Poet in Different Languages
Discover 'Poet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A poet is a wordsmith who wields language to paint vivid images, evoke emotions, and inspire thought. Poets have been revered throughout history for their ability to capture the essence of the human experience and communicate it in a way that resonates with people across cultures and time periods. From the ancient Greek epics of Homer to the contemporary slam poetry scene, the art of poetry has continually evolved and adapted to the needs of the society in which it exists.
Understanding the translation of the word 'poet' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural significance of this role in various societies. For example, in Spanish, a poet is a poeta, in French they are a poète, and in German, a Dichter. Each of these translations reflects the unique ways in which different cultures have valued and conceptualized the role of the poet.
By exploring the translations of the word 'poet' in different languages, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural importance of this art form and the universal human need to express ourselves through poetry.
Poet
Poet in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | digter | ||
| The Afrikaans word "digter" derives from the Dutch "dichter" and the Old English "dyhtan" (to compose) and shares a root with the Latin "dictare" (to dictate). | |||
| Amharic | ገጣሚ | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ገጣሚ" can also refer to a "speaker" or "singer". | |||
| Hausa | mawaki | ||
| 'Mawaki' also refers to 'singer' or 'praise singer' and is derived from the Arabic word 'mawwak' meaning 'to tell', 'to sing' or 'to praise'. | |||
| Igbo | abu abu | ||
| In Igbo, 'abu abu' literally means 'speech speech', highlighting its connection to the spoken word and emphasizing the performative aspect of poetry. | |||
| Malagasy | poety | ||
| The Malagasy word "poety" originally meant "wise man" or "elder". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wolemba ndakatulo | ||
| Shona | mudetembi | ||
| The word "mudetembi" in Shona also means "one who makes songs" and is related to the word "kudetemba" meaning "to sing". | |||
| Somali | abwaan | ||
| The word 'abwaan' in Somali may also refer to a type of praise song. | |||
| Sesotho | seroki | ||
| The term 'seroki' may derive from 'sarohaka' ('praise-singer') or 'se-rokisi' ('the one who speaks'). | |||
| Swahili | mshairi | ||
| The word "mshairi" in Swahili also means "composer of verse" or "singer of verse". | |||
| Xhosa | imbongi | ||
| "Imbongi" is a Xhosa word referring to a poet, but can also mean "seer" or "prophet." | |||
| Yoruba | akéwì | ||
| Aside its common use as 'poet', 'akéwì' literally translates to 'one who composes' or 'one who writes'. | |||
| Zulu | imbongi | ||
| In some other Nguni languages, the word 'imbongi' is used for doctors. | |||
| Bambara | poyikɛla | ||
| Ewe | hakpanyaŋlɔla | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umusizi | ||
| Lingala | poɛmi ya maloba ya ntɔki | ||
| Luganda | omutontomi | ||
| Sepedi | sereti | ||
| Twi (Akan) | anwensɛm kyerɛwfo | ||
Poet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شاعر | ||
| The word "شاعر" originates from the verb "شعَر" (to have feelings), highlighting the connection between poetry and expression of emotions. | |||
| Hebrew | מְשׁוֹרֵר | ||
| The word "מְשׁוֹרֵר" (poet) in Hebrew also means "singer". | |||
| Pashto | شاعر | ||
| The word "شاعر" (poet) in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "sha'er", which ultimately comes from the Arabic word "shu'ara'", meaning "knower" or "possessor of knowledge". | |||
| Arabic | شاعر | ||
| The word "شاعر" originates from the verb "شعَر" (to have feelings), highlighting the connection between poetry and expression of emotions. | |||
Poet in Western European Languages
| Albanian | poeti | ||
| The word "poeti" in Albanian, meaning "poet," derives from the Latin "poeta". | |||
| Basque | poeta | ||
| Poeta, in Basque, is an abbreviation of the compound word "poesi eragile" (literally "poetry doer"). | |||
| Catalan | poeta | ||
| The word "poeta" comes from the Greek word "ποιητής," meaning "maker, creator." | |||
| Croatian | pjesnik | ||
| The root of "pjesnik" is "pjesma," meaning either "song" or "poem." | |||
| Danish | digter | ||
| In Danish, the word "digter" evolved from a term meaning "invent" or "imagine". | |||
| Dutch | dichter | ||
| The Dutch word "dichter" shares a root with "thick," and also refers to someone who seals something. | |||
| English | poet | ||
| The word 'poet' comes from the Greek word 'ποιητής', meaning 'maker' or 'creator'. | |||
| French | poète | ||
| The French word 'poète' comes from the Greek word 'poiētēs', meaning 'maker' or 'creator'. | |||
| Frisian | dichter | ||
| In Frisian, the word "dichter" can also mean a seal | |||
| Galician | poeta | ||
| The word "poeta" in Galician comes from the Latin word "poeta," which means "creator" or "maker." | |||
| German | dichter | ||
| The word "Dichter" in German can also refer to a sealant or caulking material. | |||
| Icelandic | skáld | ||
| The word "skáld" originally referred to "one who interprets hidden knowledge" in Old Norse mythology and can be used in reference to someone who predicts the future like a prophet, as well as someone who records the past like a historian. | |||
| Irish | file | ||
| In early Irish usage 'file' also means 'noble person'. | |||
| Italian | poeta | ||
| The Italian word "poeta" derives from the Greek word "ποιητής," meaning "creator" or "maker." | |||
| Luxembourgish | dichter | ||
| "Dichter" in Luxembourgish has the same meaning as in German, but can also refer to someone who is skilled in writing or speaking creatively. | |||
| Maltese | poeta | ||
| The word "poeta" in Maltese is derived from Latin, meaning "maker" or "creator". | |||
| Norwegian | dikter | ||
| Dikter is a Norwegian word which originally meant 'one who dictates' | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | poeta | ||
| In Portuguese, "poeta" can also refer to a person who is skilled at writing poetry or verse, and is not necessarily a professional poet. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bàrd | ||
| Scots Gaelic bàrd, also meaning "a person who sings at a funeral"} | |||
| Spanish | poeta | ||
| The word 'poeta' comes from the Greek 'poietes', which means 'maker' or 'creator'. | |||
| Swedish | poet | ||
| The Swedish word "poet" (poet) comes from the Greek word "poietes", which means "maker" or "creator." | |||
| Welsh | bardd | ||
| Historically, the Welsh word "bardd" has also been used to refer to musicians, storytellers, and even prophets. | |||
Poet in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | паэт | ||
| The Belarusian word "паэт" also means "one who knows how to read and write" and is related to the verb "пісаць" (pisatst) meaning "to write." | |||
| Bosnian | pjesnik | ||
| The word 'pjesnik' originates from the Slavic root 'pěsnь' meaning 'song', thus connecting the poet with the singer of ancient songs. | |||
| Bulgarian | поет | ||
| The Bulgarian word "поет" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pěti, which means "to sing". | |||
| Czech | básník | ||
| The word "básník" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *basnikъ, which originally meant "magician" or "shaman." | |||
| Estonian | luuletaja | ||
| The Estonian word "luuletaja" has several meanings, including "poet", "writer", and "storyteller". | |||
| Finnish | runoilija | ||
| The word 'runoilija' originally referred to a person who composed or sang runos, or oral folk poems. | |||
| Hungarian | költő | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "költő" not only relates to poetry but also to "to create" or "to feign". | |||
| Latvian | dzejnieks | ||
| The Latvian word "dzejnieks" likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *dʰeyǵʰ- meaning "to form" or "to shape". | |||
| Lithuanian | poetas | ||
| "Poetas" can also mean "prophet" or "seer" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | поет | ||
| The Macedonian word "поет" is derived from the Greek word "ποιητής," which also refers to a "creator" or "composer" in music or other fields. | |||
| Polish | poeta | ||
| In Polish, "poeta" can also refer to a person who writes poetry, regardless of their skill or experience. | |||
| Romanian | poet | ||
| In Romanian, the word "poet" has its origins in the Ancient Greek word "ποιητής" (poiētḗs), meaning "maker" or "creator". | |||
| Russian | поэт | ||
| The word 'поэт' is derived from the Greek word 'ποιητής' (poiētēs), which means 'maker' or 'creator'. | |||
| Serbian | песник | ||
| The word "pesnik" in Serbian also means "singer" and is derived from the verb "pevati" (to sing). | |||
| Slovak | básnik | ||
| The word "básnik" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *basnь* meaning "to speak, to tell a story". | |||
| Slovenian | pesnik | ||
| Pesnik may also refer to a | |||
| Ukrainian | поет | ||
| "Поет" means "singer" and is derived from "петь" (to sing), which itself is rooted in Proto-Slavic “*pēti”. | |||
Poet in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কবি | ||
| The word "poet" in Bangla, "কবি", can also mean "prophet" or "mystic" in some religious contexts. | |||
| Gujarati | કવિ | ||
| The word "કવિ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kavi", meaning "seer" or "sage". | |||
| Hindi | कवि | ||
| The etymology of the Hindi word "kavi" is from the Sanskrit word "kavi" (कवि) which means "seer" or "sage". | |||
| Kannada | ಕವಿ | ||
| The word "ಕವಿ" in Kannada, in addition to meaning "poet," also refers to the god Brahma as the creator of the universe. | |||
| Malayalam | കവി | ||
| The word "കവി" also has a secondary meaning of "wise man" or "sage". | |||
| Marathi | कवी | ||
| The Sanskrit word 'kavi' refers to a wise or inspired person, or one who possesses supernatural knowledge or poetic inspiration. | |||
| Nepali | कवि | ||
| "कवि" in Nepali can also mean "learned person" or "one who has attained spiritual knowledge," possibly coming from the Sanskrit root "kavi," meaning "wise" or "seer." | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਵੀ | ||
| The word "ਕਵੀ" (kavi) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "कवि" (kavi), which means "sage" or "seer". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කවියා | ||
| The word 'කවියා' (poet) has another meaning, 'a person who talks cleverly'. | |||
| Tamil | கவிஞர் | ||
| The word "கவிஞர்" (kaviñar) in Tamil derives from the Sanskrit root "kavi," meaning "wise" or "seer," and also refers to a type of ancient Tamil bard who composed and recited heroic verses. | |||
| Telugu | కవి | ||
| "కవి" in Telugu also means "one who composes poems in an inspired manner in ancient and medieval India." | |||
| Urdu | شاعر | ||
| In Urdu, the word "شاعر" not only means "poet" but may also refer to a "lover" or "singer". | |||
Poet in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 诗人 | ||
| The first character 诗 in "诗人" is an ancient ideogram resembling a house with a decorated door or window, and 人 means person, indicating the poet as one who dwells in the realm of poetry and imagination. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 詩人 | ||
| 詩人 was originally used to describe a musician who sang "詩" while playing a "瑟" (a type of zither with 25 strings). | |||
| Japanese | 詩人 | ||
| The second Kanji in the Japanese word for "poet" (詩人) means "person", and the first Kanji means "poem" or "song lyrics". However, the word also has the alternate spelling of "詩人", which means "thinker" or "intellectual". | |||
| Korean | 시인 | ||
| 시인 can also mean 'a person who is deeply moved by something' or 'a person who has a strong sense of feeling or emotion'. | |||
| Mongolian | яруу найрагч | ||
| The Mongolian word "яруу найрагч" literally means "one who makes beautiful words," emphasizing the poet's role as a creator of language and imagery. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကဗျာဆရာ | ||
Poet in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penyair | ||
| Penyair may be influenced by a similar Chinese character with a close pronunciation that refers to artists who use a brush (毛, máo). | |||
| Javanese | pujangga | ||
| The term 'pujangga' has two possible etymologies: either from Sanskrit 'pujangga' meaning 'to pay homage', or 'bhujangga' meaning 'cobra'. | |||
| Khmer | កំណាព្យ | ||
| The Khmer word "កំណាព្យ" can also refer to poetry or verse in general. | |||
| Lao | ນັກກະວີ | ||
| The word can also refer to a philosopher. | |||
| Malay | penyair | ||
| The word "penyair" in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word "pañc̣a" meaning "five" and carries the connotation of having five elements or qualities considered essential for poetic composition. | |||
| Thai | กวี | ||
| "กวี" (poet) in Thai also refers to the 12-syllable poem form invented during the Sukhothai Period. | |||
| Vietnamese | bài thơ | ||
| The word "bài thơ" literally means "step by step" in Vietnamese, and can also refer to a poem or a piece of writing. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | makata | ||
Poet in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şair | ||
| "Şair" in Azerbaijani also means "writer" or "singer". | |||
| Kazakh | ақын | ||
| The Kazakh word "ақын" has the alternate meanings of "composer" and "improvisational singer". | |||
| Kyrgyz | акын | ||
| The word "акын" is also used to refer to a traditional Kyrgyz singer-poet who improvises verse and sings to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. | |||
| Tajik | шоир | ||
| Шоир (shoir) comes from the Arabic word شاعر (shāʿir), which means "knower," "one who knows" or "one who discerns." The word can also refer to a singer or musician, a composer of poetry, or a person with a gift for oratory. | |||
| Turkmen | şahyr | ||
| Uzbek | shoir | ||
| The word 'shoir' may also refer to a song or chant. | |||
| Uyghur | شائىر | ||
Poet in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | haku mele | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'haku mele' literally translates to 'composer of words' or 'word composer'. | |||
| Maori | rohipehe | ||
| The word "rohipehe" also means "prophet" or "seer" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | fatusolo | ||
| In Samoan, a 'fatusolo' is a word that also means 'foolish' or 'crazy'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | makata | ||
| "Makata" has alternate meanings of "wise" or "learned" in ancient Tagalog culture. | |||
Poet in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | poeta satawa | ||
| Guarani | ñe’ẽpapára | ||
Poet in International Languages
| Esperanto | poeto | ||
| In Esperanto, the word "poeto" is rooted in the Greek for "maker", and this sense is also carried in the Esperanto word "faristo". | |||
| Latin | poeta | ||
| The Latin word "poeta" originates from the Greek "poietēs" meaning "maker" or "creator", and specifically a "composer of poetry". | |||
Poet in Others Languages
| Greek | ποιητής | ||
| While "ποιητής" is often translated as "poet," it was originally a more general term referring to someone who creates something, like an artisan. | |||
| Hmong | kws sau paj lug | ||
| The word "kws sau paj lug" literally means "word-shaping-spirit person". | |||
| Kurdish | helbestvan | ||
| The word "Helbestvan" originated from the word "Helbest", which means "word" or "speech" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | şair | ||
| Şair originates from Persian and refers to the 'one who sings or composes'. | |||
| Xhosa | imbongi | ||
| "Imbongi" is a Xhosa word referring to a poet, but can also mean "seer" or "prophet." | |||
| Yiddish | דיכטער | ||
| "דּיכטער" can also be interpreted as "densifier" when applied to a person, referring to one who intensifies emotions or thoughts through the use of language. | |||
| Zulu | imbongi | ||
| In some other Nguni languages, the word 'imbongi' is used for doctors. | |||
| Assamese | কবি | ||
| Aymara | poeta satawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | कवि के ह | ||
| Dhivehi | ޅެންވެރިޔާ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | कवि जी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | makata | ||
| Guarani | ñe’ẽpapára | ||
| Ilocano | mannaniw | ||
| Krio | pɔsin we de rayt poem | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شاعیر | ||
| Maithili | कवि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯕꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hla phuah thiam | ||
| Oromo | walaloo barreessaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କବି | ||
| Quechua | harawiq | ||
| Sanskrit | कविः | ||
| Tatar | шагыйрь | ||
| Tigrinya | ገጣሚ | ||
| Tsonga | mutlhokovetseri | ||