Priest in Different Languages
Discover 'Priest' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A priest is a religious leader, often responsible for performing ceremonies and rituals, providing spiritual guidance, and serving as a representative of their faith. The significance of the priest extends beyond the religious sphere, as they play a crucial role in preserving cultural traditions and values. From the Catholic Church to Hinduism, priests are essential figures in various religious communities around the world.
The word 'priest' has an interesting history, deriving from the Old English 'priest' and the Greek 'presbyteros,' both meaning 'elder' or 'experienced.' Understanding the translation of 'priest' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural nuances and historical contexts of various religious traditions.
For instance, in Spanish, a priest is translated as 'sacerdote,' while in Hebrew, it is 'kohen.' In Japanese, the word for priest is 'sōshoku,' and in Arabic, it is 'kāhin.' These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also highlight the unique cultural significance of the priestly role in various religious traditions.
Explore the fascinating world of language and religion as we delve into the translations of the word 'priest' in different languages.
Priest
Priest in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | priester | ||
| In Afrikaans, "priester" not only refers to a priest but also means "pillar" or "support". | |||
| Amharic | ካህን | ||
| The word “ካህን” can also mean a sorcerer or diviner. | |||
| Hausa | firist | ||
| The word 'firist' is also used to mean 'leader' or 'chief' in Hausa, indicating the important role that priests play in their communities. | |||
| Igbo | oku | ||
| "Oku" is derived from the word "oku okuko", meaning "one who leads the community in prayer." | |||
| Malagasy | mpisorona | ||
| The Malagasy word "mpisorona" also means "intermediary, one who brings people together" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wansembe | ||
| The word "wansembe" derives from the root "nsembera," meaning "to offer to spirits." | |||
| Shona | mupristi | ||
| "Mupristi" is a Shona word often translated as "priest". It can also mean "elder" or "chief". | |||
| Somali | wadaadka | ||
| "Wadaadka" derives from the Arabic term "Wādi'a", meaning "to entrust or leave something", referring to the priest's role as a spiritual guide in the community | |||
| Sesotho | moprista | ||
| The word "moprista" is derived from the Greek word "presbyteros" which literally means "elder". | |||
| Swahili | kuhani | ||
| The word 'kuhani' in Swahili might derive from the Proto-Bantu noun '-fũŋi' ('ancestor'). | |||
| Xhosa | umbingeleli | ||
| The word "umbingeleli" also means "mediator" or "intercessor" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | alufaa | ||
| It is derived from the word "alaafia" meaning "peace". | |||
| Zulu | umpristi | ||
| The word 'umpristi' is also used to refer to a spiritual leader or traditional healer in Zulu culture. | |||
| Bambara | sarakalasebaga | ||
| Ewe | trɔ̃nua | ||
| Kinyarwanda | padiri | ||
| Lingala | nganga-nzambe | ||
| Luganda | kabona | ||
| Sepedi | moruti | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sɔfoɔ | ||
Priest in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كاهن | ||
| كاهن "Kahen" originated as the Akkadian "kāhinu," which originally meant "soothsayer or magician" | |||
| Hebrew | כּוֹמֶר | ||
| The word is related Akkadian “kamāru” meaning “to cover” and thus relates to “protection” and “ritual purity”. | |||
| Pashto | کاهن | ||
| کاهن (kahin) is derived from the Arabic verb کُہن (kahana), meaning "to guess". | |||
| Arabic | كاهن | ||
| كاهن "Kahen" originated as the Akkadian "kāhinu," which originally meant "soothsayer or magician" | |||
Priest in Western European Languages
| Albanian | prift | ||
| The word "prift" in Albanian is derived from Ancient Greek "presbyteros", meaning "elder". | |||
| Basque | apaiz | ||
| The word “apaiz” derives from "ape-tz", meaning "son of the father." | |||
| Catalan | sacerdot | ||
| The word "sacerdot" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "sacerdos", meaning "one who performs sacred duties". | |||
| Croatian | svećenik | ||
| The word "svećenik" is derived from the Old Slavic word "svętiti" meaning "to make holy" or "to consecrate". | |||
| Danish | præst | ||
| The word "præst" in Danish comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*prestaz", which also meant "elder" or "leader". | |||
| Dutch | priester | ||
| The word "priester" in Dutch derives from the Greek word "presbuteros", meaning "elder" or "senior". | |||
| English | priest | ||
| The word "priest" is derived from the Greek word "presbuteros," which means "elder," and can also refer to the leader of a Christian community. | |||
| French | prêtre | ||
| The word "prêtre" is derived from the Latin "presbyter", meaning "elder" or "leader of a community". | |||
| Frisian | pryster | ||
| The Old Frisian word 'pryster' may also refer to a wooden wedge in the construction of fences or ships. | |||
| Galician | sacerdote | ||
| The Galician word "sacerdote" comes from the Latin word "sacerdos" (priest), but it can also refer to a pagan priest or a member of a religious order. | |||
| German | priester | ||
| Der Begriff "Priester" leitet sich vom indogermanischen Wortstamm *preh₂- ab, der "für andere sorgen" bedeutet und in vielen indoeuropäischen Sprachen zu finden ist. | |||
| Icelandic | prestur | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "prestur" is derived from the Old Norse "prestr", which means "priest," and also has the alternate meaning of "chief" or "leader." | |||
| Irish | sagart | ||
| The word 'sagart' in Irish is derived from the Latin 'sacerdos' meaning 'sacrificer' and is also used to refer to a Catholic priest. | |||
| Italian | sacerdote | ||
| The Italian word "sacerdote" derives from the Latin word "sacerdos," meaning "one who performs sacred rites." | |||
| Luxembourgish | paschtouer | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Paschtouer" derives from Middle Low German and is related to Old French "pasteur". It is the archaic term for Protestant clergyman and is still occasionally used in the north of the country. | |||
| Maltese | qassis | ||
| The word "qassis" is also used to refer to a "priest in general" or a "non-Christian priest" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | prest | ||
| Prest derives from Old Norse 'prestr', ultimately from Greek 'presbyteros' ('elder'), also the source of 'priest' in English. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sacerdote | ||
| The Portuguese word 'sacerdote' comes from the Latin 'sacerdos', which originally meant 'officer of a sacred rite'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sagart | ||
| According to Gaelic etymology, 'sagart' is derived from Latin 'sacerdos' (priest). | |||
| Spanish | sacerdote | ||
| "Sacerdote" originates from the Latin word "sacerdos," meaning "consecrated" or "dedicated to the gods." | |||
| Swedish | präst | ||
| The Swedish word "präst" comes from the Old Norse word "prestr", which is derived from the Latin word "presbyter", meaning "elder". | |||
| Welsh | offeiriad | ||
| The word "offeiriad" comes from the Latin word "offere", meaning "to offer". | |||
Priest in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | святар | ||
| The word "святар" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *svętъ, meaning "holy" or "sacred". | |||
| Bosnian | sveštenik | ||
| The word 'sveštenik' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'svętъ', meaning 'holy' or 'sacred'. | |||
| Bulgarian | свещеник | ||
| "Свещеник" also means "candle maker" and comes from the common Slavic "свѣшта" (свещ) - candle. | |||
| Czech | kněz | ||
| The word "kněz" is derived from the Slavic word "kъnędzь", which originally meant "ruler" or "prince". It has also been used in the past to refer to a secular leader or a pagan priest. | |||
| Estonian | preester | ||
| The word "preester" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "preistar", meaning "elder" or "leader". | |||
| Finnish | pappi | ||
| "Pappa" is also a form of address to one's father as well as a loan word meaning "pope". | |||
| Hungarian | pap | ||
| The Hungarian word for "priest" (pap) derives from an old Proto-Slavic term for elder or old man, meaning "father" in many Slavic languages. | |||
| Latvian | priesteris | ||
| The word "priesteris" in Latvian also refers to a member of the Catholic clergy below the rank of deacon, as well as a Protestant minister. | |||
| Lithuanian | kunigas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "kunigas" is cognate with "kuningas", the word for "king" in Estonian and Finnish. | |||
| Macedonian | свештеник | ||
| The word "свештеник" in Macedonian comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "свѧштеникъ" (svętěnikъ), meaning "one who performs sacred rites". | |||
| Polish | kapłan | ||
| The Polish word "kapłan" derives from the Latin "capire," meaning "to take," and originally referred to the act of receiving communion. | |||
| Romanian | preot | ||
| The word "preot" in Romanian derives from the Slavic word "pret" meaning "elder" or "leader". | |||
| Russian | священник | ||
| Священник is derived from the Old Slavic word 'свѧто' meaning 'holy,' and carries connotations of mediation and divine service. | |||
| Serbian | свештеник | ||
| The word "свештеник" (priest) is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "свѣштникъ" (candle), indicating the priest's role as a spiritual guide and illuminator. | |||
| Slovak | kňaz | ||
| The word "kňaz" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "kъnędzь", meaning "prince" or "ruler". | |||
| Slovenian | duhovnik | ||
| The word "duhovnik" can also mean "spiritual guide" or "confessor" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | священик | ||
| The Ukrainian word "священик" also has the alternate meaning of "minister of religion". | |||
Priest in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পুরোহিত | ||
| The word "পুরোহিত" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पुरोहित", meaning "one who is placed in front" or "chief". It can also refer to a family priest or a spiritual guide. | |||
| Gujarati | પાદરી | ||
| "પાદરી" is derived from the word "પાદ" meaning foot, and originally referred to a religious mendicant who went barefoot. | |||
| Hindi | पुजारी | ||
| पुजारी is a Hindi loanword from the Sanskrit word 'पूजक' meaning 'one who worships' and can also refer to other roles like 'idol-maker' and 'magician'. | |||
| Kannada | ಪಾದ್ರಿ | ||
| "ಪಾದ್ರಿ" is the Kannada word for "priest," derived from the Sanskrit word "padri," which means "one who reads or interprets scriptures." | |||
| Malayalam | പുരോഹിതൻ | ||
| The Malayalam word "പുരോഹിതൻ" originally referred to the head of the household and also denotes the priestly caste. | |||
| Marathi | पुजारी | ||
| The Marathi word "पुजारी" can also refer to an idol or a devotee. | |||
| Nepali | पुजारी | ||
| "पुजारी" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pujya" meaning "worthy of worship" and "-ari" indicating a person or agent, thus denoting "one who performs worship". | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੁਜਾਰੀ | ||
| The word "pujari" in Punjabi originates from the Sanskrit word "pujika," meaning "one who worships" or "offerer of homage." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පූජකයා | ||
| The Sinhalese word "පූජකයා" also refers to "venerable ones", like monks and ascetics. | |||
| Tamil | பாதிரியார் | ||
| Telugu | పూజారి | ||
| The word "పూజారి" also means "one who worships" or "one who serves" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | پادری | ||
| The word "پادری" (priest) is also used in Urdu to refer to a type of small prayer rug or doormat. | |||
Priest in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 牧师 | ||
| 牧师, 牧, 放牧; 师, 管理, 指导; 牧师, 指引导人放牧和生活的人. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 牧師 | ||
| 牧師 (Traditional Chinese) can also mean a Protestant minister, a pastor, a shepherd, or a grazier. | |||
| Japanese | 祭司 | ||
| The term 祭司 can also refer to a female priest, or to the person in charge of a Shinto shrine. | |||
| Korean | 성직자 | ||
| The word 성직자 (priest) originally meant someone who performed sacrifices to deities. | |||
| Mongolian | тахилч | ||
| The word "тахилч" can also refer to a person who performs religious rituals or a shaman. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘုန်းကြီး | ||
Priest in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | imam | ||
| The word "Imam" in Indonesian can also refer to a Muslim leader, a prayer leader, or a person who leads a group in prayer. | |||
| Javanese | pandhita | ||
| In Javanese, "pandhita" can also refer to a traditional spiritual healer or a religious expert with knowledge in ancient scriptures. | |||
| Khmer | បូជាចារ្យ | ||
| Lao | ປະໂລຫິດ | ||
| The word "ປະໂລຫິດ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पुरोहित" (purohita), meaning "one who is placed before" or "one who is charged with a sacred office or duty." | |||
| Malay | paderi | ||
| The term "paderi" can also refer to non-ordained religious teachers or advisors. | |||
| Thai | ปุโรหิต | ||
| The word "ปุโรหิต" is derived from Sanskrit and can also mean "one who sits before others" or "senior monk". | |||
| Vietnamese | thầy tu | ||
| "Thầy tu" is also used metaphorically to refer to someone or something that serves as a guide or mentor. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pari | ||
Priest in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | keşiş | ||
| The word “keşiş” in Azerbaijani also refers to a Christian monk. | |||
| Kazakh | діни қызметкер | ||
| The word "діни қызметкер" ("priest") in Kazakh derives from the Arabic word "khaddem", meaning "servant". It can also refer to a "custodian" or "trustee". | |||
| Kyrgyz | дин кызматчысы | ||
| The word "дин кызматчысы" can also refer to a religious leader or teacher in some contexts. | |||
| Tajik | коҳин | ||
| The word "коҳин" (priest) in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "kahin" (priest) and ultimately from the Arabic word "kāhin" (diviner). | |||
| Turkmen | ruhany | ||
| Uzbek | ruhoniy | ||
| Alternate meanings of "ruhoniy" in Uzbek include spirituality, religiousness, and religiosity. | |||
| Uyghur | روھانىي | ||
Priest in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kahuna | ||
| In modern Hawaiian, 'kahuna' can also refer to an expert or authority in a secular field. | |||
| Maori | tohunga | ||
| In Maori, tohunga also refers to experts in other fields, such as builders, healers, and tattooists. | |||
| Samoan | patele | ||
| The etymology of "patele" suggests a deeper meaning of "one who has authority". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pari | ||
| The word "pari" in Tagalog can also refer to a traditional healer or shaman. | |||
Priest in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tatakura | ||
| Guarani | pa'i | ||
Priest in International Languages
| Esperanto | pastro | ||
| The word | |||
| Latin | sacerdos | ||
| "Sacerdos" originally meant "one who cuts," referring to the practice of animal sacrifice. | |||
Priest in Others Languages
| Greek | παπάς | ||
| "Παπάς" ultimately means "father" and comes from the childish "papa". | |||
| Hmong | pov thawj | ||
| The word "pov thawj" can also mean "father" or "grandfather" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | keşîş | ||
| The word 'keşîş' may also refer to a 'bishop' or 'anchorite'. | |||
| Turkish | rahip | ||
| The word "rahip" in Turkish is of Greek origin, deriving from the word "hiereus", which means "performer of sacred rites". | |||
| Xhosa | umbingeleli | ||
| The word "umbingeleli" also means "mediator" or "intercessor" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | גאַלעך | ||
| The word "գալէխ" (priest) comes from the Aramaic word "galyana", meaning "stranger, foreigner" | |||
| Zulu | umpristi | ||
| The word 'umpristi' is also used to refer to a spiritual leader or traditional healer in Zulu culture. | |||
| Assamese | পূজাৰী | ||
| Aymara | tatakura | ||
| Bhojpuri | पुजारी | ||
| Dhivehi | އަޅުވެރިޔާ | ||
| Dogri | पजारी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pari | ||
| Guarani | pa'i | ||
| Ilocano | padi | ||
| Krio | prist | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قەشە | ||
| Maithili | पुजारी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯟꯗꯤꯠ | ||
| Mizo | puithiam | ||
| Oromo | luba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପୁରୋହିତ | ||
| Quechua | tayta cura | ||
| Sanskrit | पुरोहित | ||
| Tatar | рухани | ||
| Tigrinya | ቀሺ | ||
| Tsonga | mufundhisi | ||
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