Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'nuclear' has a significance that extends far beyond the realm of science. It is a term that evokes a sense of power, energy, and even fear, due to its association with nuclear weapons and energy production. The cultural importance of this word is undeniable, as it has shaped global politics, international relations, and energy policies for decades.
Moreover, the concept of nuclear power has been a topic of fascination in popular culture, featuring prominently in films, literature, and art. From the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the ongoing debates about nuclear energy, this word has left an indelible mark on human history.
Understanding the translation of 'nuclear' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and engage with this powerful concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'nuclear' translates to 'nuclear' while in French, it is 'nucléaire'. In German, it is 'nuklear' and in Chinese, it is '核能' (hé néng).
In this article, we will explore the translations of 'nuclear' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and historical contexts associated with this fascinating word.
Afrikaans | kernkrag | ||
The word 'kernkrag' is derived from the German word 'Kernkraft', meaning 'nuclear power'. | |||
Amharic | ኑክሌር | ||
In addition to 'nuclear', ኑክሌር can also mean 'nucleus' (biology) or 'core' (e.g. of an atom). | |||
Hausa | nukiliya | ||
In Hausa, the word "nukiliya" can also refer to the nucleus of a cell. | |||
Igbo | nuklia | ||
"Nuklia" is also the Igbo word for "important" or "significant". | |||
Malagasy | nokleary | ||
The Malagasy word 'nokleary' is derived from the French word 'nucléaire', meaning 'nuclear'. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyukiliya | ||
In Nyanja, "nyukiliya" can also mean "of or relating to peanuts". | |||
Shona | yenyukireya | ||
The word 'yenyukireya' literally means 'the thing of the sun', referring to the sun's energy. | |||
Somali | nukliyeer | ||
In Somali, "nukliyeer" is also used to describe something that is very powerful or destructive. | |||
Sesotho | ea nyutlelie | ||
The word 'ea nyutlelie' also means 'atomic' or 'pertaining to atoms' in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | nyuklia | ||
This word was borrowed from English and has no other meanings in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | inyukliya | ||
The word `inyukliya` in Xhosa, meaning `nuclear`, is a borrowed word from English, indicating the global reach of nuclear discourse. | |||
Yoruba | iparun | ||
"Iparun" in Yoruba also refers to the "core" or "innermost" part of something. | |||
Zulu | enuzi | ||
The Zulu word "enuzi" also means "atom" and "energy". | |||
Bambara | nukliyɛri | ||
Ewe | nukliaʋawɔnuwo | ||
Kinyarwanda | kirimbuzi | ||
Lingala | nikleere | ||
Luganda | nukiriya | ||
Sepedi | nuclear | ||
Twi (Akan) | nuklea nuklea | ||
Arabic | نووي | ||
It also refers to the `core`, `center`, or `essence` of something. | |||
Hebrew | גַרעִינִי | ||
Pashto | اټومي | ||
Arabic | نووي | ||
It also refers to the `core`, `center`, or `essence` of something. |
Albanian | nukleare | ||
The word "nukleare" derives from Latin and also means the nucleus of a cell or any core or central part. | |||
Basque | nuklearra | ||
The Basque word 'nuklearra' is derived from the Latin word 'nucleus', meaning 'core' or 'kernel'. | |||
Catalan | nuclear | ||
In Catalan, the word "nuclear" can also refer to a power plant or a type of energy. | |||
Croatian | nuklearni | ||
The word "nuklearni" in Croatian derives from the Latin word "nucleus", meaning "kernel" or "core". | |||
Danish | atomisk | ||
Danish "atomisk" can also mean "atomic". | |||
Dutch | nucleair | ||
In the 17th century, "nucleus" was also the Dutch word for the core of a fruit or the kernel in the nut | |||
English | nuclear | ||
The word "nuclear" can also refer to the core of an atom or the central and most important part of something. | |||
French | nucléaire | ||
While 'nucléaire' is most often synonymous with nuclear, it may also refer to electricity plants and their production in French | |||
Frisian | nukleêr | ||
The Frisian word "nukleêr" can also refer to "very cold" in addition to its meaning as "nuclear". | |||
Galician | nuclear | ||
German | nuklear | ||
In German, "nuklear" specifically refers to nuclear weapons or power, while "kerntechnisch" covers a broader range of nuclear science. | |||
Icelandic | kjarnorku | ||
In Old Norse, kjarnorku meant 'very hard'. | |||
Irish | núicléach | ||
Italian | nucleare | ||
In Italian, "nucleare" has other meanings besides "nuclear", such as "fundamental" or "essential". | |||
Luxembourgish | nuklear | ||
Maltese | nukleari | ||
The Maltese word "nukleari" is the noun form of "kleari", meaning "light". | |||
Norwegian | kjernefysisk | ||
Kjernefysisk comes from "kjerne" meaning "core" and "fysisk" meaning "physical". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | nuclear | ||
"Nuclear" comes from the Latin word "nucleus", meaning core or kernel. | |||
Scots Gaelic | niùclasach | ||
The element Uranium was originally named Niùclais by Sir William Crookes and Sir William Ramsey. The element Plutonium was later named Plutòniam, by analogy. | |||
Spanish | nuclear | ||
La palabra "nuclear" proviene del latín "nucleus", que significa "núcleo". | |||
Swedish | kärn | ||
The Swedish word "kärn" can also refer to the core of something, such as the core of an apple or the core of a reactor. | |||
Welsh | niwclear | ||
The Welsh word 'niwclear' originally meant 'new room' and was only later used to mean 'nuclear'. |
Belarusian | ядзерная | ||
Bosnian | nuklearna | ||
The word "nuklearna" in Bosnian can also refer to something that is very strong or powerful. | |||
Bulgarian | ядрена | ||
The Bulgarian word "ядрена" also means "fiery" and comes from the word "яд", meaning "fire". | |||
Czech | jaderný | ||
The word "jaderný" comes from the Latin word "nucleus", meaning "core of a fruit". Thus, it originally referred to the core of an atom. | |||
Estonian | tuumaenergia | ||
The word "tuumaenergia" is derived from "tuum" (meaning "kernel" or "nucleus") and "energia" (meaning "energy"). | |||
Finnish | ydin | ||
The Finnish word "ydin" originates from the word "ydän", meaning "core or nucleus". | |||
Hungarian | nukleáris | ||
A "nukleáris" szó a görög "nucleus" szóból ered, ami "mag"-ot jelent. | |||
Latvian | kodolenerģija | ||
The word "kodolenerģija" comes from Greek "kodon" "grain" and "energeia" "work". | |||
Lithuanian | branduolinė | ||
"Branduolinė" is also used in Lithuanian to refer to a | |||
Macedonian | нуклеарна | ||
The word "нуклеарна" is derived from the Latin word "nucleus", meaning "core" or "kernel". | |||
Polish | jądrowy | ||
In Polish, "jądrowy" can also mean "core" or "kernel", emphasizing the central or essential nature of something. | |||
Romanian | nuclear | ||
Romanian "nuclear" also means "family" and its adjectival form "nuclear" can mean "core" or "central". | |||
Russian | ядерный | ||
"Ядерный" also means "vivid" or "very strong" in Russian. | |||
Serbian | нуклеарна | ||
The Serbian word "нуклеарна" also means "nuclear power plant". | |||
Slovak | jadrový | ||
Slovak word "jadrový" stems from "jadro" meaning core, nucleus, seed or grain | |||
Slovenian | jedrske | ||
The word "jedrske" in Slovenian also means "robust" or "strong". | |||
Ukrainian | ядерний | ||
The Ukrainian word "ядерний" derives from the Greek word "πυρήν", meaning "core", and can also refer to the atomic nucleus or the core of something. |
Bengali | পারমাণবিক | ||
পারমাণবিক শব্দটি লাতিন atomicus থেকে এসেছে। | |||
Gujarati | પરમાણુ | ||
"પરમાણુ" is a Gujarati word which means "atomic" and can also refer to the "smallest indivisible particle" in chemistry. | |||
Hindi | नाभिकीय | ||
"नाभिकीय" की व्युत्पत्ति लैटिन शब्द "न्युक्लियस" से हुई है, जिसका अर्थ है "नाभि" या "केंद्र।" | |||
Kannada | ಪರಮಾಣು | ||
The word "ಪರಮಾಣು" is derived from the Sanskrit words "परम" (param) and "आणु" (anu), meaning "supreme" and "atom", respectively. | |||
Malayalam | ന്യൂക്ലിയർ | ||
Marathi | विभक्त | ||
विभक्त is an adjective which also means 'disintegrated or dissociated' in the abstract sense. | |||
Nepali | आणविक | ||
Another meaning of the word "आणविक" is "molecular". | |||
Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣੂ | ||
In Punjabi, "ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣੂ" (paramāṇū) means "atom", and its root word "māna" means "measure" or "size", suggesting its historical association with the concept of indivisibility. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | න්යෂ්ටික | ||
Tamil | அணு | ||
In Tamil, "அணு" (pronounced "aNu") refers to a particle of matter, a seed, a germ, a tiny unit, a subtle essence, or a fundamental building block. | |||
Telugu | అణు | ||
The word 'అణు' ('nuclear') in Telugu originates from the Sanskrit word 'आणू' ('subtle'), indicating its small and fundamental nature. | |||
Urdu | جوہری | ||
"جوہری" can be used in a broader sense to encompass everything atomic. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 核 | ||
在汉语中,“核”还可指坚果的果仁、事物的中心或主要部分、以及数学中的“核”概念。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 核 | ||
The Chinese character 核 (nuclear) can also refer to a fruit's pit or a fruit's kernel in general. | |||
Japanese | 核 | ||
In Japanese, the character 「核」 has a variety of meanings, including "core", "kernel", and "essence". | |||
Korean | 핵무기 | ||
Mongolian | цөмийн | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | နျူကလီးယား | ||
Indonesian | nuklir | ||
The Indonesian word 'nuklir' also means 'fundamental' or 'essential'. | |||
Javanese | nuklir | ||
"Nuklir" derives from the Sanskrit "nakṣatra" meaning "star constellation". | |||
Khmer | នុយក្លេអ៊ែរ | ||
The word "នុយក្លេអ៊ែរ" (nuclear) is derived from the Latin word "nucleus", meaning "core" or "kernel". In English, it has the additional meaning of "relating to atomic energy or weapons". | |||
Lao | ນິວເຄຼຍ | ||
Malay | nuklear | ||
Nuklear in Malay also means 'core' or 'heartwood' of a tree trunk. | |||
Thai | นิวเคลียร์ | ||
In Thai, "นิวเคลียร์" (nuclear) also means "core" or "main part". | |||
Vietnamese | nguyên tử | ||
Nguyên tử, có nguồn gốc từ Hán Việt, cũng có nghĩa là "nguyên thủy" hoặc "nguyên chất" | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | nuklear | ||
Azerbaijani | nüvə | ||
The word "nüvə" also means "core" or "nucleus" in Azerbaijani, reflecting its scientific usage in the context of nuclear physics. | |||
Kazakh | ядролық | ||
The word "ядролық" in Kazakh also means "core" or "kernel". | |||
Kyrgyz | ядролук | ||
The Kyrgyz word "ядролук" is also the name of the small town in Kyrgyzstan where the "Yadro" uranium mine used to be. | |||
Tajik | ҳастаӣ | ||
The word "хастаӣ" is derived from Persian and originally meant "fatigue" or "sickness". In Tajik it took on the alternate meaning of "nuclear" due to the association of nuclear energy with radioactivity and its potential harmful effects. | |||
Turkmen | ýadro | ||
Uzbek | yadroviy | ||
The word "yadroviy" in Uzbek ultimately comes from the Sanskrit word "adara", meaning "interior" or "core". | |||
Uyghur | يادرو | ||
Hawaiian | nukelea | ||
The Hawaiian word "nukelea" is also used to describe something that is very difficult or challenging. | |||
Maori | karihi | ||
The word "karihi" in Maori means "seed," but it can also refer to something that is very small or hidden, such as an atom or a nucleus. | |||
Samoan | faaniukilia | ||
There is no word for "nuclear" in Samoan, but "faaniukilia" is used to describe things resembling nuclear energy (e.g. light, power, radiation). | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | nukleyar | ||
The word "nukleyar" is a borrowed word from English and has no other meanings in Tagalog. |
Aymara | nuclear | ||
Guarani | nuclear rehegua | ||
Esperanto | nuklea | ||
Latin | nuclei | ||
The Latin word 'nuclei' means 'small nuts', also the plural of 'nucleus'. |
Greek | πυρηνικός | ||
Πυρηνικός in Greek comes from πυρήνας (core or kernel) and means 'of a kernel'. | |||
Hmong | nuclear | ||
The Hmong word "nuclear" also means "related to the atom or electrons". | |||
Kurdish | atomî | ||
The word "atomî" also means "smallest" in Kurdish, referring to the diminutive size of atoms. | |||
Turkish | nükleer | ||
In Turkish 'nükleus' can be spelled as 'nükleer'. It means 'nucleus' and 'nuclear' in English. | |||
Xhosa | inyukliya | ||
The word `inyukliya` in Xhosa, meaning `nuclear`, is a borrowed word from English, indicating the global reach of nuclear discourse. | |||
Yiddish | יאָדער | ||
The Yiddish term "יאָדער" (nuclear) derives from the Hebrew "יאד" (knowledge), signifying the foundational role of nuclear energy in scientific understanding. | |||
Zulu | enuzi | ||
The Zulu word "enuzi" also means "atom" and "energy". | |||
Assamese | নিউক্লিয়াৰ | ||
Aymara | nuclear | ||
Bhojpuri | परमाणु के बा | ||
Dhivehi | ނިއުކްލިއަރ އެވެ | ||
Dogri | परमाणु | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | nuklear | ||
Guarani | nuclear rehegua | ||
Ilocano | nuklear | ||
Krio | nyuklia | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ئەتۆمی | ||
Maithili | परमाणु | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅ꯭ꯌꯨꯛꯂꯤꯌꯔꯒꯤ ꯂꯃꯗꯥ ꯑꯦꯟ | ||
Mizo | nuclear hmanga tih a ni | ||
Oromo | niwukilaraa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପରମାଣୁ | ||
Quechua | nuclear nisqa | ||
Sanskrit | परमाणु | ||
Tatar | атом | ||
Tigrinya | ኒዩክለራዊ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
Tsonga | nyutliya | ||