动机 literally means "that which initiates movement". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The word "發動機" can also mean "engine" or "motivation" in Chinese. |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "mutore" is also a slang term meaning "thief". |
| Croatian | The word 'motor' also means "electric train" in Croatia. |
| Czech | In Czech, "motor" is not only used to denote a machine that generates motion through rotation, but also refers to a person who provides the driving force in a business or team. |
| Danish | In Danish, "motor" can also mean "engine" or "machine". |
| Dutch | "Motor" can mean "fun" or "engine" in Dutch |
| Esperanto | The word "motoro" can also refer to a person who drives a vehicle or operates a machine. |
| Estonian | The word “mootor” also refers to one’s engine or spirit, akin to the English expression “go-getter”. |
| Finnish | The Finnish word "moottori" originally meant a spinning wheel and also referred to a steam locomotive |
| French | In French, "moteur" can also refer to a combustion engine, a driving force, or a prime mover. |
| Frisian | The Frisian word for 'motor' is cognate with English 'mud,' both deriving from a Proto-Indo-European root. |
| Galician | In Galician, "motor" can mean both "motor" in English, as well as an "engine" or "machine" in different contexts. |
| Georgian | This term also referred to various machines with moving parts before automobiles became the most prominent example, such as steam engines and water motors. |
| German | The German word "Motor" (meaning "motor") also shares its root with "Motivation" (meaning "motivation") and "Motorik" (meaning "motor skills"). |
| Greek | Μοτέρ derives from "motion", and also means a "motorcycle" |
| Gujarati | "મોટર" is also used in Gujarati to refer to a person who drives a car or a bus. |
| Haitian Creole | The word "motè" in Haitian Creole can also refer to a generator or engine. |
| Hausa | "Mota" is a word in Hausa meaning "motor" and can also refer to the heart or center of something. |
| Hawaiian | In Polynesian, "kaʻa" also means "carriage" or "sled". |
| Hebrew | מָנוֹעַ also means "a lever" in Hebrew. |
| Hindi | Originally borrowed from English, the word "मोटर" can also refer to a vehicle with an engine, such as a car, bike, or scooter. |
| Hmong | "Lub cev muaj zog" literally means "machine with wings". |
| Hungarian | In Hungarian, the word "motor" can also refer to a streetcar or tram. |
| Icelandic | In Icelandic, the word "mótor" can also refer to a "whisperer" or an "engine of a boat". |
| Igbo | In Igbo, the word 'moto' can also refer to a person's demeanor or character. |
| Indonesian | In Indonesian, the word "motor" can also refer to a motorcycle, not just an engine. |
| Irish | The Irish word 'mótair' also refers to a pump, waterwheel, or dynamo. |
| Italian | The Italian word 'il motore' derives from the Latin 'motor', meaning 'mover' or 'driving force' |
| Japanese | The Japanese word 'モーター' (mootoru) derives from the English 'motor', which has an alternate meaning of 'someone who stirs up, incites, or provokes.' |
| Javanese | The Javanese word "motor" can also refer to a "motorcycle" or "engine". |
| Kannada | The word "ಮೋಟಾರ್" (motor) is derived from the Latin word "motor", meaning "mover". |
| Kazakh | In Kazakh, "мотор" can also refer to "engine" or "device that produces motion". |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "ម៉ូតូ" ("motorcycle") also refers to any motorized vehicle without four wheels. |
| Korean | The word "모터" derives from the Latin word "mōtor", meaning "mover" or "activator". |
| Kurdish | The Kurdish word 'motor' is a loanword from Arabic, which itself comes from Latin and means 'mover' or 'causer of motion'. |
| Kyrgyz | In Kyrgyz, "мотор" (motor) can also refer to a person who is always on the go or has a lot of energy. |
| Latin | The Latin word 'motricium', meaning 'motor', comes from the verb 'movere' ('to move') and the suffix '-trix' ('agent'), suggesting its function as an impeller or mover. |
| Latvian | In Latvian, "motor" is a loanword from German, where it originally meant "engine". |
| Lithuanian | The word "variklis" is derived from the verb "varyti" ("to drive"), which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wer-" ("to turn, to move"). |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, the word "Motor" not only refers to motors, but also to motorcycles. |
| Macedonian | The Macedonian word "мотор" also refers to a machine, engine, or device that produces motion or power. |
| Malagasy | The word "maotera" can also refer to a type of boat or a machine in general. |
| Malay | In Malay, "motor" can also refer to a vehicle engine, but in a more general sense than its English counterpart. |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word "മോട്ടോർ" can also refer to a person who drives a vehicle or operates a machine. |
| Maltese | The term "mutur" can also refer to an electric generator in the engineering context but in a non-automotive context refers specifically to an internal-combustion engine. |
| Maori | The word "motuka" in Maori can also refer to a small island or islet. |
| Marathi | The word 'मोटर' is borrowed from English and is not originally a Marathi word. |
| Mongolian | Mongolian word "мотор," meaning "motor," can also refer to an "engine" or "machine." |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "မော်တာ" (motor) in Myanmar (Burmese) may also refer to a pestle or a mortar, showcasing the versatile nature of the term. |
| Nepali | The word "मोटर" in Nepali can also refer to an engine or a pump. |
| Norwegian | In Norwegian, "motor" also refers to a small boat powered by an electric motor, and "elmotor" specifically to an electric motor. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'galimoto' in Nyanja originates from the English word 'gallop', due to the sound of early car engines resembling galloping horses. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word “موټر” or “موتور” can refer to either a car or motorcycle depending on context |
| Persian | موتور (motor) also means "protruding" or "swollen" in Persian. |
| Polish | The Polish word "silnik" derives from the German "silnîc", which in turn comes from the Latin "salinare", meaning "salt producer". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "motor" can also refer to a person who provides the driving force or energy for an action or operation. |
| Punjabi | The Punjabi word "ਮੋਟਰ" (motor) also refers to a kind of large, heavy pestle used to crush sugarcane and extract its juice. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, "motor" can also refer to a train engine or a motorcycle. |
| Russian | Originally, the word "мотор" in Russian was used to refer to the engines of steam locomotives. |
| Samoan | The word "afi" in Samoan is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "*afi" which meant "fire." |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word ‘motair’ derives from the French ‘moteur’ and is also used to refer to the part of a spinning wheel that drives the spindle. |
| Serbian | The Serbian word "моторни" can also mean "motorized" or "motive". |
| Sesotho | It appears that this word likely originates from the Afrikaans "dril" or Sesotho "tšerilo" meaning "exercise" or "drill". Other possibilities include derivation from the Afrikaans "dryf" meaning "to drive". |
| Shona | The word "mota" can also mean "engine" or "machine" in Shona. |
| Sindhi | موٽر is a loanword from English and ultimately from the Latin word "movere" meaning "to move" |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "මෝටර්" (motor) in Sinhala can also mean a "machine" or "engine". |
| Slovak | The Slovak word 'motor' is cognate with its English counterpart and can also refer to an individual who operates machinery. |
| Slovenian | The word motor, meaning both an engine and a driving force, comes from the Latin word "motus," which means "movement". |
| Somali | The Somali word "matoorka" can also mean "car" or "vehicle". |
| Spanish | The word "motor" comes from the Latin word "movere," meaning "to move." |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "motor" can also refer to a human driver or a person in charge of a vehicle or machine. |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "motor" can also refer to the human body or the soul. |
| Swedish | "Motor-" can also mean "engine" or "machine" in Swedish, and is derived from the French word "moteur", meaning "something that moves". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "motor" is derived from French "moteurs ", which is the plural of "moteur" meaning ‘an engine’. |
| Telugu | The word "మోటారు" also refers to a machine that grinds grain or other substances. |
| Thai | เครื่องยนต์ (motor) in Thai also refers to a 'mechanism' or 'device' that drives or powers something. |
| Turkish | In Turkish, the word "motor" comes from the French word "moteur" and has the same meaning, but it can also refer to an engine or a person who drives a vehicle. |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word "двигун" (motor) originally meant "mover" or "driving force" before it was commonly applied to mechanical motors |
| Urdu | The word موٹر derives from the Latin word motus (motion), and the Arabic word مطر (rain, water). |
| Uzbek | The word "vosita" can also mean "opportunity" or "chance" in Uzbek. |
| Vietnamese | The word "động cơ" in Vietnamese can also mean "motive" or "intention". |
| Welsh | The alternative meaning of 'modur' in Welsh is 'a person who makes' |
| Xhosa | "Iimoto" also refers to a type of traditional dance or song. |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, "מאָטאָר" (motor) can also refer to a "loudmouth" or "talkative person." |
| Yoruba | In Yoruba, the word "motor" can also refer to a car or a machine. |
| Zulu | In Zulu, the word "imoto" can also refer to a younger sister. |
| English | Motor ultimately derives from the Latin "movere," meaning "to move," but may also refer colloquially to a person who talks or acts excessively. |