Silence in Different Languages
Discover 'Silence' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Silence is a powerful word that holds great significance in various cultures and languages. It can represent peace, tranquility, and contemplation, but it can also signify oppression, neglect, and disagreement. The importance of silence is evident in its numerous translations across the globe, each carrying its own unique cultural nuances.
Through history, silence has played a crucial role in many societies. In Buddhism, for example, silence is considered a path to enlightenment, while in Western culture, the phrase
Silence
Silence in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stilte | ||
| The word "stilte" also means "stillness" and "calm" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ዝምታ | ||
| The word "ዝምታ" has been found in an Ethiopian royal inscription from the 13th-century referring to the king's "dignity" | |||
| Hausa | shiru | ||
| The word "shiru" can also mean "secret" or "something that is hidden" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ịgbachi nkịtị | ||
| Malagasy | mangina | ||
| The word "mangina" can also refer to a quiet or uninhabited place. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chete | ||
| The word 'chete' comes from the root word 'chet-', which means 'to be quiet' or 'to be still' | |||
| Shona | kunyarara | ||
| The word "kunyarara" can also refer to the act of hiding or covering something up. | |||
| Somali | aamusnaan | ||
| The word "aamusnaan" has alternate meanings including "peace" and "tranquility" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | khutso | ||
| The word "khutso" can also imply calmness, serenity, or absence of disturbances. | |||
| Swahili | kimya | ||
| The word kimya also has a secondary meaning of 'secret' or 'mystery'. | |||
| Xhosa | cwaka | ||
| The Xhosa word "cwaka" also denotes a "secret agreement between friends" or an "agreement to say nothing bad about someone". | |||
| Yoruba | ipalọlọ | ||
| "Ipalọlọ" also means a "charm that makes someone quiet" or "the state of being without speech" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ukuthula | ||
| In Zulu, 'ukuthula' can also refer to peace, tranquility, or harmony. | |||
| Bambara | kumabaliya | ||
| Ewe | ɖoɖoezizi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guceceka | ||
| Lingala | nye | ||
| Luganda | akasiriikiriro | ||
| Sepedi | setu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dinn | ||
Silence in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الصمت | ||
| The word "الصمت" (as-samt) shares its root with the word "صمت" (samat), meaning "to make silent" or "to put to silence". | |||
| Hebrew | שתיקה | ||
| The Hebrew word "שתיקה" (silence) also means "stillness" or "quiescence". | |||
| Pashto | چوپتیا | ||
| The word "چوپتیا" in Pashto also means "a pause in speech" or "a moment of silence". | |||
| Arabic | الصمت | ||
| The word "الصمت" (as-samt) shares its root with the word "صمت" (samat), meaning "to make silent" or "to put to silence". | |||
Silence in Western European Languages
| Albanian | heshtja | ||
| The word "heshtja" in Albanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ḱes-," meaning "to be silent, to sleep." | |||
| Basque | isiltasuna | ||
| "Isiltasuna" can also mean solitude, emptiness, and tranquility in Basque. | |||
| Catalan | silenci | ||
| Catalan silencis can refer to both a silence as well as a silencing. | |||
| Croatian | tišina | ||
| The word 'tišina' has Slavic origin and is etymologically related to 'to tajiť' ('to hide'). | |||
| Danish | stilhed | ||
| The Danish word "stilhed" not only means "silence" but also conveys a sense of stillness, tranquility, and harmony. | |||
| Dutch | stilte | ||
| The word "stilte" also means "still water" or "calm". | |||
| English | silence | ||
| The word "silence" derives from the Latin word "silentium," which means "absence of sound" or "quiet." | |||
| French | silence | ||
| In French, 'silence' can also refer to a 'lack of knowledge' or 'omission of information'. | |||
| Frisian | stilte | ||
| "Stilte" also means standstill in Frisian | |||
| Galician | silencio | ||
| In Galician, "silencio" is etymologically related to "selva" (forest) and "selvagem" (wild), conveying a sense of untamed, natural quiet. | |||
| German | schweigen | ||
| The word "Schweigen" (silence) is derived from the Old High German "swīgan," meaning "to be silent, to keep silent." | |||
| Icelandic | þögn | ||
| The Old Norse word þögn, meaning "silence", is also the root of the English word "think". | |||
| Irish | tost | ||
| The Gaelic word `tost` also means `solemn promise` or `engagement`. | |||
| Italian | silenzio | ||
| "Silenzio" in Italian comes from the Latin "silentium," meaning "absence of sound," and can also refer to secrecy or discretion. | |||
| Luxembourgish | rou | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Rou" can also refer to secrecy or discretion. | |||
| Maltese | skiet | ||
| The Maltese word "skiet" derives from the Arabic word "sukūt" signifying "silence". | |||
| Norwegian | stillhet | ||
| The word "stillhet" is also used to describe the calm and peaceful feeling of being alone in nature. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | silêncio | ||
| "Silêncio" can be used as a verb meaning to silence someone. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sàmhchair | ||
| The Gaelic word "sàmhchair" also has the meanings "calm" and "rest". | |||
| Spanish | silencio | ||
| In Spanish, "silencio" besides meaning "silence", can also be used to refer to the "grave" in a cemetery. | |||
| Swedish | tystnad | ||
| From Old Norse 'þysja' meaning 'to hush' or 'to quieten'. | |||
| Welsh | tawelwch | ||
| The word "tawelwch" in Welsh can also mean "quietness" or "calmness". | |||
Silence in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цішыня | ||
| The word "цішыня" can also refer to "tranquility" or "serenity" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | tišina | ||
| "Tišina" is also a name commonly given to female babies born in the Balkans in the 20th century. | |||
| Bulgarian | мълчание | ||
| The Bulgarian word "мълчание" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "mlъčati", meaning "to keep silent". In modern Bulgarian, it can also refer to "discretion" or "secrecy". | |||
| Czech | umlčet | ||
| The word "umlčet" in Czech can also mean "to quiet someone by force" or "to suppress the media" | |||
| Estonian | vaikus | ||
| The word "vaikus" also means "solitude" or "peace" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | hiljaisuus | ||
| The Finnish word "hiljaisuus" also has the meanings "quietness" and "tranquility". | |||
| Hungarian | csend | ||
| The word "csend" in Hungarian can also refer to a "pause" in music or speech. | |||
| Latvian | klusums | ||
| In Old Latvian, “klusums” also meant “a forest thicket”. | |||
| Lithuanian | tyla | ||
| The word "tyla" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *teu- "to swell, to be silent", and it is related to the Latin word "tumesco" ("to swell"). | |||
| Macedonian | тишина | ||
| В отличие от английского слова "silence", "тишина" может ссылаться на тишину или спокойствие. | |||
| Polish | cisza | ||
| In Old Polish, "cisza" meant "whisper" instead of "silence." | |||
| Romanian | tăcere | ||
| Derived from Proto-Romance *tacēre; also cognate with French taire, Italian tacere, Portuguese calar, Spanish callar. | |||
| Russian | тишина | ||
| The word "тишина" in Russian can also refer to a period of calm or stillness, or a state of mind. | |||
| Serbian | тишина | ||
| The word "тишина" also means "peace" or "serenity" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | ticho | ||
| "Ticho" can also mean "calm", "peace", or "tranquility". | |||
| Slovenian | tišina | ||
| The word "tišina" also means "peace" in Slovenian, hence their shared etymological origins. | |||
| Ukrainian | тиша | ||
| The word "тиша" also refers to a state of tranquility or peace, and can be used as a euphemism for death. | |||
Silence in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নীরবতা | ||
| The word "নীরবতা" (silence) in Bengali derives from the Sanskrit word "निरुद्ध" (niruddha), meaning "obstructed" or "blocked". | |||
| Gujarati | મૌન | ||
| The Gujarati word "મૌન" also has the alternate meaning of "approval" or "consent" in certain contexts. | |||
| Hindi | शांति | ||
| In the Rigveda, 'शांति' appears as an adjective to describe the cessation of hostilities or the end of a conflict, but also the tranquility or harmony of nature. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೌನ | ||
| The word "ಮೌನ" (mauna) in Kannada also refers to a spiritual vow of silence undertaken by seekers of enlightenment. | |||
| Malayalam | നിശ്ശബ്ദം | ||
| The word "നിശ്ശബ്ദം" can also mean "inactive" or "not functioning". | |||
| Marathi | शांतता | ||
| The term "शांतता" in Marathi also denotes tranquility, calmness, or peace of mind. | |||
| Nepali | मौन | ||
| The word 'मौन' (silence) in Nepali is also used to refer to a vow of silence or a period of meditation. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚੁੱਪ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਚੁੱਪ' is cognate with the Hindi word 'चुप', both of which have a Proto-Indo-Aryan root meaning 'to hide' or 'to be hidden'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිශ්ශබ්දතාව | ||
| Tamil | ம .னம் | ||
| In ancient Tamil literature, "ம .னம்" referred not only to silence, but also to patience, calmness, and restraint. | |||
| Telugu | నిశ్శబ్దం | ||
| This word originated from Sanskrit word "niśśabda", meaning "without sound", and "śabda" meaning "sound". | |||
| Urdu | خاموشی | ||
| In Urdu, "خاموشی" also denotes a sense of tranquillity, stillness, or a quietude that brings inner peace. | |||
Silence in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 安静 | ||
| 安静 (ānjìng), meaning 'quiet' or 'silent', is derived from the phrase 安心靜氣 (ānxīn jìngqì), which literally means 'peaceful mind and quiet spirit'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 安靜 | ||
| 安靜 (ānjìng) also means 'peaceful' and 'calm' | |||
| Japanese | 沈黙 | ||
| Besides its ordinary meaning of silence, "沈黙" also means "sinking". It comes from the kanji '沈' (sink) and '黙' (silence), reflecting the idea of something disappearing into silence. | |||
| Korean | 침묵 | ||
| The Korean word "침묵" ("silence") also refers to holding one's tongue in a specific situation to express disagreement or disapproval. | |||
| Mongolian | чимээгүй байдал | ||
| The Mongolian word "чимээгүй байдал" (silence) originates from the verb "чимэх" (to speak), and thus literally means "a state of not speaking". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိတ်ဆိတ် | ||
Silence in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | diam | ||
| "Diam" means "silence" in Indonesian, but can also mean "to be quiet" or "to stay silent." | |||
| Javanese | meneng | ||
| "Meneng" is also a shortened form of the word "menengno," which means "to be quiet" or "to keep silent". | |||
| Khmer | ភាពស្ងៀមស្ងាត់ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມງຽບ | ||
| Malay | kesunyian | ||
| "Kesunyian" can also mean solitude or loneliness in the Malay language. | |||
| Thai | ความเงียบ | ||
| The word "ความเงียบ" was originally used to refer to the stillness of the jungle, before it came to mean "silence". | |||
| Vietnamese | im lặng | ||
| The word "Im lặng" can also mean "to keep a secret" or "to not speak" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katahimikan | ||
Silence in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sükut | ||
| The word "sükut" in Azerbaijani can also refer to the state of being hidden or unknown | |||
| Kazakh | тыныштық | ||
| Kyrgyz | жымжырттык | ||
| The word | |||
| Tajik | хомӯшӣ | ||
| The word "хомӯшӣ" in Tajik also means "submission" or "obedience", and is related to the word "хомӯш", meaning "quiet" or "silent". | |||
| Turkmen | dymmak | ||
| Uzbek | sukunat | ||
| "Sukunat" originates from the Arabic word "sukūn" and denotes the consonantal diacritic for a voiceless consonant in many Arabic-based scripts, indicating the absence of a vowel after the consonant. | |||
| Uyghur | جىمجىتلىق | ||
Silence in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hāmau | ||
| In the Hawaiian language, the word "hāmau" also means "to restrain". | |||
| Maori | puku | ||
| In Māori, 'puku' also refers to the belly or stomach. | |||
| Samoan | filemu | ||
| The Samoan word 'filemu' can also refer to a lull in the weather or a pause in an activity. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | katahimikan | ||
Silence in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ch'ujtata | ||
| Guarani | kirirĩ | ||
Silence in International Languages
| Esperanto | silento | ||
| The word "silento" in Esperanto is derived from the Latin word "silentium", meaning "silence" or "absence of sound". | |||
| Latin | silentium | ||
| The Latin word 'silentium' also refers to the Roman goddess of silence, who is identified with the Greek divinity Harpocrates. | |||
Silence in Others Languages
| Greek | σιωπή | ||
| The Greek word "σιωπή" shares a root with the word "σιωπώ," which means "to keep quiet" or "to be silent." | |||
| Hmong | ntsiag to | ||
| "Ntsiag to" means "silence." Its root "tsiag to" also carries the meaning of silence and tranquillity. | |||
| Kurdish | bêdengî | ||
| The Kurdish word "bêdengî" also means "deafness" and "calmness". | |||
| Turkish | sessizlik | ||
| Originally related to the Persian root **sāsān** meaning "praise" and **sâs** meaning "sound". | |||
| Xhosa | cwaka | ||
| The Xhosa word "cwaka" also denotes a "secret agreement between friends" or an "agreement to say nothing bad about someone". | |||
| Yiddish | שטילקייט | ||
| Originally, "שטילקייט" only referred to "calm weather" or "stillness" in Yiddish, but over time its meaning evolved to include "silence". | |||
| Zulu | ukuthula | ||
| In Zulu, 'ukuthula' can also refer to peace, tranquility, or harmony. | |||
| Assamese | নীৰৱতা | ||
| Aymara | ch'ujtata | ||
| Bhojpuri | चुप्पी | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަމަހިމޭންކަން | ||
| Dogri | खमोशी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | katahimikan | ||
| Guarani | kirirĩ | ||
| Ilocano | kinaulimek | ||
| Krio | sɛt mɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بێدەنگی | ||
| Maithili | शांति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯨꯃꯤꯟꯅ ꯂꯩꯌꯨ | ||
| Mizo | reh | ||
| Oromo | callisa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନୀରବତା | | ||
| Quechua | upallay | ||
| Sanskrit | शांति | ||
| Tatar | тынлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ስቕታ | ||
| Tsonga | miyela | ||