Noise in Different Languages
Discover 'Noise' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Noise, it's a word that we use every day, but have you ever stopped to think about its significance and cultural importance? Noise is more than just sound; it's a universal human experience that transcends language and culture. From the hustle and bustle of a busy city street to the soothing sounds of nature, noise is an integral part of our daily lives.
Throughout history, noise has played a significant role in shaping our societies and cultures. For example, in many ancient civilizations, noise was used as a form of communication, warning of danger or signaling the start of a celebration. Today, noise continues to be a source of fascination and inspiration for artists, musicians, and writers around the world.
If you're interested in language and culture, you might be wondering how the word 'noise' translates into different languages. After all, understanding the nuances of a word in different languages can give us valuable insights into the cultures and societies that use them.
Here are just a few examples of how 'noise' translates into different languages:
Noise
Noise in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | geraas | ||
| Geraas likely shares its roots with the Dutch word "geraas", which means "noise" or "din". | |||
| Amharic | ጫጫታ | ||
| The word 'ጫጫታ' ('noise' in Amharic) is also used to refer to 'chattering' or 'nonsense'. | |||
| Hausa | amo | ||
| Hausa 'amo' also means 'disturbance caused by children'. | |||
| Igbo | mkpọtụ | ||
| "Mkpọtụ" originally referred to "noise" caused by an army on the march or battle but it later began to be used for describing any form of noise in general. | |||
| Malagasy | feo | ||
| In Malagasy, feo is onomatopoeia, imitative of shouting. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | phokoso | ||
| "Phokoso" can also mean "sound" or "voice". | |||
| Shona | ruzha | ||
| "ruzha" also means the buzzing sound that is associated with bees. | |||
| Somali | buuq | ||
| "Buuq" can also refer to a large crowd of people or a noisy gathering. | |||
| Sesotho | lerata | ||
| The word “lerata” is derived from the verb “lera” meaning “to speak continuously”. | |||
| Swahili | kelele | ||
| The word 'kelele' may also refer to a commotion or disturbance, suggesting that noise is considered a form of chaos or disruption in Swahili culture. | |||
| Xhosa | ingxolo | ||
| The word "ingxolo" is also used to describe the sound of a crowd or the noise of a waterfall. | |||
| Yoruba | ariwo | ||
| Ariwo is also used to describe a gathering of people, usually for a festive or social occasion. | |||
| Zulu | umsindo | ||
| The Zulu word "umsindo" also means "anger" or "irritation", and "noise" is sometimes referred to as "umsindo" from this connotation. | |||
| Bambara | mankan | ||
| Ewe | ɣli | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urusaku | ||
| Lingala | makelele | ||
| Luganda | kereere | ||
| Sepedi | lešata | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dede | ||
Noise in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الضوضاء | ||
| "الضوضاء" is derived from the verb "ضجّ", meaning "to make a loud or confused sound", and can also refer to "turmoil" or "commotion" beyond audible sounds. | |||
| Hebrew | רַעַשׁ | ||
| "רַעַשׁ" in Hebrew can also refer to a "tremor", "earthquake" or "uproar". | |||
| Pashto | شور | ||
| The word "شور" also has a secondary meaning: "fame, notoriety, reputation, or popularity." | |||
| Arabic | الضوضاء | ||
| "الضوضاء" is derived from the verb "ضجّ", meaning "to make a loud or confused sound", and can also refer to "turmoil" or "commotion" beyond audible sounds. | |||
Noise in Western European Languages
| Albanian | zhurma | ||
| The Albanian word "zhurma" also means "rumor" or "uproar". | |||
| Basque | zarata | ||
| The etymology of "zarata" is uncertain, but it may be related to the Proto-Basque word "*sara-," meaning "sound" or "noise". It could also be related to the Proto-Indo-European word "*sor-," meaning "to make a noise". | |||
| Catalan | soroll | ||
| The word "soroll" is etymologically related to the Latin word "surdus," meaning "deaf," and has other meanings such as "disorder" or "confusion" | |||
| Croatian | buka | ||
| The word "buka" in Croatian can also refer to a loud or noisy person. | |||
| Danish | støj | ||
| The word "støj" in Danish stems from the Old Norse word "støyta", meaning "to push" or "to strike". | |||
| Dutch | lawaai | ||
| ''Lawaaioverlast'' literally means 'noise nuisance' in Dutch, but it can also refer to the noise a child makes when misbehaving. | |||
| English | noise | ||
| The word 'noise' has also been used in English since the 14th century to mean a group of musicians, particularly one that plays popular or folk music. | |||
| French | bruit | ||
| The French word "bruit" originates from the Latin word "brugitus," meaning "murmur", and also holds the alternate meaning of "rumor". | |||
| Frisian | lûd | ||
| The Frisian word "lûd" can also refer to a prank or mischief. | |||
| Galician | ruído | ||
| In Galician, "ruído" can refer to both "noise" and "a type of bagpipe". | |||
| German | lärm | ||
| The word "Lärm" can also refer to a tumult or uproar, or a large number of people or animals. | |||
| Icelandic | hávaði | ||
| In the Middle Ages, 'hávaði' also referred to a criminal offense or a crime scene. | |||
| Irish | torann | ||
| The word 'torann' in Irish derives from the Proto-Celtic root *torno-, meaning 'thunder' or 'noise'. | |||
| Italian | rumore | ||
| The Italian word "rumore" is derived from the Latin word "rumor", meaning "rumor" or "gossip". | |||
| Luxembourgish | kaméidi | ||
| The word 'Kaméidi' is derived from the Old High German word 'kameid', which means 'a loud outcry or clamor'. | |||
| Maltese | ħoss | ||
| The word "ħoss" can also refer to a "tumult" or "commotion" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | bråk | ||
| The word "bråk" can also refer to a "fight" or "commotion" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ruído | ||
| "Ruído" can mean "noise" or "confusion," and is derived from the Latin "rugītus," meaning "loud noise" or "roar." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fuaim | ||
| Cognate with Irish fuaim, Welsh fwn, and Cornish fown (sound) | |||
| Spanish | ruido | ||
| The Spanish word "ruido" originates from the Latin "rugire", meaning "to roar". | |||
| Swedish | ljud | ||
| In addition to meaning noise, ljud is also a term for sound in Swedish, and comes from the Old Norse word "hljóð" (sound), which in turn goes back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to sound". The related English word "loud" also shares this etymology. | |||
| Welsh | sŵn | ||
| The word sŵn derives from Proto-Indo-European *swónos ('ringing, buzzing, noise'). | |||
Noise in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | шум | ||
| The word "шум" also refers to the sound of water or the buzzing of bees. | |||
| Bosnian | buka | ||
| The word "buka" also has the alternate meaning of "trouble" or "problems" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | шум | ||
| The word "шум" (noise) is cognate with the word "ухо" (ear), suggesting that noise is something that affects the ear. | |||
| Czech | hluk | ||
| "Hluk" also refers to a municipality and castle in the Czech Republic. | |||
| Estonian | müra | ||
| The word "müra" also refers to a "quibble" or "cavil." | |||
| Finnish | melua | ||
| The Finnish word "melua" shares its etymology with the Estonian word "müra" and the Hungarian word "moraj," all meaning "noise." | |||
| Hungarian | zaj | ||
| Zaj, a Hungarian word for noise, has also been used to refer to shouting, murmuring, and even a particular type of bird. | |||
| Latvian | troksnis | ||
| The Latvian word "troksnis" can also refer to a loud, disorderly gathering or a disturbance. | |||
| Lithuanian | triukšmas | ||
| The word "triukšmas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*treuq-**, meaning "to make a noise" or "to roar". | |||
| Macedonian | бучава | ||
| The term "бучава" (noise) derives from the verb "бучати" (to roar), ultimately originating from the Proto-Slavic root *bъxati (to make a noise). | |||
| Polish | hałas | ||
| The Polish word "hałas" likely derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*golъsa" that also yielded Russian word "голос (golos)" meaning "voice". | |||
| Romanian | zgomot | ||
| "Zgomot" derives from the Greek "psóphos", meaning "sound", and has additional meanings of "commotion" or "discord" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | шум | ||
| The word "шум" can also refer to the "bustle" or "lively activity" of a place or event. | |||
| Serbian | бука | ||
| The word "бука" can also refer to a supernatural being associated with the night and darkness in Serbian folklore. | |||
| Slovak | hluk | ||
| The Slovak word "hluk" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "hlukъ", meaning "noise". It is related to the Czech word "hluk" and the Polish word "huk". In addition to meaning "noise", "hluk" can also refer to a disturbance or commotion. | |||
| Slovenian | hrupa | ||
| The word "hrupa" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*xrupъ", which means "to crunch" or "to crackle". | |||
| Ukrainian | шум | ||
| The word "шум" in Ukranian can also refer to a bustling crowd or commotion. | |||
Noise in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শব্দ | ||
| The Bengali word "শব্দ" can also refer to language, speech, or sound. | |||
| Gujarati | અવાજ | ||
| The Gujarati word "અવાજ" can also mean "a call" or "a voice". | |||
| Hindi | शोर | ||
| "शोर" is also used to refer to the sound of rushing water in Sanskrit. | |||
| Kannada | ಶಬ್ದ | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'shabda,' meaning 'sound' or 'word,' 'shabda' in Kannada also refers to 'language' or 'speech.' | |||
| Malayalam | ശബ്ദം | ||
| The term can also refer to sound in a wider sense. | |||
| Marathi | आवाज | ||
| 'आवाज' also refers to any kind of utterance; as a 'voice'. | |||
| Nepali | हल्ला | ||
| The word "हल्ला" can also refer to a "commotion" or "uprising". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ੋਰ | ||
| The word "ਸ਼ੋਰ" in Punjabi is cognate to the word "" in Sanskrit, and also shares a root with words meaning "thunder" in other Indo-European languages including "thunder" in English. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ශබ්දය | ||
| "ශබ්දය" is derived from Sanskrit "शब्द (śabda)", which also means "word" or "sound". | |||
| Tamil | சத்தம் | ||
| "சத்தம்" refers to a sound but can also mean "fame". | |||
| Telugu | శబ్దం | ||
| The word "శబ్దం" can also refer to "sound", "speech", or "language" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | شور | ||
| The term 'شُور' (noise) in Urdu can also refer to 'saltiness' and is commonly added as a suffix to verbs ('ناشُور' = 'unsalted') | |||
Noise in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 噪声 | ||
| 噪声 (zàoshēng) originally meant "a noisy crowd". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 噪聲 | ||
| 噪聲 (zào shēng) can also refer to the sound of footsteps in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | ノイズ | ||
| ノイズ (noise) can also mean "background noise" or "white noise" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 소음 | ||
| "소음" is a word of Sino-Korean origin meaning both "noise" and "sound". | |||
| Mongolian | дуу чимээ | ||
| It may refer to the sound produced by something | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆူညံသံ | ||
| The word ဆူညံသံ, meaning noise, originally referred to the clamor of people or animals before evolving to describe the disturbance of sound in general. | |||
Noise in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kebisingan | ||
| Kebisingan, meaning "noise", is derived from the word "bising" which means "loud or noisy", and the suffix "-an" which denotes a state or condition. | |||
| Javanese | rame | ||
| Javanese ramé ('noisy, full of people') may derive from Tamil, where it's also a descriptor for 'bustling crowds'. | |||
| Khmer | សំលេងរំខាន | ||
| Lao | ສິ່ງລົບກວນ | ||
| Malay | bunyi bising | ||
| "Bunyi bising is derived from the Malay words | |||
| Thai | เสียงดัง | ||
| เสียงดัง (siang dang) is derived from the onomatopoeic word "ดัง" (dang), meaning "loud"} | |||
| Vietnamese | tiếng ồn | ||
| In the Vietnamese language, the word "tiếng ồn" can also refer to "loudspeakers". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ingay | ||
Noise in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | səs-küy | ||
| The word "səs-küy" can also refer to a lively party or event in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | шу | ||
| 'Шу' (noise) is also used in Kazakh to express 'buzz' or 'hubbub'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ызы-чуу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "ызы-чуу" can also be used to refer to a commotion or disturbance. | |||
| Tajik | садо | ||
| In Pamir languages, the word "садо" means "a small river" and "a gorge". | |||
| Turkmen | ses | ||
| Uzbek | shovqin | ||
| "Shovqin" also means "commotion" or "agitation" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | شاۋقۇن | ||
Noise in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | walaʻau | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word “walaʻau” also means “a sound made by a large group of people, such as a chant or a song”. | |||
| Maori | haruru | ||
| The word 'haruru' can also refer to the rustling of leaves or the sound of running water, capturing the dynamic and diverse nature of auditory experiences in te reo Māori. | |||
| Samoan | pisa | ||
| The word 'pisa' can also refer to the sound made by the wind rustling through leaves. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ingay | ||
| Ingay is also the term for 'hubbub' or 'outcry', and it can be used to describe any type of unwanted or excessive noise. | |||
Noise in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uxuri | ||
| Guarani | tyapu | ||
Noise in International Languages
| Esperanto | bruo | ||
| The Esperanto word "bruo" is borrowed from the Polish word "brzęk", and also means "buzz". | |||
| Latin | tumultum | ||
| "Tumultus" also refers to a popular uprising or riot. | |||
Noise in Others Languages
| Greek | θόρυβος | ||
| The verb θορυβέω means 'to be noisy, to confuse', and is related to words like θρόος (lamentation) and θώρηξ (breastplate). | |||
| Hmong | suab nrov | ||
| The Hmong word "suab nrov" can also refer to the "sound of music" or "the voice of a person or animal." | |||
| Kurdish | deng | ||
| The word "deng" in Kurdish can also refer to a melody or tune, highlighting its dual nature as both a disruptive sound and a harmonious composition. | |||
| Turkish | gürültü, ses | ||
| The word "gürültü" is derived from the Mongolian word "gurulday", meaning "to roar or rumble". | |||
| Xhosa | ingxolo | ||
| The word "ingxolo" is also used to describe the sound of a crowd or the noise of a waterfall. | |||
| Yiddish | ראַש | ||
| The Yiddish word "ראַש" (noise) has its roots in the Old High German word "rasôn," meaning "wrath" or "clamor". | |||
| Zulu | umsindo | ||
| The Zulu word "umsindo" also means "anger" or "irritation", and "noise" is sometimes referred to as "umsindo" from this connotation. | |||
| Assamese | হুলস্থূল | ||
| Aymara | uxuri | ||
| Bhojpuri | शोरगुल | ||
| Dhivehi | އަޑު | ||
| Dogri | नक्क | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ingay | ||
| Guarani | tyapu | ||
| Ilocano | tagari | ||
| Krio | nɔys | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دەنگەدەنگ | ||
| Maithili | शोरगुल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯤꯜ ꯈꯣꯡꯕ | ||
| Mizo | bengchheng | ||
| Oromo | waca | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶବ୍ଦ | ||
| Quechua | sinqa | ||
| Sanskrit | कोलाहलं | ||
| Tatar | шау-шу | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓው ዓው | ||
| Tsonga | pongo | ||