Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'season' carries a wealth of significance, denoting a period of time marked by distinct weather patterns and natural phenomena. This concept is central to many cultures, influencing agricultural cycles, traditional celebrations, and even our daily lives. For instance, the English term 'season' finds its roots in the Old French 'seison', meaning 'sowing time' or 'planting time'.
Seasons also hold great cultural importance worldwide. In Japan, the cherry blossom season, or 'sakura', is a beloved national pastime, symbolizing renewal and the fleeting nature of life. Similarly, the monsoon season in India is not just a meteorological event but a deeply ingrained part of the country's cultural fabric.
Understanding the translation of 'season' in different languages can open up fascinating insights into diverse cultural perspectives. Here are a few examples:
Afrikaans | seisoen | ||
The word "seisoen" derives from the Middle Dutch "saison", meaning "sowing time". | |||
Amharic | ወቅት | ||
The term 'ወቅት' derives from the verb 'ዋቀ', meaning 'to come', and connotes both a specific time period and an appropriate or favorable time. | |||
Hausa | kakar | ||
The word 'kakar' can also mean 'time' or 'period'. | |||
Igbo | oge | ||
The Igbo word "oge" can also refer to a stage in life or the duration of an event. | |||
Malagasy | vanim-potoana | ||
The Malagasy word | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyengo | ||
The word "nyengo" in Nyanja can also refer to a period of time, such as a year or a month. | |||
Shona | mwaka | ||
The word "mwaka" is also used to refer to a "year" or "annual event" in Shona. | |||
Somali | xilli | ||
The Somali word "xilli" also means "time" or "occasion". | |||
Sesotho | nako | ||
The word "nako" in Sesotho can also mean "time" or "period". | |||
Swahili | msimu | ||
The word "msimu" can also refer to a specific time period, such as the rainy season or the harvest season. | |||
Xhosa | ixesha | ||
There is a common belief that ixesha is related to the Zulu word “ixeshe” meaning “time, period, while” but this is not backed by any solid evidence. | |||
Yoruba | akoko | ||
The word "akoko" means "season" and is used in both the general sense of "a period of time marked by distinct atmospheric conditions in a region" and the narrower sense of "a period of time marked by an activity or phenomenon". | |||
Zulu | isizini | ||
The word 'isizini' ('season') in Zulu also has connotations of 'time and occasion'. | |||
Bambara | wagati | ||
Ewe | ɣeyiɣi | ||
Kinyarwanda | igihe | ||
Lingala | eleko | ||
Luganda | ebiro | ||
Sepedi | sehla | ||
Twi (Akan) | berɛ | ||
Arabic | الموسم | ||
The word "الموسم" in Arabic has its roots in the trilateral verb "وسـم" (w-s-m), which means "to mark" or "to put a sign on something." | |||
Hebrew | עונה | ||
The Hebrew word "עונה" has its origins in the Akkadian word "anū" and can also refer to "time" or "period". | |||
Pashto | فصل | ||
The word can also appear in compounds such as "بھارت فصل" (harvest season). | |||
Arabic | الموسم | ||
The word "الموسم" in Arabic has its roots in the trilateral verb "وسـم" (w-s-m), which means "to mark" or "to put a sign on something." |
Albanian | sezoni | ||
The word "sezoni" in Albanian can also refer to a period of time during which something specific occurs, such as the planting season or the fishing season. | |||
Basque | denboraldia | ||
Alternate meanings of "udaberria" are "flowering" and "prime of life" as the Basque word "udaberri" originates from "udaz" (spring) and "berri" (new). | |||
Catalan | temporada | ||
The Catalan word "temporada" derives from the Latin "tempus" (time), but can also refer to a period of festivities or a specific time of year associated with a particular activity or event. | |||
Croatian | sezona | ||
The word "sezona" in Croatian is derived from the Italian word "stagione" meaning "season", and can also refer to a theatrical performance or season. | |||
Danish | sæson | ||
"Sæson" can also mean "period". The seasons of the year are also known as "årstider". | |||
Dutch | seizoen | ||
Seizoen is related to the German word 'saison' (season) and the French word 'saison' (season). | |||
English | season | ||
The word 'season' originates from the Latin word 'sationem', meaning 'a sowing' and refers to the time of year most suitable for planting or harvesting. | |||
French | saison | ||
The French word "saison" can also refer to a type of beer or a theatrical season. | |||
Frisian | seizoen | ||
In Frisian, "seizoen" also means "portion of food". | |||
Galician | tempada | ||
"Tempada" can also refer to a period between seasons (like autumn or spring in English), but more specifically a time of the year during which hunting/fishing is allowed. | |||
German | jahreszeit | ||
The German word "Jahreszeit" is a compound, with "Jahr" meaning "year" and "Zeit" meaning "time". | |||
Icelandic | árstíð | ||
The Icelandic word "árstíð" comes from the Old Norse words "ár" (year) and "tíð" (time), meaning "the time of year". | |||
Irish | séasúr | ||
"Séasúr" is a loanword from Latin, and is cognate with the French word "saison" and the English word "season". | |||
Italian | stagione | ||
The term "stagione" is used to indicate both a time of the year and the theatrical season. | |||
Luxembourgish | saison | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Saison" refers to a specific type of beer typically consumed during summer. | |||
Maltese | staġun | ||
"Staġun" is closely related to the Latin word "statio", meaning "stay" or "standstill", and originally referred to a period of time when ships had to remain in port. | |||
Norwegian | årstid | ||
The word is derived from the Old Norse word 'árstíð' ( | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | temporada | ||
In Portuguese, "temporada" may refer to a theatrical year, a television season, a tourist season, or a period of heavy rainfall. | |||
Scots Gaelic | ràithe | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "ràithe" originates from an ancient Indo-European root word signifying "turning or cycle." | |||
Spanish | temporada | ||
The word 'temporada' in Spanish, meaning 'season', also refers to the annual cycle of agricultural activities. | |||
Swedish | säsong | ||
In addition to "season", "säsong" can mean "period" and "duration" in Swedish | |||
Welsh | tymor | ||
The Welsh word "tymor" (season) also refers to the agricultural cycle or a period of time marked by a particular event or activity. |
Belarusian | сезон | ||
The word "сезон" also means "time of year" or "period of time" in Belarusian, and is derived from the French word "saison", which in turn comes from the Latin word "satio" (sowing), implying a period of time in which certain activities are performed. | |||
Bosnian | sezona | ||
The word "sezona" in Bosnian can also mean "period of time" or "era". | |||
Bulgarian | сезон | ||
The word "сезон" can also refer to a "series" or a "performance" in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | sezóna | ||
Czech "sezóna" relates to the Latin "sessio" meaning "sitting" and "sessio" meaning "period of time", especially in the context of a court hearing. | |||
Estonian | hooaeg | ||
The Estonian word "hooaeg" comes from the words "hoov" (current) and "aeg" (time). | |||
Finnish | kausi | ||
"Kausi" (season) derives from an old Baltic word "keusa" (turn, time), as do its Estonian and Karelian counterparts. | |||
Hungarian | évszak | ||
The word "évszak" is derived from the Turkic word "yıl" meaning "year" and the suffix "-szak" meaning "part". | |||
Latvian | gada sezonā | ||
The word "gada sezonā" can also mean "yearly time" or "period of time" in Latvian. | |||
Lithuanian | sezoną | ||
The word "sezoną" in Lithuanian is derived from the Latin word "sectio", meaning "cut", and originally referred to the harvesting of crops. | |||
Macedonian | сезона | ||
Сезона (sezona) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sěti, meaning 'to sow'. | |||
Polish | pora roku | ||
The Polish word "pora roku" (season) also refers to the time of day (e.g. morning, noon, evening). | |||
Romanian | sezon | ||
In Romanian, "sezon" means 'season,' but it also means 'the act of sowing' | |||
Russian | сезон | ||
From the ancient Greek word “hora” meaning “certain time or period”. | |||
Serbian | сезона | ||
In the context of a movie or TV show, it can also mean 'series'. | |||
Slovak | sezóna | ||
In Slovak, "sezóna" can also refer to a period of high demand or activity, such as a tourist season or a construction season. | |||
Slovenian | sezono | ||
Its etymology is unknown, but it is speculated to be of Proto-Indo-European origin. | |||
Ukrainian | сезон | ||
The word "сезон" can also refer to a period of time, such as the "holiday season" or the "busy season." |
Bengali | মৌসম | ||
The Bengali word "মৌসম" (mousom) can also refer to a type of fruit (Mosambi) and a particular variety of rice (Monsoon paddy). | |||
Gujarati | મોસમ | ||
The Gujarati word "મોસમ" is of Sanskrit origin, derived from the word "ऋतु" which means "cycle or period". In some contexts, it can also refer to the "weather or climate" during a particular period. | |||
Hindi | मौसम | ||
The Hindi word 'मौसम' comes from the Sanskrit word 'ऋतु' or 'र्तु', which means 'season' or 'time'. | |||
Kannada | ಸೀಸನ್ | ||
The word "ಸೀಸನ್" also means "time" or "period". | |||
Malayalam | സീസൺ | ||
സീസൺ means both "season" and "seasoning" in English, and also has the alternate meaning of "curry powder" in Malayalam. | |||
Marathi | हंगाम | ||
The word "हंगाम" is also used to refer to a period of great excitement or commotion, akin to its English counterpart "hubbub". | |||
Nepali | मौसम | ||
Nepali मौसम ('season') derives from Sanskrit मास (maaśa = month), hence its connection to time and to the monsoon (वर्षाঋतु). | |||
Punjabi | ਸੀਜ਼ਨ | ||
In Punjabi, the word ਸੀਜ਼ਨ or "season" can also refer to the harvest season or agricultural produce. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමය | ||
In Sinhala, "සමය" means not only "season" but also "time" or "occasion". | |||
Tamil | பருவம் | ||
The Tamil word 'பருவம்' ('season') also refers to 'age' or 'stage of life'. | |||
Telugu | బుతువు | ||
The Telugu word "బుతువు" (season) is cognate with the Sanskrit "avasthā" and "bhāva" and has additional meanings of "status," "condition," and "phase." | |||
Urdu | موسم | ||
In Arabic, the word "موسم" can also refer to a religious pilgrimage, while in Persian, it can mean "time" or "period" |
Chinese (Simplified) | 季节 | ||
"季节" can also refer to the "atmosphere or mood" of a time or place. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 季節 | ||
"季節" (season) also means "period of time" or "customary period". | |||
Japanese | シーズン | ||
The word "season" in Japanese can also mean "a period of time allotted for a specific purpose" | |||
Korean | 시즌 | ||
While its primary meaning is "season," "시즌" can also mean "turn" or "timing," as in "좋은 시즌에 왔네요" (You came at a good time). | |||
Mongolian | улирал | ||
The word "улирал" can also refer to a particular time of year or to the period of time that a particular plant or animal is active. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ရာသီ | ||
ရာသီ (season) is derived from the Sanskrit word "rithu", which means "season" or "time." |
Indonesian | musim | ||
The Indonesian word "musim" has Arabic origins, ultimately deriving from the Arabic word for "time" or "duration." | |||
Javanese | mangsane | ||
The Javanese word "mangsane" comes from the Sanskrit words "mangsa" and "ana", which mean "time" and "to come" respectively. | |||
Khmer | រដូវកាល | ||
The word "រដូវកាល" can also refer to the "time" or "period" of something. | |||
Lao | ລະດູການ | ||
The Lao word ລະດູການ can also refer to a particular period of time, such as a festival or holiday. | |||
Malay | musim | ||
In the Malay language, "musim" can also refer to a monsoon or a time of year characterized by a certain weather pattern. | |||
Thai | ฤดูกาล | ||
ฤดูกาล comes from Sanskrit and has different alternate meanings, including "rain" and "a rainy season" | |||
Vietnamese | mùa | ||
The word "Mùa" (season) can have alternative meanings like "harvest" or "crop", depending on the context. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | season | ||
Azerbaijani | mövsüm | ||
The word "Mövsüm" also means "time" or "period" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | маусым | ||
The Kazakh word "маусым" can also refer to the month of June or the period of summer. | |||
Kyrgyz | сезон | ||
The Kyrgyz word "сезон" also refers to the period of time between two religious holidays. | |||
Tajik | мавсим | ||
In Tajik, "мавсим" also refers to a period of time, such as a month or year, associated with a particular activity or event. | |||
Turkmen | möwsüm | ||
Uzbek | mavsum | ||
Uyghur | پەسىل | ||
Hawaiian | kau | ||
The Hawaiian word 'kau' can also refer to a period of time, a harvest, or a cycle. | |||
Maori | kaupeka | ||
In Maori, the word 'kaupeka' can also refer to the skin or peel of a fruit or vegetable. | |||
Samoan | vaitau | ||
Vaitau derives from the Proto-Polynesian root word wā, meaning 'time' or 'season' and also 'boundary' or 'limit'. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | panahon | ||
The word "panahon" also means "time" or "period" in Tagalog, reflecting the cyclical nature of seasons and the passage of time. |
Aymara | istasyuna | ||
Guarani | aravore | ||
Esperanto | sezono | ||
"Sezono" is derived from the Latin word "statio", meaning "a standing", "a stopping", or "a halting". | |||
Latin | tempus | ||
Tempus derives from PIE root *tem- "to divide," hence its relation to "time," "temple," and "temperament." |
Greek | εποχή | ||
The word 'εποχή' has been used in the sense of a 'holding back' or suspension of judgment since the 4th century BC. | |||
Hmong | lub caij | ||
The Hmong word "lub caij" can also mean "time" or "era". | |||
Kurdish | demsal | ||
The word "demsal" also means "harvest" in Kurdish. | |||
Turkish | mevsim | ||
"Mevsim" derives from the Persian word "mawsīm", originally meaning "due time", "proper time", "occasion", or "festival". | |||
Xhosa | ixesha | ||
There is a common belief that ixesha is related to the Zulu word “ixeshe” meaning “time, period, while” but this is not backed by any solid evidence. | |||
Yiddish | סעזאָן | ||
סעזאָן comes from the French saison, from the Latin satiō, “sowing. | |||
Zulu | isizini | ||
The word 'isizini' ('season') in Zulu also has connotations of 'time and occasion'. | |||
Assamese | ঋতু | ||
Aymara | istasyuna | ||
Bhojpuri | मौसम | ||
Dhivehi | މޫސުން | ||
Dogri | रुत्त | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | season | ||
Guarani | aravore | ||
Ilocano | tiempo | ||
Krio | sizin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | وەرز | ||
Maithili | ऋतु | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯨꯝ | ||
Mizo | sik leh sa hun bi | ||
Oromo | waqtii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | season ତୁ | ||
Quechua | pacha | ||
Sanskrit | ऋतु | ||
Tatar | сезон | ||
Tigrinya | ወቕቲ | ||
Tsonga | nguva | ||