Sanction in Different Languages
Discover 'Sanction' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'sanction' holds great significance in various cultural and historical contexts. Originating from the Latin 'sanctio' meaning 'a making sacred or binding under law or penalty,' sanction can refer to a penalty for disobeying a law or rule, or the act of making something official. In international relations, sanctions refer to punitive measures imposed by one or more countries on another to influence policy or behavior. But did you know that the word 'sanction' can have a positive connotation in some contexts, such as giving official approval or authorization?
Understanding the translation of 'sanction' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how various cultures approach the concept of punishment, authorization, and law. For instance, in Spanish, 'sanction' translates to 'sanción,' while in German, it's 'Sanktion' and in French, 'sanction' translates to 'sanction.'
Explore the many translations of 'sanction' and deepen your understanding of this powerful word and its cultural significance across the globe.
Sanction
Sanction in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sanksie | ||
| In Afrikaans, 'sanksie' can also mean 'penalty' or 'punishment'. | |||
| Amharic | ማዕቀብ | ||
| The word "ማዕቀብ" also means "penalty" or "punishment" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | takunkumi | ||
| The word “takunkumi” has alternate meanings in Hausa, including “law” and “punishment”. | |||
| Igbo | ikikere | ||
| Ikikere is also used to refer to customary laws, taboos, or prohibitions in Igbo society. | |||
| Malagasy | sazy | ||
| In Malagasy, "sazy" also means "to tie up" something, likely because a sanction restricts freedom. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuvomereza | ||
| The Nyanja (Chichewa) word “kuvomereza” also has a second, literal meaning: “to agree with or accept something,” which reveals the true nature of sanctions as an agreement among actors to punish a target government. | |||
| Shona | chirango | ||
| In Shona, "chirango" also means "a rule or regulation that governs the behavior of a group or community," with the root "rang" meaning "to forbid or prevent." | |||
| Somali | cunaqabateyn | ||
| Sesotho | kotlo | ||
| The word 'kotlo' is derived from the verb 'kotla', which means 'to prevent, hinder' or 'to forbid' in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | vikwazo | ||
| "Vikwazo" is derived from the verb "kuzuia" (to obstruct) and literally means "a blockage". | |||
| Xhosa | isohlwayo | ||
| The word "isohlwayo" in Xhosa can also mean "penalty" or "fine". | |||
| Yoruba | iwe-aṣẹ | ||
| The Yoruba word "iwe-aṣẹ" also denotes a written document authorizing an action, like a warrant. | |||
| Zulu | ukujeziswa | ||
| The term ukujeziswa may also refer to a penalty or consequence of an action. | |||
| Bambara | sankɔrɔta | ||
| Ewe | tohehe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibihano | ||
| Lingala | etumbu ya kopesa etumbu | ||
| Luganda | okussa envumbo | ||
| Sepedi | kotlo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sanction a wɔde ma | ||
Sanction in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عقوبة | ||
| The word 'عقوبة' (sanction) is derived from the root 'ع-ق-ب', which also means to punish, chastise, or take revenge. | |||
| Hebrew | סַנקצִיָה | ||
| The Hebrew word סַנקצִיָה (sanction) originates from the Latin word "sanctio", meaning "sacred law" or "religious obligation." | |||
| Pashto | منع کول | ||
| "منع کول" could also mean "prohibit" or "refuse". | |||
| Arabic | عقوبة | ||
| The word 'عقوبة' (sanction) is derived from the root 'ع-ق-ب', which also means to punish, chastise, or take revenge. | |||
Sanction in Western European Languages
| Albanian | sanksioni | ||
| In Albanian, "sanksioni" can also refer to a "sentence" or "punishment". | |||
| Basque | zigorra | ||
| Derived from "zigor", it also means "punishment" in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | sanció | ||
| In medieval Latin, "sancio" meant "to make sacred" or "to ratify", and from this derives its modern meaning of "sanction". | |||
| Croatian | sankcija | ||
| "Sankcija" is derived from the Latin "sanctio", which means "sacred law" or "decree". | |||
| Danish | sanktion | ||
| The Danish word "sanktion" also means "approval" and is related to the Latin word "sanctus" (holy). | |||
| Dutch | sanctie | ||
| The word "sanctie" in Dutch can also refer to a "law" or "decree". | |||
| English | sanction | ||
| The word "sanction" derives from the Latin "sancire", meaning "to make sacred, to ordain". | |||
| French | sanction | ||
| The word "sanction" comes from the Latin word "sanctus", meaning "holy" or "sacred". | |||
| Frisian | sanksje | ||
| The Frisian word "sanksje" is also used colloquially to mean "punishment", derived from the French word "sanction" meaning punishment. | |||
| Galician | sanción | ||
| "Sanción" também significa "saúde" em galego. | |||
| German | sanktion | ||
| The word "Sanktion" is derived from the Latin "sanctus", meaning "holy" or "sacred", and was originally used to refer to religious ceremonies or penalties imposed by the Church. | |||
| Icelandic | viðurlög | ||
| In Old Norse, "viðurlög" also meant "countermeasures" and "resistance". | |||
| Irish | smachtbhanna | ||
| The word "smachtbhanna" is likely of Anglo-Norman origin, ultimately derived from Latin "sanction". There may have been influence from another Irish word, meaning "to smother". | |||
| Italian | sanzione | ||
| In ancient Rome, “sanctio” referred solely to the ratification of laws by the people. | |||
| Luxembourgish | sanktioun | ||
| Maltese | sanzjoni | ||
| The word "sanzjoni" in Maltese originates from the Italian word "sanzione" and the Latin word "sanctio", meaning "decree" or "ordinance." | |||
| Norwegian | godkjennelse | ||
| The Norwegian word "godkjennelse" comes from the Old Norse word "godkenning", meaning 'approval' or 'acceptance'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sanção | ||
| The word "sanção" derives from the Latin word "sanctio", meaning "consecration". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | smachd-bhannan | ||
| Spanish | sanción | ||
| In addition to its meaning as a sanction, "sanción" can also mean "approval" or "confirmation" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | sanktion | ||
| The term sanktion has a historical usage to refer to a confirmation made by a public assembly; in that usage, it is an adoption via Middle Low German from Latin sanctio (sanction, ratification, decree). | |||
| Welsh | sancsiwn | ||
| In Welsh, "sancsiwn" also refers to a sacred or holy place. | |||
Sanction in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | санкцыя | ||
| The word "санкцыя" has an older meaning in Belarusian which is "support". | |||
| Bosnian | sankcija | ||
| In Bosnian, the word "sankcija" can also mean "penalty" or "punishment." | |||
| Bulgarian | санкция | ||
| The word "санкция" also means "permission" in Bulgarian | |||
| Czech | sankce | ||
| The Czech word "sankce" also means "punishment" or "measure". | |||
| Estonian | sanktsioon | ||
| The Estonian word “sanktsioon” originates from Latin “sanctus” meaning "holy" or "sacred" and originally signified a religious or moral obligation. | |||
| Finnish | seuraamus | ||
| The word 'seuraamus' is derived from the verb 'seurata', meaning 'to follow', indicating its consequence-oriented nature. | |||
| Hungarian | szankció | ||
| The Hungarian word "szankció" can also refer to a penalty imposed for breaking a law or rule. | |||
| Latvian | sankcija | ||
| The Latvian word "sankcija" originates from the French word "sanction", which means "approval" or "authorization". | |||
| Lithuanian | sankcija | ||
| The word "sankcija" can also refer to "legal consequences" or "punishments" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | санкција | ||
| The Macedonian word "санкција" can also mean "punishment". | |||
| Polish | sankcja | ||
| The word "sankcja" also means "punishment" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | sancţiune | ||
| "Sancţiune" is borrowed from the French word "sanction", which in turn derives from the Latin word "sanctio", meaning "to make sacred". In Romanian, it has the additional meaning of "approval". | |||
| Russian | санкция | ||
| The word "санкция" ("sanction") in Russian can also refer to a "punishment" or "penalty" imposed by a government or other authority. | |||
| Serbian | санкција | ||
| In English, 'sanction' also refers to religious punishment or official approval. | |||
| Slovak | sankcia | ||
| The Slovak word "sankcia" derives from the Latin term "sanctio," meaning "enforcement" or "punishment." | |||
| Slovenian | sankcija | ||
| The word "sankcija" in Slovenian also means "penalty" or "consequence". | |||
| Ukrainian | санкція | ||
| The Ukrainian word "санкція" also has the meaning of "approval" or "authorization". | |||
Sanction in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুমোদন | ||
| The word "অনুমোদন" (anumōdon) is derived from the Sanskrit word "anumodanā" (अनुमोदना), which means "approval, sanction, or endorsement." | |||
| Gujarati | મંજૂરી | ||
| Hindi | प्रतिबंध | ||
| The Hindi word "प्रतिबंध" (pratibandh) comes from the Sanskrit word "प्रतिबन्ध" (pratibandha), which means "hindrance" or "obstruction". | |||
| Kannada | ಅನುಮೋದನೆ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಅನುಮೋದನೆ" ("sanction") is derived from the Sanskrit stem "anumat" meaning "to think". "ಅನುಮೋದನೆ" can also refer to "approval" and "consent". | |||
| Malayalam | അനുമതി | ||
| Malayalam word "അനുമതി" also refers to an event at the end of a Hindu festival where devotees receive blessings from the presiding deity. | |||
| Marathi | मंजूर | ||
| The Marathi word "मंजूर" originally meant "permission" and is related to the Hindi word "मन" (mind). | |||
| Nepali | स्वीकृति | ||
| स्वीकृति is derived from the Sanskrit word 'स्वीकृति', meaning 'acceptance' or 'approval'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਨਜੂਰੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අනුමැතිය | ||
| The word "අනුමැතිය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "anumati", which means "permission" or "consent". | |||
| Tamil | அனுமதி | ||
| Tamil "அனுமதி" literally translates to "permission" or "approval", denoting consent or authorization in various contexts. | |||
| Telugu | మంజూరు | ||
| The word "మంజూరు" in Telugu shares an etymological root with the Sanskrit word "मन्यु" (manyu), meaning "anger" or "wrath". | |||
| Urdu | منظوری | ||
| The word "منظوری" (manzuri) ultimately derives from the Arabic word "نظر" (nazar), meaning "look" or "opinion", suggesting its original meaning as "approval" or "consent". | |||
Sanction in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 制裁 | ||
| "制裁"在汉语中除了指制裁措施外，还指制裁物品，即因实施制裁而受到限制的物品或技术。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 制裁 | ||
| The word 制裁 is also used to describe measures taken by an organization to enforce its rules, such as a boycott or suspension. | |||
| Japanese | 制裁 | ||
| The word "制裁" (seisan) in Japanese can also mean "punishment" or "penalty". | |||
| Korean | 제재 | ||
| "제재"(制裁)의 원래 뜻은 "법에 따라 벌주는 것"이었지만 지금은 주로 "국제법에 따라 다른 국가에 경제적 또는 정치적 제약을 가하는 것"을 가리킴. | |||
| Mongolian | шийтгэл | ||
| The word "шийтгэл" is also used to refer to a type of ritual or ceremony in Mongolian culture. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိတ်ဆို့မှု | ||
Sanction in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sanksi | ||
| The Indonesian word "sanksi" is derived from the Sanskrit word "shashti", meaning "punishment". | |||
| Javanese | sanksi | ||
| 'Sanksi' is also a respectful Javanese term used to address a woman. | |||
| Khmer | ការដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្ម | ||
| Lao | ການລົງໂທດ | ||
| Malay | sekatan | ||
| The word "sekatan" can also refer to a barricade or obstacle, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "sankata," meaning "narrow passage." | |||
| Thai | การลงโทษ | ||
| The word "การลงโทษ" can also mean punishment or retribution. | |||
| Vietnamese | phê chuẩn | ||
| The word "phê chuẩn" is derived from the Chinese phrase phê chuẩn, which means "to approve or ratify". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | parusa | ||
Sanction in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sanksiya | ||
| The word "sanksiya" in Azerbaijani comes from the Latin word "sanctio", meaning "to make sacred or inviolable". | |||
| Kazakh | санкция | ||
| The Kazakh word "санкция" can also mean "approval" or "permission". | |||
| Kyrgyz | санкция | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "санкция" ("sanction") also means "permission" or "approval". | |||
| Tajik | муҷозот | ||
| Муҷозот (sanction) derives from the Arabic word “джазо” (reward, punishment) and originally meant “punishment for wrongdoing.” | |||
| Turkmen | sanksiýalary | ||
| Uzbek | sanktsiya | ||
| "Sanktsiya" is also a Russian word, derived from the Latin "sanctus" (holy), ultimately meaning "holy ordinance" or "decree" | |||
| Uyghur | جازا | ||
Sanction in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻāpono | ||
| ʻĀpono comes from the verb ʻāpo, meaning to prohibit or forbid. | |||
| Maori | whakawhiu | ||
| The etymology of the Maori word "whakawhiu" for "sanction" is thought to derive from the concepts of "release" or "separation," suggesting its use for severing ties with individuals or groups deemed harmful to the community. | |||
| Samoan | faʻasalaga | ||
| The word "faʻasalaga" comes from the root word "sala" which means "fault" or "sin", and the prefix "faʻa" which turns the noun into a verb, thus giving "faʻasalaga" the meaning of "to punish" or "to sanction". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | parusa | ||
| The Tagalog word "parusa" is derived from the Spanish word "pena" meaning "punishment" or "penalty". | |||
Sanction in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | sanción sata lurawi | ||
| Guarani | sanción rehegua | ||
Sanction in International Languages
| Esperanto | sankcio | ||
| Esperanto's 'sankcio' derives from Latin, but it means both 'approval' and 'penalty'. | |||
| Latin | auctore | ||
| The Latin word "auctore" comes from the verb "augere" (to grow or increase), and refers to something done with the authorization or support of someone. | |||
Sanction in Others Languages
| Greek | κύρωση | ||
| An alternate meaning of "κύρωση" is "ratification", as in the ratification of a treaty, indicating a more positive connotation than the term "sanction". | |||
| Hmong | pom zoo | ||
| 'Pom zoo' means 'restriction' in Hmong, a word related to 'pom' (to cover), 'poo' (to tie), and 'zoo' (tightly). | |||
| Kurdish | tengî | ||
| Tengî, meaning 'sanction' or 'penalty', is derived from the Kurdish word 'teng', meaning 'equal', 'fair' or 'just', suggesting a sense of equitable retribution. | |||
| Turkish | yaptırım | ||
| "Yaptırım" also means "enforcement" or "execution" in Turkish | |||
| Xhosa | isohlwayo | ||
| The word "isohlwayo" in Xhosa can also mean "penalty" or "fine". | |||
| Yiddish | סאַנקציע | ||
| The Yiddish word "סאַנקציע" can also mean "permission" or "blessing". | |||
| Zulu | ukujeziswa | ||
| The term ukujeziswa may also refer to a penalty or consequence of an action. | |||
| Assamese | অনুমোদন | ||
| Aymara | sanción sata lurawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | मंजूरी दिहल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަތިކުރުމުގެ ފިޔަވަޅު އެޅުމެވެ | ||
| Dogri | मंजूरी दी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | parusa | ||
| Guarani | sanción rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | sansion ti sansion | ||
| Krio | sankshɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سزادان | ||
| Maithili | स्वीकृति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯉ꯭ꯀꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | sanction pek a ni | ||
| Oromo | qoqqobbii kaa’uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମ ction ୍ଜୁରୀ | ||
| Quechua | sanción nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | अनुमोदनम् | ||
| Tatar | санкция | ||
| Tigrinya | እገዳ ምግባር | ||
| Tsonga | xigwevo | ||