Shelf in Different Languages
Discover 'Shelf' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A 'shelf' is a significant piece of furniture, often overlooked, that plays a crucial role in organizing and showcasing our belongings. From books and decorative items to kitchenware and collectibles, shelves provide a practical solution to store and display our treasured possessions. Moreover, shelves hold cultural importance, reflecting our personal stories and the evolution of domestic design.
For language and culture enthusiasts, understanding the translation of 'shelf' in different languages can offer a fascinating glimpse into global variations and similarities. For instance, the Spanish translation for shelf is 'estante', while in German, it's 'Regal'. In French, 'shelf' translates to 'étagère', and in Japanese, it's 'tsuuchou' (通帳).
Delving into the translations of 'shelf' not only enriches our vocabulary but also provides a unique lens to examine cultural nuances and historical contexts. Join us as we explore the world of 'shelf' through the lens of language and culture.
Shelf
Shelf in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rak | ||
| The Afrikaans word "rak" is cognate with the Dutch word "rek" and the German word "Rack", all three of which ultimately derive from the Latin word "craticula" (a grid). | |||
| Amharic | መደርደሪያ | ||
| The word | |||
| Hausa | shiryayye | ||
| In the context of 'Alkur'ani', 'shiryayye' can also mean 'column' ('rukun'). | |||
| Igbo | adị | ||
| 'Adị' originates from the word 'ịda', which means 'to put down' and implies a flat surface where an object can be set down. | |||
| Malagasy | talantalana | ||
| A related meaning of the term "talantalana" is the shelf of a cave or grotto. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | alumali | ||
| The Nyanja word 'alumali' is cognate with the Swahili word 'rafu', both of which derive from the Arabic 'raf', meaning 'support' or 'elevation'. | |||
| Shona | pasherufu | ||
| The word “pasherufu” is primarily used for a roofed structure and can also be used to refer to a veranda or the place where a fence begins. | |||
| Somali | shelf | ||
| The word shelf comes from Old English scylfe meaning | |||
| Sesotho | shelefo | ||
| The word "shelefo" in Sesotho shares the same root as "phela" meaning "to begin or start", hinting at the concept of a shelf as a starting point for storage. | |||
| Swahili | rafu | ||
| The word "rafu" in Swahili also means "a flat surface on which things can be placed or stored." | |||
| Xhosa | ishelufu | ||
| Ishelufu originates from the word 'shelves' in English, adopted into the Xhosa language. | |||
| Yoruba | selifu | ||
| The Yoruba word "selifu" initially referred to the raised platform in a traditional Yoruba house where items were stored. | |||
| Zulu | ishalofu | ||
| The Zulu word for shelf is "ishalofu," which derives from the Proto-Bantu root "-salu-," meaning "to carry on one's head." | |||
| Bambara | mɛ̀mɛ | ||
| Ewe | agba | ||
| Kinyarwanda | akazu | ||
| Lingala | etagere | ||
| Luganda | ekitindiiro | ||
| Sepedi | šelefo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pono so | ||
Shelf in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رفوف | ||
| The Arabic word "رفوف" (rufūf) is derived from the word "رف" (raf), which means "height" or "elevation", and refers to the raised surface on which objects are placed | |||
| Hebrew | מַדָף | ||
| The word מַדָף (shelf) comes from the Hebrew root ד.פ.ף, which also means "to beat" or "to strike". | |||
| Pashto | شیلف | ||
| 'شیلف' Pashto is derived from ' shelf' in English with the same meaning | |||
| Arabic | رفوف | ||
| The Arabic word "رفوف" (rufūf) is derived from the word "رف" (raf), which means "height" or "elevation", and refers to the raised surface on which objects are placed | |||
Shelf in Western European Languages
| Albanian | raft | ||
| The Albanian word "raft" can also refer to a type of flatbread cooked on a baking sheet. | |||
| Basque | apalategia | ||
| In Basque, the word "apalategia" can also mean "place" or "container". | |||
| Catalan | prestatge | ||
| The term "prestatge" originates from the Latin word "praestantia", meaning "excellence" or "merit" | |||
| Croatian | polica | ||
| The word 'polica' (shelf) in Croatian also means 'police', and is derived from the Latin word 'politia', meaning 'government' or 'state'. | |||
| Danish | hylde | ||
| "Hylde" in Danish is related to the word "hyld" (elder tree), as shelves were historically made from its wood. | |||
| Dutch | plank | ||
| In Dutch, "plank" comes from the Old French word "planche," meaning "board," and the verb "planker," meaning "to make flat". | |||
| English | shelf | ||
| Derived from the Old English word “scelf”, meaning a rock ledge or a plank, the word “shelf” has come to refer to a flat surface fixed to a wall or in a piece of furniture, used to store objects. | |||
| French | étagère | ||
| The word "étagère" is derived from the Old French word "estaige," meaning "a step" or "a level." | |||
| Frisian | shelf | ||
| Frisian "shelf" (shelf) derives from the Old Frisian word "selde", meaning "hut". | |||
| Galician | estante | ||
| The Galician word estante is derived from the Latin word stans, meaning "standing" or "fixed". | |||
| German | regal | ||
| In German, "regal" also means "bookcase" or "set of rules". | |||
| Icelandic | hillu | ||
| The word "hillu" can be traced back to the Old Norse word "hillr", which means "slope" or "incline". | |||
| Irish | seilf | ||
| The word “seilf” also means "shelf” in Irish. | |||
| Italian | mensola | ||
| Mensola is derived from the Latin word mensula, meaning "small table." | |||
| Luxembourgish | regal | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "regal" is cognate with the German word "regal" and the French word "régal", both of which mean "treat" or "feast". | |||
| Maltese | ixkaffa | ||
| The word "ixkaffa" could come from the Italian word "scaffa" or the Sicilian word "scafia", both meaning "shelf". | |||
| Norwegian | hylle | ||
| The word "hylle" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *huljô, and is related to the modern German word "Hölle" (hell). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | estante | ||
| Cognate with English 'stay', suggesting a place where something "stays". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sgeilp | ||
| The word "sgeilp" is derived from the Old Irish word "scelp", which means "rock" or "cliff." | |||
| Spanish | estante | ||
| The word "estante" can also refer to a display case or a stall in a market. | |||
| Swedish | hylla | ||
| The word "hylla" is derived from the Old Norse word "hyll", meaning "ledge" or "projecting board". | |||
| Welsh | silff | ||
| The Welsh word "silff" can also refer to a layer or stratum, as in geology. | |||
Shelf in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | палічка | ||
| The word "палічка" can also refer to a small stick or rod in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | polica | ||
| The word "polica" is used in both Bosnian and Polish to mean "shelf". It's related to the word "pole" which means "field" in both languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | рафт | ||
| Bulgarian "рафт" also refers to the platform of a machine or vehicle. | |||
| Czech | police | ||
| "Police" also refers to the police force or a police officer in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | riiul | ||
| The Estonian word "riiul" (shelf) is related to the Finnish word "riuku" (rod, pole), suggesting its initial form might have been used as a beam to hang items from | |||
| Finnish | hylly | ||
| The Finnish word "hylly" is cognate with the Estonian "hüll" ("sheath, cover") and the Karelian "hülly" ("cover, case, box"), indicating that its original meaning may have been "cover" or "container". | |||
| Hungarian | polc | ||
| The word "polc" also means "plank" or "board" in Hungarian, and is cognate with the English word "plank". | |||
| Latvian | plaukts | ||
| "Plaukts" is also an archaic Latvian word for "layer", "shelf" or "floor" (of a building), "shelf" (for plants) | |||
| Lithuanian | lentynos | ||
| The word "lentynos" is derived from the verb "lentinti", meaning "to make slow or lazy", and may also refer to a resting place for a person or object. | |||
| Macedonian | полица | ||
| The word "полица" can also refer to a "small table" or a "bookstand" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | półka | ||
| The word "półka" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*polka", meaning "half", and originally referred to a half-length bed, a bench, or a shelf attached to the wall. | |||
| Romanian | raft | ||
| In Romanian, the word "raft" can also mean "raft", referring to a flat structure floating on water. | |||
| Russian | полка | ||
| The word "полка" (polka) also means "polka" in Russian, a type of fast-paced dance. | |||
| Serbian | полица | ||
| "Полице" originates from the German word "Platz," meaning "square," and has been used in Serbian since the 19th century to refer to a flat, elevated surface. | |||
| Slovak | polica | ||
| In some regions of Slovakia, 'polica' can also refer to a police officer. | |||
| Slovenian | polica | ||
| In some contexts, the word "polica" in Slovenian can refer to a book or a bookshelf rather than a single shelf. | |||
| Ukrainian | полиця | ||
| "Полиця" originally referred to a flat wooden shelf on a beam in a Ukrainian hut and comes from the word "пол" (floor). In modern usage, it can also refer to a law enforcement officer or a political body, such as a political police force or a parliament." | |||
Shelf in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বালুচর | ||
| "বালুচর" is a derivative of "বালি" meaning sand and "চর" meaning a mound of earth or a sandbank in a river. | |||
| Gujarati | છાજલી | ||
| The word "છાજલી" (shelf) also refers to a flat surface attached to a wall for display. | |||
| Hindi | शेल्फ | ||
| In English, the word "shelf" comes from the Old English word "scylf", which originally meant "ledge". | |||
| Kannada | ಶೆಲ್ಫ್ | ||
| The word 'shelf' has evolved from the Old English word 'scylfe', which originally meant a ledge or shelf on a wall. | |||
| Malayalam | അലമാര | ||
| It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'alamara' which means 'a wardrobe' or 'a chest of drawers'. | |||
| Marathi | शेल्फ | ||
| The word 'shelf' in Marathi, 'सहारा', also means 'support' or 'protection'. | |||
| Nepali | शेल्फ | ||
| Nepali "शेल्फ" originally meant "a small hut or shed (for cattle)" but is now also used for its English meaning, "a flat board fixed to a wall or standing on legs, on which objects can be placed." | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ੈਲਫ | ||
| The word "ਸ਼ੈਲਫ" ("shelf") is derived from the Old English word "scelf", meaning "ledge" or "plank". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | රාක්කය | ||
| In Sinhala, "රාක්කය", or "rakkaya", also means a shallow wooden box that is traditionally used during childbirth or as a cradle for newborn babies. | |||
| Tamil | அலமாரி | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning as a shelf, "அலமாரி" can also refer to a cupboard, cabinet, or wardrobe in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | షెల్ఫ్ | ||
| The word "shelf" comes from the Old English word "scylfe," meaning "ledge" or "board." | |||
| Urdu | شیلف | ||
| The Urdu word "شیلف" (shelf) is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic root *skel- ('to cut') and is thus related to the English "scalpel". | |||
Shelf in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 架 | ||
| Despite being pronounced the same, "架" can also mean frame, support, or a measure of time, e.g., a round of drinks, or a set of a game like tennis. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 架 | ||
| 架 (jià) is used as a measure word for books and umbrellas | |||
| Japanese | 棚 | ||
| 棚 (tana) can also mean 'layer' or 'stage', such as 社会の棚 (shakai no tana) or 地元の棚 (chihō no tana). | |||
| Korean | 선반 | ||
| 선반 literally means “boat of x” as 선 (선박) means boat and 반 means x. 선반 has the similar shape with a boat. | |||
| Mongolian | тавиур | ||
| The word "тавиур" also has the alternate meaning of "shelf" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စင် | ||
| In Burmese, the word "စင်" (cin) also means "a stage" or "a platform for religious ceremonies" | |||
Shelf in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rak | ||
| The word "rak" in Indonesian also refers to a frame used to hold clothes or other objects, similar to a wardrobe. | |||
| Javanese | rak | ||
| "Rak” is also a unit of time in Javanese, specifically a 12-year cycle. In Javanese mythology, the cycle is believed to represent the reincarnation of Batara Kala, the god of darkness and death. | |||
| Khmer | ធ្នើ | ||
| The word "ធ្នើ" in Khmer also refers to a "plank" or a "board" used in construction. | |||
| Lao | ຊັ້ນວາງ | ||
| The Lao word for “shelf” (ຊັ້ນວາງ) is derived from the Pali word “chattāvāraṇa,” which means “a curtain or screen.” | |||
| Malay | rak | ||
| "Rak" is a word used in Malay to refer to a shelf or a rack. It is derived from the Arabic word "rahk" which means "container" or "box." | |||
| Thai | ชั้นวางของ | ||
| ชั้นวางของ (chan wang kong) comes from the Sanskrit word "koshthas", meaning "store-house" or "room". | |||
| Vietnamese | kệ | ||
| The word "kệ" can also refer to a type of rack or stand used to display or store items, such as a bookshelf or display rack. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | istante | ||
Shelf in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rəf | ||
| The word "rəf" is also used in Azerbaijani to describe a shelf-like structure on a boat or a similar platform on a wall where books or other items can be stored. | |||
| Kazakh | сөре | ||
| The word "сөре" in Kazakh has an alternate meaning of "a flat stone". | |||
| Kyrgyz | текче | ||
| The word "текче" is derived from the Proto-Turkic verb "tek-" meaning "to lay down" and originally referred to a flat place for sleeping or sitting. | |||
| Tajik | раф | ||
| The word "раф" also means "the space between two fingers" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | tekje | ||
| Uzbek | raf | ||
| The word "raf" can also refer to a layer or level. | |||
| Uyghur | shelf | ||
Shelf in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | holopapa | ||
| The term holopapa in Hawaiian can also describe the cross-beams of a house or a scaffold to hold plants. | |||
| Maori | whata | ||
| Whata is also a term for the Maori ancestors. | |||
| Samoan | fata | ||
| The Samoan word "fata" also means "face" and "surface". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | estante | ||
| The word "estante" originally meant "upright", referring to its vertical orientation for storing items. | |||
Shelf in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | istanti | ||
| Guarani | mba'erenda | ||
Shelf in International Languages
| Esperanto | breto | ||
| The Esperanto word "breto" is derived from the Breton word "brezhoneg", meaning "Breton language". | |||
| Latin | pluteum | ||
| "Pluteus" also referred to a protective barrier used by Roman legionaries and a stage platform in the Roman theatre. | |||
Shelf in Others Languages
| Greek | ράφι | ||
| The word "ράφι" comes from the Arabic word "رف" (raf), meaning "a high place" or "a shelf." | |||
| Hmong | txee | ||
| The Hmong word "txee" comes from the root "tseej," meaning "to hang or suspend." | |||
| Kurdish | textik | ||
| The word "textik" is also used to refer to a type of wooden box used for storage or transportation. | |||
| Turkish | raf | ||
| Raf means "ease" in Arabic and is also used to refer to wooden shelves for prayer books in mosques. | |||
| Xhosa | ishelufu | ||
| Ishelufu originates from the word 'shelves' in English, adopted into the Xhosa language. | |||
| Yiddish | פּאָליצע | ||
| The Yiddish "פּאָליצע" also translates to the first part of the Bible, the Torah. | |||
| Zulu | ishalofu | ||
| The Zulu word for shelf is "ishalofu," which derives from the Proto-Bantu root "-salu-," meaning "to carry on one's head." | |||
| Assamese | খলপ | ||
| Aymara | istanti | ||
| Bhojpuri | ताखा | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަރުގަނޑު | ||
| Dogri | आला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | istante | ||
| Guarani | mba'erenda | ||
| Ilocano | paset ti aparador | ||
| Krio | shɛf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەفە | ||
| Maithili | ताक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯈꯜ | ||
| Mizo | chhuar | ||
| Oromo | wanta meeshaa irra naqatan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଥାକ | ||
| Quechua | estante | ||
| Sanskrit | सन्धाय | ||
| Tatar | киштә | ||
| Tigrinya | ስካፋለ | ||
| Tsonga | shelufu | ||