Revolution in Different Languages
Discover 'Revolution' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'revolution' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, symbolizing radical change and innovation. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it has been the catalyst for transformative movements in politics, science, and technology. But what about the word 'revolution' in different languages? Understanding its translation can provide insight into how various cultures perceive and approach change.
For instance, in Spanish, 'revolution' is 'revolución,' while in French, it's 'révolution.' These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also cultural nuances in how revolutions are viewed and experienced. In Chinese, the word for revolution is '革命' (gémìng), which also means to overthrow the old and establish the new.
Exploring the translation of 'revolution' in different languages can be a fascinating journey into the hearts and minds of people around the world. Join us as we delve into the many translations and interpretations of this powerful word.
Revolution
Revolution in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rewolusie | ||
| "rewolusie" is derived from the French word "révolution" and the Latin word "revolutio", both meaning "a turning around" or "a change". | |||
| Amharic | አብዮት | ||
| The Amharic term "abyot" originally referred to the cyclical movement of the sun and moon. | |||
| Hausa | juyin juya hali | ||
| The word "juyin juya hali" can also refer to a revolving door or a merry-go-round. | |||
| Igbo | mgbanwe | ||
| The Igbo word "mgbanwe" derives from the root word "gbanwe" meaning "to change" or "to alter." | |||
| Malagasy | revolisiona | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "revolisiona" has the additional meaning of "turnover or shuffle of a deck of cards or dice". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusintha | ||
| The verb 'kusintha' also refers to the action of 'turning around' or 'changing direction'. | |||
| Shona | chimurenga | ||
| The word 'chimurenga' in Shona originally referred to a type of traditional dance and music performed by young men during times of war and resistance. | |||
| Somali | kacaan | ||
| The word "kacaan" can also refer to an uprising or a coup d'état. | |||
| Sesotho | phetohelo | ||
| The word "phetohelo" can also mean "change" | |||
| Swahili | mapinduzi | ||
| In Swahili, 'mapinduzi' is a plural noun meaning 'revolutions', derived from the verb 'kupindua' which means 'to turn' or 'to overturn'. | |||
| Xhosa | inguquko | ||
| The word 'inguquko' is cognate with 'guquka,' meaning 'to change' and connotes the transformation and change that accompanies revolution. | |||
| Yoruba | iyika | ||
| The word "Iyika" in Yoruba is also used to refer to a type of traditional Yoruba dance performed by women, typically during festivals and ceremonies. | |||
| Zulu | inguquko | ||
| "Ingqungqo" has multiple meanings in Zulu, including "the place where the headman lives" and "the place where the chief dwells or rules." | |||
| Bambara | erewolisɔn | ||
| Ewe | tɔtrɔ yeye | ||
| Kinyarwanda | impinduramatwara | ||
| Lingala | kobongola makambo | ||
| Luganda | okwewaggula | ||
| Sepedi | borabele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ntoabɔ | ||
Revolution in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ثورة | ||
| The term ثورة (thawra) in Arabic can also mean 'fermentation' or 'bubbling up', suggesting a process of transformative change. | |||
| Hebrew | מַהְפֵּכָה | ||
| The Hebrew word "מהפכה" (revolution) also means "overturning" or "upheaval". | |||
| Pashto | انقلاب | ||
| In Pashto, "انقلاب" can also mean "overturning" or "upheaval". | |||
| Arabic | ثورة | ||
| The term ثورة (thawra) in Arabic can also mean 'fermentation' or 'bubbling up', suggesting a process of transformative change. | |||
Revolution in Western European Languages
| Albanian | revolucion | ||
| Albanian word "revolucion" comes from French/Italian via Latin "revolutio" and has three meanings, all implying some form of a "turn" or a "change": "revolution," "revolt" and "change of direction or position." | |||
| Basque | iraultza | ||
| The word "iraultza" shares its etymology with the word "iraul", meaning "wind", and the word "iraun", meaning "to last". | |||
| Catalan | revolució | ||
| The word "revolucio" can also mean "turn" or "change" in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | revolucija | ||
| The word 'revolucija' also means 'rotation' in astronomy and mathematics. | |||
| Danish | revolution | ||
| The Danish term “revolution” has an additional meaning beyond “upheaval”: it can also denote a bicycle’s freewheel mechanism | |||
| Dutch | revolutie | ||
| The word "revolutie" can also mean "evolution" in Dutch. | |||
| English | revolution | ||
| The word "revolution" comes from the Latin word "revolvere," which means "to roll back" or "to turn back," and is also used in astronomy to refer to the orbit of a planet around the sun. | |||
| French | révolution | ||
| The word "révolution" in French can also refer to the rotation of a celestial body or the movement of a machine's parts. | |||
| Frisian | revolúsje | ||
| The Frisian word "revolúsje" can also mean a commotion or disturbance. | |||
| Galician | revolución | ||
| In Galician, "revolución" also refers to the change of soil in agricultural plots and the act of turning over something in a cylindrical manner. | |||
| German | revolution | ||
| The word "Revolution" also means "orbit" or "rotation" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | bylting | ||
| The Proto-Norse cognate of bylting is *byltingaz, meaning "changing" or "turning over." | |||
| Irish | réabhlóid | ||
| "Réabhlóid" is derived from the Latin "revolvere," meaning "to roll back" or "to turn over." | |||
| Italian | rivoluzione | ||
| The Italian word "rivoluzione" derives from the Latin "revolvere," meaning "to turn over" or "to change radically." | |||
| Luxembourgish | revolutioun | ||
| In 18th-century French, the word 'revolution' meant turning around completely, and was used in an astronomical context. | |||
| Maltese | rivoluzzjoni | ||
| It is also used to describe a major change in style or fashion | |||
| Norwegian | revolusjon | ||
| The Norwegian word "revolusjon" comes from the Latin word "revolutio," which means "a turning back, a return." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | revolução | ||
| In Brazil, "revolução" can also colloquially refer to a period of intense activity, upheaval, or transformation. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ar-a-mach | ||
| The word "ar-a-mach" in Scots Gaelic also means "a great disturbance" or "an uproar". | |||
| Spanish | revolución | ||
| The Spanish word "revolución" can also mean a sharp bend in a river. | |||
| Swedish | rotation | ||
| In Swedish, "rotation" and "revolution" are both translated as "rotation", although the latter has a more specific meaning related to astronomy. | |||
| Welsh | chwyldro | ||
| The word 'chwyldro' has the same root as 'chwyrl', meaning 'to turn' or 'roll' | |||
Revolution in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рэвалюцыя | ||
| The Belarusian word "рэвалюцыя" also means "a sudden or complete change" and comes from the Latin word "revolutio," meaning "a turning around". | |||
| Bosnian | revolucija | ||
| In Bosnian the same word "revolucija" means "revolution" and "evolution". | |||
| Bulgarian | революция | ||
| The word "революция" in Bulgarian shares its etymology with the word "револта" and means "uprising" or "revolt". | |||
| Czech | revoluce | ||
| The Czech word 'revoluce' also means 'change for the better'. | |||
| Estonian | revolutsioon | ||
| The Estonian word “revolutsioon” is originally derived from the Latin phrase “revolvere”, meaning “to turn around” or “to revolve”, and it has been borrowed via German and Russian. | |||
| Finnish | vallankumous | ||
| Vallankumous is derived from the Latin word vallum (earth wall), and its meaning has shifted from a military term denoting the overthrow of a fortification to a general term for social upheaval. | |||
| Hungarian | forradalom | ||
| A "forradalom" szó eredetileg a csillagok körüli pályák forgását jelentette. | |||
| Latvian | revolūcija | ||
| The root of the word “revolūcija” is a Latin verb "revolvō" meaning "to roll back, return, revolve" | |||
| Lithuanian | revoliucija | ||
| The word "revoliucija" is derived from the Latin word "revolutio", meaning "to turn back" or "to change completely". | |||
| Macedonian | револуција | ||
| Macedonian "револуција" comes from the Latin word "revolutio" ("turning back"). | |||
| Polish | rewolucja | ||
| The word "rewolucja" is derived from the Latin word "revolutio," meaning "a turning or rolling back." | |||
| Romanian | revoluţie | ||
| The Romanian word "revoluţie" is also used to describe "a turn", "an overturn" or "an upheaval", as it originally comes from the Latin verb "revolutio". | |||
| Russian | революция | ||
| In Russian, "революция" also means a "turn" or a "full circle" (as of the Earth). | |||
| Serbian | револуција | ||
| The word 'револуција' comes from the Latin word 'revolutio', meaning 'a turning back' or 'a change'. In Serbian, it can also mean 'a great change or upheaval' or 'a complete change of government'. | |||
| Slovak | revolúcia | ||
| V slovenčine slovo "revolúcia" znamená aj otočenie o 360°. | |||
| Slovenian | revolucija | ||
| In Slovenian, revolucija can also mean 'transformation' or 'change'. | |||
| Ukrainian | революція | ||
| The Ukrainian word 'революція' ('revolution') stems from the Latin word 'revolutio', meaning 'a turning back' or 'a return to the original starting point]. | |||
Revolution in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিপ্লব | ||
| The word "বিপ্লব" (biplob) also means "change" or "transformation" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ક્રાંતિ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ક્રાંતિ" can also be translated as "movement", "change", "advance", or "progress". | |||
| Hindi | क्रांति | ||
| The Hindi word "क्रांति" also means "the sun" and "a rotation or turn". | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ | ||
| The word "ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ" ("revolution") in Kannada also refers to the turning of the celestial sphere. | |||
| Malayalam | വിപ്ലവം | ||
| In Malayalam, 'വിപ്ലവം' also means 'earthquake' or 'great change'. | |||
| Marathi | क्रांती | ||
| The Marathi word "क्रांती" also means "turn", "change", or "period of time". | |||
| Nepali | क्रान्ति | ||
| The word "क्रान्ति" can also mean "change" or "transformation". | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਨਕਲਾਬ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "inquilab" (इंकलाब) means "a new sprout" or "a fresh start". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | විප්ලවය | ||
| "විප්ලවය" (revolution) is cognate with Sanskrit "विप्लव" (vipLAVA) meaning 'upheaval, confusion, turmoil' and in Sinhala is also used to refer to a 'mix-up', 'confusion' or 'topsy-turvy' state of affairs. | |||
| Tamil | புரட்சி | ||
| The word "புரட்சி" can also mean "a complete change or overthrow", "a sudden or radical change", or "a revolt". | |||
| Telugu | విప్లవం | ||
| In ancient Telugu literature, విప్లవం also means a violent upheaval or disturbance. | |||
| Urdu | انقلاب | ||
| The word "انقلاب" also means "upheaval" and "reversal" in Urdu. | |||
Revolution in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 革命 | ||
| In Chinese, '革命' can also refer to 'change' or 'transformation', rather than just 'revolution' as in English. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 革命 | ||
| 革命 is composed of two characters, 革 and 命, which mean 'change' and 'mandate', respectively. | |||
| Japanese | 革命 | ||
| In Japanese, the word "revolution" can also mean "astronomical rotation" or "the act of rotating something. | |||
| Korean | 혁명 | ||
| The word "혁명" (혁명) in Korean can also mean "revolving" or "circumvolution". | |||
| Mongolian | хувьсгал | ||
| The word "хувьсгал" can also mean "turn" or "change". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တော်လှန်ရေး | ||
Revolution in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | revolusi | ||
| In Indonesian, "revolusi" can also mean "rotation", derived from the Dutch word "revolutie" with the same meaning. | |||
| Javanese | revolusi | ||
| The Javanese word "revolusi" also refers to the rotating and changing of time cycles. | |||
| Khmer | បដិវត្ត | ||
| "បដិវត្ត" is a Sanskrit loanword derived from "prativṛtta" meaning "turned about", and can also refer to "circumvolution", "rotation", "revolving", or "turning" | |||
| Lao | ການປະຕິວັດ | ||
| This word can also refer to "a significant change in someone's attitudes, behavior, or way of thinking". | |||
| Malay | revolusi | ||
| The term 'revolusi' may also refer to the cyclical nature of life in Malay, particularly in traditional contexts like rice cultivation and royal lineage. | |||
| Thai | การปฏิวัติ | ||
| The term "การปฏิวัติ" in Thai is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit "paravṛtta," meaning "turning around" or "returning to." | |||
| Vietnamese | cuộc cách mạng | ||
| The word "Cuộc cách mạng" can also mean "reformation" or "innovation" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | rebolusyon | ||
Revolution in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | inqilab | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "inqilab" also has the alternate meaning of "upheaval" or "great change". | |||
| Kazakh | революция | ||
| The Kazakh word "революция" also means "upheaval" or "turmoil". | |||
| Kyrgyz | революция | ||
| The term "революция" (revolution) in Kyrgyz has additional meanings such as "change" or "transformation". | |||
| Tajik | инқилоб | ||
| The word "инқилоб" (revolution) comes from the Arabic word "انقلاب (inqilāb)", which means "turnover" or "upheaval." | |||
| Turkmen | ynkylap | ||
| Uzbek | inqilob | ||
| The word "inqilob" is derived from the Arabic word "inqilab", which means "to turn over" or "to change". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىنقىلاب | ||
Revolution in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kipi | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kipi" also denotes "turning, spinning, twisting" and is cognate with other Polynesian terms meaning "to change," or "to overturn". | |||
| Maori | hurihanga | ||
| The word “hurihanga” also means “turn, return, go back, change, or alter,” according to the Māori Dictionary. | |||
| Samoan | fouvalega | ||
| The word 'fouvalega' is based on 'vale' (house, building, or home) and 'fou' (move, change) to mean 'to go and leave a place, building, house, or home and never return.' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | rebolusyon | ||
| The Tagalog word "rebolusyon" can also refer to a change in personal or collective behavior or lifestyle. | |||
Revolution in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | turkakiptawi | ||
| Guarani | ñepu'ã | ||
Revolution in International Languages
| Esperanto | revolucio | ||
| "Revolucio" also means "rotation" or a "revolving motion" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | revolution | ||
| The Latin word "revolutio" also means "a turn", "a cycle", "a change of fortune", and "a revolt". | |||
Revolution in Others Languages
| Greek | επανάσταση | ||
| The word επανάσταση (revolution) shares its root with αναστρέφω (turn back), meaning that it can also refer to the action of turning things upside down or restoring something to its original state. | |||
| Hmong | kiv puag ncig | ||
| The word "kiv puag ncig" is derived from the Hmong word "puag," meaning "turning" or "rotation," and "ncig," meaning "one time" or "one round. | |||
| Kurdish | şoreş | ||
| The Kurdish word "şoreş" derives from the Persian "shora" meaning "uprising" and has also been used historically in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Turkish | devrim | ||
| The Turkish word "devrim" (revolution) also carries the meaning of "turn, cycle" and is related to the verb "devretmek" (to turn). | |||
| Xhosa | inguquko | ||
| The word 'inguquko' is cognate with 'guquka,' meaning 'to change' and connotes the transformation and change that accompanies revolution. | |||
| Yiddish | רעוואָלוציע | ||
| The Yiddish word "рэוואָלוציע" (revolutsiye) can also mean "rotation" or "upheaval". | |||
| Zulu | inguquko | ||
| "Ingqungqo" has multiple meanings in Zulu, including "the place where the headman lives" and "the place where the chief dwells or rules." | |||
| Assamese | বিপ্লৱ | ||
| Aymara | turkakiptawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | किरांति | ||
| Dhivehi | ރިވޮލިއުޝަން | ||
| Dogri | क्रांती | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | rebolusyon | ||
| Guarani | ñepu'ã | ||
| Ilocano | rebolusion | ||
| Krio | chalenj | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شۆڕش | ||
| Maithili | क्रांति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯍꯧ ꯍꯧꯕ | ||
| Mizo | inherna | ||
| Oromo | warraaqsa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିପ୍ଳବ | ||
| Quechua | awqallikuy | ||
| Sanskrit | परिभ्रमण | ||
| Tatar | революция | ||
| Tigrinya | ለውጢ | ||
| Tsonga | ndzundzuluko | ||