Reference in Different Languages
Discover 'Reference' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'reference' carries great significance in our daily lives and communication. It often refers to the act of citing or consulting information sources, or a piece of information that supports an argument or statement. But did you know that the word 'reference' has roots in ancient Latin, and its cultural importance extends to various aspects of society, including academics, law, and media?
For instance, in academia, references are crucial for establishing credibility and avoiding plagiarism. In law, references to previous cases and statutes help shape legal precedents. Meanwhile, in media, references to popular culture and historical events add depth and meaning to stories.
Given the word's wide-ranging impact, it's no surprise that people worldwide might want to know its translation in different languages. Here are a few examples to pique your curiosity:
- French: référence
- Spanish: referencia
- German: Referenz
- Mandarin: 参考 (cānkǎo)
- Japanese: 参考資料 (sankō shiryō)
Discover more translations of 'reference' and learn how this simple word connects us all in profound ways.
Reference
Reference in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verwysing | ||
| "Verwysing" originated from the Dutch word "verwijzing", meaning "reference" or "referral." | |||
| Amharic | ማጣቀሻ | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, ማጣቀሻ can also refer to a citation or annotation in a text. | |||
| Hausa | tunani | ||
| "Tunani" can also mean "proof" or "evidence" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | nkọwa | ||
| The Igbo word "nkọwa" can also mean "explanation" or "interpretation." | |||
| Malagasy | reference | ||
| The Malagasy word "reference" can also mean "example" or "model". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholozera | ||
| The word "cholozera" can also mean "a piece of evidence" or "a witness". | |||
| Shona | chirevo | ||
| The word, chirevo, also means advice or instruction on how to do something | |||
| Somali | tixraac | ||
| Tixraac can also mean the act of referring to an earlier statement or event. | |||
| Sesotho | tshupiso | ||
| The Sesotho word 'tshupiso' also means 'a guide', 'an introduction' and 'documentation'. | |||
| Swahili | kumbukumbu | ||
| In Swahili, 'kumbukumbu' also means 'monument' or 'memorial'. | |||
| Xhosa | isalathiso | ||
| The word "isalathiso" also means "explanation" or "interpretation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | itọkasi | ||
| Historically, the word "itọkasi" signified "a pointing stick" before extending to its current literary and abstract uses. | |||
| Zulu | inkomba | ||
| In Zulu, 'inkomba' derives from the verb 'komba', meaning 'to pick up', and refers to a point of reference or a target. | |||
| Bambara | tàyɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɖeɖe fiã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | indanganturo | ||
| Lingala | referansi | ||
| Luganda | okwebuuza ewalala | ||
| Sepedi | tšhupetšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mmoa nwoma | ||
Reference in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مرجع | ||
| In Persian, the term "marja" refers to a religious authority or source of emulation, while in Arabic it means "a place or person referred to for information or evidence." | |||
| Hebrew | התייחסות | ||
| The Hebrew word 'התייחסות' ('reference') can also mean 'consideration' or 'treatment', reflecting its root in the verb 'התייחס' ('to relate' or 'to connect'). | |||
| Pashto | حواله | ||
| The Pashto word "حواله" can also refer to an informal agreement, an instruction, or a remittance. | |||
| Arabic | مرجع | ||
| In Persian, the term "marja" refers to a religious authority or source of emulation, while in Arabic it means "a place or person referred to for information or evidence." | |||
Reference in Western European Languages
| Albanian | referencë | ||
| The Albanian word "referencë" is derived from the Latin word "referentia", meaning "a carrying back" or "a relating to". | |||
| Basque | erreferentzia | ||
| The word ərreferentzia derives from ərre (path) + adierazi (to express), i.e. "a way of indicating, referring, guiding." | |||
| Catalan | referència | ||
| In Catalan, "referència" can also mean "certificate" or "recommendation", depending on the context. | |||
| Croatian | referenca | ||
| In Croatian, "referenca" also means "a recommendation letter." | |||
| Danish | reference | ||
| In Danish, the word "reference" can also refer to a person who provides information about someone else. | |||
| Dutch | referentie | ||
| Referentie is derived from the Latin word referens, meaning 'to bear back', and can also refer to a certificate or testimonial, or a person who gives such a document | |||
| English | reference | ||
| Derived from Latin "referre", "reference" can also mean "to send back" or "to attribute to a source."} | |||
| French | référence | ||
| The French word "référence" can also mean "testimonial" or "example". | |||
| Frisian | referinsje | ||
| Referinsje is derived from Latin 'referre' ('to bring back again') from 're-' ('again') and 'ferre' ('to carry/bring') | |||
| Galician | referencia | ||
| The word "referencia" derives from Latin, and can mean either "reference" in the sense of something used to consult, or "report". | |||
| German | referenz | ||
| Referenz can also mean 'proof' or 'testimony' in German. | |||
| Icelandic | tilvísun | ||
| In Icelandic, 'tilvísun' can also refer to a 'recommendation' or 'nomination' instead of just a reference. | |||
| Irish | tagairt | ||
| The word “tagairt” in Irish can also mean “consecration” and comes from an early Irish word for “gift”. | |||
| Italian | riferimento | ||
| The Italian word "riferimento" can also refer to a connection or relationship. | |||
| Luxembourgish | referenz | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Referenz" can also refer to a certificate or diploma. | |||
| Maltese | referenza | ||
| The word 'referenza' in Maltese can also mean 'testimonial', 'character reference', 'recommendation', or 'endorsement'. | |||
| Norwegian | henvisning | ||
| In Swedish, 'henvisning' means 'allusion' and can be used to discuss something that is hinted at or suggested indirectly within a piece of writing or artwork. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | referência | ||
| "Referência" can also mean "source" or "citation", originating from the Latin "referens" (reporting). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iomradh | ||
| Scots Gaelic "iomradh" originates from Proto-Indo-European "*rem-o" meaning "oar" and hence "to row, to steer". | |||
| Spanish | referencia | ||
| The Spanish word "referencia" is an alternate form of the Portuguese word "referência" and comes from Latin "referens, referentis". | |||
| Swedish | referens | ||
| In the Swedish language, 'referens' also means 'character reference' or 'source of information'. | |||
| Welsh | cyfeirnod | ||
| This word (cyfeirnod) may ultimately come from the Proto-Celtic root | |||
Reference in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спасылка | ||
| The word "спасылка" in Belarusian can also mean "connection", "link", or "attachment". | |||
| Bosnian | referenca | ||
| Bosnian word 'referenca' can also mean an 'inference'. | |||
| Bulgarian | справка | ||
| "Справка" also means a document confirming the authenticity of facts, such as a doctor's note. | |||
| Czech | odkaz | ||
| The word "odkaz" in Czech also means "legacy" or "bequest". | |||
| Estonian | viide | ||
| In the 19th century, "viide" was also a measure of dry grain, and is related to the word for "grain" "viid". | |||
| Finnish | viite | ||
| "Viite" also means "line" or "row" in the sense of a column or row in a table or a line in a text. | |||
| Hungarian | referencia | ||
| The word "referencia" in Hungarian originates from the Latin word "referre", meaning "to bring back" or "to relate". | |||
| Latvian | atsauce | ||
| Atsauce, an archaic spelling of atsauce, derives from the French word "référence," meaning "mention," and has been used since the 17th century. | |||
| Lithuanian | nuoroda | ||
| The word "nuoroda" in Lithuanian can also mean "link" or "connection". | |||
| Macedonian | референца | ||
| The word "референца" can also mean "intercession" or "support" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | odniesienie | ||
| "Odniesienie" is thought to derive from two Polish words: "odnosić" and "się", meaning "to relate" and " oneself" or "itself," respectively. | |||
| Romanian | referinţă | ||
| The Romanian word "referinţă" can also mean "testimonial" or "character reference". | |||
| Russian | справка | ||
| The Russian word 'Справка' can also refer to a certificate or official document. | |||
| Serbian | референца | ||
| The word "референца" (refenca) in Serbian can also refer to a person's credentials or a person who can vouch for someone's character or abilities. | |||
| Slovak | odkaz | ||
| In Polish, "odkaz" can also mean "will" or "testament". | |||
| Slovenian | sklic | ||
| The Slovenian word "sklic" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "sъ-klan-ь-ti" meaning "to call together". | |||
| Ukrainian | посилання | ||
| The word посилання also means "link" in Ukrainian. | |||
Reference in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রেফারেন্স | ||
| The Bengali word "রেফারেন্স" originally meant "to send back", but now it also means "a person or thing that can provide information". | |||
| Gujarati | સંદર્ભ | ||
| સંદર્ભ is derived from Sanskrit and literally means, 'to bring together (sam) knowledge (dharbha)'. | |||
| Hindi | संदर्भ | ||
| The word 'संदर्भ' originates from the Sanskrit word 'संदृश्', meaning 'to see' or 'to know'. | |||
| Kannada | ಉಲ್ಲೇಖ | ||
| The word "ಉಲ್ಲೇಖ" (reference) can also mean "mention", "citation", or "quotation" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | റഫറൻസ് | ||
| In Malayalam, റഫറൻസ് (reference) has alternate meanings such as 'address' and 'support'. | |||
| Marathi | संदर्भ | ||
| In Marathi, the word "संदर्भ" also means "context" or "connection". | |||
| Nepali | सन्दर्भ | ||
| The word “सन्दर्भ” comes from the Sanskrit word “sam-prakrash” which means “to shine together” or “to illuminate together” and can also mean “context” or a “frame of reference”. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਵਾਲਾ | ||
| The word 'ਹਵਾਲਾ' in Punjabi can also mean 'payment through an intermediary' or 'transfer of money through an informal financial network'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | යොමුව | ||
| Tamil | குறிப்பு | ||
| The Tamil word 'குறிப்பு' can also mean 'clue', 'hint', 'suggestion', or 'indication'. | |||
| Telugu | సూచన | ||
| The word "సూచన" ("reference") in Telugu also means "instruction" or "hint". | |||
| Urdu | حوالہ | ||
| The word "حوالہ" "reference" is derived from the Arabic word "حرف" "letter". | |||
Reference in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 参考 | ||
| The character 参 ('to consult') in 参考 originated from two people looking over a ritual object. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 參考 | ||
| The Chinese character "參" in "參考" can also mean "to engage with" or "to consult". | |||
| Japanese | 参照 | ||
| The word '参照' also means 'to refer to' or 'to consult'. It is often used in the context of academic research or legal documents. | |||
| Korean | 참고 | ||
| The word "참고" (reference) in Korean can also mean "note" or "remark". | |||
| Mongolian | лавлагаа | ||
| In Classical Mongolian, the word лавла́гаа referred to "an example" or "an object to which an action refers". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကိုးအကား | ||
| The word "အကိုးအကား" can also mean "evidence or proof", and is related to the Pali word "upākaraṇa" which means "means, implement, or tool". | |||
Reference in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | referensi | ||
| The word "referensi" in Indonesian comes from the Dutch word "referentie" which means "evidence" or "proof". | |||
| Javanese | referensi | ||
| In Javanese, the word "referensi" also refers to a "source or origin" or a "clue or pointer". | |||
| Khmer | យោង | ||
| In addition to its meaning as "reference", "យោង" can also mean "quotation" or "citation". | |||
| Lao | ກະສານອ້າງອີງ | ||
| Malay | rujukan | ||
| The word 'rujukan' has Javanese roots and also means 'to consult' or 'to seek advice' | |||
| Thai | เอกสารอ้างอิง | ||
| The word "เอกสารอ้างอิง" (reference) in Thai can also mean "source" or "citation." | |||
| Vietnamese | tài liệu tham khảo | ||
| Tài liệu tham khảo may have originated from the phrase "tài liệu để tham khảo," which means "materials to be referred to." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sanggunian | ||
Reference in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | istinad | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "istinad" (reference) has cognates in Turkish ("istinad") and Arabic ("isti'nad"), sharing the meaning of reliance or support. | |||
| Kazakh | анықтама | ||
| The Kazakh word "анықтама" could be derived from the Arabic word "عنق" (meaning "neck"), as in the ancient Arabic books, the reference was written in the margins of the manuscript, and the neck of the manuscript was the most suitable place for placing such notes. | |||
| Kyrgyz | маалымдама | ||
| No other forms or meanings of the Kyrgyz word “маалымдама” reference have been found. | |||
| Tajik | маълумотнома | ||
| Turkmen | salgylanma | ||
| Uzbek | ma'lumotnoma | ||
| The word "ma'lumotnoma" can also refer to a "source of information" or a "book of knowledge". | |||
| Uyghur | پايدىلىنىش ماتېرىيالى | ||
Reference in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kūmole | ||
| In addition to being a reference, the word "kūmole" also means a "model" or "example." | |||
| Maori | tohutoro | ||
| The Maori word "tohutoro" comes from "tohu", meaning "mark" or "sign", and "toro", meaning "to follow" or "to seek out". | |||
| Samoan | faasinomaga | ||
| 'Fa'a' is the causative prefix, '-sino' is a causative, and '-maga' is a verb that means to say or speak. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sanggunian | ||
| The word "sanggunian" is derived from the Spanish word "sancion", which means "sanction" or "law". | |||
Reference in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yaqha | ||
| Guarani | kuaukarã | ||
Reference in International Languages
| Esperanto | referenco | ||
| The word "referenco" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "referre," meaning "to bring back" or "to report." | |||
| Latin | reference | ||
| Reference in Latin also means "restoration" or "restitution", as in the process of returning something to its original state. | |||
Reference in Others Languages
| Greek | αναφορά | ||
| The word "αναφορά" (reference) can also mean "report" or "memorial" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | suav siv | ||
| The word "suav siv" in Hmong also means "to be in a state of contentment or satisfaction". | |||
| Kurdish | balkêşî | ||
| In Persian, “bālkæsh” means a pillow on which a divan is placed. | |||
| Turkish | referans | ||
| Referans means also a 'person to whom a request has been made for assistance' in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | isalathiso | ||
| The word "isalathiso" also means "explanation" or "interpretation" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | רעפֿערענץ | ||
| The Yiddish word "רעפֿערענץ" could also mean "opinion" or "recommendation". | |||
| Zulu | inkomba | ||
| In Zulu, 'inkomba' derives from the verb 'komba', meaning 'to pick up', and refers to a point of reference or a target. | |||
| Assamese | সন্দৰ্ভ | ||
| Aymara | yaqha | ||
| Bhojpuri | सिफारिश | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިފަރަންސް | ||
| Dogri | हवाला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sanggunian | ||
| Guarani | kuaukarã | ||
| Ilocano | reperensia | ||
| Krio | tɔk bɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرچاوە | ||
| Maithili | संदर्भ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯡꯗꯝꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | kawhhmuh | ||
| Oromo | wabeeffannaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସନ୍ଦର୍ଭ | ||
| Quechua | willakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | सन्दर्भः | ||
| Tatar | сылтама | ||
| Tigrinya | መጣቀሲ | ||
| Tsonga | rheferense | ||