Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'overall' is a small but powerful term, often used to describe an overall impression or experience. It's a word that transcends cultures and languages, yet is interpreted in many different ways around the world. In English, 'overall' can be used as an adjective, adverb, or noun, and it generally conveys a sense of totality or generality.
But did you know that the word 'overall' has roots in the world of clothing? In the 16th century, 'overall' was used to describe a type of loose-fitting coat worn by workers. Over time, the term evolved to mean a garment worn over other clothes, and eventually took on its current meaning of 'in general' or 'all things considered'. Isn't it fascinating how a word can change so much over time?
Understanding the translation of 'overall' in different languages can help us appreciate the nuances of other cultures and languages. Here are just a few examples:
Stay tuned for more translations of 'overall' in a variety of languages!
Afrikaans | algehele | ||
The word "algehele" in Afrikaans, derived from the Dutch word "algemeen," can also mean "general" or "universal." | |||
Amharic | በአጠቃላይ | ||
The word "በአጠቃላይ" can also mean "generally" or "on the whole". | |||
Hausa | duka | ||
In Hausa, "duka" can also refer to a shop or store where goods are sold. | |||
Igbo | n'ozuzu | ||
The term "n'ozuzu" derives from the Igbo verb "zu", meaning "to cover" or "to conceal". | |||
Malagasy | ankapobeny | ||
"Ankapobeny" can also mean "completely", "entirely" or "all over" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | chonse | ||
In Chichewa, "chonse" can also mean "the whole (thing)" or "everything." | |||
Shona | zvachose | ||
'Zvachose' also means 'for all' and in the phrase 'zvachose-chose' it means 'anyway'. | |||
Somali | guud ahaan | ||
The word "guud ahaan" in Somali is ultimately derived from Arabic, where it means "in general" or "as a whole." | |||
Sesotho | ka kakaretso | ||
The term 'ka kakaretso' can also be translated as 'generally' or 'thoroughly'. | |||
Swahili | jumla | ||
The Swahili word "jumla" can also refer to an aggregate amount or a collection of things. | |||
Xhosa | kukonke | ||
The Xhosa word 'kukonke' shares its root with words like 'konke' (whole) and 'ukukonkoloza' (to surround). | |||
Yoruba | ìwò | ||
"Ìwò" is often mistaken for a cognate of its homophone with the same spelling which means "you" (the second person singular pronoun) however they are from different roots and the former derives from the verb "wó" - "to enter". | |||
Zulu | isiyonke | ||
The word "isiyonke" also means "the whole" or "all of it" in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | bakuruba | ||
Ewe | si ƒo wo katã ta | ||
Kinyarwanda | muri rusange | ||
Lingala | mobimba | ||
Luganda | okutwaaliza awamu | ||
Sepedi | ka kakaretšo | ||
Twi (Akan) | ne nyinaa | ||
Arabic | شاملة | ||
The word "شاملة" in Arabic is related to the word "شمل" which means "to include" and "to embrace." | |||
Hebrew | באופן כללי | ||
The Hebrew word "באופן כללי" can also mean "generally" or "on the whole". | |||
Pashto | په ټوله کې | ||
Arabic | شاملة | ||
The word "شاملة" in Arabic is related to the word "شمل" which means "to include" and "to embrace." |
Albanian | në përgjithësi | ||
Basque | orokorrean | ||
The Basque word "orokorrean" (overall) is derived from the words "oro" (all) and "korre" (direction). | |||
Catalan | en general | ||
«En general» in Catalan can also mean «in general» as a set phrase, or «generally» as an adverb. | |||
Croatian | sveukupno | ||
The word 'sveukupno' in Croatian has roots in the Proto-Slavic word 'vьsь' meaning 'all' and can also mean 'completely' or 'in total'. | |||
Danish | samlet set | ||
The word "samlet sæt" also means a "full set" of something, as in a "complete collection" or a "set of items that belong together." | |||
Dutch | algemeen | ||
The Dutch term "algemeen" can also mean "general", "common", or "universal". | |||
English | overall | ||
In the 15th century, "overall" meant "covering all" and was used to describe clothing worn over a person's other clothes. | |||
French | global | ||
The word "global" in French means not only "overall", but also "globule". | |||
Frisian | overall | ||
The Frisian word "overall" comes from the German word "Overall", which means "overcoat" or "coverall". | |||
Galician | en xeral | ||
"En xeral" is also used in Galician to refer to a "general" thing in the sense of "a basic or ordinary thing". | |||
German | insgesamt | ||
The word "insgesamt" in German is derived from "in" (in) and "gesamt" (total), meaning "in total"} | |||
Icelandic | í heildina litið | ||
The Icelandic verb líða, from which the word "í heildina litið" derives, means both "to move through" and "to suffer", revealing the dual nature of both time and experience. | |||
Irish | tríd is tríd | ||
The Irish phrase "tríd is tríd" translates directly as "through and through", highlighting its thorough or comprehensive nature. | |||
Italian | complessivamente | ||
"Complessivamente" is derived from the Latin verb "complectere," meaning "to embrace" or "to encompass." | |||
Luxembourgish | allgemeng | ||
The word "allgemeng" is derived from the German word "allgemein", meaning "general" or "common". | |||
Maltese | ġenerali | ||
ġenerali also means "usually" or "generally" in Maltese. | |||
Norwegian | alt i alt | ||
"Alt i alt" literally translates to "everything in everything". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | no geral | ||
The Portuguese phrase "no geral" can also be understood as "generally speaking" or "on the whole." | |||
Scots Gaelic | gu h-iomlan | ||
Gu h-iomlan (overall) was historically used in Gaelic to describe how clothes would look on someone, or as a noun to describe a type of loose clothing or a bed blanket. | |||
Spanish | en general | ||
En general means "overall" in Spanish, but is also an idiom meaning "in general" or "generally speaking." | |||
Swedish | övergripande | ||
Övergripande can also mean 'superordinate', 'comprehensive', or 'overarching'. | |||
Welsh | yn gyffredinol | ||
"Yn gyffredinol" comes from Latin "commune frenum" meaning "shared bridle", a common rein for two horses used in ploughing, hence a shared yoke or bond. |
Belarusian | у цэлым | ||
"у цэлым" is a Belarusian word that derives from the Old Russian "въ цѣлѣ" (vŭ cěle), which meant "in safety" or "intact". | |||
Bosnian | sveukupno | ||
The word “sveukupno” originates from “sve” (“all”) and “ukupno” (“total”) and was created as a neologism during the Bosnian language reform in the late 19th century. | |||
Bulgarian | като цяло | ||
In some situations, the word "като цяло" means "in general" or "on the whole" instead of "overall". | |||
Czech | celkově | ||
The word Celkově was derived from the word "Celkem", which also means "overall" or "totally" in English. | |||
Estonian | üldiselt | ||
The root of the word "üldiselt" is "üldine," meaning "general." | |||
Finnish | yleensä ottaen | ||
It is a compound word of "yleensä" (usually) and "ottaen" (taking). Hence, it also has the nuance of "taking as a whole". | |||
Hungarian | átfogó | ||
The original meaning of "átfogó" was "all-embracing or "comprehensive"", but it developed a second meaning of "overall" in the late 19th century. | |||
Latvian | kopumā | ||
The word kopumā has origins in the verb "kopt" meaning "to gather" and means "all in all" in Latvian. | |||
Lithuanian | apskritai | ||
"Apskritai" means "overall" or "in general" in Lithuanian and is derived from the Lithuanian word "apskristi" meaning "to circle" or "to go around". | |||
Macedonian | севкупно | ||
The word "севкупно" in Macedonian also has the alternate meaning of "total" or "complete." | |||
Polish | ogólny | ||
The Polish word "ogólny" is of Latin origin, deriving from "generalis" and meaning "general" or "overall."} | |||
Romanian | per total | ||
«Per total» is an adverbial locution that can mean «in general» or «in all». | |||
Russian | в целом | ||
The word "в целом" originally meant "all of this" or "wholly," while its current meaning arose from its use in mathematical and economic texts. | |||
Serbian | свеукупно | ||
The word "свеукупно" can also mean "completely" or "in total". | |||
Slovak | celkovo | ||
Celkovo is also an archaic Slovak masculine surname derived from the Slovak word 'celý', meaning 'whole'. It could possibly be related to the Polish surname Cielecki. | |||
Slovenian | na splošno | ||
The word "na splošno" can also mean "generally" or "in general". | |||
Ukrainian | загалом | ||
Etymology: "overall" originates from a Proto-Indo-European root "wer-", which refers to covering and enclosing something, or a state of totality. |
Bengali | সামগ্রিকভাবে | ||
আনুষ্ঠানিক ভাষায় আক্কেল বা বোধ বুদ্ধি অর্থেও 'সামগ্রিকভাবে' শব্দটির ব্যবহার হয় | |||
Gujarati | એકંદરે | ||
The word 'એકંદરે' comes from the Sanskrit word 'एकंत' meaning 'alone' and is also used to mean 'in general'. | |||
Hindi | संपूर्ण | ||
The word "संपूर्ण" derives from the Sanskrit root "पृण," meaning "to fill" or "make complete," and can also imply "perfect" or "unbroken." | |||
Kannada | ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ | ||
It may also mean 'generally' or 'on the whole'. | |||
Malayalam | മൊത്തത്തിൽ | ||
Marathi | एकूणच | ||
The word 'एकूणच' can also be used to mean 'in general' or 'all told'. | |||
Nepali | कुल मिलाएर | ||
The word "कुल मिलाएर" is derived from the Sanskrit root "kula" meaning "family" and "mela" meaning "to meet or join", indicating a sense of collective unity or totality. | |||
Punjabi | ਕੁਲ ਮਿਲਾ ਕੇ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමස්ත | ||
Tamil | ஒட்டுமொத்த | ||
ஒட்டு means to stick, to join, while மொத்த means whole, entire, complete, total. | |||
Telugu | మొత్తం | ||
The word "మొత్తం" (motham) originally referred to a bundle or a collection, and is related to the words "మూట" (muuta) for a bundle, and "మోయు" (moyu) for carrying. | |||
Urdu | مجموعی طور پر | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 总体 | ||
总体 can also mean "the whole" or "the general situation" in Chinese. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 總體 | ||
總體 can also refer to the whole situation in general | |||
Japanese | 全体 | ||
The word "全体" (zentai) can also mean "the whole body" or "the entire group" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 사무용 겉옷 | ||
The Korean word 사무용 겉옷(overalls) comes from the English phrase ‘all over’, as they are a loose garment worn over clothing covering most of the body. | |||
Mongolian | ерөнхий | ||
The word 'ерөнхий' derives from Mongolian and ultimately descends from a Proto-Mongolic word meaning 'head, leader, chief'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ခြုံငုံ | ||
Indonesian | secara keseluruhan | ||
The adjective secara keseluruhan in Indonesian can also mean 'generally' and is often used to describe the characteristics of a group of people or things. | |||
Javanese | umume | ||
"Umume" also means "generally" or "in general" and comes from the word "umum" meaning "public" or "general." | |||
Khmer | ជារួម | ||
The word "ជារួម" ("overall") in Khmer also has the alternate meaning of "in general" or "as a whole." | |||
Lao | ໂດຍລວມ | ||
The word comes from French 'tout ensemble', meaning "everything together." | |||
Malay | secara keseluruhan | ||
The word "secara keseluruhan" can also mean "generally" or "on the whole". | |||
Thai | โดยรวม | ||
The word "โดยรวม" can also mean "generally" or "in general" in Thai. | |||
Vietnamese | tổng thể | ||
The word "tổng thể" is a combination of the words "tổng" (total) and "thể" (body), which means "the whole body" or "the entire entity". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sa pangkalahatan | ||
Azerbaijani | ümumilikdə | ||
The word “ümumilikdə” also exists in Turkish, but with the slightly different meaning of “generally”. | |||
Kazakh | жалпы | ||
The word "жалпы" in Kazakh can also mean "generally" or "in general". | |||
Kyrgyz | жалпы | ||
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Tajik | дар маҷмӯъ | ||
The word "дар маҷмӯъ" can also mean "in general" or "on the whole" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | umuman aýdanyňda | ||
Uzbek | umuman olganda | ||
In Uzbek, “umuman olganda” directly translates to “overall,” however, it can also be used to mean “usually.” | |||
Uyghur | ئومۇمەن | ||
Hawaiian | laulā | ||
The word “laulā” also means “to envelop” and is related to the word “lau,” meaning “leaf” | |||
Maori | whaanui | ||
The Maori term **whaanui** has alternative meanings, including "family", "clan", and "tribe". | |||
Samoan | aotelega | ||
The term 'aotelega' is also used to refer to the Samoan lava lava, a traditional garment worn by both men and women. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | sa pangkalahatan | ||
"Sa pangkalahatan" can also mean "generally" or "overall" in a more general sense beyond just summarizing or concluding something. |
Aymara | taqi | ||
Guarani | tuichaháicha | ||
Esperanto | entute | ||
The word "entute" is derived from the Latin word "integritas", meaning "wholeness" or "completeness". | |||
Latin | altiore | ||
Altiore, a Latin word meaning "higher up" or "above", has been used in English since the 15th century. |
Greek | συνολικά | ||
The word συνολικά (synólika) derives from σύν (syn), meaning "with" or "together," and ὅλος (hólos), meaning "whole" or "complete." | |||
Hmong | zuag qhia tag nrho | ||
"Zuag qhia tag nrho" can also mean "generally" or "on the whole" in Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | giştî | ||
The word 'giştî' can also mean 'generally' or 'altogether' in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | genel | ||
In Turkish, "genel" can also mean "ordinary", "common", or "general" when referring to knowledge. | |||
Xhosa | kukonke | ||
The Xhosa word 'kukonke' shares its root with words like 'konke' (whole) and 'ukukonkoloza' (to surround). | |||
Yiddish | קוילעלדיק | ||
"קוילעלדיק" derives from "קיין אויל עולה דיק," which in Yiddish means that something is not worth the oil consumed to light it. | |||
Zulu | isiyonke | ||
The word "isiyonke" also means "the whole" or "all of it" in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | সামগ্ৰিক | ||
Aymara | taqi | ||
Bhojpuri | कुल मिला के | ||
Dhivehi | ޖުމްލަގޮތެއްގައި | ||
Dogri | कुल मलाइयै | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | sa pangkalahatan | ||
Guarani | tuichaháicha | ||
Ilocano | iti kadagupan | ||
Krio | ɔl | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەگشتی | ||
Maithili | पूरा -पूरा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯄꯨꯡ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
Mizo | a pumpui | ||
Oromo | waliigala | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସାମଗ୍ରିକ ଭାବରେ | | ||
Quechua | llapanpi | ||
Sanskrit | सकलं | ||
Tatar | гомумән | ||
Tigrinya | ጠቅላላ | ||
Tsonga | angarhela | ||