Root in Different Languages
Discover 'Root' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'root' holds a profound significance in various cultures and languages, denoting the source or origin of something. Its cultural importance is evident in idioms and expressions, such as 'get to the root of the problem,' which means to identify and address the fundamental cause. Understanding the translation of 'root' in different languages can provide unique insights into the cultural nuances and worldviews of diverse communities.
For instance, the English word 'root' translates to 'raíz' in Spanish, 'racine' in French, and 'Wurzel' in German. Each language's translation offers a glimpse into the historical and cultural contexts of the word. For example, in some African and Asian cultures, the word for 'root' is often associated with traditional medicine and healing practices.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or someone seeking to deepen your understanding of the world around you, exploring the translations of 'root' in different languages is a fascinating journey. Keep reading to discover more about this intriguing word!
Root
Root in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wortel | ||
| "Wortel" (root) is cognate with the English word "wart" and the German word "Warze", meaning "wart" or "growth". | |||
| Amharic | ሥር | ||
| In Ethiopian Orthodox Christian tradition, ሥር refers to the belief in the divine essence or 'root' nature of Jesus Christ. | |||
| Hausa | saiwa | ||
| The word 'saiwa' also means 'origin' or 'source' in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | mgbọrọgwụ | ||
| It can also figuratively refer to the source or origin of something. | |||
| Malagasy | faka | ||
| 'Faka' can also mean 'foundation', 'principle', 'source', 'origin', or 'cause'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | muzu | ||
| "Muzu" is also used to refer to the base or origin of something. | |||
| Shona | mudzi | ||
| The term "mudzi" also signifies the chief's village and serves as a toponym for places such as Harare's oldest neighborhood, Mbare, or Mbare Township. | |||
| Somali | xididka | ||
| The word "xididka" can also refer to the origin or source of something. | |||
| Sesotho | motso | ||
| The word 'motso' in Sesotho can also refer to the origin or foundation of something. | |||
| Swahili | mzizi | ||
| "Mzizi" originally meant "vein" and acquired its current meaning as "root" in the 19th century. | |||
| Xhosa | ingcambu | ||
| In some African countries, 'ingcambu' can also refer to a person's birthplace or home town. | |||
| Yoruba | gbongbo | ||
| In Yoruba, "gbongbo" refers to both a physical root and a person's lineage or ancestral heritage. | |||
| Zulu | impande | ||
| The word "impande" also means "cause" or "origin" in Zulu, highlighting the interconnectedness of language and concepts in the culture. | |||
| Bambara | dili | ||
| Ewe | ke | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuzi | ||
| Lingala | mosisa | ||
| Luganda | omuzi | ||
| Sepedi | modu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nhini | ||
Root in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | جذر | ||
| The word "جذر" (root) in Arabic can also refer to something basic, essential, or fundamental or to the square root in mathematics. | |||
| Hebrew | שורש | ||
| The Hebrew word 'שורש' ('shoresh') originally meant 'foundation' or 'base', and only later acquired the meaning of 'root'. | |||
| Pashto | ریښه | ||
| The Pashto word "ریښه" also refers to the origin or cause of something. | |||
| Arabic | جذر | ||
| The word "جذر" (root) in Arabic can also refer to something basic, essential, or fundamental or to the square root in mathematics. | |||
Root in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rrënjë | ||
| In Albanian, rrënjë also refers to the bottom, base, origin or essence of something. | |||
| Basque | erroa | ||
| The Basque word "erroa" (root) is also used to refer to the foundation or core of something. | |||
| Catalan | arrel | ||
| The word "arrel" in Catalan is derived from the Latin word "radix", meaning "root". | |||
| Croatian | korijen | ||
| Korijen (root) comes from the Proto-Indo-European word *ker-, which also means 'horn'. This is because horns and roots are both seen as the source of something, horns being the source of an animal's strength and roots being the source of a plant's nutrients and stability. | |||
| Danish | rod | ||
| In Danish, "rod" can also refer to the verb "to clear" or to "a pile of something", and is related to the word "rude", meaning "undisturbed ground" | |||
| Dutch | wortel | ||
| The Dutch word "wortel" originally referred to the taproot of a carrot, and only later came to be used for all types of roots. | |||
| English | root | ||
| The word "root" comes from the Old English word "rot", meaning "firm standing" or "base." | |||
| French | racine | ||
| The French word "racine" derives from the Latin word "radix," meaning "root," and is also related to the English word "radical," meaning "pertaining to the root" or "extreme." | |||
| Frisian | woartel | ||
| In Old Frisian 'woartel' also had the meanings 'basis', 'origin', 'beginning', 'descent' and 'ground'. | |||
| Galician | raíz | ||
| Galician's “raíz” not only means “root” in English but can also mean “basis” or “origin” and is related to similar words in Portuguese and Spanish. | |||
| German | wurzel | ||
| "Wurzel" in German can also mean "dice" or "raffle". | |||
| Icelandic | rót | ||
| Rót can also mean 'a way out' (a route), or 'reason' or 'cause'. | |||
| Irish | fréimhe | ||
| The word "fréimhe" can also refer to a stem or a family line. | |||
| Italian | radice | ||
| The Italian word 'radice' comes from the Latin word 'radix', which also means 'root' and is the origin of the English word 'radical'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | root | ||
| "Root" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a "turnip" or the "origin of something." | |||
| Maltese | għerq | ||
| The Maltese word "għerq" is also used to refer to the base of a tree or a tooth. | |||
| Norwegian | rot | ||
| Norwegian has two homophones “rot” meaning “root” and “rot” meaning “decay”, both with Germanic roots. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | raiz | ||
| Raiz can also refer to the base of any kind of structure or system. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | freumh | ||
| Freumh is a Scots Gaelic term also meaning: origin, basis, source, beginning, foundation. | |||
| Spanish | raíz | ||
| The Spanish word "raíz" can also refer to the origin, basis, or foundation of something. | |||
| Swedish | rot | ||
| In Swedish, the word "rot" has another meaning, referring to "deterioration" or "decay". | |||
| Welsh | gwraidd | ||
| The word "gwraidd" can also mean "origin", "source", or "basis" in Welsh. | |||
Root in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | корань | ||
| "Корань" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *kor/*kъrnъ, meaning "stump" or "root", which is cognate with the Lithuanian "karas", "bark" and "peel", Sanskrit "śṛṇī" and Avestan "sarn-." | |||
| Bosnian | root | ||
| In Bosnian, the word "root" is also used to refer to the root of a hair or the source of a river. | |||
| Bulgarian | корен | ||
| The word "корен" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*koren" which also means "origin" and "lineage". | |||
| Czech | vykořenit | ||
| The verb 'vykořenit' can also mean 'to eradicate' or 'to uproot' something | |||
| Estonian | juur | ||
| In Estonian, 'juur' also means 'anchor' and 'base' | |||
| Finnish | juuri | ||
| In Finnish, "juuri" also means "precisely" or "exactly". | |||
| Hungarian | gyökér | ||
| The word "gyökér" can refer to someone foolish or unpleasant and possibly derives from the root meaning "something protruding" | |||
| Latvian | sakne | ||
| It also shares origin with the Greek suffix -skos found in words like 'microscope' and 'telescope'. | |||
| Lithuanian | šaknis | ||
| "Šaknis" in Lithuanian comes from the verb "šaknýtis", meaning "to sprout", and shares its root with "šakà", meaning "branch". | |||
| Macedonian | корен | ||
| The Slavic word "корен" means "root" in Macedonian as well as "core" or "bottom". | |||
| Polish | korzeń | ||
| The word 'korzeń' can also refer to a plant's tuber, or a mathematical equation's radical. | |||
| Romanian | rădăcină | ||
| The Romanian word "rădăcină" is derived from the Latin word "radix", which also means "base" or "origin". | |||
| Russian | корень | ||
| "Корень" также означает "происхождение" или "основа". | |||
| Serbian | корен | ||
| The word “корен” can also mean "origin" or "birthplace" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | koreň | ||
| "Koreň" also can mean a tooth root, a square root in mathematics, or the base or foundation of something. | |||
| Slovenian | koren | ||
| The word "koren" can also mean "origin" or "source" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | корінь | ||
| The Ukrainian word "корінь" also means "origin" or "source". | |||
Root in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রুট | ||
| রুট' অর্থ জন্মের সময়ে কেউ কি কর্ম করেছে, যা তার জন্ম মৃত্যুর প্রক্রিয়া নির্দিষ্ট করে। | |||
| Gujarati | રુટ | ||
| The word 'રુટ' also means 'foundation' or 'source' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | जड़ | ||
| The word "जड़" in Hindi is cognate with the root "*gʰerdh" (to hold) and shares meanings with terms such as firm, unmoving, or stupid. | |||
| Kannada | ಬೇರು | ||
| "ಬೇರು" means root in Kannada. It also means to be in a state of being rooted. | |||
| Malayalam | റൂട്ട് | ||
| In Malayalam, 'റൂട്ട്' also means 'path' or 'route', derived from the Dutch word 'route'. | |||
| Marathi | मूळ | ||
| The Marathi word for 'root', 'मूळ', also signifies 'foundation', 'essence', 'principle' or 'source'. | |||
| Nepali | मूल | ||
| The Nepali word 'मूल' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मूल' which means 'origin', 'source', 'base', or 'root' of a plant. | |||
| Punjabi | ਰੂਟ | ||
| In Punjabi, the word «ਰੂਟ» can also refer to a type of traditional folk music from the Punjab region. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | root | ||
| In Sinhala, 'root' can also mean 'foot' or 'leg'. | |||
| Tamil | வேர் | ||
| வேர் can also refer to a type of ancient Tamil poetic metre. | |||
| Telugu | రూట్ | ||
| The Telugu word "రూట్" can also refer to a path, a cause or origin, or the base of a number. | |||
| Urdu | جڑ | ||
| Urdu "جڑ" refers to both "root" and "joint" with different pronunciations, indicating its multifaceted semantic connections. | |||
Root in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 根 | ||
| The character 根 (gen) also means the base of a mountain or the foundation of a house. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 根 | ||
| "根" ('root' in Traditional Chinese) also means 'origin', 'foundation', and 'basis'. | |||
| Japanese | ルート | ||
| The Japanese word "ルート" (rūto) can also refer to a path or route, particularly in the context of navigation. | |||
| Korean | 뿌리 | ||
| Its sense of "root of any plant" evolved from that of "foundation, origin" from the 15th century, while its sense of "cause, reason, basis" remains from Middle Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | үндэс | ||
| Originally meant "base", then became a suffix for nouns describing a basic concept, then began to be used for the roots of plants | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမြစ် | ||
| In Myanmar, the word "အမြစ်" can also be used figuratively to refer to the source or origin of something. | |||
Root in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | akar | ||
| "Akar" also means "essence" or "foundation" in Indonesian, and is cognate with the Malay word "akar" and the Tagalog word "ugat". | |||
| Javanese | oyot | ||
| "Oyot" can also mean "the main thing" or "the essence" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ឬស | ||
| "ឬស" is also a unit of measure for land in Cambodia, equal to approximately 3.5 acres or 1.4 hectares. | |||
| Lao | ຮາກ | ||
| Malay | akar | ||
| The word "akar" in Malay can also mean "origin" or "cause". | |||
| Thai | ราก | ||
| Thai ราก "root" is cognate with Mon-Khmer words meaning "foot" or "stem", and may be ultimately related to Austronesian *qaqah "root" and *qaqad "base". | |||
| Vietnamese | nguồn gốc | ||
| The word "nguồn gốc" can also refer to the origin or source of something, such as a person's family or a river's headwaters. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ugat | ||
Root in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kök | ||
| "Kök" also means "origin", "foundation", "base", and "source" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | тамыр | ||
| "Тамыр" (root) comes from the Proto-Turkic word "*tam" meaning "base, foundation" and also refers to the veins in the body, the origin of a family, or the root of a problem. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тамыр | ||
| In the Kyrgyz language, 'тамыр' not only means 'root' but also refers to 'vein' and 'lineage'. | |||
| Tajik | реша | ||
| реша is also a homonym for "language". | |||
| Turkmen | kök | ||
| Uzbek | ildiz | ||
| "Ildiz" in Uzbek can also refer to a constellation or a star. | |||
| Uyghur | root | ||
Root in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumu | ||
| "Kumu" also means "to bury" or "to lay the foundation of," which is the root of Hawaiian construction practices. | |||
| Maori | pakiaka | ||
| The word "pakiaka" in Maori can also refer to a foundation, a base, or a source. | |||
| Samoan | aa | ||
| 'Aa' can also mean 'base' or 'foundation'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ugat | ||
| The Tagalog word "ugat" has Proto-Austronesian roots, and shares a cognate with Malay, which also means "root". | |||
Root in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | saphi | ||
| Guarani | rapo | ||
Root in International Languages
| Esperanto | radiko | ||
| The Esperanto word "radiko" is derived from the Latin word "radix," which means "root". In Sanskrit, "radix" also meant "tree," giving us the modern words "radish" and "radicchio." | |||
| Latin | radix | ||
| Radix, Latin for "root," is found in words like "radical," "radish," and "eradicable," and is also the source of the term "computer radix". | |||
Root in Others Languages
| Greek | ρίζα | ||
| The word "ρίζα" can also refer to the root of a mathematical equation or the origin of a language. | |||
| Hmong | hauv paus | ||
| "Hauv paus" in Hmong means "root", but it can also refer to the "origin" or "source" of something. | |||
| Kurdish | reh | ||
| In Kurdish, "reh" can also imply "source", "origin", or "foundation". | |||
| Turkish | kök | ||
| The word "kök" can also refer to the main artery of the body, i.e. the aorta. | |||
| Xhosa | ingcambu | ||
| In some African countries, 'ingcambu' can also refer to a person's birthplace or home town. | |||
| Yiddish | וואָרצל | ||
| The Yiddish noun "וואָרצל" ("roots"), is cognate to Slavic languages' counterparts, with alternate meanings like "beginning" or "source". | |||
| Zulu | impande | ||
| The word "impande" also means "cause" or "origin" in Zulu, highlighting the interconnectedness of language and concepts in the culture. | |||
| Assamese | শিপা | ||
| Aymara | saphi | ||
| Bhojpuri | जड़ | ||
| Dhivehi | މޫ | ||
| Dogri | जड़ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ugat | ||
| Guarani | rapo | ||
| Ilocano | ramot | ||
| Krio | rut | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەگ | ||
| Maithili | जड़ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯝꯔꯥ | ||
| Mizo | zung | ||
| Oromo | hundee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମୂଳ | ||
| Quechua | sapi | ||
| Sanskrit | मूलं | ||
| Tatar | тамыр | ||
| Tigrinya | ሱር | ||
| Tsonga | rimitsu | ||