Neck in Different Languages
Discover 'Neck' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Neck
Afrikaans nek | ||
Albanian qafë | ||
Amharic አንገት | ||
Arabic رقبه | ||
Armenian պարանոց | ||
Assamese ডিঙি | ||
Aymara kunka | ||
Azerbaijani boyun | ||
Bambara kan | ||
Basque lepoa | ||
Belarusian шыя | ||
Bengali ঘাড় | ||
Bhojpuri गरदन | ||
Bosnian vrat | ||
Bulgarian врата | ||
Catalan coll | ||
Cebuano liog | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 颈部 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 頸部 | ||
Corsican collu | ||
Croatian vrat | ||
Czech krk | ||
Danish nakke | ||
Dhivehi ކަރު | ||
Dogri मुंडी | ||
Dutch nek | ||
English neck | ||
Esperanto kolo | ||
Estonian kael | ||
Ewe kɔ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) leeg | ||
Finnish kaula | ||
French cou | ||
Frisian nekke | ||
Galician pescozo | ||
Georgian კისერი | ||
German hals | ||
Greek λαιμός | ||
Guarani ajúra | ||
Gujarati ગરદન | ||
Haitian Creole kou | ||
Hausa wuya | ||
Hawaiian ʻāʻī | ||
Hebrew צוואר | ||
Hindi गरदन | ||
Hmong caj dab | ||
Hungarian nyak | ||
Icelandic háls | ||
Igbo olu | ||
Ilocano tengnged | ||
Indonesian leher | ||
Irish muineál | ||
Italian collo | ||
Japanese 首 | ||
Javanese gulu | ||
Kannada ಕುತ್ತಿಗೆ | ||
Kazakh мойын | ||
Khmer ក | ||
Kinyarwanda ijosi | ||
Konkani मान | ||
Korean 목 | ||
Krio nɛk | ||
Kurdish hûstû | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) مل | ||
Kyrgyz моюн | ||
Lao ຄໍ | ||
Latin collum | ||
Latvian kakls | ||
Lingala kingo | ||
Lithuanian kaklas | ||
Luganda ensingo | ||
Luxembourgish hals | ||
Macedonian вратот | ||
Maithili गर्दनि | ||
Malagasy vozony | ||
Malay leher | ||
Malayalam കഴുത്ത് | ||
Maltese għonq | ||
Maori kakī | ||
Marathi मान | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯉꯛꯁꯝ | ||
Mizo nghawng | ||
Mongolian хүзүү | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) လည်ပင်း | ||
Nepali घाँटी | ||
Norwegian nakke | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) khosi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ବେକ | ||
Oromo morma | ||
Pashto غاړه | ||
Persian گردن | ||
Polish szyja | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) pescoço | ||
Punjabi ਗਰਦਨ | ||
Quechua kunka | ||
Romanian gât | ||
Russian шея | ||
Samoan ua | ||
Sanskrit ग्रीवा | ||
Scots Gaelic amhach | ||
Sepedi molala | ||
Serbian врат | ||
Sesotho molala | ||
Shona mutsipa | ||
Sindhi ڳچي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) බෙල්ල | ||
Slovak krk | ||
Slovenian vratu | ||
Somali luqunta | ||
Spanish cuello | ||
Sundanese beuheung | ||
Swahili shingo | ||
Swedish nacke | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) leeg | ||
Tajik гардан | ||
Tamil கழுத்து | ||
Tatar муен | ||
Telugu మెడ | ||
Thai คอ | ||
Tigrinya ክሳድ | ||
Tsonga nhamu | ||
Turkish boyun | ||
Turkmen boýn | ||
Twi (Akan) kɔn | ||
Ukrainian шиї | ||
Urdu گردن | ||
Uyghur بويۇن | ||
Uzbek bo'yin | ||
Vietnamese cái cổ | ||
Welsh gwddf | ||
Xhosa intamo | ||
Yiddish האַלדז | ||
Yoruba ọrun | ||
Zulu intamo |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "Nek" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch "nek", meaning "neck" or "nape", and can also refer to a mountain pass, saddle or ridge. |
| Albanian | Qafë, meaning "neck" in Albanian, also signifies "pass" or "narrow mountain passage" and is rooted in Proto-Indo-European "*kʰep-/*kʰop-." |
| Amharic | "አንገት" means "neck" in Amharic, but it can also mean "part", "segment", or "member" in other contexts. |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9" (neck) has Semitic roots and is cognate with the Hebrew word "%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%99" (neck) and the Aramaic word "%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%90" (neck). |
| Armenian | The word "պարանոց" in Armenian is also used to refer to a type of scarf worn around the neck |
| Azerbaijani | In Azerbaijani, "boyun" also means "submission" or "obedience". |
| Basque | The word "lepoa" in Basque derives from the Proto-Basque root "*lebu" and also refers to the "collarbone" in certain Basque dialects. |
| Belarusian | В слове "шыя" сохранился древний индоевропейский корень *kei- 'скручивание', 'сгиб' |
| Bengali | The word 'ঘাড়' is also used to refer to a person's pride or ego |
| Bosnian | The word "vrat" in Bosnian also means "gate" or "door" in certain contexts. |
| Bulgarian | The Bulgarian word "врата" also has the alternate meaning of "gate". |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "coll" may also refer to a mountain pass or a hill. |
| Cebuano | In some Visayan languages, “liog” can also refer to a river's mouth, an estuary, or bay |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The character '颈' is a combination of '项' and '京' and literally means 'a part of the body between the head and shoulders' |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The character "頸" in Chinese (Traditional) is also used to refer to the cervical vertebrae. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, "collu" can also refer to a mountain pass or a narrow valley, possibly due to its shape resembling a neck. |
| Croatian | The Slavic root *vьrtъ means "to turn", "twist", and "spin", and is related to the words "vrt","vrteti", "vrata","vrh", "vrijeme" and others. |
| Czech | In Old Czech, "krk" also meant "throat" or "nape". |
| Danish | The Danish word “nakke” (”neck”) is cognate to the English “nock,” which refers to the notch at the end of an arrow. |
| Dutch | "Nekker" is the Dutch word for a water goblin that strangles swimmers, similar to the Scottish kelpie or Slavic vodyanoy. |
| Esperanto | The word 'kolo' can also refer to a round dance, a type of bread, or a traditional musical instrument. |
| Estonian | The word "kael" (neck) in Estonian also denotes the space between the bottom of the jaw and the collarbone, and has cognates in Finnish and Proto-Uralic. |
| Finnish | The word "kaula" can also refer to the collar of a shirt or the yoke of an animal. |
| French | The word "cou" also means "blow" or "stroke" in French, originating from the Latin word "colpus" |
| Frisian | In Frisian, "nekke" is thought to derive from Old Frisian "nek", cognate with "nack" in Swedish, "nacken" in German, and "neck" in English. |
| Galician | "Pescozo" can also mean "punch" or "smack" in Galician. |
| Georgian | In Georgian, the word "კისერი" not only refers to the neck, but also to the back of an animal's neck, the strap of a bag or musical instrument, or the neck of a bottle. |
| German | In some regions of Germany, "Hals" also means "throat" or "narrow passage". |
| Greek | The word "λαιμός" is also used figuratively in Greek to mean "throat" or "esophagus." |
| Gujarati | The word "ગરદન" ("neck") in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "गर्द," which also means "noise" or "shout." |
| Haitian Creole | The word "kou" in Haitian Creole derives from the West African Mandinka language and also means "head" or "face." |
| Hausa | The word "wuya" in Hausa can also refer to the throat or esophagus. |
| Hawaiian | 'Ā'ī can also refer to a ridge or a narrow strip of land in Hawaiian. |
| Hebrew | צוואר can also mean "throat" or "gullet" and is related to the word "צואר" meaning "narrow place". |
| Hindi | The word ग़रदन, meaning neck, is derived from the Arabic word قَرَّة (qararah), meaning pride or dignity. |
| Hmong | The word "caj dab" comes from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word *krawʔ, meaning "throat" or "neck". |
| Hungarian | The word "nyak" can also refer to a part of a garment worn around the neck, such as a collar or scarf. |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "háls" can also refer to a mountain pass or a strait of water surrounded by land. |
| Igbo | The word 'olu' can also refer to the throat, gullet, or esophagus. |
| Indonesian | Leher shares its root with leheran, a kite that is designed to mimic a heron's neck. |
| Irish | The Irish word 'muineál' is also thought to derive from the word for 'mane'. |
| Italian | "Collo" is also used figuratively to refer to a person's narrow-mindedness or stubbornness, and derives from the Latin word "collum" (neck). |
| Japanese | In Japanese, "首" (kubi) can also refer to the head, or to one's position or rank in an organization. |
| Javanese | The word "gulu" also means "throat" or "voice" in Javanese. |
| Kannada | In Kannada, 'ಕುತ್ತಿಗೆ' not only means 'neck', but also refers to the 'narrow part of a garment'. |
| Kazakh | The word "мойын" can also refer to the "throat" or "voice" in Kazakh. |
| Khmer | "ក" (neck) can also mean "to block" or "to interrupt". |
| Korean | 목 (mok) also refers to the narrow strait connecting islands or bodies of water. |
| Kurdish | The word "hûstû" in Kurdish can also refer to a "bottle" or "jar". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "моюн" in Kyrgyz can also refer to the throat or the voice. |
| Lao | In some contexts, Lao speakers use ຄໍ to refer to the "root" of something, such as the root of a plant. |
| Latin | The Latin word "collum" can refer either to the human neck or to a hill |
| Latvian | "Kakls" also has several meanings in Latvian slang: "prison", "bottle" (of alcohol), or a person's "weak spot." |
| Lithuanian | The word "kaklas" may be related to the Latvian word "kakls" and the Old Prussian word "kaklis", both meaning "neck". |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, "Hals" also refers to a narrow passage or a mountain pass. |
| Macedonian | The Macedonian word "вратот" ("neck") is cognate with the Bulgarian word "врат" ("neck") and the Russian word "ворота" ("gate"), all deriving from the Proto-Slavic word *vorta, meaning "entrance" or "opening." |
| Malagasy | Originating from a dialect of Arabic, "vozony" primarily refers to the neck, but can also mean "throat". |
| Malay | "Leher" also means "throat" in Malay. |
| Malayalam | The word "കഴുത്ത്" (neck) in Malayalam also indicates the throat, a narrow part, any part of the body that acts like a neck, and in the case of a plough, the yoke |
| Maltese | "Għonq" can also refer to a bottle or flask. |
| Maori | The word "kakī" can also refer to a "throat" or "gorge" in Maori. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word 'मान' (neck) is etymologically related to the Sanskrit word 'मातृ' (mother), indicating the protective role the neck plays in supporting the head. |
| Mongolian | The word 'хүзүү' also means 'throat' in Mongolian. |
| Nepali | "Ghanti" is also a synonym for a clock's bell in Nepali. |
| Norwegian | The word "nakke" is derived from Old Norse "nakki," meaning a "small piece of meat," and is related to the German "nacken" and English "nape." |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | Some people speculate that the word khosi has ancient origins linked to the Bantu word for backbone, 'kholo.' |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "غاړه" (neck) ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰréh₂-, meaning "to strangle" or "to twist". |
| Persian | "گردن" (neck) also means "reputation" in Persian. |
| Polish | The word "szyja" also means "noose" in Polish, as it was often used for executions in the past. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "pescoço" originated in the Latin term "petiolum," meaning "stalk" or "stem," and also refers to the narrow part at the base of certain objects. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਗਰਦਨ" (neck) is derived from the Sanskrit word "ग्रीवा" (grīvā), meaning "neck" or "throat". |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "gât" derives from Latin "gutta", meaning "drop" and "throat". |
| Russian | The word "шея" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "шия" meaning "throat", which is related to the Old High German word "halz" meaning "neck". |
| Samoan | The word "ua" in Samoan can also refer to the back of the neck or the nape. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word 'amhach' in Scots Gaelic, meaning 'neck', has been likened to 'ammach', meaning 'outside' or 'away', due to the neck's function in turning the head and hence looking outwards. |
| Serbian | The word "врат" also translates to "gate". In this context, it refers to the "passage" through which food enters the digestive tract. |
| Sesotho | The word "molala" can also mean "throat" or "esophagus" in Sesotho. |
| Shona | The word "mutsipa" in Shona also refers to the area at the base of the neck. |
| Sindhi | Etymology and alternate meanings of ڳچي (Sindhi): Related to the Sindhi word ڳچ (to turn), also in Sanskrit and related Indo-European languages |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The Sinhala word "බෙල්ල" (neck) originates from the Sanskrit word "ग्रीवा" (grīvā), meaning "neck" or "throat". The term "බෙල්ල" also has another meaning - "a yoke", which reflects its use in connecting a pair of animals for ploughing or pulling a load. |
| Slovak | Krk is also a regional word for 'collar.' |
| Slovenian | The word 'vratu' may also refer to a part of a piece of clothing that covers the neck. |
| Somali | The Somali word "luqunta" comes from the Proto-Cushitic root "*-kuŋŋa" meaning "joint" or "node". |
| Spanish | Cuello is also a colloquial term for a priest in Spanish and a type of tortilla in some regions. |
| Sundanese | The origin of the Sundanese word "beuheung" for "neck" is unclear as it bears no resemblance to any words for neck found in neighbouring Javanese or Madurese, indicating an ancient borrowing that is as yet untraced |
| Swahili | The Proto-Bantu root shing- can also refer to the head, forehead, ears, or chin of a person or a mouth of a river. |
| Swedish | The word 'nacke' derives from Old Norse 'hnakki', which also referred to a hill, headland or the nape of the neck. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "leeg" in Tagalog is also used to refer to the space between two people or objects, or to a narrow passage. |
| Tajik | The word "гардан" in Tajik also means "collar" or "necklace". |
| Tamil | In Tamil, "கழுத்து" can also mean a type of traditional necklace worn by women. |
| Telugu | "మెడ" might also mean "a narrow passage" or "an edge" in Telugu. |
| Thai | "คอ" in Thai can also mean "to wait" or "to expect." |
| Turkish | The word "boyun" in Turkish can also mean "yoke" or "collar". |
| Ukrainian | In Ukrainian, "шиї" also means "wrists" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *šija, meaning both "neck" and "wrist". |
| Urdu | In Persian literature, the word گردن (gardan) also refers to a type of necklace. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, the word "bo'yin" ("neck") is also used as a slang term for "boyfriend" or "girlfriend". |
| Vietnamese | The Vietnamese word "cái cổ" can also mean "throat". |
| Welsh | Derived from the Proto-Celtic word *gʷedd- ('throat') |
| Xhosa | The word 'intamo' can also refer to a necklace, as both are worn around the neck. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "האַלדז" has possible connections to the German word "Hals" and the Latin "collum" both meaning "neck". |
| Yoruba | In Yoruba folklore, ọrun also refers to the ethereal realm above the sky inhabited by the gods and ancestors. |
| Zulu | The Zulu word 'intamo' also refers to a person's character or integrity. |
| English | The word "neck" is derived from the Old English word "necca," which originally meant "a ridge or promontory." |