Afrikaans godsdiens | ||
Albanian feja | ||
Amharic ሃይማኖት | ||
Arabic دين | ||
Armenian կրոն | ||
Assamese ধৰ্ম | ||
Aymara rilijyuna | ||
Azerbaijani din | ||
Bambara diinɛ | ||
Basque erlijioa | ||
Belarusian рэлігія | ||
Bengali ধর্ম | ||
Bhojpuri धरम | ||
Bosnian religija | ||
Bulgarian религия | ||
Catalan religió | ||
Cebuano relihiyon | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 宗教 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 宗教 | ||
Corsican religione | ||
Croatian religija | ||
Czech náboženství | ||
Danish religion | ||
Dhivehi ދީން | ||
Dogri धर्म | ||
Dutch religie | ||
English religion | ||
Esperanto religio | ||
Estonian religioon | ||
Ewe subɔsubɔ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) relihiyon | ||
Finnish uskonto | ||
French religion | ||
Frisian leauwe | ||
Galician relixión | ||
Georgian რელიგია | ||
German religion | ||
Greek θρησκεία | ||
Guarani tupãjerovia | ||
Gujarati ધર્મ | ||
Haitian Creole relijyon | ||
Hausa addini | ||
Hawaiian haipule | ||
Hebrew דָת | ||
Hindi धर्म | ||
Hmong kev ntseeg | ||
Hungarian vallás | ||
Icelandic trúarbrögð | ||
Igbo okpukpe | ||
Ilocano relihion | ||
Indonesian agama | ||
Irish reiligiún | ||
Italian religione | ||
Japanese 宗教 | ||
Javanese agama | ||
Kannada ಧರ್ಮ | ||
Kazakh дін | ||
Khmer សាសនា | ||
Kinyarwanda idini | ||
Konkani धर्म | ||
Korean 종교 | ||
Krio rilijɔn | ||
Kurdish ol | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ئایین | ||
Kyrgyz дин | ||
Lao ສາສະ ໜາ | ||
Latin religio | ||
Latvian reliģija | ||
Lingala lingomba | ||
Lithuanian religija | ||
Luganda eddiini | ||
Luxembourgish relioun | ||
Macedonian религија | ||
Maithili धर्म | ||
Malagasy fivavahana | ||
Malay agama | ||
Malayalam മതം | ||
Maltese reliġjon | ||
Maori karakia | ||
Marathi धर्म | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯂꯥꯏꯅꯤꯉ | ||
Mizo sakhua | ||
Mongolian шашин | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ဘာသာတရား | ||
Nepali धर्म | ||
Norwegian religion | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chipembedzo | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଧର୍ମ | ||
Oromo amantaa | ||
Pashto مذهب | ||
Persian دین | ||
Polish religia | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) religião | ||
Punjabi ਧਰਮ | ||
Quechua religion | ||
Romanian religie | ||
Russian религия | ||
Samoan lotu | ||
Sanskrit धर्म | ||
Scots Gaelic creideamh | ||
Sepedi tumelo | ||
Serbian религија | ||
Sesotho bolumeli | ||
Shona chitendero | ||
Sindhi مذھب | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ආගම | ||
Slovak náboženstvo | ||
Slovenian religija | ||
Somali diinta | ||
Spanish religión | ||
Sundanese agama | ||
Swahili dini | ||
Swedish religion | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) relihiyon | ||
Tajik дин | ||
Tamil மதம் | ||
Tatar дин | ||
Telugu మతం | ||
Thai ศาสนา | ||
Tigrinya ሃይማኖት | ||
Tsonga vukhongeri | ||
Turkish din | ||
Turkmen din | ||
Twi (Akan) ɔsom | ||
Ukrainian релігія | ||
Urdu مذہب | ||
Uyghur دىن | ||
Uzbek din | ||
Vietnamese tôn giáo | ||
Welsh crefydd | ||
Xhosa inkolo | ||
Yiddish רעליגיע | ||
Yoruba esin | ||
Zulu inkolo |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "godsdiens" etymologically relates to "divine service" and "worship" and is cognate with the English word "religion". |
| Albanian | The word "Feja" derives from the Latin word "Fides" meaning "faith" or "trust". |
| Amharic | "Haymanot" also means "faith," and its root, "hāymn," denotes "firm trust." |
| Arabic | The word "دين" "religion" in Arabic, also has the meanings of debt and custom. |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "կրոն" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱreu-," meaning "to assemble, gather." |
| Azerbaijani | The word "din" is borrowed from Persian and it also has the alternate meaning of "book of religion, religious writing, scripture". |
| Basque | The word 'erlijioa' is derived from the Latin word 'religio', which originally meant 'care of the gods'. This meaning has persisted in the Basque word 'erlijioa', where it specifically refers to the worship and service of a supreme being or beings. |
| Belarusian | The Belarusian word "рэлігія" comes from the Latin word "religio", which originally meant "restraint" or "reverence". |
| Bengali | The word "ধর্ম" ("religion") originally meant "law" or "custom" in Sanskrit, and still has that meaning in some contexts in Bengali. |
| Bosnian | The word 'religija' comes from the Latin word 'religare', meaning 'to bind back', and also refers to a type of social organisation in the pre-Roman Slavic society that focused on blood relations. |
| Bulgarian | Слово "религия" происходит от латинского слова religio и означает "связь", "благочестие", "богослужение". |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "religió" also carries the archaic sense of "order" or "society," analogous to the etymology of the French word "religion." |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, "relihiyon" can also mean "belief system" or "way of life". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | '宗' means the root and '教' means teaching. It can also refer to religious sects or schools of thought. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 宗 is the ancestral temple, the place to worship the ancestors of the clan, and 教 means education, doctrine. So the word “宗教” literally refers to a doctrine used to worship ancestors. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, "religione" derives from the Latin word "religio", which refers not only to religious beliefs, but also to a sense of duty, respect, and reverence towards one's community and its traditions. |
| Croatian | The word 'religija' derives from the Latin word 'religare', meaning 'to bind' or 'to connect'. |
| Czech | 'Náboženství' literally means 'bonding again', from the prefix 'na-' (again) and verb 'vázat' (to bind). |
| Danish | In Danish, "religion" can also refer to "devotion" or "faith." |
| Dutch | De term 'religie' komt van het Latijnse 'religare', dat 'opnieuw verbinden' betekent. |
| Estonian | The word "religioon" in Estonian comes from the Latin word "religio", which means "obligation, reverence, or respect for what is considered sacred". |
| Finnish | The word "uskonto" is thought to derive from the word "usko", meaning "belief" or "faith." |
| French | The French word "religion" derives from the Latin "religare," meaning "to bind," and thus also connotes a sense of obligation or duty. |
| Frisian | The Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root of word |
| Galician | The Galician word "relixión" comes from the Latin word "religio", which originally meant "obligation" or "reverence". |
| Georgian | In Georgian, “რელიგია” (“religion”) originally meant “reverence” or “piety”, but in the 19th century, it also began being used to refer to organized religious systems. |
| German | In German, the word "Religion" can also refer to a set of rules or principles that govern a group or organization, or to a specific religious order. |
| Greek | In Greek, "θρησκεία" originally meant "worship, reverence" and was closely associated with the concept of "cult" or "sect". |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "ધર્મ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "धर्म", which has a range of meanings including "law", "righteousness", and "duty". |
| Haitian Creole | Relijyon is derived from the French word "religion" and can also refer to a specific religious sect or denomination. |
| Hausa | Hausa distinguishes between adini, a belief system followed by a group of people, and addini, a personal spiritual path. |
| Hawaiian | The word "haipule" in Hawaiian can also refer to a priest or a religious ceremony. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "דָת" (dat) also means "law", "custom", or "decree". |
| Hindi | The word 'धर्म' in Hindi has multiple meanings, including 'religion', 'righteousness', 'duty', and 'law'. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "kev ntseeg" literally means "path of belief" or "law of belief". |
| Hungarian | Vallás also meant "oath" or "promise" in Old Hungarian, a meaning which was preserved in modern Romanian (făgăduință). |
| Icelandic | It originally meant "beliefs" and has been used historically to refer to non-Christian faiths. |
| Igbo | The word "okpukpe" also means "custom" or "tradition" in Igbo. |
| Indonesian | The word "agama" in Indonesian can also refer to a traditional medicinal practice, particularly in Java and Sumatra. |
| Irish | The Irish word "reiligiún" (pronounced "rel-ee-gi-oon") is cognate with the Latin "religio" (meaning "scruple"), and ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*reiq-", meaning "to bind" or "to control". |
| Italian | The word 'religione' in Italian is derived from the Latin word 'religio', which originally meant 'scrupulous regard for what is considered right and proper' |
| Japanese | The word "宗教" (shūkyō) in Japanese originally meant "to bind together" or "to tie together" |
| Javanese | In Javanese, "agama" can also refer to a set of doctrines or principles guiding one's behavior and beliefs. |
| Kannada | The Kannada word ಧರ್ಮ also has meanings such as 'justice', 'ethics', 'morality', 'righteousness', 'correct action', 'duty', and 'obligation'. |
| Kazakh | "Дін" can also mean "custom" or "way of life" in Kazakh. |
| Khmer | The word "សាសនា" in Khmer is derived from the Pali-Sanskrit word "śāsana" and originally referred to the teachings and doctrines of various disciplines. |
| Korean | The word "종교" (religion) derives from the Sino-Korean words "宗" (zong) meaning "ancestor, sect" and "敎" (jiao) meaning "teaching, doctrine". |
| Kurdish | The word "ol" in Kurdish is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el- meaning "to grow" or "to become". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "дин" (religion) in Kyrgyz is etymologically related to the Arabic word "ديّن" (dīn), which has a broader meaning encompassing both religion and way of life. |
| Latin | Cicero used "religio" to refer to reverence for the gods and the duties owed to them, as well as a concern for divine matters. |
| Latvian | In Latvian, the word "reliģija" can also mean "creed", "belief", or "faith". |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "religija" originates from the Latin word "religio", which can also mean "conscientious scruples" or "obligation." |
| Luxembourgish | Relioun, a Luxembourgish word for religion, is derived from the Latin word "religio", meaning "restraint, scruple, sacred obligation," and the French word "religion", meaning "system of faith and worship." |
| Macedonian | The word “религија” in Macedonian has a Latin etymology, derived from 'religio' meaning a sense of duty towards the divine. |
| Malagasy | "Fivavahana" originates from the root word "vavaha" meaning "to bind" or "to tie" representing the connection between individuals and their beliefs. |
| Malay | Agama stems from the Sanskrit word "āgama," which can also mean "tradition, scripture, or doctrine." |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word "മതം" ("matham") also means "opinion" or "philosophy" in contexts outside of religion. |
| Maltese | The word "reliġjon" can also be used to refer to a religious community or organization. |
| Maori | Karakia, which literally translates to 'to chant' in Maori, refers to the ancient practice of incantation in Maori spiritual and religious rituals. |
| Marathi | The word "धर्म" (religion) in Marathi also means "righteousness" and "duty." |
| Mongolian | In Mongolian, шашин can also refer to an individual's spiritual journey or religious practice. |
| Nepali | In Sanskrit, धर्म (Dharma) can have meanings such as law, righteousness, duty or right conduct. |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word "religion" comes from the Latin "religio", which originally meant "reverence for the gods" or "scrupulous observance of religious duty". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "chipembedzo" is derived from the root word "pembedza", meaning "to believe" or "to have faith". |
| Pashto | مذهب also refers to a particular creed or set of beliefs within a religion. |
| Persian | The Persian word "دین" has multiple meanings, including "debt", "judgment", and "faith". |
| Polish | The Polish word "religia" comes from the Latin word "religio," which originally meant "reverence for the gods" or "devotion". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | Em sânscrito, a palavra 'dharma', que é a raiz da palavra 'religião' em português, significa tanto 'norma' como 'lei' |
| Punjabi | The word 'ਧਰਮ' in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'धर्म', which has a diverse range of meanings including 'duty', 'virtue', 'justice', 'order', and 'law'. It encompasses both religious and ethical aspects and plays a pivotal role in the spiritual, cultural, and societal fabric of Punjabi society. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, the word "religie" also means "bond," "tie," or "attachment". |
| Russian | The word "религия" comes from the Latin word "religio," which means "obligation" or "reverence." |
| Samoan | The word "lotu" in Samoan is cognate with "lotu" in Tongan, "lotu" in Fijian and "lotu" in Hawaiian, all meaning "worship." |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "creideamh" in Scots Gaelic comes from the Old Irish word "cretem", meaning "belief" or "faith". |
| Serbian | The Serbian word "религија" ultimately derives from the Latin word "religio", which originally meant something closer to "reverence" or "obligation". |
| Sesotho | Bolumeli is also understood to mean the state of being at peace with oneself and with nature. |
| Shona | "Chitendero" derives from "tenda," meaning "to worship". |
| Sindhi | Used as a synonym for word and principle |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | In Sinhala, 'ආගම' also connotes 'a path to salvation or ultimate reality' and 'a system of beliefs and practices'. |
| Slovak | The word "náboženstvo" (religion) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*nа-božььnъ" which means 'related to God'. It can also refer to piety or reverence for a divine being. |
| Slovenian | The word 'religija' comes from the Latin word 'religio,' which means 'obligation, reverence, awe, respect.' |
| Somali | The word 'diinta' is also used to refer to a specific set of beliefs or practices, such as Christianity or Islam. |
| Spanish | The Spanish word "religión" comes from the Latin word "religio," which means "scrupulousness, reverence for the gods," and "obligation." |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, "agama" can also refer to "faith" or "belief system." |
| Swahili | Dini in Swahili can also refer to customs or practices, especially those associated with a particular culture or group. |
| Swedish | The word 'religion' comes from the Latin word 'religio', which means 'reverence for the divine' or 'piety'. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "relihiyon" is derived from the Spanish word "religión", which in turn comes from the Latin word "religio", meaning "duty to God". |
| Tajik | The word "дин" can also mean "faith", "belief", or "doctrine". |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "மதம்" (matham) originates from the Sanskrit word "मथ् (math)", meaning "to churn," and has alternate meanings such as "opinion" or "path or way." |
| Telugu | The word "matam" also means "opinion" or "viewpoint" in Telugu, reflecting the broader concept of religion as a system of beliefs or practices. |
| Thai | The word "ศาสนา" in Thai can also mean "belief system" or "doctrine." |
| Turkish | The word "din" comes from the Arabic word "deen," which means "way of life. |
| Ukrainian | The word "релігія" in Ukrainian ultimately derives from the Latin "religio", meaning "piety" or "devotion". |
| Urdu | The word "مذہب" (religion) comes from the root word "ذهب" (to go) and can also mean "a way of life" or "a school of thought" in Urdu. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, "din" also means "faith" and "belief". |
| Vietnamese | "Tôn giáo" (religion) is derived from the Chinese word "宗教" (zongjiao), meaning "doctrines for the masses". |
| Welsh | The word "crefydd" is derived from the Welsh word "cred" meaning "faith" and "ydd" indicating a state or condition. |
| Xhosa | "Inkolo" is derived from the verb "ukukola" meaning "to work". This suggests that religion is seen as a form of work or service. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "religion" (רעליגיע) also means "superstition" and has pejorative connotations, derived from its German origin. |
| Yoruba | "Esin Olorun," "the religion of Olorun," and was used to describe Christianity by the Anglican missionary Henry Townsend in 1843. |
| Zulu | The word "inkolo" is thought to be derived from the word "ukukholwa," meaning "to believe." |
| English | The word "religion" derives from the Latin word "religio," meaning "obligation" or "scrupulousness." |