Principle in Different Languages
Discover 'Principle' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, the word principle refers to a fundamental truth or rule that forms the basis of something. It's a concept that guides our actions, beliefs, and values, and it's universally relevant across cultures and languages. Principles can be moral, ethical, philosophical, or scientific, and they often serve as the foundation for the way we understand and interact with the world around us.
Throughout history, principles have been a source of inspiration and guidance for individuals and societies alike. From the ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day thought leaders, principles have been used to articulate and promote important ideas and values. By understanding and embracing the principles that underpin our lives, we can cultivate a deeper sense of purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.
Given the importance of principles, it's not surprising that the word has been translated into many different languages around the world. Here are just a few examples:
- In Spanish, the word for principle is principio.
- In French, it's principe.
- In German, it's Prinzip.
- In Mandarin Chinese, it's 原则 (yuán zé).
- In Japanese, it's 原則 (gensoku).
Principle
Principle in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | beginsel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "beginsel" is derived from the Old French word "principe", which is in turn derived from the Latin word "principium", meaning "beginning" or "origin". | |||
| Amharic | መርህ | ||
| The alternate meaning of መርህ in Amharic is 'measure'. | |||
| Hausa | ka'ida | ||
| Hausa word 'ka'ida', meaning 'principle', comes from Arabic, and means 'base' or 'foundation' | |||
| Igbo | ụkpụrụ | ||
| Ụkpụrụ (principle) is derived from the verb | |||
| Malagasy | toro lalan'ny | ||
| The term toro lalan’ny is also used in Madagascar to describe the 'main road' in a village or town. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mfundo | ||
| "Mfundo" is also the name of a traditional dance performed by the Tumbuka people of Malawi and Zambia. | |||
| Shona | musimboti | ||
| "Musimboti" is also a Shona verb which means to establish, create or build. | |||
| Somali | mabda ' | ||
| The word "mabda'" is also used to refer to a place of origin or a starting point. | |||
| Sesotho | molao-motheo | ||
| The noun 'molao-motheo' originates from the verb 'ho laola' meaning 'to govern,' implying a governing principle. | |||
| Swahili | kanuni | ||
| "Kanuni" can refer to a rule, law, regulation, or principle in legal, ethical, or social contexts. | |||
| Xhosa | umgaqo | ||
| Umgaqo can also signify an 'axiomatic rule' or 'norm' that is not necessarily self-evident. | |||
| Yoruba | opo | ||
| The Yoruba word "opo" (principle) originates from the word "opolopo" meaning "much" or "abundance". | |||
| Zulu | isimiso | ||
| "Isimiso" also means "origin" or "beginning" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | sariyakolo | ||
| Ewe | gɔmeɖose | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ihame | ||
| Lingala | etinda ya etinda | ||
| Luganda | omusingi | ||
| Sepedi | molao-motheo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nnyinasosɛm | ||
Principle in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المبدأ | ||
| In Arabic, "المبدأ" (al-mabda) not only refers to a principle but can also mean origin, source, beginning, or premise. | |||
| Hebrew | עִקָרוֹן | ||
| The Hebrew word "עִקָרוֹן" also refers to the Philistine city of Ekron, and the root "עקר" can also mean "to uproot" or "to extirpate." | |||
| Pashto | اصول | ||
| The Pashto word "اصول" can also refer to "root" or "origin". | |||
| Arabic | المبدأ | ||
| In Arabic, "المبدأ" (al-mabda) not only refers to a principle but can also mean origin, source, beginning, or premise. | |||
Principle in Western European Languages
| Albanian | parimi | ||
| "Parimi" derives from the Greek word "paramýthion," meaning "example" or "model." | |||
| Basque | printzipioa | ||
| It can also mean 'base,' 'foundation,' 'origin,' or 'element' | |||
| Catalan | principi | ||
| In Catalan, "principi" can also refer to a prince or the beginning of a film, book, etc. | |||
| Croatian | načelo | ||
| The word "načelo" in Croatian can also mean "beginning" or "origin" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *na-čęti "to begin, start". | |||
| Danish | princip | ||
| Princip in Danish can also refer to the original amount on a loan, a sum of money invested, or a main or essential part of something. | |||
| Dutch | beginsel | ||
| The Dutch word "beginsel" also has the archaic or poetic meaning "seed". | |||
| English | principle | ||
| The word "principle" can also refer to a sum of money or a principal amount, or to a person who is the head of a school or college. | |||
| French | principe | ||
| In French, "principe" can also mean "prince" or "boss". | |||
| Frisian | prinsipe | ||
| "Prinsipe" in Frisian also refers to a ruler, or the person in charge. | |||
| Galician | principio | ||
| "Principio" is used in its Latin acceptation, meaning origin, start or source. | |||
| German | prinzip | ||
| The word "Prinzip" in German can also mean "rule" or "law". | |||
| Icelandic | meginregla | ||
| The word "meginregla" originally meant "the main rule" in Norse mythology, then came to mean "principle" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | prionsabal | ||
| The Irish word "prionsabal" can also refer to a "pattern of behavior" or a "model to be followed". | |||
| Italian | principio | ||
| In Italian, "principio" also means "beginning, start, or origin" | |||
| Luxembourgish | prinzip | ||
| Maltese | prinċipju | ||
| The Maltese word "prinċipju" comes from the Latin word "principium" which means "beginning" or "source" and can also refer to a "rule" or "guideline | |||
| Norwegian | prinsipp | ||
| "Prinsipp" also means a spice in Norwegian, especially in the expression "å få eller gi noen sitt prinsipp" (to give someone a piece of one's mind). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | princípio | ||
| In the Portuguese language, "princípio" also means the first phase or stage of a process or event. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | prionnsapal | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "prionnsapal" derives from Old French "principel" meaning "beginning" or "first". | |||
| Spanish | principio | ||
| In Spanish, "principio" can also refer to a beginning or a time when something starts. | |||
| Swedish | princip | ||
| In Swedish, "princip" can also refer to a melody that forms the foundation of a composition. | |||
| Welsh | egwyddor | ||
| The word "egwyddor" can also mean "doctrine" or "axiom" in Welsh. | |||
Principle in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | прынцыповасць | ||
| The word "прынцыповасць" also has the meaning of "fundamentalism", indicating adherence to a strict set of beliefs. | |||
| Bosnian | princip | ||
| The word "princip" also means "leader" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | принцип | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "принцип" can also refer to a rule of thumb or a basic law of nature. | |||
| Czech | zásada | ||
| The word "zásada" derives from the Old Czech word "zázda," meaning "support" or "foundation." | |||
| Estonian | põhimõttel | ||
| Alternately, "põhimõttel" can also mean "rule" or "axiom". | |||
| Finnish | periaate | ||
| Finnish word "periaate" is derived from Greek word "principium" meaning "beginning, first principle, chief foundation" | |||
| Hungarian | elv | ||
| The word "elv" is Hungarian for "principle" but it also refers to a river delta. | |||
| Latvian | princips | ||
| Latvian “princips” and its synonyms “sākums” (“beginning”), “pamats” (“foundation”), and “vadlīnija” (“guideline”) all originate from the same root “principium”, which means “beginning” in Latin. | |||
| Lithuanian | principas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "principas" is an older version of the borrowed word "principas'", meaning "the first one". | |||
| Macedonian | принцип | ||
| The Macedonian word "принцип" derives from the Greek word "αρχή" (arkhē), originally meaning "beginning, source, or root", and has also been used in Christianity to refer to the "origin, cause, or source of all things". | |||
| Polish | zasada | ||
| The Polish word "zasada" can also refer to an ambush, a trap or an ambush position. | |||
| Romanian | principiu | ||
| The Romanian word "principiu" directly evolved from the Latin "principium" - "beginning", a meaning which is now considered its secondary meaning in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | принцип | ||
| In Russian, “принцип” can also refer to a musical note or an elementary particle | |||
| Serbian | принцип | ||
| The word "принцип" can also refer to the moral guidelines of an organization or the fundamental structure of a system. | |||
| Slovak | princíp | ||
| The word "princíp" in Slovak also means "the basis, the starting point". | |||
| Slovenian | načelo | ||
| The word 'načelo' in Slovenian also means 'beginning' or 'foundation'. | |||
| Ukrainian | принцип | ||
| The word "принцип" (principle) also has an alternate meaning in Ukrainian, which is "interest"} | |||
Principle in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নীতি | ||
| The word "নীতি" (Neeti) has Sanskrit origins and also means "ethics" or "morality". | |||
| Gujarati | સિદ્ધાંત | ||
| સિદ્ધાંત shares cognates with the Indo-Aryan word 'sat' meaning 'being', 'existence'. | |||
| Hindi | सिद्धांत | ||
| The Hindi word "सिद्धांत" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "सिद्धान्त" meaning "conclusive reason" or "established tenet". | |||
| Kannada | ತತ್ವ | ||
| The word "ತತ್ವ" in Kannada is cognate with "tattva" in Sanskrit, which also means "element" or "essence". | |||
| Malayalam | തത്വം | ||
| The word "തത്വം" in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "तत्व" which means "principle" or "element", and it can also refer to "reality", "truth" or "nature of something". | |||
| Marathi | तत्व | ||
| Though 'तत्व' literally means 'element', it is metaphorically used as 'principle' and 'essence' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | सिद्धान्त | ||
| The word "सिद्धान्त" is derived from the Sanskrit root "सिद्ध" meaning "to establish" or "to prove", and the suffix "-ान्त" meaning "that which is established" or "an established principle or doctrine". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਧਾਂਤ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මූලධර්මය | ||
| The word is derived from the Sanskrit word "mūladharma", which means the fundamental law or the basis of anything. | |||
| Tamil | கொள்கை | ||
| The Tamil word "கொள்கை" (principle) can also refer to a policy, rule, or maxim, and derives from the Sanskrit word "कुलक" (kulaka), meaning "family" or "lineage." | |||
| Telugu | సూత్రం | ||
| The Telugu word "సూత్రం" derives from the Sanskrit word "सूत्र" (sūtra), which has various meanings including "thread," "rule," or "aphorism." | |||
| Urdu | اصول | ||
| Derived from Arabic word 'أصول' (roots), 'اصول' in Urdu also refers to Islamic jurisprudence and legal doctrines. | |||
Principle in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 原理 | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "principle", "原理" can also refer to "the fundamental laws or truths of a subject". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 原理 | ||
| 原理, from principle in English, also refers to truth or reason, such as in the term 物理原理, physics principles. | |||
| Japanese | 原理 | ||
| The word 'principle' is derived from the Latin word principium meaning 'beginning' or 'source'. | |||
| Korean | 원리 | ||
| The Korean word "원리" can also mean "reason", "cause", or "the reason for something". | |||
| Mongolian | зарчим | ||
| The Mongolian word "зарчим" can also mean "foundation" or "basis". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | နိယာမ | ||
Principle in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | prinsip | ||
| In Indonesian, "prinsip" can also mean "stance" or "basic rule" and comes from the Dutch word "principe." | |||
| Javanese | prinsip | ||
| Javanese word "prinsip" also means the foundation of a building or a house. | |||
| Khmer | គោលការណ៍ | ||
| The Khmer word for principle is pronounced "kow-len-kan" and comes from the Sanskrit word "tattva," meaning "essence" or "truth." | |||
| Lao | ຫຼັກການ | ||
| Malay | prinsip | ||
| "Prinsip" is derived from the Sanskrit word "prinsipa", meaning "chief", "head", or "first". | |||
| Thai | หลักการ | ||
| The word "หลักการ" also means "reason" or "cause" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | nguyên tắc | ||
| The word "nguyên tắc" in Vietnamese can also refer to axioms or foundational concepts in a discipline. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | prinsipyo | ||
Principle in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | prinsip | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "prinsip" can also mean "principled", "fundamental", or "basic". | |||
| Kazakh | принцип | ||
| The Kazakh word "принцип" can also mean "basis" or "foundation". | |||
| Kyrgyz | принцип | ||
| "Принцип" (prinsipi) is a Russian loanword meaning both "principle" and "basis" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | принсип | ||
| The Tajik word "принсип" ("principle") comes from the Russian word "принцип" ("principle"), which itself derived from the Latin word "principium" ("first principle"). | |||
| Turkmen | ýörelgesi | ||
| Uzbek | printsip | ||
| The word "printsip" can also refer to the "head" or "origin" of something in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | پرىنسىپ | ||
Principle in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumumanaʻo | ||
| Kumumanaʻo derives from the Proto-Polynesian root *mana, meaning 'power, authority, or prestige,' and the suffix -o, indicating possession. | |||
| Maori | parau tumu | ||
| In Maori, 'parau tumu' also refers to the 'seed' of an idea or the 'foundation' of a belief system. | |||
| Samoan | mataupu silisili | ||
| The term "mataupu silisili" in Samoan also refers to a foundation or cornerstone. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | prinsipyo | ||
| The word "prinsipyo" originally came from the Spanish word "principio", which also means "beginning", "basis", and "source". | |||
Principle in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | principio | ||
| Guarani | principio rehegua | ||
Principle in International Languages
| Esperanto | principo | ||
| "Principo" in Esperanto can also refer to a musical score or a musical piece. | |||
| Latin | principle | ||
| In Latin, the word "principium" can also mean "origin" or "beginning". | |||
Principle in Others Languages
| Greek | αρχή | ||
| The Greek word 'αρχή' means both 'beginning' and 'principle,' capturing the idea that origins can contain guiding principles. | |||
| Hmong | kuj | ||
| "Kuj" is also used to refer to the "truth" or "natural law" that governs the universe and human affairs. | |||
| Kurdish | rêzman | ||
| The Kurdish word "rêzman" can also refer to a ruler, head of household, or foreman. | |||
| Turkish | prensip | ||
| The Turkish word "prensip" comes from the French word "principe" or the Latin word "principium", which both mean "beginning" or "source". | |||
| Xhosa | umgaqo | ||
| Umgaqo can also signify an 'axiomatic rule' or 'norm' that is not necessarily self-evident. | |||
| Yiddish | פּרינציפּ | ||
| The Yiddish word 'פרינציפּ' (principle) also means 'a basic rule or law governing a particular area of knowledge or conduct'. | |||
| Zulu | isimiso | ||
| "Isimiso" also means "origin" or "beginning" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | নীতি | ||
| Aymara | principio | ||
| Bhojpuri | सिद्धांत के रूप में बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އުސޫލުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | सिद्धांत | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | prinsipyo | ||
| Guarani | principio rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | prinsipio | ||
| Krio | prinsipul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بنەما | ||
| Maithili | सिद्धांत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄ꯭ꯔꯤꯟꯁꯤꯄꯜ ꯑꯁꯤꯅꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | principle chu a ni | ||
| Oromo | qajeelfama (principle) jedhu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନୀତି | ||
| Quechua | principio nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | सिद्धान्तः | ||
| Tatar | принцибы | ||
| Tigrinya | መትከል ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | nsinya wa nawu | ||