Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'origin' holds a significant and intriguing place in our vocabulary, denoting the source or beginning of something. Its cultural importance is vast, as it allows us to explore the rich history and evolution of ideas, objects, and living beings. Understanding the origin of a concept can provide valuable context and insight into its significance and influence.
For those with a passion for language and culture, knowing the translation of 'origin' in different languages can be particularly fascinating. For instance, in Spanish, 'origin' is 'origen'; in French, 'origine'; in German, 'Ursprung'; in Mandarin, '起源 (qǐyuán)'; and in Japanese, '起源 (kigen)'. These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also offer a glimpse into how various cultures conceptualize the idea of beginning and source.
Delving into the translations of 'origin' can be a rewarding journey, shedding light on historical contexts and cultural nuances that enrich our global understanding. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'origin' translations in numerous languages, further illustrating the captivating world of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Afrikaans | oorsprong | ||
The word "oorsprong" in Afrikaans derives from the Dutch word "oorsprong" which also means "source" or "beginning". | |||
Amharic | መነሻ | ||
The word "መነሻ" can also mean "source" or "beginning" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | asali | ||
Hausa 'asali' is likely derived from the word 'asal' (root) or 'azali' (beginning). Also refers to an ancestral home. | |||
Igbo | mbido | ||
In the Igbo language, the word "mbido" carries the meanings of "beginning," "source," and "ancestry." | |||
Malagasy | niaviany | ||
"niaviany" can also mean "reason, cause" or "basis"} | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chiyambi | ||
The etymology of "chiyambi" is related to the idea of a "starting point" and the verb "to start". | |||
Shona | mavambo | ||
'Mavambo' is thought to be derived from the Proto-Bantu root *mabV, meaning 'mother' or 'source', suggesting its fundamental significance as the starting point of a lineage or a place of belonging. | |||
Somali | asal ahaan | ||
The Somali word "asal ahaan" can also mean "originally" or "by origin". | |||
Sesotho | tšimoloho | ||
The word "tšimoloho" originates from the verb "ho tšimola" meaning "to create" or "to give birth to" in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | asili | ||
The Swahili term "asili" is derived from the verb "ku-asi" meaning "to begin" and can also refer to a "source" or a "foundation." | |||
Xhosa | imvelaphi | ||
The Xhosa word 'imvelaphi' derives from the verb 'vela' meaning 'to come', referring to the place, time, or source from which something originates. | |||
Yoruba | orisun | ||
The Yoruba word "orisun" can also refer to a source of water or a river. | |||
Zulu | imvelaphi | ||
The word "imvelaphi" not only means "origin", but also refers to the original stock or source of something. | |||
Bambara | bɔyɔrɔ | ||
Ewe | dzɔtsoƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | inkomoko | ||
Lingala | ebandeli | ||
Luganda | ensibuko | ||
Sepedi | setlogo | ||
Twi (Akan) | abɔseɛ | ||
Arabic | الأصل | ||
In Arabic, "الأصل" (al-asl) also refers to the root or foundation of something, and can be used to describe one's lineage or ancestry. | |||
Hebrew | מָקוֹר | ||
The word "מָקוֹר" (origin) in Hebrew also means "fountain", "spring", "source" and "root". | |||
Pashto | اصل | ||
The word "اصل" in Pashto can also mean "base", "foundation", or "root." | |||
Arabic | الأصل | ||
In Arabic, "الأصل" (al-asl) also refers to the root or foundation of something, and can be used to describe one's lineage or ancestry. |
Albanian | origjina | ||
The word "origjina" in Albanian also means "beginning" or "source". | |||
Basque | jatorria | ||
'Jatorria' is a noun derived from the verb 'jator' (to descend) and can also refer to the descent of a person or animal. | |||
Catalan | origen | ||
The Catalan word "origen" comes from the Latin word "origo", but it can also refer to the point of departure for a journey or to the beginning of a period of time. | |||
Croatian | podrijetlo | ||
The Croatian word "podrijetlo" is a derivative of the Proto-Slavic word *podъ-ritati, meaning "to dig under". | |||
Danish | oprindelse | ||
"Oprindelse" derives from the Old Norse word "uppruni", meaning "that which comes from a source or rises up from something else". | |||
Dutch | oorsprong | ||
The Dutch word "oorsprong" also means "source" and shares its etymology with "spring" (a body of water) and "to spring" (to jump). | |||
English | origin | ||
The word "origin" derives from the Latin word "origo", which means "beginning" or "source". | |||
French | origine | ||
"Origine" derives from the Latin noun "origo" and refers also to the source of a family or group. | |||
Frisian | oarsprong | ||
The Frisian word "oarsprong" is derived from the Proto-West Germanic word "*awiz-sprangiz", meaning "origin" or "source". | |||
Galician | orixe | ||
The Galician term "orixe" comes from the Latin "origo", meaning "beginning" or "source". | |||
German | ursprung | ||
Ursprung is also used in German geography to refer to a spring or source of a river, from the Middle High German word "ursprinc"} | |||
Icelandic | uppruna | ||
Uppruni, a cognate with the word "runa", is closely related to concepts such as mystery, magic and secret knowledge. | |||
Irish | bunadh | ||
In Irish, "bunadh" can also refer to a family's lineage or the origin of a person's name. | |||
Italian | origine | ||
The Italian word "origine" comes from the Latin word "origo" which means "beginning" or "source". | |||
Luxembourgish | urspronk | ||
Urspronk can also refer to a small stream. | |||
Maltese | oriġini | ||
The word "oriġini" in Maltese can also mean "lineage" or "lineage". | |||
Norwegian | opprinnelse | ||
Opprinnelse means "origin" in Norwegian and comes from the Old Norse word "uppruni," which means "source" or "beginning." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | origem | ||
"Origem" comes from the Latin word "origo," which also means "source" or "beginning." | |||
Scots Gaelic | tùs | ||
The word "tùs" can also refer to the beginning of a story or the introduction to a book. | |||
Spanish | origen | ||
The Spanish word "origen" originates from the Latin word "oriri," meaning "to rise" or "to begin." | |||
Swedish | ursprung | ||
The word 'ursprung' is likely derived from the Gothic word 'uz-runn', meaning 'out of course'. | |||
Welsh | tarddiad | ||
The word 'tarddiad' is also used to refer to the 'beginning' or 'source' of something. |
Belarusian | паходжанне | ||
Паходжанне is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *xodь, meaning "to walk" or "to go." | |||
Bosnian | porijeklo | ||
"Porijeklo" is a Bosnian word that comes from the Old Slavic word "poręklo", meaning "coming from" or "birthplace". | |||
Bulgarian | произход | ||
The word "произход" can also mean "extraction" or "provenance" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | původ | ||
The word "původ" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "půrvъ", which also means "time" or "beginning". | |||
Estonian | päritolu | ||
"Päritolu" contains the genitive of "pära" (ancestor) and "tule" (come). | |||
Finnish | alkuperää | ||
"Alkuperää" can also refer to "originality", "authenticity" or "indigenousness" in Finnish. | |||
Hungarian | eredet | ||
In the 17th and 18th centuries, it also meant "family" and "ancestral home". | |||
Latvian | izcelsmi | ||
The word "izcelsmi" can also refer to the process or act of originating or coming into existence. | |||
Lithuanian | kilmę | ||
In Tatar, "kilme" means "to come from" | |||
Macedonian | потекло | ||
The root of the word "потекло" is "тече" ("teche"), referring back to the flow from which something originates. | |||
Polish | pochodzenie | ||
The word "pochodzenie" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*poti" meaning "path" or "journey". | |||
Romanian | origine | ||
In Romanian, the word "origine" can also have the alternate meaning of "birthplace." | |||
Russian | происхождение | ||
The Russian word "происхождение" also refers to "lineage" and "descent". | |||
Serbian | порекло | ||
The word "порекло" not only means "origin," but also implies "descent," as in being a descendant of a family line. | |||
Slovak | pôvodu | ||
The word pôvodu comes from the Proto-Slavic word *povodъ, meaning "origin, source". | |||
Slovenian | porekla | ||
The word "porekla" in Slovenian also has the alternate meaning of "lineage" or "extraction". | |||
Ukrainian | походження | ||
The Ukrainian word "походження" can also refer to "descent" or "lineage". |
Bengali | উত্স | ||
The word "উত্স" also means "source" or "beginning" in Bengali. | |||
Gujarati | મૂળ | ||
The Gujarati word "મૂળ" can also mean "foundation" or "basis". | |||
Hindi | मूल | ||
"मूल" also means "price" in Hindi, originating from the Sanskrit word "mulya" meaning "value". | |||
Kannada | ಮೂಲ | ||
The word "ಮೂಲ" in Kannada can also refer to a square root or a type of medicinal plant, indicating its diverse semantic range. | |||
Malayalam | ഉത്ഭവം | ||
The Malayalam word "ഉത്ഭവം" is derived from the Sanskrit word "utpādam," which also means "production" or "generation." | |||
Marathi | मूळ | ||
The Marathi word "मूळ" (origin) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "मूल" (root) and can also refer to the base of a plant or tree. | |||
Nepali | उत्पत्ति | ||
"उत्पत्ति" (origin) in Nepali derives from Sanskrit "utpatti," which also means 'production, generation, creation, source, beginning, growth, rise, development, issue, birth, existence, being, subsistence, property, wealth.' | |||
Punjabi | ਮੂਲ | ||
The Punjabi word "ਮੂਲ" has connotations of "root", "cause", and "foundation", implying a deeper connection or source from which things emerge and grow. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සම්භවය | ||
The term “සම්භවය” in Sinhalese is derived from the Sanskrit word “सम्भव”, meaning “to become possible”. | |||
Tamil | தோற்றம் | ||
Telugu | మూలం | ||
మూలం is also the name of a type of dance found in Telangana, India. | |||
Urdu | اصل | ||
The Arabic word "اصل" has different meanings depending on the context, such as "principal," "root," or "capital" |
Chinese (Simplified) | 起源 | ||
起源 (qí yuán) is also a Buddhist term meaning the beginning of enlightenment. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 起源 | ||
起源 can also mean "root" or "source". | |||
Japanese | 原点 | ||
原点 is a homophone for "starting point". Thus, the word can also be used to refer to the beginning or source of an object or event. | |||
Korean | 유래 | ||
"유래" can also mean "reason" or "ground" | |||
Mongolian | гарал үүсэл | ||
The Mongolian word "гарал үүсэл" can also refer to the source or cause of something. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | မူလ | ||
မူလ (mu-la) in Myanmar (Burmese) also means "capital" or "headquarters" when referring to an organization. |
Indonesian | asal | ||
The word "asal" in Indonesian can also mean "essence" or "source". | |||
Javanese | asal usul | ||
The word "asal usul" in Javanese can also mean root, source, or ancestor. | |||
Khmer | ប្រភពដើម | ||
Lao | ຕົ້ນກໍາເນີດ | ||
Malay | asal | ||
The word "asal" can also mean "essence" or "substance" in Malay, similar to its Sanskrit root "asli". | |||
Thai | ต้นกำเนิด | ||
Originally meaning "the bottom of a tree," "ต้นกำเนิด" (origin) is an idiom comparing the root of a tree with the beginning of something. | |||
Vietnamese | gốc | ||
Gốc can also refer to the base of a tree, the source of a river, or the beginning of a story. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pinagmulan | ||
Azerbaijani | mənşə | ||
"Mənsə" is also a term for a person's place of residence or birthplace. | |||
Kazakh | шығу тегі | ||
The word "шығу тегі" can also refer to a person's ancestry or lineage. | |||
Kyrgyz | келип чыгышы | ||
The Kyrgyz word "келип чыгышы" not only means "origin", but also the process of its occurrence. | |||
Tajik | пайдоиш | ||
"Пайдоиш" derived from the Persian word "paidā'išt" meaning 'creation' or 'coming into existence'" | |||
Turkmen | gelip çykyşy | ||
Uzbek | kelib chiqishi | ||
The Uzbek word "kelib chiqishi" can also refer to the place where the person came from, like city or country. | |||
Uyghur | كېلىپ چىقىشى | ||
Hawaiian | kumu | ||
In Hawaiian, the word “kumu” can also refer to a teacher, expert, or source of knowledge. | |||
Maori | takenga mai | ||
The word 'takenga mai' derives from the verbs 'ta' (to seize) and 'kenga' (to lift up). | |||
Samoan | amataga | ||
The Samoan word 'amataga' also refers to the 'beginning of a new year' or 'first day of the week'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | pinagmulan | ||
In Tagalog, "pinagmulan" can also refer to one's roots, ancestry, or heritage. |
Aymara | kawkhatasa | ||
Guarani | ypykue | ||
Esperanto | origino | ||
The | |||
Latin | originem, | ||
The Latin word "originem" also pertains to the beginning of a process or activity. |
Greek | προέλευση | ||
The word "προέλευση" is derived from the verb "προέρχομαι", which means "to come from" or "to have its origin in". | |||
Hmong | keeb kwm | ||
The Hmong word "keeb kwm" can also refer to the place or location where a person is from, or a person's ancestral roots. | |||
Kurdish | reh | ||
The Kurdish word "reh" also means "way, path, or direction". | |||
Turkish | menşei | ||
The word "Menşei" can also mean "cause" or "source" in Turkish. | |||
Xhosa | imvelaphi | ||
The Xhosa word 'imvelaphi' derives from the verb 'vela' meaning 'to come', referring to the place, time, or source from which something originates. | |||
Yiddish | אָפּשטאַם | ||
The Yiddish word "אָפּשטאַם" also means "ancestry", "lineage", or "descent." | |||
Zulu | imvelaphi | ||
The word "imvelaphi" not only means "origin", but also refers to the original stock or source of something. | |||
Assamese | মূলত | ||
Aymara | kawkhatasa | ||
Bhojpuri | मूल | ||
Dhivehi | އޮރިޖިން | ||
Dogri | मुंढ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pinagmulan | ||
Guarani | ypykue | ||
Ilocano | naggappuan | ||
Krio | usay i kɔmɔt | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەسەن | ||
Maithili | मूल | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯧꯔꯛꯐꯝ | ||
Mizo | chawrchhuahna | ||
Oromo | madda | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଉତ୍ପତ୍ତି | ||
Quechua | qallariy | ||
Sanskrit | श्रोतं | ||
Tatar | чыгышы | ||
Tigrinya | መሰረት | ||
Tsonga | sukaka kona | ||