Northern in Different Languages
Discover 'Northern' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'northern' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, often used to describe the direction, location, or characteristics associated with the north. Its cultural importance is evident in various contexts, such as literature, geography, and history. For instance, the Northern Renaissance was a cultural movement that lasted from the 14th to the 16th century, characterized by a flowering of the arts in northern Europe. Or consider the Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, a natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic.
Given the global reach of culture and language, understanding the translation of 'northern' in different languages can be both enlightening and useful. For instance, in Spanish, 'northern' translates to 'norte'; in French, 'nord'; in German, 'nord'; in Italian, 'nord'; and in Russian, 'северный' (severnyy).
Explore the world of language and culture through the lens of 'northern'. Discover how this simple word can open doors to fascinating histories, intriguing traditions, and cross-cultural connections.
Northern
Northern in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | noordelike | ||
| The word "noordelike" is derived from the Old Dutch word "noorderlic", which means "belonging to the north". | |||
| Amharic | ሰሜናዊ | ||
| The word "ሰሜናዊ" ("northern") also means "above" or "upper" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | arewa | ||
| In Hausa, the word "arewa" is sometimes used to refer to the region of West Africa known as the "Western Sudan". | |||
| Igbo | ugwu | ||
| The word "ugwu" also refers to the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) in Igbo culture. | |||
| Malagasy | northern | ||
| The Malagasy word "avaratra" can also mean "the left-hand side" because the compass's north is at the left when you face east. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kumpoto | ||
| The word "kumpoto" also means "origin" or "beginning" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kuchamhembe | ||
| Shona word "kuchamhembe" means "northern" while its literal meaning is "side of the river with a low bank". | |||
| Somali | waqooyi | ||
| "Waqooyi" is also used to denote the left-hand side, as opposed to "koonfur" ("south") for the right-hand side. | |||
| Sesotho | leboea | ||
| The word 'leboea' in Sesotho also refers to the 'north wind' or 'winter'. | |||
| Swahili | kaskazini | ||
| The word 'kaskazini' in Swahili derives from the Arabic word 'qibla,' meaning 'direction of prayer,' as the north is the direction faced during Muslim prayers. | |||
| Xhosa | emantla | ||
| The word 'emantla' is also used to refer to a region in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. | |||
| Yoruba | ariwa | ||
| Ariwa in Yoruba may also refer to the left side or direction of a person or object. | |||
| Zulu | enyakatho | ||
| The Zulu word "enyakatho" also means "the left hand side". | |||
| Bambara | woroduguyanfan fɛ | ||
| Ewe | dziehe gome | ||
| Kinyarwanda | majyaruguru | ||
| Lingala | na nɔrdi | ||
| Luganda | mu bukiikakkono | ||
| Sepedi | ka leboa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atifi fam | ||
Northern in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شمالي | ||
| شمالي also refers to a genre of Arabic folk music originating from North Africa. | |||
| Hebrew | צְפוֹנִי | ||
| The word "צְפוֹנִי" also denotes "hidden" or "secret" in Biblical Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | شمالي | ||
| The word "شمالي" in Pashto can also mean "northwesterly" or "upper". | |||
| Arabic | شمالي | ||
| شمالي also refers to a genre of Arabic folk music originating from North Africa. | |||
Northern in Western European Languages
| Albanian | veriore | ||
| Veriore is a synonym for the word 'veriu' in Albanian, both meaning "northern" in English. | |||
| Basque | iparraldekoa | ||
| "Iparralde" is derived from the Basque words "ipar" (north) and "alde" (side), meaning "the north side". | |||
| Catalan | nord | ||
| The Catalan word "nord" not only means "north" but also "strong," likely from "nordis," meaning "Viking" | |||
| Croatian | sjeverni | ||
| Although sjeverni is most often understood to mean “northern” in Croatian, it can also be used to mean “right-hand” in the context of the Croatian-Slavonian military border during the 18th century. | |||
| Danish | nordlige | ||
| The word 'nordlige' in Danish can also refer to the Norwegian county of Nordland or the Sami language spoken there. | |||
| Dutch | noordelijk | ||
| The word "noordelijk" can also refer to the direction towards the north. | |||
| English | northern | ||
| The word "northern" can also refer to the northern hemisphere, or to a political or cultural region in the north. | |||
| French | nord | ||
| The word 'nord' is derived from the Latin word 'septentriō', meaning 'the seven stars' (the Big Dipper). | |||
| Frisian | noardlik | ||
| The word 'noardlik' in Frisian comes from the Old Frisian word 'nord', meaning 'north'. | |||
| Galician | norte | ||
| "Norte" in Galician also refers to the point in the sky where the Sun is at noon. | |||
| German | nord | ||
| The German word "Nord" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ner-," meaning "left," and it originally referred to the direction of the north in relation to the sunrise. | |||
| Icelandic | norður | ||
| The word "Norður" in Icelandic can also refer to the left-hand side of a horse or the side of a ship facing the bow. | |||
| Irish | thuaidh | ||
| This word may derive from the Gaelic word 'tuath', meaning 'land' or 'people'. | |||
| Italian | settentrionale | ||
| "Settentrione" is an archaic Tuscan word that means "the seven oxen" (from Latin "septem triones"), probably due to the shape of the Big Dipper constellation. | |||
| Luxembourgish | nërdlechen | ||
| Maltese | tat-tramuntana | ||
| The word "tat-tramuntana" in Maltese, meaning "northern", is derived from the Arabic word "Tramuntana", which originally referred to the constellation Ursa Minor and the star Polaris, located in the north. | |||
| Norwegian | nordlig | ||
| The Norwegian word "nordlig" can also refer to the northern lights, a celestial phenomenon seen mainly in the northern hemisphere. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | norte | ||
| Norte is both a noun and an adjective meaning either the north or northwards, and also refers to the northern region of Portugal. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tuath | ||
| In Gaelic, 'tuath' also has the meaning of 'people' as well as 'lord', both in singular and plural use. | |||
| Spanish | del norte | ||
| The word "del Norte" can also refer to the cardinal direction of north, or to the region of northern Mexico and the United States. | |||
| Swedish | nordlig | ||
| In the name of the 'nordligaste' ('northernmost') city, 'nord' means 'northern', while 'ligaste' is the superlative form of 'ligga' ('to lie'). | |||
| Welsh | gogleddol | ||
| The word gogleddol originally referred to the direction from which the wind blew, and thus to the west, not north. | |||
Northern in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | паўночны | ||
| The word "паўночны" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "sěverъ" which means "left" or "north". | |||
| Bosnian | sjeverno | ||
| "Sjeverno" is also used to refer to the left-hand side of a river or stream, as opposed to "južno" (right-hand side). | |||
| Bulgarian | северна | ||
| The word "северна" in Bulgarian can also be used to refer to the mythical character Sever, the personification of the north wind. | |||
| Czech | severní | ||
| Other meanings of "severní" in Czech include "cool" (in both senses) or "serious". | |||
| Estonian | põhjapoolne | ||
| 'Põhjapoolne' is also the root of the Estonian words 'põhi' (base), 'põhjas' (bottom), and 'põhjalik' (thorough). | |||
| Finnish | pohjoinen | ||
| The word "pohjoinen" is thought to originate from the Proto-Finnic word "puoliainen," meaning "half," referring to the northern half of the world as perceived by the ancient Finns. | |||
| Hungarian | északi | ||
| The word 'északi' is derived from the Hungarian word 'ész', meaning 'mind', and the suffix '-aki', meaning 'pertaining to'. | |||
| Latvian | ziemeļu | ||
| The Latvian word “ziemeļu” is derived from the Lithuanian word “šiaurė” which means “north” and may also be related to the Slavic word “sever”. | |||
| Lithuanian | šiaurinis | ||
| Šiaurinis' comes from 'šiaurė', possibly from Lithuanian word 'šešuras', the North Star. | |||
| Macedonian | северно | ||
| The word "северно" can also mean "harsh" or "severe" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | północny | ||
| The word 'północny' in Polish is also used as a noun meaning 'midnight' | |||
| Romanian | de nord | ||
| In Romanian, "de Nord" not only means "northern" but also refers to a type of wind (North wind) or a compass point (North). | |||
| Russian | северный | ||
| The word "северный" can also mean "cold" or "harsh" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | северни | ||
| The Serbian word "северни" (northern) also refers to someone or something coming from the northern part of Serbia or another country. | |||
| Slovak | severný | ||
| The word "severný" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*sěverъ", which also means "left". | |||
| Slovenian | severni | ||
| The word "severni" in Slovenian also pertains to the geographical concept of "Arctic". | |||
| Ukrainian | північний | ||
| The word "північний" is derived from the Old East Slavic word "плънъ" (polnъ), meaning "full" or "complete". | |||
Northern in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উত্তর | ||
| The word "উত্তর" can also refer to a response or an answer, or to a direction or position. | |||
| Gujarati | ઉત્તરીય | ||
| Hindi | उत्तरी | ||
| "उत्तरी" also means "answer" or "reply" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಉತ್ತರ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಉತ್ತರ' has the additional meaning of 'answer', originating from the Sanskrit root 'ut' meaning 'to rise'. | |||
| Malayalam | വടക്കൻ | ||
| The word "വടക്കൻ" can also refer to the Malayalam language, which is spoken in the northern parts of Kerala. | |||
| Marathi | उत्तर | ||
| The word "उत्तर" also means "answer" in Marathi | |||
| Nepali | उत्तरी | ||
| The word "उत्तरी" means "northern" and comes from the Sanskrit root "उत्तर" "upper," "northern," or "posterior" | |||
| Punjabi | ਉੱਤਰੀ | ||
| "Uttari" (उत्तर) - a traditional Punjabi shawl, or a long scarf used by women | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උතුරු | ||
| The word "උතුරු" can also mean "from the north" or "in the north". | |||
| Tamil | வடக்கு | ||
| "வடக்கு" (northern) is also used to refer to the Vaishnavism sect of Hinduism. | |||
| Telugu | ఉత్తరాన | ||
| The word "ఉత్తరాన" also means "in the direction of the northern star". | |||
| Urdu | شمالی | ||
| شمالی (Šamālī) is not a native Urdu word; it is an arabic loanword which literally means "left" but has the same usage as "northern" in Urdu. | |||
Northern in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 北方 | ||
| 北方 is also used to refer to the northern provinces of China, known as 北方地区 (Northern Region). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 北方 | ||
| 北 is also used in the names of other Chinese provinces, such as Shanxi and Hebei. | |||
| Japanese | 北部 | ||
| The word "北部" (hokubuku) can also mean "the north side" or "the northern part" of something. | |||
| Korean | 북부 사투리 | ||
| “북부사투리” is also a slang term used in South Korea to refer to the Gyeonggi dialect | |||
| Mongolian | хойд | ||
| The word "хойд" can also refer to the North Star, the Big Dipper, or the Big Bear constellation. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြောက်ပိုင်း | ||
Northern in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sebelah utara | ||
| The word 'sebelah utara' literally means 'the side that faces north', highlighting the concept of relative direction in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | lor | ||
| The etymology of 'lor' in Javanese is unclear, though it is related to 'lorong', a derivative of the Sanskrit 'dwara', meaning 'gate', which suggests a metaphorical association between north and a place of entrance. | |||
| Khmer | ភាគខាងជើង | ||
| The word "ភាគខាងជើង" ("northern") in Khmer also means "the side of the person who is superior in rank or age." | |||
| Lao | ພາກ ເໜືອ | ||
| The term “ພາກເໜືອ” (“northern”) in Lao can also refer to the upper half of Laos, as opposed to the lower part of Laos in general. | |||
| Malay | utara | ||
| The word "utara" is also used to refer to the "north pole" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ภาคเหนือ | ||
| The word "ภาคเหนือ" can be literally translated as "sky section," a Thai idiom for the northern region of the country. | |||
| Vietnamese | phương bắc | ||
| 'Phương Bắc' is also used colloquially to refer to the Chinese people or China. This usage has a long history, dating back to the period of Chinese domination of Vietnam. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hilagang | ||
Northern in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şimal | ||
| The word "şimal" also has poetic meanings such as "beloved" and "direction of prayer" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | солтүстік | ||
| The word "Солтүстік" in Kazakh also refers to a wind that blows from the north. | |||
| Kyrgyz | түндүк | ||
| Түндүк also refers to the pole or top of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt, considered the most sacred part of the dwelling. | |||
| Tajik | шимол | ||
| "Шимол" also means "left side" or "west" in Tajik, derived from the Persian word "šomāl." | |||
| Turkmen | demirgazyk | ||
| Uzbek | shimoliy | ||
| The word "shimoliy" can also mean "upper" or "higher" in Uzbek, indicating a relative position or direction. | |||
| Uyghur | شىمال | ||
Northern in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻākau | ||
| ʻākau is also sometimes used to refer to the island of Kauaʻi, which is the northernmost of the main Hawaiian Islands. | |||
| Maori | raki | ||
| Maori word "raki" also means "heaven" or "above" in the language | |||
| Samoan | matu | ||
| The word 'matu' also means 'head' in the Samoan language | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hilaga | ||
| The root word “hilag” in Tagalog, meaning “cold,” is also the root of the word “hilaga,” meaning “north,” as north is generally colder in the Philippines. | |||
Northern in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | alay tuqinkir jaqinaka | ||
| Guarani | norte gotyo | ||
Northern in International Languages
| Esperanto | norda | ||
| The Esperanto word "norda" also means "cool" or "calm" in the sense of temperature. | |||
| Latin | septentrionalem | ||
| The Latin word "septentrionalem" also refers to the constellation Ursa Major, known as the "Northern Dipper" in English. | |||
Northern in Others Languages
| Greek | βόρειος | ||
| Related to Sanskrit 'bhr̥' meaning 'to carry', sharing a common Proto-Indo-European root with 'pherein' in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | yav qaum teb | ||
| The word 'yav qaum teb' literally means 'from over the big mountains' in the Hmong language. | |||
| Kurdish | bakûrî | ||
| "Bakur" in Kurdish is a word with several meanings, such as "north," "left-handed" and "female." It is related to the Persian "bahr" (sea) and "bar" (fruit), and the Sumerian "bar" (mountain). | |||
| Turkish | kuzey | ||
| Historically, the word "kuzey" also referred to a nomadic people living in the north. | |||
| Xhosa | emantla | ||
| The word 'emantla' is also used to refer to a region in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. | |||
| Yiddish | צאָפנדיק | ||
| צאָפנדיק means "northern" in Yiddish. It is related to the German word "Norden" and the Dutch word "noord". It is also related to the Old Norse word "norðr". The literal meaning of "צאָפנדיק" is "from the side of the head or forehead. | |||
| Zulu | enyakatho | ||
| The Zulu word "enyakatho" also means "the left hand side". | |||
| Assamese | উত্তৰ দিশৰ | ||
| Aymara | alay tuqinkir jaqinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | उत्तरी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އުތުރުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | उत्तरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hilagang | ||
| Guarani | norte gotyo | ||
| Ilocano | amianan | ||
| Krio | na di nɔt pat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باکووری | ||
| Maithili | उत्तरी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯣꯡꯄꯣꯛ ꯊꯪꯕꯥ ꯁꯔꯨꯛꯇꯥ ꯂꯩ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hmar lam a ni | ||
| Oromo | kaabaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉତ୍ତର | ||
| Quechua | wichay ladomanta | ||
| Sanskrit | उत्तरम् | ||
| Tatar | төньяк | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰሜናዊ እዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | en’walungwini | ||