Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'peer' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting a person who is equal in abilities, rank, or age. It's a term that transcends cultural boundaries, emphasizing equality and mutual respect. Historically, the concept of peers has been crucial in various societal structures, such as the peerage system in the UK, where members of the nobility are equals.
Moreover, the word 'peer' is associated with the concept of 'peer pressure,' a psychological phenomenon that influences behavior, particularly among young people. This term, although often used negatively, highlights the power of collective social norms and the desire for acceptance.
Given the cultural importance and widespread use of the word 'peer,' it's no surprise that individuals interested in language and culture might want to know its translation in different languages. Understanding these translations can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view equality and social dynamics.
Here are a few sample translations of the word 'peer' in various languages:
Afrikaans | eweknie | ||
The word "eweknie" originates from the Dutch word "evenknie," which means "equal." | |||
Amharic | እኩያ | ||
"እኩያ" can also mean "equal" or "equivalent" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | tsara | ||
The Hausa word "tsara" is also used to describe a partner in a business or marriage. | |||
Igbo | ndị ọgbọ | ||
The word | |||
Malagasy | mpiara | ||
"Mpiara" is derived from the root word "ara", meaning "to know", and can also mean "friend" or "companion". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | anzako | ||
The word "anzako" can also mean "friend of the same age" | |||
Shona | vezera | ||
The word "vezera" can also mean a person who has been appointed to a high position, or a person of high rank or authority. | |||
Somali | asaag | ||
The word "asaag" can also refer to a companion or a colleague. | |||
Sesotho | thaka | ||
Thaka in Sesotho can also mean 'companion' or 'friend'. | |||
Swahili | rika | ||
The word 'rika' is also used to refer to a group of friends or colleagues. | |||
Xhosa | oontanga | ||
The word "oontanga" is a Nguni word that is also used in Xhosa and means "the one who has seen". | |||
Yoruba | ẹlẹgbẹ | ||
Zulu | ontanga | ||
The word "ontanga" in Zulu is also used to refer to a sibling of the same sex. | |||
Bambara | toɲɔgɔn | ||
Ewe | hati | ||
Kinyarwanda | urungano | ||
Lingala | moninga | ||
Luganda | emikwaano | ||
Sepedi | thaka | ||
Twi (Akan) | tipɛnfoɔ | ||
Arabic | الأقران | ||
The word "الأقران" ("peer") is derived from the root verb "قرن" ("to join"), denoting individuals who are connected or on an equal footing. | |||
Hebrew | עמית | ||
The word "עמית" derives from the root "עמ" meaning "strength" or "support". | |||
Pashto | جوړه | ||
In addition to its primary meaning of "peer", "جوړه" can also refer to a friend, companion, or colleague in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | الأقران | ||
The word "الأقران" ("peer") is derived from the root verb "قرن" ("to join"), denoting individuals who are connected or on an equal footing. |
Albanian | bashkëmoshatar | ||
The Albanian word "bashkëmoshatar" comes from the Proto-Albanian root "*moqe", meaning "age", with the addition of the prefixes "bash" and "ko", which mean "with" and "together" respectively. | |||
Basque | parekidea | ||
In addition to its meaning of "peer," "parekidea" also means "colleague," "partner," or "companion." | |||
Catalan | company | ||
In Catalan, "company" can also refer to a group of people or an ecclesiastical brotherhood. | |||
Croatian | vršnjakinja | ||
The word "vršnjakinja" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *vrьstьnikъ, which means "one who is of the same age". The word can also be used to refer to a classmate or colleague. | |||
Danish | peer | ||
In Danish, the word "peer" can also mean a horse of average quality. | |||
Dutch | peer | ||
In Dutch, the word "peer" can also refer to a nobleman (Dutch: "pair") | |||
English | peer | ||
Derived from Middle English 'pere', 'peer' can also mean a small wooden block or the central peg in a cribbage board. | |||
French | pair | ||
In French, "pair" can also mean "even number" or "parity". | |||
Frisian | peer | ||
In Frisian, "peer" also means "horse" or "mare", derived from the Proto-Germanic word *pero-. | |||
Galician | compañeiro | ||
Galician "compañeiro" derives from "companheiro" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from the Late Latin "companio" (companion) | |||
German | peer | ||
The German word 'Peer' also means a squire or vassal. | |||
Icelandic | jafningi | ||
The Icelandic word "jafningi" originates from an Old Norse term that signified "one of equal status". | |||
Irish | piaraí | ||
Italian | pari | ||
The Italian word "pari" is derived from the Latin word "par", meaning "equal" or "alike". | |||
Luxembourgish | peer | ||
In Luxembourgish, the word "Peer" can refer to an apple and is related to the German "Apfel" (apple). | |||
Maltese | pari | ||
The word "pari" in Maltese also has the alternate meaning of "equal". | |||
Norwegian | likemann | ||
The word "likemann" comes from Old Norse "lik" (equal), and refers to someone of equal standing or status. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | par | ||
The Portuguese word "par" can also refer to an equal sign or a pair of shoes. | |||
Scots Gaelic | co-aoisean | ||
"Co-aoisean" is derived from "co" (with) and "aoise" (age), and originally referred to someone of the same age or generation. | |||
Spanish | mirar | ||
"Mirar" can mean "to look at" or "to take aim at" in Spanish. | |||
Swedish | jämlikar | ||
The word "jämlikar" can also refer to a group of people who are all the same age or social status. | |||
Welsh | cyfoed | ||
Cyfoed is a Welsh word with roots in the Latin word ‘co-aequalis’, which means 'equal', referring to the equality and reciprocity of the relationship between peers. |
Belarusian | аднагодкі | ||
The word "аднагодкі" is derived from the words "адно" (one) and "год" (year), and can also refer to people who are born in the same year. | |||
Bosnian | vršnjak | ||
In Slovene the same word vršnjak means "contemporary", someone who is of the same age as oneself, or a person of the same age | |||
Bulgarian | връстник | ||
In Bulgarian, "връстник" also means "person of the same age or social status". | |||
Czech | peer | ||
The Czech word "peer" can also mean "feather" or "quill". | |||
Estonian | eakaaslane | ||
The word "eakaaslane" (peer) comes from the word "ea" (age) and "kaaslane" (companion), meaning someone of the same age or generation. | |||
Finnish | tähyillä | ||
"Tähyillä" is also used in the expressions "tähyillä avaruuteen" ("to gaze into space") and "tähyillä tulevaisuuteen" ("to peer into the future"). | |||
Hungarian | társ | ||
In Hungarian, 'társ' originally referred to a companion in arms or a member of a guild, reflecting its military origins. | |||
Latvian | vienaudžiem | ||
"Vienaudžiem" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *weik- "age" and means "those who are of the same age". | |||
Lithuanian | bendraamžis | ||
"Bendraamžis" can refer to someone of the same age, or a person with similar experience. | |||
Macedonian | врсник | ||
The word "врсник" originally meant "someone who is the same age" and is used only in that sense in the standard Macedonian language. | |||
Polish | par | ||
The word "par" in Polish can have several meanings, including "steam", "vapor", "heat", and "sulphur". | |||
Romanian | coleg | ||
The Romanian word "coleg" evolved from the Latin word "collega", meaning "one who shares work" or "fellow worker". | |||
Russian | сверстник | ||
The word "сверстник" has roots in the Old Russian word "съвъзрастникъ" meaning "one of the same age". | |||
Serbian | вршњак | ||
"Вршњак" comes from the root "врх" (top), referring to those who are at the same level or "top" | |||
Slovak | rovesník | ||
The word "rovesník" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *rovenĭkъ, meaning "equal in age". | |||
Slovenian | vrstnik | ||
The Slovenian word 'vrstnik' originally also denoted a 'fellow countryman or inhabitant', but nowadays is almost strictly limited to peers, i.e. people of comparable age and social status. | |||
Ukrainian | однолітка | ||
"Однолітка" is sometimes used figuratively to refer to an equal, a match, or something similar in age, size, experience, or quality. |
Bengali | সমকক্ষ ব্যক্তি | ||
সমকক্ষ ব্যক্তি (peer) শব্দটি ল্যাটিন 'par' থেকে এসেছে যার অর্থ 'সম' বা 'একই'। | |||
Gujarati | પીઅર | ||
The Gujarati word "પીઅર" (peer) is derived from the Persian word "پیر" (pir), meaning "spiritual guide" or "elder." | |||
Hindi | पीयर | ||
In addition to its usual meaning, the Hindi word "पीयर" can also refer to a spiritual guide or a sage, deriving from the Persian word "pīr" meaning "old man" or "sage". | |||
Kannada | ಪೀರ್ | ||
"ಪೀರ್" (pīr) can also mean a spiritual guide or leader in the Sufi tradition. | |||
Malayalam | പിയർ | ||
The word "പിയർ" (''piyar'') also means "father" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | सरदार | ||
"सरदार" also refers to the head of village or any local administrative unit. | |||
Nepali | साथी | ||
The word "साथी" can also mean "companion" or "co-worker" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਪੀਅਰ | ||
The word "ਪੀਅਰ" (peer) can also mean "beloved" or "husband" in Punjabi. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තුල්ය | ||
The word "තුල්ය" can also mean "equal" or "comparable". | |||
Tamil | பியர் | ||
In Tamil, "பியர்" also denotes a kind of bird called a "peacock". | |||
Telugu | పీర్ | ||
In Persian, 'peer' means 'an elderly person, spiritual guide, or master' and is also used as an honorific title. | |||
Urdu | ہم مرتبہ | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 同行 | ||
在古代汉语中,同行也指同辈、同僚、同门等。 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 同行 | ||
In traditional Chinese, "同行" not only means "peer," but also refers to people in the same profession or trade. | |||
Japanese | ピア | ||
ピア (pia) can be translated to pier (a structure built at the edge of water) or peer (an equal in rank or standing) | |||
Korean | 동료 | ||
The Korean word "동료" (peer) likely originated from "동리" (neighborhood) or "동류" (same kind), emphasizing the shared experiences and camaraderie among individuals. | |||
Mongolian | үе тэнгийнхэн | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်တူရွယ်တူ | ||
Indonesian | rekan | ||
The Indonesian word "rekan" is cognate with the Malay "rakan" and Javanese "rekan", all originally derived from the Proto-Malay word *rakan, which meant "companion" or "friend". | |||
Javanese | kanca sejawat | ||
The Javanese word “kanca sejawat” means 'peers' and may originally have meant 'colleagues in a royal household'. | |||
Khmer | មិត្តភក្តិ | ||
The word មិត្តភក្តិ is derived from the Sanskrit words, Mitra (friend) and Bhakti (devotion), with the latter term sometimes being reinterpreted in this context as 'loyalty' or 'allegiance'. | |||
Lao | ມິດສະຫາຍ | ||
Malay | rakan sebaya | ||
The term 'Rakan Sebaya,' meaning 'peer', originates from the Sanskrit word 'Samanya' or 'Samana' referring to someone of equal rank. | |||
Thai | เพียร์ | ||
The word "เพียร์" in Thai can also be an adjective that means "excellent, great" (ยอดเยี่ยม, ดีเยี่ยม). | |||
Vietnamese | ngang nhau | ||
In ancient Chinese "ngang nhau" meant "the same level with", it refers to a similar height, or a comparison as equal. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kapantay | ||
Azerbaijani | həmyaşıd | ||
The word "həmyaşıd" comes from the Persian words "ham" meaning "same" and "yaş" meaning "age". | |||
Kazakh | құрдас | ||
"Құрдас" comes from the Mongolian word "хурдас" meaning "friend" or "companion." | |||
Kyrgyz | теңтуш | ||
The Kyrgyz word теңтуш comes from the Proto-Turkic root тең "equal, peer, similar," which is also the origin of a range of words in neighboring languages and beyond. | |||
Tajik | ҳамсол | ||
In Tajik, "ҳамсол" can also refer to "people of the same height". | |||
Turkmen | deňdeş | ||
Uzbek | tengdosh | ||
The word "tengdosh" has been influenced by the Russian word "товарищ" (comrade) and possibly the Persian word "تنكوش" (companion). | |||
Uyghur | تەڭتۇش | ||
Hawaiian | hoa hana | ||
"Hoa hana" can also mean work colleague, acquaintance, or someone you know by sight. | |||
Maori | hoa | ||
In Māori, hoa can also refer to friends, allies, or partners. | |||
Samoan | uo | ||
As a verb, "uo" can also mean "to gaze" or "to aim". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kapwa | ||
"Kapwa" in Tagalog can also mean "fellow being" or "shared identity". |
Aymara | parisa | ||
Guarani | papapyete | ||
Esperanto | kunulo | ||
The word "kunulo" is derived from Hungarian and also means "colleague". | |||
Latin | pari | ||
The word "pari" in Latin can also mean "equally" or "on a par with". |
Greek | συνομήλικος | ||
"Συνομήλικο" is an adjective meaning "of the same age", derived from the Ancient Greek "σύν" (together) and "ομήλικος" (of the same age). | |||
Hmong | phooj ywg | ||
Phooj ywg can also mean 'friend' or 'companion'. Additionally, it is also a clan name among the Hmong. | |||
Kurdish | peer | ||
The Kurdish word "heval (hɛval)" is often translated as "peer, comrade, friend, companion, mate, or sidekick" and can imply close comradeship or solidarity. | |||
Turkish | akran | ||
Akran can also refer to a fellow student or an age group, and is a synonym for yaşıt. | |||
Xhosa | oontanga | ||
The word "oontanga" is a Nguni word that is also used in Xhosa and means "the one who has seen". | |||
Yiddish | ייַנקוקנ זיך | ||
In Yiddish, "ייַנקוקנ זיך" can also mean "to brood", "to stare with a worried look", or "to ponder deeply". | |||
Zulu | ontanga | ||
The word "ontanga" in Zulu is also used to refer to a sibling of the same sex. | |||
Assamese | সহকৰ্মী | ||
Aymara | parisa | ||
Bhojpuri | समकक्ष मनई | ||
Dhivehi | އެކުގައި އުޅޭމީހުން | ||
Dogri | जोड़ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | kapantay | ||
Guarani | papapyete | ||
Ilocano | grupo | ||
Krio | kɔmpin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوتا | ||
Maithili | सामान पद बला | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯨꯕ ꯐꯪꯕ | ||
Mizo | thian | ||
Oromo | cimsanii ilaaluu | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ସହକର୍ମୀ | ||
Quechua | masi | ||
Sanskrit | संगठन | ||
Tatar | яшьтәшләр | ||
Tigrinya | መሓዙት | ||
Tsonga | vandla | ||