Updated on March 6, 2024
Newspapers have been a vital part of our daily lives for centuries, providing us with the latest news, current events, and informative articles. They serve as a historical record, a source of entertainment, and a platform for public discourse. The significance of newspapers in society cannot be overstated, as they have played a crucial role in shaping public opinion, influencing political decisions, and documenting pivotal moments in history.
The cultural importance of newspapers extends beyond their informative role. They reflect the values, concerns, and interests of their readers, offering a unique insight into the society they serve. From investigative journalism to opinion pieces, from local interest stories to international headlines, newspapers cater to a diverse range of audiences and interests.
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding the translation of the word 'newspaper' in different languages can help us appreciate the global reach and impact of these vital institutions. For instance, the German translation of newspaper is 'Zeitung', while in Spanish, it is 'periódico'. In French, the word for newspaper is 'journal', and in Japanese, it is '新聞 (shinbun).'
Join us as we explore the translations of the word 'newspaper' in various languages, shedding light on the global significance and cultural importance of these essential institutions.
Afrikaans | koerant | ||
"Koerant" (newspaper) comes from the Dutch "courante" (news) and originally referred to a newsletter. | |||
Amharic | ጋዜጣ | ||
The Ethiopian Amharic word ጋዜጣ (gazeta) originated from the Italian word "gazzetta", which originally meant "small coin." | |||
Hausa | jarida | ||
"Jarida" also means "leaf" or "page" in Hausa, highlighting the paper's physical form. | |||
Igbo | akwụkwọ akụkọ | ||
The word 'akwụkwọ akụkọ' can also refer specifically to a 'book of records', 'book of chronicles', or 'ledger'. | |||
Malagasy | gazety | ||
The word "GAZETY" in Malagasy is derived from the French word "gazette" which means a newspaper or official government publication. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyuzipepala | ||
The word "nyuzipepala" comes from the English word "newspaper". | |||
Shona | pepanhau | ||
"Pepanhau" comes from the term "Pepi" meaning gossip, and the word "nhanhau" which translates to "for each other." | |||
Somali | wargeys | ||
Wargeys is also a Somali term for a type of long-tailed bird. | |||
Sesotho | koranta | ||
The word "koranta" in Sesotho is derived from the Dutch word "courant" and also means "current" or "ongoing event". | |||
Swahili | gazeti | ||
The Swahili word "gazeti" is derived from the Arabic word "jarida," meaning "a piece of paper" or "a leaf of a book." | |||
Xhosa | iphephandaba | ||
The word 'iphephandaba' comes from the Zulu word 'iphepha' (paper) and the Xhosa word 'indaba' (news). | |||
Yoruba | iwe iroyin | ||
The term "iwe iroyin" translates to "paper of stories", indicating the traditional purpose of newspapers as mediums for transmitting information. | |||
Zulu | iphephandaba | ||
Iphephandaba derives from the Zulu word 'phephanda' meaning 'spreading out', describing the act of selling newspapers | |||
Bambara | kunnafonisɛbɛn kɔnɔ | ||
Ewe | nyadzɔdzɔgbalẽ me | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikinyamakuru | ||
Lingala | zulunalo ya zulunalo | ||
Luganda | olupapula lw’amawulire | ||
Sepedi | kuranta | ||
Twi (Akan) | atesɛm krataa | ||
Arabic | جريدة | ||
The word "جريدة" can also refer to a palm leaf, which was used as a writing surface in pre-Islamic Arabia. | |||
Hebrew | עיתון | ||
The word 'עיתון' derives from the Aramaic word for 'time', 'עת', suggesting its role in providing timely information. | |||
Pashto | ورځپاه | ||
The Pashto word ورځپاه (warzapa) literally means 'day watchman', reflecting the historical role of newspapers in delivering daily news. | |||
Arabic | جريدة | ||
The word "جريدة" can also refer to a palm leaf, which was used as a writing surface in pre-Islamic Arabia. |
Albanian | gazete | ||
The term ''Gazete'' in Albanian is originally borrowed from Italian (gazetta), which in turn derives from Venetian and ultimately traces back to Latin. | |||
Basque | egunkaria | ||
The Basque word "egunkaria" literally translates to "daily", but it is also used to refer to newspapers in general. | |||
Catalan | diari | ||
The Old Catalan word “diari” (meaning “daily”) was already used at the beginning of the 15th century to refer to chronicles that reported the most important local events of the day, and later, from the 17th century onwards, to refer to the daily newsletters that circulated in manuscript form and which were the forerunners of the printed newspapers that appeared in the 18th century. | |||
Croatian | novine | ||
The Croatian word 'novine', despite meaning 'newspapers', originates from the word for news ('novosti'), reflecting the historical connection between newspapers and news as their primary content. | |||
Danish | avis | ||
In Danish, "avis" can also refer to a notice or an announcement. | |||
Dutch | krant- | ||
The word 'krant' in Dutch derives from the French word 'courant', meaning news or tidings. | |||
English | newspaper | ||
The word "newspaper" is derived from "news" (meaning recent or current events) and "paper" (the material on which it is printed). | |||
French | journal | ||
The French word "journal" evolved from "diurnal," "daily," referring to daily published news accounts. | |||
Frisian | krante | ||
The word "krante" ultimately derives from the Latin "charta," meaning "paper." | |||
Galician | xornal | ||
"Xornal" derives from the Latin word "diurnalis", meaning "daily". | |||
German | zeitung | ||
The word "Zeitung" emerged in the 15th century via the Middle High German "zîtûnge" meaning "tidings, news" | |||
Icelandic | dagblað | ||
Dagblað, from 'dagur' (day) and 'blað' (leaf), originally meant a single issue of a newspaper, but now refers to a newspaper in general. | |||
Irish | nuachtán | ||
Italian | giornale | ||
The word "giornale" also means "diary" in Italian, and comes from the Latin word "diurnalis", meaning "daily". | |||
Luxembourgish | zeitung | ||
In Luxembourgish, “Zeitung” can also refer to the specific section or article of a newspaper or magazine. | |||
Maltese | gazzetta | ||
The word "gazzetta" originally referred to a small coin used to pay for a newspaper. | |||
Norwegian | avis | ||
It's a compound of the Norwegian word "a" (meaning "announcement") and the Latin word "visus" (meaning "seen"). | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | jornal | ||
"Jornal" derives from French "journal" which comes from Latin "diurnalis" (daily). | |||
Scots Gaelic | pàipear-naidheachd | ||
Spanish | periódico | ||
The word "periódico" derives from the Greek "perihodos," meaning "cycle" or "revolution," as it originally referred to publications that were issued at regular intervals. | |||
Swedish | tidning | ||
In Norwegian and Danish, "tidning" refers to a magazine or a journal. | |||
Welsh | papur newydd | ||
Belarusian | газета | ||
The word "газета" in Belarusian derives from the Italian "gazzetta", meaning a small coin, originally used to pay for news sheets. | |||
Bosnian | novine | ||
The word "novine" in Bosnian can also mean "news", "tidings", or "information" in a general sense. | |||
Bulgarian | вестник | ||
The word "вестник" can also mean a "herald" or a "courier" in Bulgarian, derived from the Slavic root "vest" meaning "news" or "message". | |||
Czech | noviny | ||
The Czech word "noviny" comes from the Proto-Slavic root "novъ", meaning "new", and originally referred to any new information, not just printed form. | |||
Estonian | ajaleht | ||
The word "ajaleht" is a compound word composed of "aju" (meaning "brain") and "leht" (meaning "sheet"). | |||
Finnish | sanomalehti | ||
The word "sanomalehti" is a compound of the words "sanom(a)" ("message") and "lehti" ("leaf") | |||
Hungarian | újság | ||
The word "újság" in Hungarian originally meant "novelty" or "new thing", and it is related to the word "új" (new). | |||
Latvian | avīze | ||
The word "avīze" is derived from the French word "aviser", meaning "to inform" or "to give notice". | |||
Lithuanian | laikraštis | ||
The word "laikraštis" is derived from "laikas" (time) and "raštas" (writing), reflecting its role in providing timely written information. | |||
Macedonian | весник | ||
The word весник ("newspaper") is derived from the verb вест ("to carry news"), and its initial meaning was "messenger". | |||
Polish | gazeta | ||
Gazeta originates from Italian and originally referred to a small coin used to pay for handwritten news bulletins in Venice. | |||
Romanian | ziar | ||
The Romanian word "ziar" comes from the Slavic word "cistĭ" meaning "read" | |||
Russian | газета | ||
The word "газета" comes from the Italian word "gazzetta", which originally meant a small coin used to pay for reading the news. | |||
Serbian | новине | ||
In Serbian, the word "новине" is cognate with the Russian word "новости", meaning "news", and also denotes publications presenting current events. | |||
Slovak | noviny | ||
The Slovak word "noviny" literally means "news", and can also refer to the news section of a newspaper, or to a newsletter. | |||
Slovenian | časopis | ||
The word ''časopis'' derives from ''čas'' (''time'') and ''pis'' (''write''), and also means ''magazine'' in certain contexts. | |||
Ukrainian | газета | ||
The word "газета" comes from the Italian "gazzetta," meaning a small coin used to pay for reading the news. |
Bengali | খবরের কাগজ | ||
The word 'খবরের কাগজ' is a compound of 'খবর' (news) and 'কাগজ' (paper). | |||
Gujarati | અખબાર | ||
The word "अखबार" comes from the Persian words "akhbār" meaning "news" and "navishtan" meaning "to write". | |||
Hindi | समाचार पत्र | ||
The word "समाचार पत्र" is derived from the Sanskrit words "समाचार" (news) and "पत्र" (paper), and is used to refer to both printed and electronic publications that provide news and information. | |||
Kannada | ಪತ್ರಿಕೆ | ||
The term 'ಪತ್ರಿಕೆ' also refers to a magazine, journal or any other periodical publication. | |||
Malayalam | പത്രം | ||
In Sanskrit, "പത്രം" means "leaf", reflecting the traditional use of leaves as writing surfaces. | |||
Marathi | वृत्तपत्र | ||
The word "वृत्तपत्र" is derived from the Sanskrit words "वृत्त" (news) and "पत्र" (leaf), referring to the traditional way news was written on leaves. | |||
Nepali | समाचार पत्र | ||
The term 'samacharpatra' in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit words 'samachaara' (news) and 'patra' (leaf), signifying a written record of current events distributed on a regular basis. | |||
Punjabi | ਅਖਬਾਰ | ||
The word "ਅਖਬਾਰ" is derived from the Persian word "akhbar", meaning "news." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පුවත්පත | ||
The word "පුවත්පත" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पत्र" (patra), meaning "leaf", and is often used to refer to a "letter" or "document". | |||
Tamil | செய்தித்தாள் | ||
Telugu | వార్తాపత్రిక | ||
The word "వార్తాపత్రిక" originally referred to letters and scrolls containing news accounts but now refers specifically to printed newspapers. | |||
Urdu | اخبار | ||
The word "اخبار" in Urdu is derived from the Arabic word "khabar", meaning "news" or "report". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 报纸 | ||
The character '报' in '报纸' originally referred to the sound of a drum announcing important news, while '纸' is a phonetic loan from an ancient word for 'bamboo slips', the primary writing surface before the invention of paper. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 報紙 | ||
"紙" here means 'slip or piece of paper' and this refers back to the original bamboo/wood or metal slips (簡牘) used to record writing in ancient China. | |||
Japanese | 新聞 | ||
"新聞" is a combination of "新" (new) and "聞" (news/hear/listen), meaning "fresh news". | |||
Korean | 신문 | ||
신문 is derived from the Chinese characters '新' (new) and '聞' (news), but it can also refer to a 'letter' or 'report' in a more general sense. | |||
Mongolian | сонин | ||
In Mongolian, the word 'сонин' derives from the Mongolian word 'сонс', meaning 'to hear'. This reflects the traditional role of newspapers in conveying information orally to listeners. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | သတင်းစာ | ||
Indonesian | koran | ||
The word "koran" in Indonesian can also refer to the Quran, the holy book of Islam. | |||
Javanese | koran | ||
In Javanese, Koran is also used to describe the Quran as an Islamic holy book. | |||
Khmer | កាសែត | ||
"កាសែត" is derived from the French word "gazette", meaning a handwritten newsletter. | |||
Lao | ຫນັງສືພິມ | ||
Malay | surat khabar | ||
The Malay word "surat khabar" means "newspaper" in English | |||
Thai | หนังสือพิมพ์ | ||
หนังสือพิมพ์ derives from หนังสือ, "book," and พิมพ์, "to imprint, to print," indicating its original function as a printed book. | |||
Vietnamese | báo chí | ||
Báo chí also means "report writing" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pahayagan | ||
Azerbaijani | qəzet | ||
The word "qəzet" derives from the Arabic word "gazat" which also means "military expedition" or "crusade". | |||
Kazakh | газет | ||
The Kazakh word "газет" is a borrowing from the Russian word "газета", which in turn comes from the Italian word "gazzetta", originally meaning "small coin" and later "news bulletin". | |||
Kyrgyz | гезит | ||
The Kyrgyz word "гезит" is derived from the Persian word "gāzīt," which means "news" or "report." | |||
Tajik | рӯзнома | ||
The Tajik word "рӯзнома" is ultimately derived from the Persian word "روزنامه" meaning "daily bread". | |||
Turkmen | gazet | ||
Uzbek | gazeta | ||
In Uzbek, "gazeta" (газета) was initially used to refer to a small coin used to pay for reading a newspaper. | |||
Uyghur | گېزىت | ||
Hawaiian | nūpepa | ||
Nūpepa literally means "to speak on paper" in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | niupepa | ||
The word "niupepa" in Māori is derived from the words "niū" (paper) and "pepa" (new), meaning "new paper". | |||
Samoan | nusipepa | ||
The word 'nusipepa' is a compound word consisting of the words 'nusi' (news) and 'pepa' (paper). | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pahayagan | ||
The word "pahayagan" means both "place of proclamation" and "newspaper" in Tagalog, as it derives from the verb "pahayag," meaning "to announce" or "to make known." |
Aymara | periodico uñt’ayaña | ||
Guarani | diario-pe | ||
Esperanto | gazeto | ||
The word "gazeto" can be traced back to the Italian word "gazzetta", a small coin worth a few cents used to buy handwritten news sheets | |||
Latin | diurna | ||
"Diurna" in Latin referred to daily official bulletins published by ancient Roman authorities. |
Greek | εφημερίδα | ||
The word "εφημερίδα" originally meant "daily" in ancient Greek, and its literal meaning is "that which is said in the day. | |||
Hmong | ntawv xov xwm | ||
Kurdish | rojname | ||
The word "rojname" in Kurdish literally translates to "daily bread", highlighting the importance of newspapers as a source of daily information and knowledge. | |||
Turkish | gazete | ||
"Gazete" derives from the Arabic "jazida", meaning "small piece". It originally referred to a written text attached to a notice board. | |||
Xhosa | iphephandaba | ||
The word 'iphephandaba' comes from the Zulu word 'iphepha' (paper) and the Xhosa word 'indaba' (news). | |||
Yiddish | צייטונג | ||
The Yiddish word "צייטונג" (tseytung) originally referred to a "tidings" or "news" and later came to mean "newspaper". | |||
Zulu | iphephandaba | ||
Iphephandaba derives from the Zulu word 'phephanda' meaning 'spreading out', describing the act of selling newspapers | |||
Assamese | বাতৰি কাকত | ||
Aymara | periodico uñt’ayaña | ||
Bhojpuri | अखबार के ह | ||
Dhivehi | ނޫހެކެވެ | ||
Dogri | अखबार दी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pahayagan | ||
Guarani | diario-pe | ||
Ilocano | diario | ||
Krio | nyuspepa | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕۆژنامە | ||
Maithili | अखबार | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯎ-ꯆꯦꯗꯥ ꯐꯣꯡꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
Mizo | chanchinbu a ni | ||
Oromo | gaazexaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଖବରକାଗଜ | ||
Quechua | periodico | ||
Sanskrit | वृत्तपत्रम् | ||
Tatar | газета | ||
Tigrinya | ጋዜጣ | ||
Tsonga | phephahungu | ||