News in different languages

News in Different Languages

Discover 'News' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

News, it's the lifeblood of a society, the thread that connects us to the world around us. It's the stories of triumph and tragedy, of innovation and inspiration, that shape our cultural narrative and help us understand our place in the global community. But what about when the words and phrases we use to describe these events change? That's where the importance of understanding news in different languages comes in.

Consider this: the word 'news' has its roots in the Old English 'nes,' meaning 'something new.' But in other languages, the concept of news is expressed in a myriad of ways. For example, in Spanish, the word for news is 'noticias,' which comes from the Latin 'notitia,' meaning 'a being known.' Meanwhile, in Russian, the word for news is 'новости' (novosti), which is derived from the word 'новый' (novyj), meaning 'new.'

Understanding news in different languages not only opens up new avenues of communication but also provides a window into the cultural values and perspectives of other societies. So, let's explore some of the many ways that news is expressed around the world!

News


News in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansnuus
In Afrikaans, "nuus" may also refer to the plural form of "noot" (note), but in both cases its origin is from the Dutch word "nieuws".
Amharicዜና
In some contexts 'ዜና' also means 'miracle'.
Hausalabarai
"Labarai" comes from the Hausa word "ba labiri" which means to tell a story.
Igboozi
The word 'ozi' also means 'voice' or 'sound'.
Malagasynews
In Malagasy, the word "vaovao" can refer to both "news" and "rumors".
Nyanja (Chichewa)nkhani
In some contexts, "nkhani" can also refer to "a story" or "a tale," expanding its meaning beyond just current events.
Shonanhau
The word 'nhau' can also refer to 'a report'
Somaliwar
The word "war" in Somali may also refer to a period of time.
Sesotholitaba
According to historians, 'Litaba' originally referred to 'royal announcements'
Swahilihabari
The word 'habari' originated from the word 'khabar', which is Arabic for "information".
Xhosaiindaba
"Iindaba" is a Xhosa word which is also used by the Nguni of South Africa, meaning "an important issue or event".
Yorubairoyin
"Ìròyìn" is an amalgamation of two words, "ìrò" (matters), and "ìn" (things/news).
Zuluizindaba
The Zulu word "izindaba" ('news') derives from the prefix 'izin,' meaning 'of,' and the noun 'indaba,' meaning 'matter' or 'affair,' hence 'of matters'.
Bambarakunnafoniw
Ewenyadzɔdzɔ
Kinyarwandaamakuru
Lingalabansango
Lugandaamawulire
Sepediditaba
Twi (Akan)kaseɛbɔ

News in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicأخبار
The word 'أخبار' ('news') in Arabic is also used to refer to 'stories' or 'narratives'.
Hebrewחֲדָשׁוֹת
The Hebrew word "חֲדָשׁוֹת" (news) is related to the root "חָדַשׁ" (new) and also means "novelties" or "innovations."
Pashtoخبرونه
The Pashto word “خبرونه” ("news") is derived from the Arabic term “خَبر” ("information") and has alternate meanings of "rumor" or "information."
Arabicأخبار
The word 'أخبار' ('news') in Arabic is also used to refer to 'stories' or 'narratives'.

News in Western European Languages

Albanianlajme
The Albanian word 'Lajme' (news) is derived from the Latin 'lamen' (lament).
Basqueberriak
Berriak means "the new" in Basque and also refers to fruit or berries.
Catalannotícies
The Catalan word "Notícies" (news) also means "Notices" in Spanish and "Nouvelles" in French.
Croatianvijesti
The word 'vijesti' is cognate with the Russian 'vesty' (news) and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'věstĭ' (message).
Danishnyheder
"Nyheder" comes from "nyt" meaning "new" and "hede" meaning "heath" or "uncultivated land", implying that news is something fresh and unknown.
Dutchnieuws
The Dutch word "nieuws" derives from the Middle Dutch "niemare", meaning "new story" or "novelty".
Englishnews
The word "news" is derived from the Middle English word "newe," meaning "new" or "novelty"
Frenchnouvelles
The plural French noun "nouvelles" derives from the Italian "novella" (short story), which itself derives from the Latin "novus" (new).
Frisiannijs
The West Frisian word "nijs" also has the meaning of "new", such as in "de nije buorren", meaning "the new bridge".
Galiciannovas
Galician 'novas' derives from the Latin 'nova', also denoting 'astrological star', and may have acquired this extended connotation through medieval astrology's focus on the influence of celestial bodies on events.
Germannachrichten
In German, "Nachrichten" originally meant "messages" or "information," and it was only in the 19th century that it came to specifically refer to "news."
Icelandicfréttir
The word 'fréttir' in Icelandic also means 'gossip' or 'rumors', implying that news can be both factual and speculative.
Irishnuacht
The Irish word "nuacht" derives from the Old Irish word "núa-scél" meaning "new story", and is related to the Welsh word "newydd" and the Breton word "nevez".
Italiannotizia
The word "notizia" comes from the Latin "notitia", meaning "knowledge" or "information".
Luxembourgishneiegkeeten
The etymology of "Neiiegkeeten" is uncertain but some believe it is an altered form of a French loanword "nouvelle" (news).
Malteseaħbarijiet
The word "aħbarijiet" is derived from the Arabic word "akhbār", meaning "reports" or "information."
Norwegiannyheter
The word "nyheter" is derived from the Old Norse word "nýr", meaning "new", and the suffix "-het", meaning "hood", and originally referred to something new or unexpected that had happened.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)notícia
In Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) "notícia" derives from Latin "notitia", which also means "knowledge" or "information".
Scots Gaelicnaidheachdan
"Naidheachdan" is derived from the Old Irish word "naidhthech", meaning "tidings" or "intelligence."
Spanishnoticias
"Noticias" stems from the Latin word "notitia," meaning "knowledge," "information," or "fact."
Swedishnyheter
Nyheter can also refer to 'novelties' or 'innovations', reflecting its origin in the German word 'neuheit' meaning 'newness'.
Welshnewyddion
In informal usage,

News in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianнавіны
The word "навіны" in Belarusian is cognate to the Russian "новости", sharing a Proto-Slavic root meaning "new". Its plural form "навіна" can also mean "news event", or sometimes "notion" in the sense of a belief or idea.
Bosnianvijesti
The word "vijesti" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *věstь, meaning "knowledge" or "message".
Bulgarianновини
The word "Новини" derives from the Proto-Slavic verb "novъ", meaning "new" or "fresh".
Czechzprávy
The word "zprávy" (news) is also used to refer to government reports, or in the plural to financial statements.
Estonianuudised
"Uudised" derives from a word meaning "new", and also relates to "wonder" and "surprise".
Finnishuutiset
"Uutiset" originally meant "things that have happened" in the Kalevala epic.
Hungarianhírek
The word "hírek" (news) in Hungarian is derived from the verb "hírel" (to announce) and can also refer to "tidings", "information", or "rumors."
Latvianjaunumi
The word "jaunumi" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*new-", which also gives rise to the English word "new" and the German word "neu".
Lithuanianžinios
The word 'žinios' comes from the verb 'žinoti' ('to know'), suggesting that news is information that increases our knowledge.
Macedonianвести
The word "Вести" in Macedonian originally meant "to proclaim" or "to make known" and can also refer to "news" or "intelligence."
Polishaktualności
"Aktualności" is the plural form of "aktualność", which is derived from the Latin word "actualis", meaning "present" or "real".
Romanianștiri
The Romanian word "știri" is derived from the Latin word "stirps", meaning "race, stock, or origin", and it retains this meaning in the phrase "știri din bătrâni" (news from the elders).
Russianновости
"Новости" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "новъ" (novъ), meaning "new". It can also refer to a piece of information or a report.
Serbianвести
The word 'вести' is related to 'вест' which means a messenger who brings important or secret information.
Slovaknovinky
"Novinky" means "news" in Slovak and also a type of flower called forget-me-not.
Sloveniannovice
In Slovenian, "novice" also means "novice" in the sense of a beginner, as it is derived from the Latin word "novicius" meaning "newcomer".
Ukrainianновини
The word "новини" originates from the Old Church Slavonic "новина" meaning "new" or "recent", and also has the alternate meaning of "rumor" or "unverified information".

News in South Asian Languages

Bengaliখবর
The word "খবর" (khabor) in Bengali is derived from the Arabic word "خبر" (khabar), which means "information" or "report". It can also refer to "tidings" or "gossip".
Gujaratiસમાચાર
Hindiसमाचार
The Hindi word "समाचार" (samāchār) also means "tidings, intelligence, information, knowledge, communication, statement, narration, a report."
Kannadaಸುದ್ದಿ
In Kannada, "ಸುದ್ದಿ" is also used to refer to "tidings" or "information" in a general sense, beyond the context of recent events.
Malayalamവാർത്ത
Marathiबातमी
The word "बातमी" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "वार्ता" meaning "communication" or "information". It can also refer to a "rumor" or "hearsay".
Nepaliसमाचार
"समाचार" also means "message" or "tidings" in Sanskrit and is derived from the root word "char", meaning "to move" or "to go".
Punjabiਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ
The word "ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ" in Punjabi originates from the Persian word "khabar", which means "information" or "intelligence."
Sinhala (Sinhalese)පුවත්
The Sinhala word "පුවත්" ("puwat") originally meant "rumors" and "gossip" before it acquired its modern meaning of "news".
Tamilசெய்தி
The word "செய்தி" originated from the Proto-Dravidian root "*cet-", meaning "to tell" or "to make known".
Teluguవార్తలు
The word "వార్తలు" in Telugu has been derived from the Sanskrit word "वृत्त" (vṛtta), which means "something that has happened or occurred".
Urduخبریں
The Urdu word "خبریں" ("news"), derived from the Persian "خبر" ("report"), originally meant "information".

News in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)新闻
"新闻" originally meant "new knowledge or information" in ancient Chinese and could refer to various reports or dispatches, not just current events.
Chinese (Traditional)新聞
"新聞" can also mean "newspaper", while the original meaning of "新" is "new" and "聞" is "to hear".
Japaneseニュース
ニュース ('nyūsu') in Japanese is a sino-Japanese word that literally means 'new tidings' and is cognate to the English word 'novel' and French 'nouvelle'.
Korean뉴스
The Korean word "뉴스 (newseu)" is a loanword from the English "news," which in turn comes from the Old French "novels," meaning "new things."
Mongolianмэдээ
"мэдээ" means "information", "knowledge" or "intelligence" in Mongolian.
Myanmar (Burmese)သတင်း

News in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianberita
"Berita" is also used for a traditional form of public service announcement, similar to a town crier.
Javanesewarta
"Warto" can also mean "message" or "report" in Javanese.
Khmerព័ត៌មាន
The word "ព័ត៌មាន" can also refer to information, news, message, intelligence, report, or knowledge in Khmer.
Laoຂ່າວ
"ຂ່າວ" has multiple meanings, as "news", "rumor" or (rare) even "a type of bird".
Malayberita
The Malay word "berita" is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "vrttanta", meaning "occurrence" or "event".
Thaiข่าว
The Thai word "ข่าว" (news) derives from Sanskrit "khab" meaning "to speak" or "to tell".
Vietnamesetin tức
The word "Tin tức" in Vietnamese can also mean "message" or "information".
Filipino (Tagalog)balita

News in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanixəbərlər
The word "xəbərlər" is derived from the Persian word "khabar", which means "intelligence" or "information."
Kazakhжаңалықтар
Kyrgyzжаңылыктар
Tajikахбор
The word "ахбор" in Tajik also means "knowledge" or "information"
Turkmenhabarlar
Uzbekyangiliklar
The word "Yangiliklar" originally referred to "new things or events", not just news.
Uyghurخەۋەر

News in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiannūhou
The Hawaiian word "nūhou" originates from the Proto-Polynesian word "*nuhu" meaning "to see" or "to behold".
Maoripurongo
The word "purongo" in Maori can also mean rumors or gossip.
Samoantala fou
Tala fou is a compound word derived from the Samoan words "tala" meaning "story" and "fou" meaning "new".
Tagalog (Filipino)balita
The Tagalog word "balita" is derived from the Malay word "berita" and can also mean "account" or "narrative".

News in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarayatiyawinaka
Guaranimarandu

News in International Languages

Esperantonovaĵoj
The Esperanto word "novaĵoj" comes from "nova" ("new") and "aĵo" ("thing") while in Polish "nowości" has a wider meaning including "novelty" or "innovation".
Latinnuntium
The word "nuntium" can also refer to a messenger or a message.

News in Others Languages

Greekνέα
"Νέα" also means "youth" in Greek, emphasizing the freshness and novelty of news.
Hmongxov xwm
"Xov xwm" can also be used to describe a report or announcement, but in the context of the Hmong community, it specifically refers to stories that have been passed down orally over generations.
Kurdishnûçe
The Kurdish word "nûçe" derives from the Persian word "nevishtan" meaning "to write".
Turkishhaberler
Despite its similarity to the English word "harbour," the Turkish word "haberler" is derived from the Arabic word "khabar," meaning "information."
Xhosaiindaba
"Iindaba" is a Xhosa word which is also used by the Nguni of South Africa, meaning "an important issue or event".
Yiddishנייעס
The Yiddish word "נייעס" also means "gossip" or "tidings".
Zuluizindaba
The Zulu word "izindaba" ('news') derives from the prefix 'izin,' meaning 'of,' and the noun 'indaba,' meaning 'matter' or 'affair,' hence 'of matters'.
Assameseবাতৰি
Aymarayatiyawinaka
Bhojpuriखबर
Dhivehiހަބަރުތައް
Dogriखबर
Filipino (Tagalog)balita
Guaranimarandu
Ilocanodagiti damag
Krionyuz
Kurdish (Sorani)هەواڵەکان
Maithiliसमाचार
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯏ ꯄꯥꯎ
Mizochanchinthar
Oromooduu
Odia (Oriya)ସମ୍ବାଦ
Quechuawillaykuna
Sanskritसमाचारं
Tatarяңалыклар
Tigrinyaዜና
Tsongamahungu

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