Prescription in Different Languages
Discover 'Prescription' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, a 'prescription' is a written order from a medical professional, providing instructions for the preparation and administration of a medication or treatment. This simple piece of paper holds immense significance in the world of healthcare, guiding patients towards recovery and wellness. But did you know that the word 'prescription' has fascinating cultural importance and historical contexts worldwide?
For instance, in many Spanish-speaking countries, a prescription is known as 'una receta,' which also means 'a recipe' in English. This dual meaning highlights the idea of a prescription as a carefully crafted set of instructions, much like a recipe for good health. Meanwhile, in Russia, a prescription is 'рецепт' (resepт), and in Germany, it's 'Rezept' (Rezepт).
Delving into the translations of 'prescription' in different languages offers a captivating journey into the nuances of global healthcare and language. Keep reading to discover more intriguing translations and cultural insights associated with this vital word.
Prescription
Prescription in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | voorskrif | ||
| The word "voorskrif" in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "voorschrift", which means "instruction" or "order". It can also refer to a written recipe or formula. | |||
| Amharic | ማዘዣ | ||
| From the verb ማዛ "to order, to command" in Amharic; also known as a "pharmacopeia" or a collection of drugs | |||
| Hausa | takardar sayan magani | ||
| The word 'takardar sayan magani' is a compound word derived from two Hausa words: 'takardar', meaning 'paper', and 'sayan magani', meaning 'medicine buyer'. | |||
| Igbo | ndenye ọgwụ | ||
| Malagasy | levitra | ||
| The word "levitra" is also used to refer to the act of prescribing medicine. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mankhwala | ||
| The word | |||
| Shona | mushonga | ||
| The word `mushonga` has its roots in the verb `shonga`, meaning to pierce or inject. | |||
| Somali | rijeetada | ||
| In Somali, `rijeetada` also refers to instructions or advice. | |||
| Sesotho | lengolo la ngaka | ||
| The term "lengolo la ngaka" is sometimes used colloquially to refer to medicine taken without a prescription as well. | |||
| Swahili | maagizo | ||
| Maagizo is derived from the Arabic word 'wazifa', meaning 'duty' or 'instruction'. | |||
| Xhosa | amayeza | ||
| The word 'amayeza' is a plural noun which can also refer to 'medication', 'drugs', or 'remedies' | |||
| Yoruba | ogun | ||
| The word 'ogun' can also mean 'medicine' or 'drug' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | incwadi kadokotela | ||
| "Incwadi kadokotela" is also known as a "prescription", "doctor's note", or "medical prescription". | |||
| Bambara | furasɛbɛn min bɛ sɛbɛn | ||
| Ewe | atike si woŋlɔ na ame | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imiti | ||
| Lingala | mokanda oyo monganga akomeli yo | ||
| Luganda | eddagala eriwandiikiddwa | ||
| Sepedi | taelo ya ngaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nnuru a wɔkyerɛw ma obi | ||
Prescription in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | وصفة طبية | ||
| In pharmacology, وصفة طبية (Arabic for "medical recipe") designates a prescription. | |||
| Hebrew | מִרשָׁם | ||
| "מִרשָׁם" also means "pattern, blueprint, recipe, model, example" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | نسخه | ||
| The word "نسخه" is also used to refer to a printed document in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | وصفة طبية | ||
| In pharmacology, وصفة طبية (Arabic for "medical recipe") designates a prescription. | |||
Prescription in Western European Languages
| Albanian | recetë | ||
| Albanian "recetë" (prescription) derives ultimately from Latin "receiptum" (recipe), referring to a written medical directive but also a kitchen instruction. | |||
| Basque | errezeta | ||
| The word "errezeta" can also mean "recipe" or "formula". | |||
| Catalan | recepta mèdica | ||
| The Catalan word "recepta mèdica" derives from the Latin word "recipere", meaning "to receive" or "to take". | |||
| Croatian | recept | ||
| The word 'recept' in Croatian also refers to a ritual or custom. | |||
| Danish | recept | ||
| The word "recept" in Danish also has the meaning of "recipe". | |||
| Dutch | voorschrift | ||
| "Voorschrift" in Dutch can also refer to an instruction or order. | |||
| English | prescription | ||
| The word 'prescription' comes from the Latin word 'praescriptum', meaning 'something written before'. | |||
| French | ordonnance | ||
| The word "ordonnance" in French has its roots in the Latin "ordinare," meaning "to arrange or put in order," and has multiple meanings, including "order," "decree," and "prescription." | |||
| Frisian | resept | ||
| The Frisian word 'resept' (prescription) likely originates from the Latin 're' (again) and 'accipere' (take) but has also been used historically to mean 'receipt'. | |||
| Galician | prescrición | ||
| In Galician, "prescrición" can also mean "limitation period", the period after which a legal right or obligation ceases to be enforceable. | |||
| German | rezept | ||
| "Rezept" is derived from the Latin "receptum" (something received), originally referring to a formula or direction for preparing a medicine. | |||
| Icelandic | lyfseðilsskyld | ||
| 'Lyfseðilsskyld' is a compound word composed of 'lyf' (medicine), 'seðill' (custom or habit) and 'skyld' (obligation) and therefore means 'obligated by custom' or 'obligated by necessity' | |||
| Irish | oideas | ||
| The Irish word "oideas" not only means "prescription," but also "example" or "paradigm." | |||
| Italian | prescrizione | ||
| The Italian word 'prescrizione' can also mean a legal 'limitation or statute', hence the term 'acquisitive prescription', referring to the legal concept of ownership being acquired over time. | |||
| Luxembourgish | rezept | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Rezept" (equivalent to the German word) can also mean "recipe". | |||
| Maltese | preskrizzjoni | ||
| The Maltese word "preskrizzjoni" has various meanings and can refer to legal prescription (expiration of rights) in addition to medical prescriptions. | |||
| Norwegian | resept | ||
| "Resept" comes from the Latin word "receptum", meaning "something received". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | prescrição | ||
| "Prescrição" also means statute of limitations in the legal sense. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | oideas | ||
| The word "oideas" in Scots Gaelic is derived from the Irish "oideas" and the Old Irish "oitides". | |||
| Spanish | prescripción | ||
| The Spanish word "prescripción" can also mean "statute of limitations" or "prescription (a medical order)" depending on the context. | |||
| Swedish | recept | ||
| The word "recept" (prescription) in Swedish comes from the Latin word "recipere", meaning "to take" or "to receive". | |||
| Welsh | presgripsiwn | ||
| The word 'presgripsiwn' is derived from the Latin 'praescriptio', meaning 'something written in advance' or 'a rule or direction'. | |||
Prescription in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рэцэпт | ||
| "Рэцэпт" came to Belarusian from Latin through Polish, where «recepta» means 'a prescription, receipt, remedy' as well as 'a receiving, taking' (from Lat. receptum 'something received or taken'). | |||
| Bosnian | recept | ||
| The word "recept" is derived from the Latin word "recipere", meaning "to take" or "to receive". | |||
| Bulgarian | рецепта | ||
| In Bulgarian, "рецепта" also has meanings like "recipe" and "instructional formula". | |||
| Czech | předpis | ||
| In Czech, "předpis" can also refer to a regulation or rule. | |||
| Estonian | retsept | ||
| The word "retsept" originates from the Latin word "recipere", meaning "to take back" or "to receive". | |||
| Finnish | resepti | ||
| The word 'resepti' in Finnish also means 'recipe'. | |||
| Hungarian | recept | ||
| The Hungarian word "recept" is derived from the Latin "recipere," meaning "to take back," and also refers to a "formula" or "medical remedy." | |||
| Latvian | recepte | ||
| "Recepte" originates from the Latin word "recipe" meaning "to take" and is also used in English as a direction to a pharmacist to make up a prescribed medicine. | |||
| Lithuanian | receptas | ||
| In Latin, "receptas" means "take thou," indicating the directive nature of a medical order. | |||
| Macedonian | рецепт | ||
| The word "рецепт" is derived from the Latin word "recipe", which means "to take" or "to receive". | |||
| Polish | recepta | ||
| The word "recepta" in Polish can also mean "recipe" or "formula". | |||
| Romanian | reteta medicala | ||
| ''Reteta'' is derived from the Latin ''recipere'', meaning to prepare, and in Romanian it also means ''recipe''. | |||
| Russian | рецепт | ||
| The word "рецепт" (prescription) is derived from the Latin word "recipe" meaning "take", and is cognate with the English word "recipe". | |||
| Serbian | рецепт | ||
| The Serbian word "рецепт" comes from the Latin word "receptum", which means "received" or "taken back" | |||
| Slovak | predpis | ||
| In Czech, "predpis" usually means "regulation" or "instruction" rather than "prescription." | |||
| Slovenian | recept | ||
| "Recept" also means 'recipe' and stems from the Latin word 'recipere', which originally meant 'to take back,' then 'to receive' or 'to accept'. | |||
| Ukrainian | рецепт | ||
| The Ukrainian word "рецепт" (prescription) derives from the Latin "recipere," meaning "to receive" or "to take." | |||
Prescription in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রেসক্রিপশন | ||
| The word "prescription" in English has Latin roots and is related to the words "pre" (before) and "scribere" (to write). | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રિસ્ક્રિપ્શન | ||
| Hindi | पर्चे | ||
| While commonly used for 'prescription', 'पर्चे' can also mean a 'short note' or 'document' | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಿಸ್ಕ್ರಿಪ್ಷನ್ | ||
| The word "ಪ್ರಿಸ್ಕ್ರಿಪ್ಷನ್" (prescription) is derived from the Latin word "praescriptio", which means "a writing before" or "an order written in advance". | |||
| Malayalam | കുറിപ്പടി | ||
| "കുറിപ്പടി" is an alternate way of referring to a medical document, and also refers to a note. | |||
| Marathi | प्रिस्क्रिप्शन | ||
| The Marathi word "प्रिस्क्रिप्शन" can also refer to an order, command, or instruction. | |||
| Nepali | पर्चे | ||
| The word 'पर्चे' in Nepali can also refer to a lottery ticket or a piece of paper used for writing or drawing. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੁਸਖ਼ਾ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බෙහෙත් වට්ටෝරුව | ||
| Tamil | மருந்து | ||
| The word "மருந்து" can also mean "medicine" or "treatment" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రిస్క్రిప్షన్ | ||
| Urdu | نسخہ | ||
| "نسخہ" also means a "recipe" and is derived from the Arabic root "ن-س-خ" meaning "to copy", reflecting the traditional practice of copying prescriptions and recipes by hand. | |||
Prescription in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 处方 | ||
| The term “处方” literally means “place method” and has the extended meaning of “therapeutic method or formula.” | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 處方 | ||
| The word "處方" also means "recipe" or "formula". | |||
| Japanese | 処方 | ||
| The word "処方" (shohou) originally meant "to adjust" or "to rectify," and is still used in that sense in some contexts. | |||
| Korean | 처방 | ||
| 처방 in Korean can refer not only to a medical prescription, but also to a prescription drug, or a recipe | |||
| Mongolian | жор | ||
| The Mongolian word 'жор' also has the meaning 'ration', as in food or drink given at regular intervals. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆေးညွှန်း | ||
Prescription in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | resep | ||
| While "resep" usually means "prescription," in the context of traditional Javanese dance, it refers to the choreographic composition of a dance piece. | |||
| Javanese | resep | ||
| "Resep" can also be used to refer to a culinary recipe in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | វេជ្ជបញ្ជា | ||
| Lao | ຕາມໃບສັ່ງແພດ | ||
| Malay | preskripsi | ||
| The word “preskripsi” in Malay can also mean a ‘decree’ or ‘edict’. | |||
| Thai | ใบสั่งยา | ||
| In Thai, the word "ใบสั่งยา" ("prescription") literally translates to "paper that orders medicine". | |||
| Vietnamese | đơn thuốc | ||
| "Đơn thuốc" (prescription) derives from "đơn" (recipe) and "thuốc" (medicine), implying a written instruction for preparing and taking medication. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | reseta | ||
Prescription in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | resept | ||
| The word "resept" is derived from the Persian word "rasid", meaning "receipt" or "invoice". | |||
| Kazakh | рецепт | ||
| In Kazakh, the word «рецепт» has meanings similar to its Russian equivalent, meaning «a recipe», «a formula» or «an instruction». | |||
| Kyrgyz | рецепт | ||
| Kyrgyz рецепти does not have the meaning of a 'recipe' in English. | |||
| Tajik | дорухат | ||
| The word 'дорухат' in Tajik, meaning 'prescription', is derived from the Persian word 'دارو' meaning 'medicine'. | |||
| Turkmen | resept | ||
| Uzbek | retsept | ||
| The word "retsept" is derived from the Latin word "recipe", meaning "take" or "receive". | |||
| Uyghur | رېتسېپ | ||
Prescription in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palapala kuhikuhi | ||
| Palapala kuhikuhi, meaning 'prescription,' also translates to 'paper that directs' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whakahaunga | ||
| "Whakahaunga" derives from "hakahaungia" (infused with life), implying the power of healing. | |||
| Samoan | talavai | ||
| The word 'talavai' is derived from the Proto-Polynesian term 'tavalai', originally meaning 'sacred' or 'taboo'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | reseta | ||
| "Reseta" in Tagalog is derived from the Spanish word "receta," which means both "recipe" and "prescription." | |||
Prescription in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | receta ukata | ||
| Guarani | receta rehegua | ||
Prescription in International Languages
| Esperanto | preskribo | ||
| Latin | praescriptum | ||
| "Praescriptum" also means "title" or "preface" in Latin | |||
Prescription in Others Languages
| Greek | ιατρική συνταγή | ||
| The word "ιατρική συνταγή" in Greek can be translated as "prescription", but it also means "medical recipe" or "formula". | |||
| Hmong | tshuaj | ||
| The Hmong word "tshuaj" also means "medicine" or "medication." | |||
| Kurdish | reçete | ||
| The word "reçete" is also used in Kurdish to mean "recipe" or "formula". | |||
| Turkish | reçete | ||
| The Turkish word 'reçete' also carries the meaning of 'recipe', derived from the French word 'recette' with the same meaning. | |||
| Xhosa | amayeza | ||
| The word 'amayeza' is a plural noun which can also refer to 'medication', 'drugs', or 'remedies' | |||
| Yiddish | רעצעפּט | ||
| The word "רעצעפּט" in Yiddish derives from the Middle Latin "recēpta" and ultimately from the Latin "recipere" (to receive). | |||
| Zulu | incwadi kadokotela | ||
| "Incwadi kadokotela" is also known as a "prescription", "doctor's note", or "medical prescription". | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰেছক্ৰিপচন | ||
| Aymara | receta ukata | ||
| Bhojpuri | पर्चे के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޑޮކްޓަރުގެ ލަފާގެ މަތިންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | नुस्खा दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | reseta | ||
| Guarani | receta rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | reseta | ||
| Krio | prɛskrishɔn we dɛn kin gi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەچەتەی ڕەچەتە | ||
| Maithili | पर्चे | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄ꯭ꯔꯦꯁꯛꯔꯤꯄꯁꯟ ꯄꯤꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | damdawi pek chhuah a ni | ||
| Oromo | ajaja yaalaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରେସକ୍ରିପସନ୍ | ||
| Quechua | receta nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | विधानम् | ||
| Tatar | рецепт | ||
| Tigrinya | ትእዛዝ ሓኪም | ||
| Tsonga | xileriso xa dokodela | ||