Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'peak' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing the highest point of a mountain or the maximum point of something. It's a term that embodies the spirit of adventure, challenge, and achievement. Throughout history, peaks have been revered as sacred places, inspiring countless stories, myths, and cultural traditions. For instance, in Japan, the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji is considered a sacred site and a symbol of the nation's endurance and beauty.
Given its cultural importance, it's no surprise that many languages have their own unique translation for the word 'peak'. For instance, in Spanish, it's 'cumbre', in French 'sommet', in German 'Gipfel', in Russian 'вершина' (vershina), and in Chinese '山峰' (shān fēng). These translations not only offer a glimpse into the linguistic diversity of different cultures but also provide a deeper understanding of how different societies perceive and interact with the natural world.
Afrikaans | piek | ||
The word “piek” can also refer to a type of spear or lance that is used for hunting or fighting. | |||
Amharic | ጫፍ | ||
In Amharic, the word "ጫፍ" can also refer to the end of a string or cloth. | |||
Hausa | kololuwa | ||
Kololuwa also means a large or giant animal that can carry a person. | |||
Igbo | elu | ||
In Igbo, the word "elu" (peak) can also refer to the top or uppermost part of something. | |||
Malagasy | tendrony | ||
"Tendrony" (peak) is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*tundraŋ" meaning "mountain" or "hilltop". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | pachimake | ||
The Nyanja (Chichewa) word "pachimake" also refers to the hump or summit of an animal or the highest point of anything, especially in the form of "pa-chim-a-ke." | |||
Shona | yepamusoro | ||
'Yepamusoro,' meaning 'peak,' is also used to refer to the highest-ranking member of a group or hierarchy. | |||
Somali | ugu sarreysa | ||
The word "ugu sarreysa" is also used in Somali to refer to a sharp or prominent object or quality. | |||
Sesotho | tlhoro | ||
Tlhoro also means 'a chief without royal blood' in Sesotho. | |||
Swahili | kilele | ||
The word "kilele" in Swahili also means "the greatest point" or "the highest point of achievement". | |||
Xhosa | incopho | ||
Xhosa speakers sometimes use "incopho" to refer to the pointed tips of the mountains or steep hills. | |||
Yoruba | tente oke | ||
"Tente oke" literally means "sit on the mountain", but it can also figuratively mean "to be at the top of one's game". | |||
Zulu | isiqongo | ||
The word 'isiqongo', meaning 'peak', can also refer to the head in Zulu. | |||
Bambara | kùncɛ | ||
Ewe | kɔkɔƒe | ||
Kinyarwanda | impinga | ||
Lingala | nsonge | ||
Luganda | entikko | ||
Sepedi | sehloa | ||
Twi (Akan) | soro pa ara | ||
Arabic | قمة | ||
The word "قمة" in Arabic, meaning "peak" or "summit", is also used in the context of hierarchy or leadership, where it refers to the "top" or "highest" position. | |||
Hebrew | שִׂיא | ||
The word שִׂיא (peak) also means 'height,' 'excellence,' or 'acme' in Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | چوکۍ | ||
The word "چوکۍ" in Pashto can also refer to a "watchtower" or a "guard post". | |||
Arabic | قمة | ||
The word "قمة" in Arabic, meaning "peak" or "summit", is also used in the context of hierarchy or leadership, where it refers to the "top" or "highest" position. |
Albanian | kulmin | ||
The word "kulmin" in Albanian can also mean "top" or "highest point". | |||
Basque | gailurra | ||
The toponym | |||
Catalan | pic | ||
In Catalan, "pic" means "peak" but also "small quantity". | |||
Croatian | vrh | ||
"Vrh" also means "top" and "sum" in Croatian. | |||
Danish | spids | ||
The word "spids" can also mean "a point" or "a sharp end". | |||
Dutch | top | ||
The Dutch word "top" originates from the Proto-Germanic root *dub- meaning "to strike, pound, hammer". | |||
English | peak | ||
The word 'peak' derives from Old English 'pīc', meaning 'pointed top or summit', also cognate with Latin 'picus' (woodpecker). | |||
French | de pointe | ||
De Pointe is also an adjective which can mean "cutting edge" (in art, fashion) or "advanced" | |||
Frisian | peak | ||
The Frisian word "peak" can also refer to a point or the highest point of something. | |||
Galician | pico | ||
In Galician, "pico" can also refer to a bird's beak, a tool for measuring, a type of stone, or a unit of weight. | |||
German | gipfel | ||
The word "Gipfel" in German can also refer to a summit conference or a baked good resembling a small mountain. | |||
Icelandic | hámarki | ||
Hámarki has an alternate meaning of "sharp bend in a river" in Old Norse. | |||
Irish | buaic | ||
The word "buaic" can also refer to a sharp point or a summit in Irish. | |||
Italian | picco | ||
The word "picco" used to mean "the point of a weapon" or "a small child" in Old Italian. | |||
Luxembourgish | héichpunkt | ||
Héichpunkt can mean 'head' when referring to a human or an animal. | |||
Maltese | quċċata | ||
The word "quċċata" also means "top" or "summit" in Maltese. | |||
Norwegian | topp | ||
Norwegian "topp" derives from Proto-Germanic "tuppaz," meaning "top; peak." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pico | ||
In Portugal, "pico" can also refer to "the highest point" or "a mountain." | |||
Scots Gaelic | stùc | ||
The word "stùc" can also refer to a cone-shaped mountain, a pointed hill, or a projecting rock. | |||
Spanish | pico | ||
Pico, meaning 'peak', also refers to a tool with a pointed end or a small quantity of something. | |||
Swedish | topp | ||
"Topp" is also used colloquially to mean "the best" of something, as in "that's the topp!". | |||
Welsh | brig | ||
The word "brig" in Welsh is derived from the Celtic word "breg", meaning "hill", and is also a common place name in Scotland and northern England. |
Belarusian | пік | ||
"Пік" means "peak" in Belarusian but can also mean "pike". | |||
Bosnian | vrhunac | ||
"Vrhunac" is also used to represent the culmination or highest point of something, such as an event or a person's career. | |||
Bulgarian | връх | ||
"Връх" also means "top, summit, acme, apex" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | vrchol | ||
The word "vrchol" also means "sum" or "ultimate goal" in Czech. | |||
Estonian | tipp | ||
The Estonian word "tipp", meaning "tip, top, or peak", derives from the Proto-Finno-Ugric root "tipä" signifying an end, head, top, or sharp edge. | |||
Finnish | huippu | ||
The word 'huippu' can also refer to the highest point of something, or to something that is excellent or top-notch. | |||
Hungarian | csúcs | ||
The Hungarian word "csúcs" is cognate with the words "spike", "spikelet" and "tuft" in English. | |||
Latvian | virsotne | ||
Its Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰer-", meaning "to be sharp, to become sharp" is cognate with "horn" and likely also "corn" and "crevasse". | |||
Lithuanian | pikas | ||
The word "pikas" in Lithuanian can also refer to a type of small, furry mammal known as a pika in English. | |||
Macedonian | врв | ||
"Врв" also means "top" in Macedonian, especially when referring to a hierarchy or organization, similar to the English "apex." | |||
Polish | szczyt | ||
The Polish word "szczyt" can also refer to the "top" or "highest point" of a concept or achievement. | |||
Romanian | vârf | ||
The word "vârf" is also used to refer to the tip of a pen or pencil | |||
Russian | вершина горы | ||
In Russian, the word "вершина горы" (peak) can also refer to the top of a wave or a person's career. | |||
Serbian | врхунац | ||
"Врх" can mean several things in Serbian, including "top" and even "a point of view on a subject" | |||
Slovak | vrchol | ||
The Slovak word "vrchol" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *vr̥xъ, which had a meaning of 'top' and which is also the origin of the word "wiry" in Polish. | |||
Slovenian | vrhunec | ||
In Slovenia the word "vrhunec" can also mean "culmination" or "zenith." | |||
Ukrainian | пік | ||
The word “пік” also means a “suit” of a playing card. |
Bengali | শিখর | ||
The word "শিখর" also means a pointed top or crown. | |||
Gujarati | ટોચ | ||
The Gujarati word "ટોચ" can also mean "crown" or "crest" when used in reference to a person's head or a mountain's summit. | |||
Hindi | शिखर | ||
The Hindi word "शिखर" (peak) shares its root with the Sanskrit word "śikhin" (peaked, fire) and the English word "sickle" (originally referring to a hook-shaped knife), alluding to the sharp or curved shape characteristic of peaks. | |||
Kannada | ಗರಿಷ್ಠ | ||
The word "ಗರಿಷ್ಠ" (peak) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "गिरि" (giri), meaning "mountain". | |||
Malayalam | പീക്ക് | ||
"പീക്ക്" in Malayalam can also mean something hidden, secret, or a trap. | |||
Marathi | शिखर | ||
The Marathi word 'शिखर' also has a homographic meaning, 'crest of a wave'. | |||
Nepali | शिखर | ||
"शिखर" also means "top" or "highest point" in a general sense. | |||
Punjabi | ਚੋਟੀ | ||
The word "ਚੋਟੀ" (peak) in Punjabi also means "top" or "highest point". | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උපරිම | ||
In mathematics and statistics, it can also mean “maximum”. | |||
Tamil | உச்சம் | ||
The word "உச்சம்" also means "summit", "highest point", "apex", and "zenith" in Tamil. | |||
Telugu | శిఖరం | ||
The word "శిఖరం" (peak) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "shikhara", meaning "mountain top" or "crown". | |||
Urdu | چوٹی | ||
In Urdu, چوٹی can also mean "braid" or "topmost point," not just "peak." |
Chinese (Simplified) | 峰 | ||
In Chinese, "峰" not only means "peak", but also refers to "gathering" or "concentration" in traditional Chinese medicine. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 峰 | ||
峰 can also mean 'meeting' or 'gathering' in ancient Chinese. | |||
Japanese | ピーク | ||
In Japanese, 「ピーク」 can also refer to "the peak of one's career" or "rush hour". | |||
Korean | 피크 | ||
The word "피크" can also mean "peach" in Korean, derived from the Chinese word "복숭아" (p'u-seng-a). | |||
Mongolian | оргил | ||
The Mongolian word "оргил" (peak) may also refer to the tip of a knife or needle, or the crown of a tree. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အထွတ်အထိပ် | ||
Indonesian | puncak | ||
In Indonesian, the word "puncak" can also refer to the highest point of a mountain range or the climax of an event. | |||
Javanese | pucuk | ||
"Pucuk" in Javanese can also mean "young coconut shoot" or "young banana bud". | |||
Khmer | កំពូល | ||
The Khmer word "កំពូល" (peak) derives from the Sanskrit word "कम्बूल" (kambūla), which also means "elephant's trunk". | |||
Lao | ຈຸດສູງສຸດ | ||
Malay | puncak | ||
The Malay word 'puncak' can also mean "summit", "crown", "apex", "top", or "highest point". | |||
Thai | จุดสูงสุด | ||
In astronomy, จุดสูงสุด can also refer to the celestial point that lies directly above an observer's head. | |||
Vietnamese | đỉnh cao | ||
The term "đỉnh cao" can also refer to a "climax" or "highlight." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tugatog | ||
Azerbaijani | pik | ||
In Azerbaijani, | |||
Kazakh | шыңы | ||
The Kazakh word "шыңы" (peak) is also used to describe the top of a tree or the head of a person. | |||
Kyrgyz | чоку | ||
"Чоку" также является разговорным обозначением остроконечной горы, скалы, дерева, предмета или части тела. | |||
Tajik | авҷ | ||
The word "авҷ" in Tajik comes from the Persian word "آب" meaning "water" and the suffix "-ج" meaning "place", indicating a place where water gathers. | |||
Turkmen | pik | ||
Uzbek | tepalik | ||
The Uzbek word "tepalik" is also used to mean "summit" or "topmost point." | |||
Uyghur | چوققا | ||
Hawaiian | piko | ||
In Hawaiian, the word "piko" also means "navel" and is considered the center or core of a person or thing. | |||
Maori | tihi | ||
The word "tihi" can also refer to the apex of a wave or a sharp point on a rock. | |||
Samoan | tumutumu | ||
The word tumutumu also means the topmost point of a plant, a mound, a hill, or the zenith of the sky in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | rurok | ||
"Rurok" can also refer to the act of falling or collapsing, such as a roof "rurukin" (falling). |
Aymara | piku | ||
Guarani | hu'ã | ||
Esperanto | pinto | ||
"Pinto" (peak) derives from Spanish "pintado" (painted), referring to the "painted" (varied-colored) nature of peaks. | |||
Latin | apicem | ||
In medieval Latin, "apicem" also meant 'the top or tip of a mountain, tree, building, etc.' |
Greek | κορυφή | ||
The word | |||
Hmong | lub ncov roob | ||
The word "lub ncov roob" can also mean "the top of something" or "the highest point." | |||
Kurdish | serî | ||
Serî comes from the Persian word "sar" meaning "head" or "top" and is also a term for a mountain pass in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | zirve | ||
Zirve, meaning "peak" or "summit," shares an origin with the Persian word "zar" ("gold"), denoting its prominence and value. | |||
Xhosa | incopho | ||
Xhosa speakers sometimes use "incopho" to refer to the pointed tips of the mountains or steep hills. | |||
Yiddish | שפּיץ | ||
The word "שפּיץ" (peak) also has the alternate meaning of "tip" or "point" in Yiddish. | |||
Zulu | isiqongo | ||
The word 'isiqongo', meaning 'peak', can also refer to the head in Zulu. | |||
Assamese | শৃংগ | ||
Aymara | piku | ||
Bhojpuri | चोटी | ||
Dhivehi | މަތި | ||
Dogri | टीह्सी | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tugatog | ||
Guarani | hu'ã | ||
Ilocano | pantok | ||
Krio | ay pas | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | لووتکە | ||
Maithili | शीर्ष | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯇꯣꯟ | ||
Mizo | chhip | ||
Oromo | gubbee | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଶିଖର | ||
Quechua | urqu wichay | ||
Sanskrit | चोटी | ||
Tatar | иң югары | ||
Tigrinya | ጫፍ | ||
Tsonga | nhlohlorhi | ||