Oven in Different Languages
Discover 'Oven' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The oven is an essential tool in kitchens around the world. Its significance extends beyond mere cooking implement, as it often plays a central role in cultural and social events. From baking traditional breads to roasting holiday meats, the oven's versatility and importance cannot be overstated.
Throughout history, ovens have evolved in design and complexity. Early ovens were simple pit-style ovens, while modern ovens now come in a variety of types, including convection, toaster, and microwave ovens. Each type has its unique characteristics and uses, making the oven a fascinating and essential part of global culinary traditions.
Understanding the translation of 'oven' in different languages can provide insight into cultural differences and similarities. For example, in Spanish, 'horno' refers to both an oven and a traditional outdoor bread oven, while in German, 'Backofen' specifically refers to an oven used for baking.
Here are some translations of 'oven' in various languages, opening up a world of cultural and linguistic exploration:
Oven
Oven in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oond | ||
| The Afrikaans word "oond" originates from the Dutch "oven", ultimately derived from the Latin "furnus" and the Proto-Indo-European "h₁eh₃nós", meaning "fire-place" or "oven". | |||
| Amharic | ምድጃ | ||
| "ምድጃ" (oven) comes from the verb "ዳጀ" (to bake) and can also mean "place for baking". | |||
| Hausa | tanda | ||
| In Hausa, "tanda" can refer to a traditional cooking oven made of mud or clay, as well as a group or set. | |||
| Igbo | oven | ||
| Igbo ọkụ̀, from which the English word oven is derived, also means fireplace or hearth. | |||
| Malagasy | lafaoro | ||
| "Lafaroa" is also the name given to a type of sweet potato and the word for a type of tree that produces a fruit called "voan-dabo". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | uvuni | ||
| The word "uvuni" is also commonly used in Nyanja to refer to a clay pot used for cooking over an open fire. | |||
| Shona | hovhoni | ||
| The word 'hovhoni' also refers to the fire place located at the centre of a traditional Shona homestead. | |||
| Somali | foornada | ||
| The word "foornada" also means "heat" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | ontong | ||
| The word "ontong" is also used to refer to a large earthenware pot used for cooking over an open fire. | |||
| Swahili | tanuri | ||
| Tanuri may also refer to a pottery kiln or a charcoal brazier. | |||
| Xhosa | eziko | ||
| The word "eziko" in Xhosa is derived from "ika" (heat) and "iko" (a place), suggesting a place for warmth. | |||
| Yoruba | adiro | ||
| In Yoruba, "adiro" also refers to the inner sanctum or secret chamber of a house. | |||
| Zulu | kuhhavini | ||
| The word "kuhhavini" in Zulu is derived from the word "ukuhhava", meaning "to bake" or "to roast". It can also refer to a traditional Zulu oven made of clay and used for baking bread and other food items. | |||
| Bambara | pɔli | ||
| Ewe | numekpo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ifuru | ||
| Lingala | foure | ||
| Luganda | akabiga | ||
| Sepedi | obene | ||
| Twi (Akan) | fononoo | ||
Oven in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فرن | ||
| فرن (furun) comes from the word 'furn', which means 'a hole in the ground', and refers to the earliest ovens, which were just holes dug in the earth. | |||
| Hebrew | תנור | ||
| The word "תנור" (tanur) derives from the Akkadian "tinūru" meaning "oven" or "furnace". | |||
| Pashto | تنور | ||
| In Pashto, "تنور" can also refer to a type of clay vessel used for cooking traditional dishes in a domestic setting. | |||
| Arabic | فرن | ||
| فرن (furun) comes from the word 'furn', which means 'a hole in the ground', and refers to the earliest ovens, which were just holes dug in the earth. | |||
Oven in Western European Languages
| Albanian | furrë | ||
| Etymology: From Proto-Indo-European *kʷer- 'to heat, to kindle'. | |||
| Basque | labea | ||
| It shares its root with "labe" meaning "furnace" and "leh" meaning "to burn" and "flame". | |||
| Catalan | forn | ||
| Forn shares its etymology with the Latin word 'fornax' 'furnace', originating from the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'warm'. | |||
| Croatian | pećnica | ||
| The word "pećnica" in Croatian can also refer to a woman who bakes bread in a traditional oven. | |||
| Danish | ovn | ||
| The word "ovn" in Danish derives from the Old Norse word "uven" which meant "opening". In modern Danish, it can also be used to refer to a kiln, a furnace, or a stove. | |||
| Dutch | oven | ||
| In Dutch, "oven" is also used to refer to a stovetop. | |||
| English | oven | ||
| The word oven derives from the pre-15th-century Middle English word 'ofen', which in turn comes from the Old French word 'ouen', all ultimately based on the Latin word 'furnus' meaning 'furnace'. | |||
| French | four | ||
| The word "four" in French can also refer to a small room with a furnace inside. | |||
| Frisian | oven | ||
| The Frisian word "oven" has multiple meanings, such as a stove or a fireplace. | |||
| Galician | forno | ||
| In Galician, "forno" can also mean "bakery" or "bread oven" and comes from the Latin "furnus". | |||
| German | ofen | ||
| The word "Ofen" in German is cognate with the English word "oven," and both words are derived from the Latin word "furnus." | |||
| Icelandic | ofn | ||
| The Icelandic term "ofn" is thought to derive from the Proto-Germanic term *ubnaz meaning "stove" or "fire chamber". | |||
| Irish | oigheann | ||
| The Irish word "oigheann" comes from the Old Irish word "oig", meaning "cave". In the past, ovens were often built in caves, which may be why "oigheann" came to mean "oven". | |||
| Italian | forno | ||
| Forno originates from the Latin _furnus_ and shares the same root with the English word "furnish". | |||
| Luxembourgish | uewen | ||
| In the Luxembourgish language, the word "Uewen" has the same Latin origin as the French word "four" and the English word "oven". | |||
| Maltese | forn | ||
| The word "forn" in Maltese is derived from the Catalan word "forn", which in turn comes from the Latin word "furnus". The word can also refer to a type of bread or pastry that is baked in an oven. | |||
| Norwegian | stekeovn | ||
| "Steik" means roast or grill in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | forno | ||
| The word "forno" originates from the Latin word "furnus", meaning "oven" and in some Portuguese-speaking regions also refers to a stove | |||
| Scots Gaelic | àmhainn | ||
| The name derives from its former use of baking in hot ashes | |||
| Spanish | horno | ||
| The word "horno" comes from the Latin word "furnus," which also means "furnace," and is related to the Spanish word "fuego," meaning "fire." | |||
| Swedish | ugn | ||
| "Ugn" is a word of uncertain origin, but may be related to the Old Norse "úgni" meaning "fire". | |||
| Welsh | popty | ||
| According to the Dictionary of the Welsh Language, "popty" derives from "pop" (a puff, a blast) and "ty" (a house), or "pop" (a kiss) and "ty" (a house). | |||
Oven in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | печ | ||
| The word "печ" in Belarusian has the same Slavic root as the English word "oven" and also means "stove" or "furnace". | |||
| Bosnian | pećnica | ||
| "Pećnica" is a loanword from Turkish "pêcnûçe" (oven) | |||
| Bulgarian | фурна | ||
| The word "фурна" (furna) in Bulgarian comes from the Latin word “furnus” and originally meant “bread oven". | |||
| Czech | trouba | ||
| The word "trouba" also means "dimwit" in Czech, derived from the idea of someone staring blankly into a hot oven. | |||
| Estonian | ahi | ||
| The word "ahi" also refers to a kiln in which limestone is burnt to extract lime. | |||
| Finnish | uuni | ||
| Uuni is also a slang term for 'a good person'. In archaic Finnish, uuni meant 'home' or 'house'. | |||
| Hungarian | sütő | ||
| "Sütő" also means "author" or "writer" in Hungarian, as they both traditionally used ovens in their work. | |||
| Latvian | krāsns | ||
| The word “krāsns” is related to the Sanskrit word “krś” meaning “to burn” or “to bake”. | |||
| Lithuanian | orkaitė | ||
| In Lithuanian, "orkaitė" (oven) is derived from the word "orkas", meaning "fireplace, hearth". | |||
| Macedonian | рерна | ||
| The word 'рерна' is derived from the Slavic word 'горнъ', meaning 'fireplace' or 'stove'. | |||
| Polish | piekarnik | ||
| "Piekarnik" derives from the archaic word "piekarz" (baker), reflecting the traditional role of ovens in baking bread. | |||
| Romanian | cuptor | ||
| The word "cuptor" in Romanian comes from the Latin "coquere", meaning "to cook". | |||
| Russian | духовой шкаф | ||
| The term "духовой шкаф", literally 'wind (or spirit) cupboard', alludes to the early ovens' operation on hot air, in contrast to the 'Russian ovens' that heated food with direct flame. | |||
| Serbian | пећница | ||
| "Пећница" is thought to originate from the Roman | |||
| Slovak | rúra | ||
| The word "rúra" in Slovak comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*orъ", which also means "hearth" or "fireplace". | |||
| Slovenian | pečico | ||
| The word 'pečico' has its roots in the Slavic language family and is related to words for 'fire' and 'hearth' in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | піч | ||
| The word "піч" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *pekti, meaning "to bake." | |||
Oven in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চুলা | ||
| The word 'chula' (oven) in Bengali is derived from Sanskrit and is the cooking platform used by many households in rural areas. | |||
| Gujarati | પકાવવાની નાની ભઠ્ઠી | ||
| The word "oven" comes from the Latin word "ufnus", meaning chamber.} | |||
| Hindi | ओवन | ||
| The word 'ओवन' (oven) is derived from the Latin word 'coquina' meaning 'kitchen'. | |||
| Kannada | ಒಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ | ||
| The word "ಒಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ" (olayalli) in Kannada also refers to a type of traditional clay stove used for cooking. | |||
| Malayalam | അടുപ്പ് | ||
| In Tamil, 'அடுப்பு' ('aduppu') is a cooking device with a fire, while in Malayalam, it specifically refers to a cooking device with a closed compartment | |||
| Marathi | ओव्हन | ||
| "ओव्हन" is a recent borrowing of the English word | |||
| Nepali | ओभन | ||
| The word "ओभन" is derived from the English word "oven", which itself is derived from the Latin word "ufare", meaning "to heat". | |||
| Punjabi | ਓਵਨ | ||
| The word "ਓਵਨ" ("oven") in Punjabi is derived from the Persian word "âbân" meaning "a fire-pot". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උඳුන | ||
| The Sinhala word "උඳුන" ("oven") may also refer to a "furnace" or an "oven-like structure used for making pottery." | |||
| Tamil | சூளை | ||
| "சூளை" can also refer to the process of heating or baking. | |||
| Telugu | పొయ్యి | ||
| The word "పొయ్యి" in Telugu can also refer to a fireplace or a stove. | |||
| Urdu | تندور | ||
| The word "تندور" in Urdu is derived from the Persian word "تنور" and also refers to a type of earthenware oven used for cooking food in many parts of South Asia. | |||
Oven in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 烤箱 | ||
| 烤箱在现代汉语中只有一种含义，但其最早的意思是“以陶土制成的烹调用具”，引申为“用陶土、金属或玻璃等制成的烘焙器具”。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 烤箱 | ||
| 烤箱 derives from 烘箱 and 焙箱, which refer to a closed device for controlled heating by hot air. | |||
| Japanese | オーブン | ||
| The word "オーブン" (oven) derives from the Latin "furnus" (stove) through the Dutch "oven". | |||
| Korean | 오븐 | ||
| The Korean word "오븐" comes from the English word "oven", which itself derives from the Late Latin word "offanum", meaning "a furnace". | |||
| Mongolian | зуух | ||
| The Mongolian word “зуух” (zuukh) can also mean the stove in a ger (yurt) or the stove in a sauna. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မီးဖို | ||
| The word "မီးဖို" is also used to refer to a type of stove or fireplace used for cooking or heating purposes. | |||
Oven in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | oven | ||
| The Indonesian word "oven" can also refer to a type of cake, a small stove, or a kiln. | |||
| Javanese | oven | ||
| In Javanese, "oven" has the alternate meaning of "furnace". | |||
| Khmer | ឡ | ||
| The Khmer word "ឡ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "कुलाल" (kúlāla), meaning "potter" or "kiln". | |||
| Lao | ເຕົາອົບ | ||
| The Lao word ຕາງຕບ ("เตาอบ") ultimately derives from the Proto-Tai word ອນອນ, which likely referred to a hearth or fire pit. | |||
| Malay | ketuhar | ||
| The word "ketuhar" also refers to a specific type of traditional Malay oven for baking "kuih", traditional Malay cakes. | |||
| Thai | เตาอบ | ||
| The word "เตาอบ" derives from the Old Khmer word "toap" and is also used colloquially to refer to a crematorium. | |||
| Vietnamese | lò | ||
| The word "lò" in Vietnamese can also mean "furnace", "kiln", or "forge", demonstrating its versatility beyond just cooking. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hurno | ||
Oven in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | soba | ||
| The word "Soba" also refers to a room with an oven in Azerbaijani homes. | |||
| Kazakh | пеш | ||
| The Kazakh word "пеш" (oven) is also used to refer to a type of traditional Kazakh bread baked in the oven. | |||
| Kyrgyz | меш | ||
| "Меш" is also an archaic word for "forest", and a word for "place to rest" in some dialects, possibly related to the word "мезгил" (time). | |||
| Tajik | танӯр | ||
| The word "танӯр" in Tajik can also refer to a type of bread baked in the oven | |||
| Turkmen | peç | ||
| Uzbek | pech | ||
| The word "pech" is also used in Uzbek to refer to the stove's chimney or fireplace. | |||
| Uyghur | ئوچاق | ||
Oven in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | umu | ||
| "Umu" is a borrowed word from Tahitian, meaning "hole" or "pit". | |||
| Maori | oumu | ||
| This word is shared with Tahitian where it similarly means an earth oven. | |||
| Samoan | ogaumu | ||
| The word 'ogaumu' in Samoan can also mean 'a hole'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | oven | ||
| Oven also means "furnace" or "kiln" in Tagalog. | |||
Oven in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | urnu | ||
| Guarani | mbyakuha | ||
Oven in International Languages
| Esperanto | forno | ||
| In Esperanto, | |||
| Latin | clibano | ||
| Clibanus was also used in medieval and late antiquity to mean a kind of domed-shaped furnace used for making tiles. | |||
Oven in Others Languages
| Greek | φούρνος | ||
| The word φούρνος has been used metaphorically to refer to the human body, a furnace, a workshop, and a prison. | |||
| Hmong | qhov cub | ||
| The Hmong word "qhov cub" also has the alternate meaning of a place for keeping things, such as a storage room or closet. | |||
| Kurdish | tenûr | ||
| "Tenûr" may also mean a "stove" or "furnace" in other contexts. | |||
| Turkish | fırın | ||
| The word "fırın" is also used to refer to "bakery" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | eziko | ||
| The word "eziko" in Xhosa is derived from "ika" (heat) and "iko" (a place), suggesting a place for warmth. | |||
| Yiddish | ויוון | ||
| The Yiddish word "ויוון" can also refer to a beehive or a swarm of bees. | |||
| Zulu | kuhhavini | ||
| The word "kuhhavini" in Zulu is derived from the word "ukuhhava", meaning "to bake" or "to roast". It can also refer to a traditional Zulu oven made of clay and used for baking bread and other food items. | |||
| Assamese | অ’ভেন | ||
| Aymara | urnu | ||
| Bhojpuri | भट्ठी | ||
| Dhivehi | އަވަން | ||
| Dogri | ओवन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hurno | ||
| Guarani | mbyakuha | ||
| Ilocano | urno | ||
| Krio | ovun | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فڕن | ||
| Maithili | भट्ठी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩꯔꯪ | ||
| Mizo | thuk | ||
| Oromo | meeshaa midhaan itti bilcheessan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚୁଲି | ||
| Quechua | kañana | ||
| Sanskrit | आपाका | ||
| Tatar | мич | ||
| Tigrinya | እቶን | ||
| Tsonga | ovhene | ||