Quarterback in Different Languages
Discover 'Quarterback' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A quarterback is more than just a football player; they're a leader, a strategist, and a playmaker all in one. Originating from American football, the term 'quarterback' refers to the team member who leads the offense and calls the plays in the huddle. Their significance extends beyond the field, as the quarterback often becomes the face of the franchise and a cultural icon.
From humble beginnings in the late 19th century, the quarterback position has evolved into a complex and crucial role, shaping the way the game is played today. The position's impact transcends borders, making the translation of 'quarterback' in different languages intriguing and relevant for football fans worldwide.
For instance, in Spanish, a quarterback is known as a mariscal de campo. In French, they're called a quarterback, preserving the original English term. In German, the translation is Quarterback, while in Italian, it's quarterback as well. These translations showcase the global reach and influence of American football.
Discover more fascinating translations of 'quarterback' in various languages and learn about the cultural importance of this pivotal position in the world of sports.
Quarterback
Quarterback in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | quarterback | ||
| The Afrikaans word "quarterback" is a loanword from English, and it has the same meaning. | |||
| Amharic | ሩብ ዓመት | ||
| The word "ሩብ ዓመት" literally means "a quarter of a year" and is also used to refer to a season, period, or quarter. | |||
| Hausa | kwata-kwata | ||
| In Hausa, "kwata-kwata" is an alteration of the English word "quarterback". | |||
| Igbo | quarterback | ||
| In Igbo, the word 'quarterback' is also used to refer to a general or leader in a team or organization. | |||
| Malagasy | quarterback | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kotala kotala | ||
| The word 'kotala kotala' is derived from the Nyanja word 'kotala', meaning 'to throw' or 'to pass'. | |||
| Shona | quarterback | ||
| In Shona, the word "quarterback" (kwata-bhero) also means "to seize the ball". | |||
| Somali | wareeg ah | ||
| The word "wareeg ah" is derived from the Arabic root "wrq", meaning "to move around", and the Somali suffix "-ah", which indicates the agent of an action. | |||
| Sesotho | kotara kotara | ||
| The word 'kotara kotara' is derived from the verb 'kotara', meaning 'to throw' or 'to pass'. | |||
| Swahili | robo ya nyuma | ||
| "Robo ya nyuma" literally means "back runner" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | kwikota | ||
| The word "kwikota" in Xhosa derives from the expression "ukukhwela ngokota" meaning "to ride on the back of something". | |||
| Yoruba | kotabaki | ||
| The word 'kotabaki' is derived from the Yoruba word 'ko' (which means 'run') and 'tabaki' (which means 'to carry'). | |||
| Zulu | ikota emuva | ||
| "Ikota emuva" can also mean "the one who is left behind" or "the last one" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | quarterback (kɔlɔsilikɛla). | ||
| Ewe | quarterback ƒe ƒuƒoƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kimwe cya kane | ||
| Lingala | quarterback ya quarterback | ||
| Luganda | omuteebi wa ‘quarterback’ | ||
| Sepedi | mohlabani wa kotara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | quarterback a ɔbɔ bɔɔl | ||
Quarterback in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قورتربك | ||
| The word "قورتربك" is derived from the English word "quarterback", which refers to a position in American football. | |||
| Hebrew | קוורטרבק | ||
| In Hebrew, "קוורטרבק" also means "quarter turn or twist". | |||
| Pashto | څلورمه برخه | ||
| Arabic | قورتربك | ||
| The word "قورتربك" is derived from the English word "quarterback", which refers to a position in American football. | |||
Quarterback in Western European Languages
| Albanian | qendërmbrojtës | ||
| The term is borrowed from English, where it originally referred to a defensive position in American football but shifted gradually to the offensive position it signifies in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | quarterback | ||
| Quarterback derives from Middle English "quarterbacke," meaning "one who backs up the quarter," i.e., the quartermaster or paymaster, ultimately from Latin "quartus." This is likely due to the quarterback being behind the three other positions of the backfield and because the term "quarterback" originally referred to the quartermaster of a ship or similar supply officer. | |||
| Catalan | quarterback | ||
| The word "quarterback" derives from the position's original role of leading three other players in the backfield, or "quarters". | |||
| Croatian | bek | ||
| Though 'bek' means 'quarterback' in Croatian, it also means 'guard' or 'defender'. | |||
| Danish | quarterback | ||
| In Danish, "quarterback" can also refer to the position of "målmand" in soccer or "center" in basketball. | |||
| Dutch | quarterback | ||
| In Dutch, 'quarterback' can also refer to a player who controls the ball in basketball or handball. | |||
| English | quarterback | ||
| The term "quarterback" originated in the 19th century, when teams were divided into four "quarters" with each responsible for a different part of the field. | |||
| French | stratège | ||
| The word "stratège" in French shares its etymology with the Greek word "strategos," meaning "general" or "military leader." | |||
| Frisian | quarterback | ||
| It is a compound composed of | |||
| Galician | quarterback | ||
| In Galician, "quarterback" translates to "xogador do ataque" (offensive player). | |||
| German | quarterback | ||
| Die Position des Quarterbacks wird auch als Spielmacher bezeichnet, da er das Spielgeschehen organisiert und lenkt. | |||
| Icelandic | bakvörður | ||
| "Bak" means back, and "vörður" means defender, guard or watchman. | |||
| Irish | quarterback | ||
| Italian | quarterback | ||
| The term "quarterback" derives from the position of the player in the 19th century when the field was divided into four quarters. | |||
| Luxembourgish | quarterback | ||
| Maltese | quarterback | ||
| The etymology of the word "quarterback" in Maltese is uncertain, but it may derive from the term "quarter" meaning "one of four equal parts" or from the term "back" meaning "a person who plays behind the other players on a team". | |||
| Norwegian | quarterback | ||
| Kvartback kommer fra engelsk og betyr egentlig "kaptein over en fjerdedel av et lag" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quarterback | ||
| No PT-BR, "quarterback" pode ser tanto a posição do jogador no futebol americano quanto o tempo de 15 minutos em uma partida de basquete. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | quarterback | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word 'quarterback' is also used to refer to a 'military commander', or a 'herald' or 'messenger'. | |||
| Spanish | jugador de ataque | ||
| The word "quarterback" has its origins in the Latin word "ad quartum", or "in the fourth", referring to the player's position at the start of a play. | |||
| Swedish | quarterback | ||
| "Quarterback" kommer från att de förr var placerade på fältets kvart, det vill säga 25%. | |||
| Welsh | chwarterback | ||
| The Welsh word "chwarterbac" comes from the English word "quarterback," but means "fullback" in Welsh. | |||
Quarterback in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | абаронца | ||
| The word “абаронца” (“quarterback”) in Belarusian is derived from the word “абарона” (“defense”), implying the quarterback's role in protecting the team from the opposition's offense. | |||
| Bosnian | kvoterbek | ||
| The word "kvoterbek" in Bosnian is derived from the English word "quarterback" and retains its original meaning. | |||
| Bulgarian | куотърбек | ||
| The word "quarterback" originates from the position's traditional place in the offensive formation, which is behind the center and three other offensive linemen. | |||
| Czech | rozohrávač | ||
| The word "rozohrávač" also means "playmaker" in basketball and hockey. | |||
| Estonian | tagamängija | ||
| Derived from “tagataha” (“backfield”) and “mängija” (“player”), but originally “runner” or “pursuer”. | |||
| Finnish | pelinrakentaja | ||
| Pelinrakentaja, a Finnish loanword, originates from Swedish 'spelbyggare', meaning 'play-builder' in English. | |||
| Hungarian | hátvéd | ||
| Hátvéd originated from the Hungarian word for "protector" or "shield defender" due to its position closest to the goal line in soccer. | |||
| Latvian | aizsargs | ||
| "Aizsargs" is derived from a phrase meaning “one who stands behind". | |||
| Lithuanian | gynėjas | ||
| In Lithuanian mythology, "gynėjas" is a type of demon who protects people from evil spirits and other threats. | |||
| Macedonian | бек | ||
| The Macedonian term 'бек' is also the equivalent of the English word 'back' | |||
| Polish | rozgrywający | ||
| The term `rozgrywający` originally referred to a military commander or strategist responsible for developing and executing battle plans. | |||
| Romanian | fundas | ||
| "Fundas" is an alternate spelling of the Romanian word "fundaș," meaning "defender" in soccer | |||
| Russian | защитник | ||
| The word "защитник" can also mean "defender" or "protector" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | квотербек | ||
| У српском, реч "квотербек" се односи и на играча америчког фудбала и на финансијског директора у компанији. | |||
| Slovak | rozohrávač | ||
| The Slovak word "rozohrávač" has multiple meanings: "quarterback", "playmaker", "center", and "setter" depending on the context. | |||
| Slovenian | branilec | ||
| "Branilec" comes from the Slovene word "braniti", meaning "to defend", and originally meant a player's role in defence. | |||
| Ukrainian | захисник | ||
| The word "захисник" (quarterback) in Ukrainian derives from the verb "захищати" (to defend), and initially referred to a "defender" or "protector" in a military context. | |||
Quarterback in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কোয়ার্টারব্যাক | ||
| কোয়ার্টারব্যাক শব্দটি ইংরেজি quarterbacks শব্দের বাংলা রূপান্তর। | |||
| Gujarati | ક્વાર્ટરબેક | ||
| The word 'quarterback' in English is derived from the position of the player in the early days of football, who would often take the snap and run with the ball from the 'quarterback' position, which was located behind the offensive line and in front of the running backs. | |||
| Hindi | क्वार्टरबैक | ||
| The word 'क्वार्टरबैक' also means 'the first of four divisions of a military camp or fort'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ವಾರ್ಟರ್ಬ್ಯಾಕ್ | ||
| "クォーターバック"は英語で「quarterback」と書き、フットボールのポジションを表す。 | |||
| Malayalam | ക്വാർട്ടർബാക്ക് | ||
| In football, the quarterback is the player who receives the ball from the center and calls the plays. | |||
| Marathi | क्वार्टरबॅक | ||
| The term 'quarterback' originally referred to a position in the British Army in the 18th century and had nothing to do with American football. | |||
| Nepali | क्वाटरब्याक | ||
| The word 'quarterback' comes from the obsolete position of 'quarter back', where a player would protect the punter 'a quarter of the way back' from the line of scrimmage. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੁਆਰਟਰਬੈਕ | ||
| The word quartback does not appear in this language. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාර්තුව | ||
| The word "කාර්තුව" derives from Portuguese "quarto" (quarter) and "cabo" (chief), originally referring to the captain of a ship's quarter-deck. | |||
| Tamil | குவாட்டர்பேக் | ||
| Telugu | క్వార్టర్బ్యాక్ | ||
| The word 'quarterback' is derived from the position's original role as running the offense from the first quarter of the game. | |||
| Urdu | کوارٹر بیک | ||
| The most famous meaning of quarterback is "quarterback" in American football. | |||
Quarterback in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 四分卫 | ||
| 四分卫一词源于美式足球，指球隊進攻組中帶球推進或傳球進攻的關鍵位置球员。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 四分衛 | ||
| 四分衛源自於美式足球，意指在進攻組四檔進攻中帶領進攻的球員。 | |||
| Japanese | クォーターバック | ||
| The term 'quarterback' is derived from the old practice of dividing the football field into four 'quarters' and assigning each one a quarterback. | |||
| Korean | 쿼터백 | ||
| 쿼터백(quarterback)이란 단어는 쿼터백이 필드의 뒤 편 4분의 1 지점에서 공을 던지던 때를 떠올리게 한다. | |||
| Mongolian | хамгаалагч | ||
| The Mongolian word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြဝတီ | ||
| "မြဝတီ" in Burmese is derived from the English word "quarterback" and also means "commander" or "military leader". | |||
Quarterback in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | quarterback | ||
| Istilah | |||
| Javanese | pemain tengah | ||
| Pemain tengah means 'quarterback' in Javanese. The literal translation is 'central player.' | |||
| Khmer | quarterback | ||
| "Quarterback" is derived from the military term "quarter," which referred to a group of four soldiers positioned behind the main body of troops. | |||
| Lao | ໄຕມາດ | ||
| Malay | quarterback | ||
| In Malay, the word 'quarterback' is also used as a general term for a leader or person in charge. | |||
| Thai | กองหลัง | ||
| The term "กองหลัง" is also used to refer to a "defender" in association football. | |||
| Vietnamese | tiền vệ | ||
| The word "tiền vệ" in Vietnamese also refers to a midfielder in soccer and a forward in hockey. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | quarterback | ||
Quarterback in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müdafiəçi | ||
| "Müdafiəçi" also means "defender" or "lawyer" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | квотербек | ||
| The word "квотербек" is derived from the English word "quarterback", which originally referred to the position played by the quarterback on a football team. | |||
| Kyrgyz | quarterback | ||
| В русском языке термин «квотербек» появился в XX веке. | |||
| Tajik | ҳимоятгар | ||
| Turkmen | çärýek | ||
| Uzbek | yarim himoyachi | ||
| The word "yarim himoyachi" literally translates to "half defender" in Uzbek, reflecting the quarterback's dual role in both defense and offense. | |||
| Uyghur | چارەك | ||
Quarterback in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | quarterback | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "quarterback" translates to "hope kuapa" which means "to lead from behind". | |||
| Maori | quarterback | ||
| In Māori, the word 'quarterback' comes from the words 'kaata' (quarter) and 'puku' (back), referring to the player's position on the field. | |||
| Samoan | quarterback | ||
| The Samoan word "lēmu" can also mean "halfback" or "fullback" in English. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | quarterback | ||
| In Tagalog, the term "quarterback" directly translates to "kuwarterbek," where "kuwarter" means "quarter" and "bek" means "guard" or "watchful one." | |||
Quarterback in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukatsti cuarterback satawa | ||
| Guarani | cuartel-pegua | ||
Quarterback in International Languages
| Esperanto | ricevisto | ||
| The Esperanto word "ricevisto" is derived from the Italian word "ricevere", meaning "to receive". | |||
| Latin | qb | ||
| In Latin, "QB" is an abbreviation for "quaternio bonorum", meaning "a set of four good things." | |||
Quarterback in Others Languages
| Greek | quarterback | ||
| The word "quarterback" is derived from the Greek words "tetra" (meaning "four") and "bakos" (meaning "a pole"), referring to the four poles that marked the goal line in ancient Greek athletics. | |||
| Hmong | peb hlis ntuj | ||
| The word "peb hlis ntuj" in Hmong is derived from the word "peb," meaning "four," and "hlis ntuj," meaning "above the clouds," and represents the player who plays four positions above the other players. | |||
| Kurdish | çaryek | ||
| Çaryek, which means 'quarterback,' also denotes 'a soldier who is a quarter of a horseman,' and is derived from the Persian word 'charak,' meaning 'horseman' | |||
| Turkish | oyun kurucu | ||
| The word 'oyun kurucu' (quarterback) literally translates to 'game director' or 'playmaker' in Turkish, highlighting their role as strategists and leaders on the field. | |||
| Xhosa | kwikota | ||
| The word "kwikota" in Xhosa derives from the expression "ukukhwela ngokota" meaning "to ride on the back of something". | |||
| Yiddish | קוואָרטערבאַק | ||
| The Yiddish word "קוואָרטערבאַק" also means "a person who is in charge of a group or organization" | |||
| Zulu | ikota emuva | ||
| "Ikota emuva" can also mean "the one who is left behind" or "the last one" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | কোৱাৰ্টাৰবেক | ||
| Aymara | ukatsti cuarterback satawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | क्वार्टर बैक के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުއާޓާ ބެކް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | क्वार्टर बैक दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | quarterback | ||
| Guarani | cuartel-pegua | ||
| Ilocano | quarterback ti quarterback | ||
| Krio | kwata-bɛk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کوارتەرباک | ||
| Maithili | क्वार्टर बैक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀ꯭ꯕꯥꯇꯔꯕꯦꯛ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | quarterback a ni | ||
| Oromo | kuartarbaakii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କ୍ୱାର୍ଟରବ୍ୟାକ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | kuarterback nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | क्वार्टर्बैक् | ||
| Tatar | квартал | ||
| Tigrinya | ኳዓሳሱ | ||
| Tsonga | mudzaberi wa xipano xa quarterback | ||