Afrikaans waarnemer | ||
Albanian vëzhgues | ||
Amharic ታዛቢ | ||
Arabic مراقب | ||
Armenian դիտորդ | ||
Assamese পৰ্যবেক্ষক | ||
Aymara uñjiri | ||
Azerbaijani müşahidəçi | ||
Bambara kɔlɔsilikɛla | ||
Basque behatzailea | ||
Belarusian назіральнік | ||
Bengali পর্যবেক্ষক | ||
Bhojpuri पर्यवेक्षक के बा | ||
Bosnian posmatrač | ||
Bulgarian наблюдател | ||
Catalan observador | ||
Cebuano tigpaniid | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 观察者 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 觀察者 | ||
Corsican usservatore | ||
Croatian posmatrač | ||
Czech pozorovatel | ||
Danish observatør | ||
Dhivehi އޮބްޒާވަރެވެ | ||
Dogri पर्यवेक्षक | ||
Dutch waarnemer | ||
English observer | ||
Esperanto observanto | ||
Estonian vaatleja | ||
Ewe eteƒekpɔla | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) tagamasid | ||
Finnish tarkkailija | ||
French observateur | ||
Frisian waarnimmer | ||
Galician observador | ||
Georgian დამკვირვებელი | ||
German beobachter | ||
Greek παρατηρητής | ||
Guarani ohecháva | ||
Gujarati નિરીક્ષક | ||
Haitian Creole obsèvatè | ||
Hausa mai lura | ||
Hawaiian mea nānā | ||
Hebrew מַשׁקִיף | ||
Hindi देखने वाला | ||
Hmong neeg saib | ||
Hungarian megfigyelő | ||
Icelandic áheyrnarfulltrúi | ||
Igbo ekiri | ||
Ilocano agpalpaliiw | ||
Indonesian pengamat | ||
Irish breathnadóir | ||
Italian osservatore | ||
Japanese 観察者 | ||
Javanese pengamat | ||
Kannada ವೀಕ್ಷಕ | ||
Kazakh бақылаушы | ||
Khmer អ្នកសង្កេតការណ៍ | ||
Kinyarwanda indorerezi | ||
Konkani निरिक्षक | ||
Korean 관찰자 | ||
Krio pɔsin we de wach | ||
Kurdish çavdêr | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) چاودێر | ||
Kyrgyz байкоочу | ||
Lao ຜູ້ສັງເກດການ | ||
Latin et observet somnia | ||
Latvian novērotājs | ||
Lingala motali | ||
Lithuanian stebėtojas | ||
Luganda omutunuulizi | ||
Luxembourgish observateur | ||
Macedonian набудувач | ||
Maithili पर्यवेक्षक | ||
Malagasy mpandinika | ||
Malay pemerhati | ||
Malayalam നിരീക്ഷകൻ | ||
Maltese osservatur | ||
Maori kaitirotiro | ||
Marathi निरीक्षक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯑꯣꯕꯖꯥꯔꯚꯔ ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo entu a ni | ||
Mongolian ажиглагч | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) လေ့လာသူ | ||
Nepali अवलोकनकर्ता | ||
Norwegian observatør | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) wopenyerera | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପର୍ଯ୍ୟବେକ୍ଷକ | ||
Oromo taajjabduu | ||
Pashto کتونکی | ||
Persian نظاره گر | ||
Polish obserwator | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) observador | ||
Punjabi ਨਿਰੀਖਕ | ||
Quechua qhawaq | ||
Romanian observator | ||
Russian наблюдатель | ||
Samoan tagata matau | ||
Sanskrit प्रेक्षकः | ||
Scots Gaelic neach-amhairc | ||
Sepedi mmogedi | ||
Serbian посматрач | ||
Sesotho moshebelli | ||
Shona observer | ||
Sindhi مبصر | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නිරීක්ෂකයා | ||
Slovak pozorovateľ | ||
Slovenian opazovalec | ||
Somali goobjooge | ||
Spanish observador | ||
Sundanese panitén | ||
Swahili mtazamaji | ||
Swedish observatör | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) tagamasid | ||
Tajik нозир | ||
Tamil பார்வையாளர் | ||
Tatar күзәтүче | ||
Telugu పరిశీలకుడు | ||
Thai ผู้สังเกตการณ์ | ||
Tigrinya ተዓዛቢ | ||
Tsonga mulanguti | ||
Turkish gözlemci | ||
Turkmen synçy | ||
Twi (Akan) ɔhwɛfo | ||
Ukrainian спостерігач | ||
Urdu مبصر | ||
Uyghur كۈزەتكۈچى | ||
Uzbek kuzatuvchi | ||
Vietnamese người quan sát | ||
Welsh sylwedydd | ||
Xhosa umbonisi | ||
Yiddish אַבזערווער | ||
Yoruba oluwoye | ||
Zulu obukele |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "waarnemer" is derived from the Dutch word "waarnemer", meaning "observer," and also denotes a "witness" or "watchman." |
| Albanian | The word "vëzhgues" comes from the Latin "videre," meaning "to see." |
| Amharic | The word ታዛቢ can also mean 'overseer', 'inspector', 'supervisor', or 'curator' in Amharic. |
| Arabic | مراقب means "observer" or "one who looks after" in Arabic. |
| Azerbaijani | Müşahidəçi in Azerbaijani also refers specifically to an astronomy observer. |
| Basque | The Basque word "behatzailea" also means "spy" and is derived from the verb "behatu" (to observe). |
| Belarusian | The word “назіральнік” is derived from the verb “назіраць”, which means “to watch” or “to observe”, and is related to the noun “зір”, which means “sight” or “vision”. |
| Bengali | পর্যবেক্ষক can also refer to a specific role in a board or committee, or to a periodical that publishes observations and research. |
| Bosnian | The word "posmatrač" is derived from the verb "posmatrati" meaning "to observe" and adding the suffix "-ač" for a male observer or "-ka" for a female observer. |
| Bulgarian | The word "наблюдател" in Bulgarian can also refer to an individual who witnesses or testifies to an event |
| Catalan | The word "observador" in Catalan originates from the Latin word "observare," meaning "to watch, to pay attention to, or to keep in view." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 观察者 can also be used as a noun meaning "a person who observes or notices something", or an adjective meaning "attentive; noticing; observant." |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The word '觀察者' (traditional Chinese for 'observer') originally meant 'to closely examine' or 'to observe with great detail'. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, "usservatore" derives from the Italian word "osservatore" and can also refer to a witness or an overseer. |
| Croatian | In Croatian, "posmatrač" can also mean "spectator" or "watcher". |
| Czech | Pozorovatel also means 'caretaker' or 'warder' in Czech, and is related to the verb 'pozorovat' ('to observe'). |
| Danish | Observatør is a loan word in Danish, derived from French and originally meaning 'examiner'. |
| Dutch | "Waar" means "true" or "real" and "nemer" is a taker, so a "waarnemer" is "one who takes the truth". |
| Esperanto | The word "observanto" can also mean "observatory" or "observing" in Esperanto. |
| Estonian | The Estonian word “vaatleja” (observer), is derived from the verb “vaatama” (to look, to observe, to view, to watch), sharing the same root with the German word “warten” (to wait). |
| Finnish | "Tarkkailija" is derived from the verb "tarkkailla" meaning "to observe" or "to watch". It can also refer to a "watchman" or a "guard". |
| French | The French word "observateur" can also mean "spy" or "lookout". |
| Frisian | In Old Frisian, waarnimmer also carried the meanings "ruler", "steward", or "bailiff". |
| Galician | The Galician word "observador" can also mean "inspector" or "watchman". |
| German | The word "Beobachter" originally meant "watcher" or "guard". This meaning is still reflected in the word "Beobachtung" (observation), which can also mean "guard duty". |
| Greek | Παρατηρητής can mean 'observer,' 'lookout,' 'spectator,' 'bystander,' or 'examiner' in Greek. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "નિરીક્ષક" ("nirīkṣak") also means "one who looks out for" or "a guardian". |
| Haitian Creole | Obsèvatè is derived from French "observateur" meaning "observer" or "spectator". |
| Hausa | The word Mai lura may also refer to a person who witnesses an event or a traditional leader who oversees community affairs. |
| Hawaiian | "Mea nānā" is a compound word that comes from "mea" (thing) and "nānā" (to look), meaning "a thing that looks". |
| Hebrew | The word "מַשׁקִיף" (observer) can also mean "a person who draws water from a well or spring" or "a person who looks out of a window". In Arabic, the word "مشكوف" means "a person who is standing in a high place and watching". |
| Hindi | The Hindi word "देखने वाला" can also refer to a spectator, witness, or beholder. |
| Hmong | The word "neeg saib" derives from the root word "saib," meaning "to see" or "to perceive," and is used to describe one who observes or gathers information. |
| Hungarian | Megfigyelő, the Hungarian word for "observer", derives from the verb "megfigyel", which means "to watch closely" or "to keep under surveillance." |
| Icelandic | The word ‘áheyrnarfulltrúi’ comes from the Old Norse word ‘áheyrn’, meaning ‘audience’, and ‘fulltrúi’, meaning ‘representative’.”} |
| Igbo | The word "Ekiri" in Igbo can also mean a "spectator" or "witness" of an event. |
| Indonesian | 'Pengamat' also means 'watcher' while 'penglihat' means 'seer' |
| Irish | The Irish word "breathnadóir" can also refer to a "reporter" or "informer." |
| Italian | The Italian word "osservatore" derives from the Latin verb "observare", meaning "to watch, to guard, to take notice of." |
| Japanese | 観察者 also signifies 'inspector', 'supervisor', 'examiner', 'monitor', 'auditor', 'watcher', 'viewer', 'spectator', 'observer participant', 'researcher', 'investigator', 'detector', 'lookout', 'spotter', 'recce man', 'astronomer', 'seer', 'psychic', 'mystic', 'clairvoyant', 'prophet', 'augur', 'haruspex', 'sciomancer', 'palmist', 'chiromancer', 'dream interpeter', 'cryptographer', 'codebreaker', 'analyst', 'intelligence expert', 'cryptologist', 'cryptanalyst', 'code analyst', 'code expert', 'decrypter', 'decipherer', 'intelligence agent', 'espionage agent', 'reconnaissance agent', 'scout', 'spy', 'sleuth', 'detective', 'investigator', 'interrogator', 'questioner', 'policeman', 'police officer', 'constable', 'cop', 'police detective', 'private eye', 'private detective', 'criminal investigator', 'homicide detective', 'police inspector', 'lieutenant', 'captain', 'superintendent', 'commander', 'policeman', 'police woman', 'peace officer', 'law enforcement officer', 'correctional officer', 'prison guard', 'jailer', 'turnkey', 'policeman', 'police officer'} |
| Javanese | Pengamat in Javanese not only means observer, but also refers to something or someone being observed. |
| Kannada | The word 'ವೀಕ್ಷಕ' (observer) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'वि-क्षिप', meaning 'to look around' or 'to perceive'. |
| Khmer | The word "អ្នកសង្កេតការណ៍" (observer) originates from the French word "observateur" and has the alternate meaning of someone who watches or takes notice. |
| Korean | The Korean word "관찰자" can also refer to a referee, a mediator, or a bystander. |
| Kurdish | The word "çavdêr" is derived from the Persian word "çāv" ("scout") and the Kurdish suffix "-der" ("one who does"). |
| Kyrgyz | The word "байкоочу" can also refer to a person who monitors or supervises a process or activity. |
| Latin | In Latin, the word "et observet somnia" literally means "and let them observe dreams." This phrase is often used in a metaphorical sense, meaning "to pay attention to things that seem trivial or insignificant." |
| Latvian | Novērotājs derives from "novērot" (to observe) and relates to the word "novērojums" (observation). |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "stebėtojas" is not restricted to the scientific sense but may also apply to eyewitnesses of a crime. |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, "Observateur" can also refer to a person who works in a military intelligence unit. |
| Macedonian | In Ukrainian, the word "набудувач" also means "future buyer" or "prospective customer." |
| Malagasy | The word "mpandinika" can also mean "mirror" or "spectacles" in Malagasy. |
| Malay | The Malay word "pemerhati" is also used to refer to a "watcher" or "monitor". |
| Maltese | The word "osservatur" is a borrowing from Italian. |
| Maori | The Maori word "kaitirotiro" can also refer to a researcher, a watcher, or a caretaker. |
| Marathi | The word "निरीक्षक" in Marathi can also refer to an inspector or a superintendent. |
| Mongolian | The term 'ажиглагч' also carries the connotation of an 'examiner' or 'inspector'. |
| Nepali | In astronomy, an observer is the stationary reference frame from which celestial objects appear to move. |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word "observatør" can also mean "watcher" or "spectator". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "wopenyerera" also means "one who takes responsibility" in Nyanja. |
| Pashto | The word "کتونکی" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "کتون" meaning "linen" and the suffix "کی" meaning "person", originally referring to a person who wore linen garments. |
| Persian | The word "نظاره گر" can also refer to "eye candy" in Persian slang |
| Polish | In Polish, "obserwator" is also a type of mushroom. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | Observador can also mean 'bystander' or 'lookout' in Portuguese. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, the word "observator" also means "a room or building from which astronomical or meteorological observations are made". |
| Russian | "Наблюдатель" also means a person who monitors a particular subject or area, often in official capacity, such as electoral observers overseeing an election. |
| Samoan | In Samoan, 'tagata matau' can also refer to a person who observes or studies something closely, particularly in a scientific or academic setting. |
| Scots Gaelic | A variation of this word, neach-amhairc-mara, originally meant "sea watcher". |
| Serbian | Its root 'posmatrati' means 'to observe, watch, look at', originating from the word 'motriti' meaning 'to watch, to look' |
| Sesotho | Moshebelli can also mean "spectator" or "lookout." |
| Shona | The Shona word "mupereki" also means "one who waits" or "one who watches". |
| Sindhi | This word originates from the Arabic word 'mubiṣir', which means 'to perceive'. |
| Slovak | The word "pozorovateľ" can also mean "watcher" or "witness" in Slovak. |
| Slovenian | The word 'opazovalec' is derived from the verb 'opazovati' meaning 'to observe, watch, or monitor.' |
| Somali | The term "Goobjooge" can also refer to an "eye-witness" or a "reporter that is present at the time of the event being discussed". |
| Spanish | In Spanish, 'observador' also means 'lookout', 'inspector', or 'critic'. |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "panitén" can also refer to "someone who looks after someone or something". |
| Swahili | Though "mtazamaji" directly translates as "observer," when referring to the self, it can also imply "audience." |
| Swedish | In Swedish, "observatör" can also mean "participant" or "attendant". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The term 'tagamasid' has its etymology in the Sanskrit word 'vidya', meaning knowledge and awareness. |
| Tajik | The word "нозир" in Tajik can also mean "inspector" or "supervisor". |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "பார்வையாளர்" (observer) also refers to someone who watches or attends a performance or event. |
| Telugu | The word "పరిశీలకుడు" literally means "the one who sees the whole" in Telugu, highlighting its role in witnessing and analyzing events. |
| Thai | The word "ผู้สังเกตการณ์" can also mean "a person who watches something happen." |
| Turkish | The word "gözlemci" is derived from the Turkish word "gözlemek" meaning "to observe", and is also used to refer to a "watcher" or "inspector". |
| Ukrainian | Ukrainian спостерігач derives from a word meaning 'overseer' and is related to English words starting with 'super-' |
| Urdu | مبصر can refer to a visually impaired person in some contexts |
| Uzbek | The word "kuzatuvchi" in Uzbek can also be used to refer to someone who spies or monitors others, or to a device such as a satellite or telescope used for surveillance. |
| Vietnamese | The Vietnamese word "người quan sát" can also mean "audience" or "viewer" in the context of the arts or entertainment. |
| Welsh | It is derived from the Middle Welsh 'sylwy' (to observe, notice, look at) |
| Xhosa | 'Umbonisi' in Xhosa also denotes a person keeping watch over others. |
| Yiddish | The word "אַבזערווער" in Yiddish can also refer to a "watcher" or "spectator." |
| Yoruba | Oluwoye is also a name denoting an Oba (king) of Ibadan. |
| Zulu | The Zulu word 'obukele' also means 'to be on guard', suggesting the observer's watchful role. |
| English | An "observer" can also be a mathematical term used to describe the operator of a specific vector space. |