Satellite in Different Languages
Discover 'Satellite' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Satellite is a term that has become ubiquitous in our modern world, denoting objects that orbit around a celestial body. These man-made marvels have transformed our ability to communicate, navigate, and observe our planet and beyond. From GPS systems that guide us to our destinations, to weather forecasts that predict the future, satellites have become an indispensable part of our daily lives.
But satellites are not just technological wonders; they also have a rich cultural significance. From science fiction novels and movies that imagine life in space, to philosophical discussions about our place in the universe, satellites have captured our collective imagination. They represent humanity's quest for knowledge, exploration, and discovery.
Understanding the translation of the word 'satellite' in different languages can offer a fascinating glimpse into how different cultures perceive and interact with these objects. For instance, in Spanish, a satellite is called 'un satélite', while in French, it is 'un satellite'. In German, it is 'ein Satellit', and in Japanese, it is 'サテライト (sateraito)'.
In this article, we will explore the translations of the word 'satellite' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and historical contexts associated with this fascinating term.
Satellite
Satellite in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | satelliet | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "satelliet" comes from the French word "satellite", derived from the Latin word "satelles", meaning "attendant or follower". | |||
| Amharic | ሳተላይት | ||
| The Amharic word ሳተላይት can also refer to an assistant or aide. | |||
| Hausa | tauraron dan adam | ||
| The Hausa word "tauraron Ɗan Adam literally translates to "son-of man star", derived originally referring specifically to the moon | |||
| Igbo | satịlaịtị | ||
| In Igbo, "satịlaịtị" is cognate with the English word "satellite" and also means "a person who attends on or follows another." | |||
| Malagasy | zanabolana | ||
| The word "zanabolana" is derived from the Arabic word "zanaqa", which means "to orbit". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kanema | ||
| The word 'Kanema' also refers to a small wooden dish or bowl used in traditional Nyanja households. | |||
| Shona | satellite | ||
| In Shona, the word "satellite" can also refer to a small dish or plate used for serving food. | |||
| Somali | dayax gacmeed | ||
| "Dayax gacmeed" literally means "moon that revolves", as in the Moon revolves around the Earth | |||
| Sesotho | satellite | ||
| The Sesotho word "satellite" also means an accomplice or associate. | |||
| Swahili | setilaiti | ||
| The Swahili word "setilaiti" also means "companion" or "follower". | |||
| Xhosa | isathelayithi | ||
| The word "isathelayithi" in Xhosa also means "one who orbits" or "companion". | |||
| Yoruba | satẹlaiti | ||
| Ṣatẹ́laìtì is also a Yoruba word for an attendant to a king or chief. | |||
| Zulu | isathelayithi | ||
| The Zulu word Isathelayithi could also refer to a planet, sun or a moon. | |||
| Bambara | sateliti ye | ||
| Ewe | satellite dzi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyogajuru | ||
| Lingala | satellite | ||
| Luganda | satellite | ||
| Sepedi | sathalaete | ||
| Twi (Akan) | satellite so | ||
Satellite in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأقمار الصناعية | ||
| The Arabic word for "satellite" "الأقمار الصناعية" literally means "lunar moons". | |||
| Hebrew | לווין | ||
| לווין is also the Hebrew form of the name Levin, a popular Eastern European Jewish surname derived from a Germanic word meaning “lion”. | |||
| Pashto | سپوږمکۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "سپوږمکۍ" also refers to a part of a necklace that contains a pendant. | |||
| Arabic | الأقمار الصناعية | ||
| The Arabic word for "satellite" "الأقمار الصناعية" literally means "lunar moons". | |||
Satellite in Western European Languages
| Albanian | satelit | ||
| The Albanian word 'satelit' comes from the Latin word 'satelles', meaning 'attendant' or 'bodyguard'. | |||
| Basque | satelitea | ||
| The Basque word for "satellite" was originally "satelitea," which comes from the Latin word "satelles," meaning "companion" or "attendant." | |||
| Catalan | satèl·lit | ||
| The word "satèl·lit" is derived from the Latin word "satelles", which means "attendant" or "follower". | |||
| Croatian | satelit | ||
| The Croatian word "satelit" ultimately stems from the Latin term "satelles," which refers to a bodyguard or attendant. | |||
| Danish | satellit | ||
| In Danish, "satellit" can also refer to a small, flat, round cake. | |||
| Dutch | satelliet | ||
| In Dutch, a “satelliet” can also be a small room adjacent to a larger one. | |||
| English | satellite | ||
| The word "satellite" derives from the Latin word "satelles," meaning "attendant" or "companion." | |||
| French | satellite | ||
| The French word "satellite" can also refer to a member of an aristocratic household. | |||
| Frisian | satellyt | ||
| It is originally used to refer to a sidekick or supporter. | |||
| Galician | satélite | ||
| The Galician word "satélite" also means "parasite". | |||
| German | satellit | ||
| In German, the word "Satellit" can also refer to an assistant or companion. | |||
| Icelandic | gervihnött | ||
| The word gervihnött also refers to something that hovers over the head of a person; such as a protective spirit or even a bad omen | |||
| Irish | satailíte | ||
| An Irish language alternative for "satellite" is "gathaileán", referring to a follower of a noble person. | |||
| Italian | satellitare | ||
| In Italian, "satellitare" can also refer to a person who orbits or clings to another, like a sycophant. | |||
| Luxembourgish | satellit | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Satellit" also refers to a small side dish served with a main course, such as salad or vegetable puree. | |||
| Maltese | satellita | ||
| The Maltese word "satellita" also means "attendant, sidekick, accomplice, follower" (from the Late Latin "satelles, satellitis", of uncertain origin). | |||
| Norwegian | satellitt | ||
| The word "satellitt" in Norwegian can also refer to an artificial intelligence, a person who is dependent on someone else, or a small group of people. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | satélite | ||
| In Portuguese, "satélite" also means "companion" or "follower", similar to the English use of "satellite" to refer to a smaller celestial body orbiting a larger one. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | saideal | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "saideal" originally meant "belonging to a seat" but is now more commonly used to refer to an artificial satellite, as it does in English. | |||
| Spanish | satélite | ||
| In Spanish, "satélite" also refers to someone or something dependent on another. | |||
| Swedish | satellit | ||
| The word "satellit" comes from the Latin word "satelles", meaning "attendant" or "follower". | |||
| Welsh | lloeren | ||
| There are two suggested Latin roots for this word: 'luna' (moon) and 'lucere' (to shine). | |||
Satellite in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спадарожнік | ||
| The word comes from | |||
| Bosnian | satelit | ||
| The Bosnian word "satelit" also means "companion" or "associate". | |||
| Bulgarian | сателит | ||
| The word "сателит" in Bulgarian originates from the Latin word "satelles" and can also mean "helper" or "attendant". | |||
| Czech | družice | ||
| The word "družice" also has the alternate meanings "companion" or "friend". | |||
| Estonian | satelliit | ||
| The Estonian word "satelliit" can also refer to a member of a retinue or entourage. | |||
| Finnish | satelliitti | ||
| Satelliitti is also used in the sense of 'companion' in astronomy, and 'attendant' or 'follower' in general. | |||
| Hungarian | műhold | ||
| In Hungarian, "műhold" (satellite) is also an archaic term for "artificial moon" or "artificial planet."} | |||
| Latvian | satelīts | ||
| In Latvian, "satelīts" can also refer to a person who attends a party or event without being invited. | |||
| Lithuanian | palydovas | ||
| The word "palydovas" is derived from the Greek word "pelates," meaning "escort" or "attendant." | |||
| Macedonian | сателит | ||
| The word "сателит" is also used in Macedonian to refer to a person who is blindly devoted to someone or something. | |||
| Polish | satelita | ||
| Satelita in Polish also derives from the Latin 'satelles,' meaning 'attendant' or 'follower'. | |||
| Romanian | satelit | ||
| In Romanian, "satelit" can also refer to a small satellite dish or antenna used for receiving television or other signals. | |||
| Russian | спутник | ||
| Спутник (Sputnik) is a diminutive of the Russian word "спут" ("comrade"), implying someone or something with whom something (or someone) has a close bond. | |||
| Serbian | сателит | ||
| The word "сателит" derives from the Latin word "satelles", meaning "attendant". It can also refer to a vassal, follower, or member of an entourage. | |||
| Slovak | satelit | ||
| "Satelit" is the Slovak word for "satellite," a celestial body orbiting a planet, but it can also refer to a person or thing closely associated with someone or something else. | |||
| Slovenian | satelit | ||
| In Slovenian, "satelit" not only means "satellite", but also a "member of an organization". | |||
| Ukrainian | супутник | ||
| The word "супутник" can also refer to a companion, friend, or associate, derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "sъpątъ", meaning "co-traveler". | |||
Satellite in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উপগ্রহ | ||
| The word "উপগ্রহ" ultimately comes from "ग्रह" (graha), which in Sanskrit means "seizing" or "taking hold", indicating that the satellite is attached to or controlled by the planet. | |||
| Gujarati | ઉપગ્રહ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ઉપગ્રહ" is derived from Sanskrit and originally referred to the moon as Earth's satellite. | |||
| Hindi | उपग्रह | ||
| उपग्रह (satellite) derives its name from the Sanskrit term 'उप' meaning 'below' and 'ग्रह' meaning 'planet', originally denoting a smaller body orbiting a larger one. | |||
| Kannada | ಉಪಗ್ರಹ | ||
| The word 'ಉಪಗ್ರಹ' (satellite) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'उपग्रह' (upagraha), meaning 'a subordinate' or 'an attendant'. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉപഗ്രഹം | ||
| "Satellite" in Malayalam is "ഉപഗ്രഹം" (upagraham) which literally means "something dependent" or "an assistant". | |||
| Marathi | उपग्रह | ||
| उपग्रह (upgraha) also means 'one who causes harm', 'troublesome person', 'obstruction' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | उपग्रह | ||
| The word "उपग्रह" can also refer to an assistant or attendant in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੈਟੇਲਾਈਟ | ||
| ਸੈਟੇਲਾਈਟ শব্দটির মূল উৎস হল ল্যাটিন শব্দ “ਸੈটেস”, যার অর্থ “অনুগামী” বা “সঙ্গী”। | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | චන්ද්රිකාව | ||
| The word "chandra-ka" refers to moonlight, a derivative from Sanskrit, while the term "chandra-kala" is also used for the Moon's phases in astrology. | |||
| Tamil | செயற்கைக்கோள் | ||
| In astronomy, the Tamil word செயற்கைக்கோள் also refers to a star or planet revolving around a larger celestial body. | |||
| Telugu | ఉపగ్రహ | ||
| The word "ఉపగ్రహ" can also mean "a subordinate king" or "a planet that revolves around a star"} | |||
| Urdu | مصنوعی سیارہ | ||
Satellite in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 卫星 | ||
| 卫星 originally referred to a group of stars that accompanied the North Star in its orbit, and later extended to any celestial body that orbits another larger celestial body. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 衛星 | ||
| 「衛星」在中文裡有保衛、侍衛的意思，與英文的「衛星」不同，英文的「衛星」源於拉丁文，意為「扈從、隨從」，指環繞主星運行的天體。 | |||
| Japanese | 衛星 | ||
| In Japanese, "衛星" also means "protective star", indicating its role as a celestial body that orbits another | |||
| Korean | 위성 | ||
| "위성" can also mean "a dependent country" or a person who follows another person around. | |||
| Mongolian | хиймэл дагуул | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဂြိုလ်တု | ||
Satellite in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | satelit | ||
| "Satelit" in Indonesian is derived from the French word "satellite" and also means an orbiting object or an artificial celestial body. | |||
| Javanese | satelit | ||
| "Satelit" in Javanese is also used to refer to "a small object or creature that follows or accompanies a larger one". | |||
| Khmer | ផ្កាយរណប | ||
| Lao | ດາວທຽມ | ||
| In addition to satellites orbiting large planets, the word "ດາວທຽມ" also refers to the moon orbiting Earth. | |||
| Malay | satelit | ||
| The Malay word "satelit" can also refer to a group of people who follow or support a particular person or organization. | |||
| Thai | ดาวเทียม | ||
| The Thai word “ดาวเทียม” originates from Sanskrit, meaning “something that follows”. | |||
| Vietnamese | vệ tinh | ||
| The Vietnamese word "vệ tinh" not only means "satellite" but also has a metaphorical meaning of "a close companion or follower." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | satellite | ||
Satellite in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | peyk | ||
| The word "peyk" in Azerbaijani is not only used to refer to a satellite, but also has the meaning of "messenger". | |||
| Kazakh | жерсерік | ||
| The word "жерсерік" is derived from the Persian word "ژرسری" meaning "small wheel". | |||
| Kyrgyz | спутник | ||
| The word "спутник" is also used in Kyrgyz to refer to a friend or companion. | |||
| Tajik | моҳвора | ||
| The word "моҳвора" comes from the ancient Farsi word "maht''r", meaning "the moon" or "the celestial body." | |||
| Turkmen | hemra | ||
| Uzbek | sun'iy yo'ldosh | ||
| The word "sun'iy yo'ldosh" also means "artificial moon" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | سۈنئىي ھەمراھ | ||
Satellite in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ukali | ||
| The word comes from the root word "uka", meaning "up" or "above". | |||
| Maori | amiorangi | ||
| In Maori, "amiorangi" also refers to the "sky that hangs over the ocean" or the "horizon". | |||
| Samoan | satelite | ||
| In Samoan, "satelite" can also refer to a small piece of land, an appendage of land, or a small, unimportant island. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | satellite | ||
| In Tagalog, 'satellite' can also refer to a small round object or a side dish. | |||
Satellite in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | satélite ukampi | ||
| Guarani | satélite rupive | ||
Satellite in International Languages
| Esperanto | satelito | ||
| "Satelito" (satellite) is derived from the Latin word "satelles", meaning "companion" or "attendant". | |||
| Latin | satellite | ||
| Latin word "satelles" had a primary meaning of "attendant" or "bodyguard" (hence its use as a basis for "satellite"), but could also mean "satellite" or "moon" (in an astronomical sense). | |||
Satellite in Others Languages
| Greek | δορυφόρος | ||
| The Greek term “δορυφόρος” literally means “spear-carrier” or “bodyguard”. | |||
| Hmong | satellite | ||
| Hmong 'satellite' ('satellite') is cognate with Lao 'satellite' ('satellite'). | |||
| Kurdish | satelayt | ||
| The term "satelayt" has also been historically used in Kurdish to refer to the seven days of the week. | |||
| Turkish | uydu | ||
| "Uydu" also means member of parliament in Turkish, and also "companion" in some Turkish dialects. | |||
| Xhosa | isathelayithi | ||
| The word "isathelayithi" in Xhosa also means "one who orbits" or "companion". | |||
| Yiddish | סאַטעליט | ||
| In Yiddish, "סאַטעליט" can also refer to a parasite or a hanger-on. | |||
| Zulu | isathelayithi | ||
| The Zulu word Isathelayithi could also refer to a planet, sun or a moon. | |||
| Assamese | উপগ্ৰহ | ||
| Aymara | satélite ukampi | ||
| Bhojpuri | उपग्रह से उपग्रह के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ސެޓެލައިޓް | ||
| Dogri | उपग्रह | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | satellite | ||
| Guarani | satélite rupive | ||
| Ilocano | satellite | ||
| Krio | sataylayt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەتەلایت | ||
| Maithili | उपग्रह | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯇꯂꯥꯏꯠꯇꯥ ꯌꯥꯑꯣꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | satellite hmanga siam a ni | ||
| Oromo | saatalaayitii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉପଗ୍ରହ | ||
| Quechua | satélite nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | उपग्रहः | ||
| Tatar | иярчен | ||
| Tigrinya | ሳተላይት ምዃኑ ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | sathelayiti | ||