Slave in Different Languages
Discover 'Slave' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'slave' carries a heavy weight of historical significance and cultural importance. Originating from the Middle Dutch word 'sclave,' it was used to describe people who were captured and sold into servitude during the 15th to 18th centuries. Sadly, the transatlantic slave trade resulted in the forced migration and enslavement of millions of African people, a dark chapter in human history that still impacts communities and cultures today.
Understanding the translation of the word 'slave' in different languages can shed light on how various cultures have grappled with this concept and its historical implications. For instance, in Spanish, the word for slave is 'esclavo', while in French, it is 'esclave'. In German, the word is 'Sklave', and in Russian, it is 'rab'.
Exploring these translations can offer insight into how different cultures have approached and discussed the concept of slavery, and how they have sought to come to terms with its historical impact. Join us as we delve into the many translations of the word 'slave', and learn more about this important and thought-provoking topic.
Slave
Slave in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | slaaf | ||
| The word 'slaaf' originates from Old Saxon 'slāpa' meaning 'sleeper', possibly referring to prisoners forced to work after being taken captive during battles. | |||
| Amharic | ባሪያ | ||
| Amharic "ባሪያ" can also mean "servant" or "employee". | |||
| Hausa | bawa | ||
| The word "bawa" also carries the meanings of "captive", "follower", "deputy", and "subject." | |||
| Igbo | ohu | ||
| The word 'ohu' in Igbo can also refer to a descendant or a subject of a king or chief. | |||
| Malagasy | mpanompo | ||
| The word "mpanompo" in Malagasy is also used to refer to a servant or a subject. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kapolo | ||
| In the 1860s, when Nyanja (Chichewa) became a literary language, “kapolo” also took on meanings such as “servant” and “employee” and is now often translated as such, especially referring to the role in a religious organization. | |||
| Shona | muranda | ||
| "Muranda" derives from the Bantu root "-randa" meaning "to be captured." | |||
| Somali | addoon | ||
| The Somali word addoon, meaning 'slave,' also refers to a type of traditional livestock management system. | |||
| Sesotho | lekhoba | ||
| The word "lekhoba" also denotes 'a person of low rank' and 'a servant.' | |||
| Swahili | mtumwa | ||
| "Mtumwa" derives from the Arabic "matwā" meaning "servant" or "follower" and the Bantu root "-wa" which denotes an active state. | |||
| Xhosa | ikhoboka | ||
| "Ikhoboka" derives from "khoboka," meaning "to tie up" or "to imprison." | |||
| Yoruba | ẹrú | ||
| While primarily known as a 'slave' in English, the Yoruba term 'ẹrú' may also refer to a 'serf' - someone compelled to work for the master of an estate and forbidden to leave it or live independent of them. | |||
| Zulu | isigqila | ||
| Historically 'isigqila' could also refer to captives of war or abducted persons in addition to slaves bought and owned. | |||
| Bambara | jɔn | ||
| Ewe | kluvi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imbata | ||
| Lingala | moombo | ||
| Luganda | omuddu | ||
| Sepedi | lekgoba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | akoa | ||
Slave in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عبد | ||
| In modern literary Arabic, the word 'Abd (عبد) has also come to mean 'servant' or 'worshipper'. | |||
| Hebrew | עֶבֶד | ||
| The word עֶבֶד in Hebrew can also refer to a servant or a worshiper depending on the context. | |||
| Pashto | غلام | ||
| In some dialects of Pashto, "غلام" can also refer to a young boy or servant. | |||
| Arabic | عبد | ||
| In modern literary Arabic, the word 'Abd (عبد) has also come to mean 'servant' or 'worshipper'. | |||
Slave in Western European Languages
| Albanian | skllav | ||
| The word "skllav" in Albanian is derived from the Greek word "sklávos" meaning both "servant" and "slave". | |||
| Basque | esklabo | ||
| The word "esklabo" in Basque may derive from the Latin "sclavus" or the Romance "esclau". | |||
| Catalan | esclau | ||
| The Catalan word "esclau" derives from the Latin word "sclavus", which means "person who is owned by another person". | |||
| Croatian | rob | ||
| The Croatian word rob, meaning "slave," likely originates from the Proto-Slavic word *orbъ, also meaning "slave" or "serf." | |||
| Danish | slave | ||
| The Danish word "slave" derives from the Latin word "servus," meaning "servant," and is cognate with the English word "serf." | |||
| Dutch | slaaf | ||
| The term 'slaaf' can also carry connotations of subservience or weakness. | |||
| English | slave | ||
| The word "slave" originates from the Latin word "sclavus," which referred to people captured in war or born into slavery. | |||
| French | esclave | ||
| "Esclave" in French comes from the Latin "sclavus", meaning "Slav", as many slaves in medieval Europe came from Slavic-speaking regions. | |||
| Frisian | slaaf | ||
| In Frisian, "slaaf" also means "soft" or "weak". | |||
| Galician | escravo | ||
| The Galician word 'escravo' also means "serf" and, in the past, it was used to refer to people who worked on the farmlands of monasteries. | |||
| German | sklave | ||
| The word “Sklave” derives from the Slavic word “sklav” which could mean either “captive” or “servant”. | |||
| Icelandic | þræll | ||
| In the Icelandic language, 'þræll' not only means 'slave' but also 'prisoner,' 'peasant,' or 'serf.' | |||
| Irish | sclábhaí | ||
| The Irish word for slave is cognate with the Latin "servus" which also refers to slaves, servants and animals | |||
| Italian | schiavo | ||
| The word "schiavo" is derived from the Latin word "sclavus" and was originally used to refer to a person from the Slavic people, who were often captured and sold as slaves in the Middle Ages. | |||
| Luxembourgish | sklaven | ||
| The word "Sklaven" in Luxembourgish derives from the Latin "sclāvus" (Slav) and originally meant "Slavic person" or "person from the Slavic region". | |||
| Maltese | skjav | ||
| The word "skjav" in Maltese has its origins in the Latin word "servus", meaning "servant", and is also related to the word "esclave" in French and "esclavo" in Spanish. | |||
| Norwegian | slave | ||
| The Norwegian word "slave" can also refer to a drudge or toiler. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | escravo | ||
| The word "escravo" in Portuguese comes from the Medieval Latin "sclavus", which originally meant "Slav" or "person from a Slavic country; captive". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tràill | ||
| The word "tràill" derives from the Old Irish word "tráth", meaning "serf" or "bondsman", and historically referred to unfree laborers who worked on the land. | |||
| Spanish | esclavo | ||
| The word "esclavo" in Spanish derives from the Medieval Latin "sclavus" which originally meant "a Slavic person". | |||
| Swedish | slav | ||
| Slavar can also mean ‘slaving' in the sense of toiling or drudging. | |||
| Welsh | caethwas | ||
| Derived from Old Welsh 'caeth' ('captive'), the word 'caethwas' can also refer to a serf or bondman. | |||
Slave in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | раб | ||
| The word "раб" has also been used to refer to a "serf", a person bound to the land, and in some contexts, to a "hired hand". | |||
| Bosnian | rob | ||
| The word 'rob' in Bosnian also refers to a type of forced labor or servitude. | |||
| Bulgarian | роб | ||
| The word "роб" also means "servitude" and derives from the Old Slavonic word "rabъ", meaning "captured" or "servant". | |||
| Czech | otrok | ||
| The word "otrok" originally meant "child" or "son". | |||
| Estonian | ori | ||
| The term "ori" in Estonian can also refer to a servant or a person in a dependent position. | |||
| Finnish | orja | ||
| In the Estonian language, "orja" also means "to plow", reflecting its origins in Proto-Finnic agricultural terminology. | |||
| Hungarian | rabszolga | ||
| The word 'rabszolga' likely derives from the Slavic word 'rob' meaning 'work' or 'toiler', referring to the forced labor of slaves. | |||
| Latvian | vergs | ||
| Latvian word for slave, "vergs", derives from the Proto-Germanic word "wargus" meaning an "outcast" | |||
| Lithuanian | vergas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vergas" has alternate meanings of "serf" or "servant". | |||
| Macedonian | роб | ||
| The word "роб" in Macedonian can also mean "captured person" or "prisoner of war". | |||
| Polish | niewolnik | ||
| The word "niewolnik" is derived from the Old Polish word "nie wolny" meaning "not free". | |||
| Romanian | sclav | ||
| The word "sclav" in Romanian also means "Slavic person" and is derived from the Latin "sclavus", meaning "person from Slavonia".} | |||
| Russian | раб | ||
| The word "раб" is derived from the Old Slavic word "robota" which originally meant work or servitude, not necessarily forced labor. | |||
| Serbian | роб | ||
| The word "роб" also has the meanings of "servant", "peasant", or "prisoner". | |||
| Slovak | otrok | ||
| "Otrok" also can be translated as "child", which is probably its original meaning. | |||
| Slovenian | suženj | ||
| The Slovenian word "suženj" also has a historical meaning of "prisoner of war". | |||
| Ukrainian | раб | ||
| The word "раб" in Ukrainian also means "servant of God" and is derived from the Old Slavic word "rabъ" meaning "servant". | |||
Slave in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দাস | ||
| The Bengali word "দাস" also refers to a caste surname. | |||
| Gujarati | ગુલામ | ||
| The term "gulam" can also be derived from the Persian word "ghulam", which itself is derived from the Arabic word "ghulaam" (meaning "servant"). | |||
| Hindi | दास | ||
| The Hindi word "दास" (dās) has an alternate meaning: "servant". It is derived from the Sanskrit root "दास" (dās), which means "one who is bound by a debt or obligation". | |||
| Kannada | ಗುಲಾಮ | ||
| The word "ಗುಲಾಮ" can also refer to a person who is subservient to another, or to a person who is exploited or oppressed. | |||
| Malayalam | അടിമ | ||
| The word "അടിമ" (aṭima) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्म" (ātma) meaning "self" or "soul", and was originally used to refer to a person who had surrendered their self or independence to another person. | |||
| Marathi | गुलाम | ||
| The word 'गुलाम' (slave) is derived from the Persian word 'ghulam' which means 'servant' or 'boy'. | |||
| Nepali | दास | ||
| The word "दास" can also mean "servant" or "follower" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗੁਲਾਮ | ||
| The word "ਗੁਲਾਮ" can also refer to a person who is submissive or subservient to another person or group. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දාසයා | ||
| The word 'දාසයා' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'दास' (dāsa), meaning 'servant' or 'bondsman'. | |||
| Tamil | அடிமை | ||
| The word அடிமை derives from the Proto-Dravidian word *aṭi, meaning 'foot, lower part, base, foundation'. | |||
| Telugu | బానిస | ||
| "బానిస" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhandaki", meaning a member of the lowest caste or servant. | |||
| Urdu | غلام | ||
| The word "غلام" also refers to a servant or follower, particularly of a religious leader. | |||
Slave in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 奴隶 | ||
| 奴隶一词在汉语中有多种含义，包括战俘、仆役和劳役人员。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 奴隸 | ||
| "奴" (nü) originally meant "prisoner of war", while "隸" (li) meant "worker". | |||
| Japanese | 奴隷 | ||
| "奴隷 " (slave) has been used as an alternative for the word "下僕 " (servant) since the 19th century. | |||
| Korean | 노예 | ||
| The Korean word "노예" initially meant "one who belongs to a noble or an upper-class family". | |||
| Mongolian | боол | ||
| The word "боол" (slave) in Mongolian is a derivative of the word "боох" (to tie up). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျွန် | ||
| In Myanmar, the word "ကျွန်" also has the alternate meaning of "servant" or "follower". | |||
Slave in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | budak | ||
| "Budak" can also refer to "servant" in archaic or literary contexts. | |||
| Javanese | abdi | ||
| "Abdi" can also refer to a servant or follower, and is often used in a respectful context. | |||
| Khmer | ទាសករ | ||
| The word "ទាសករ" (slave) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "dāsa" which means "servant" or "worker". | |||
| Lao | ສໍາລອງ | ||
| The word ສໍາລອງ is also used to refer to those who are in bondage or under the control of others, such as prisoners or debtors. | |||
| Malay | hamba | ||
| The Malay word "hamba" originally meant "servant" or "follower" and was used to refer to both men and women, regardless of their status. | |||
| Thai | ทาส | ||
| In ancient use, ทาส referred to a debtor who worked off their debt through labour under their creditor's authority. | |||
| Vietnamese | nô lệ | ||
| "Nô lệ" is a Vietnamese word meaning "slave", derived from the French "esclave". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alipin | ||
Slave in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kölə | ||
| The word "kölə" in Azerbaijani comes from the Persian word "gula", which means "servant" or "slave". | |||
| Kazakh | құл | ||
| The Kazakh word "құл" (slave) originally meant "son-in-law", but its meaning shifted after the Mongol invasion. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кул | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "кул" can also refer to a servant or a vassal. | |||
| Tajik | ғулом | ||
| In Tajik, the word “ғулом” also refers to a respectful way of addressing a male elder. | |||
| Turkmen | gul | ||
| Uzbek | qul | ||
| "Qul" also means "servant" or "employee" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | قۇل | ||
Slave in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kauā | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kauā" also means "captive" or "prisoner of war". | |||
| Maori | pononga | ||
| The word 'pononga' in Maori can also mean 'servant', 'employee', or 'worker'. | |||
| Samoan | pologa | ||
| Pologa is derived from the word 'polo,' which in Samoan means 'to capture.' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | alipin | ||
| In feudal Tagalog society, 'alipin' could refer to slaves captured in warfare or non-paying debtors, and later to serfs assigned to work on nobles' landholdings. | |||
Slave in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jan samarayata | ||
| Guarani | tembiguái | ||
Slave in International Languages
| Esperanto | sklavo | ||
| "Sklavo" is derived from the French "esclave", which in turn comes from the Latin "sclavus", a term for slaves from the Balkans. | |||
| Latin | servus | ||
| The term 'servus' originally implied willingness to be subservient or of service, rather than being forced labor. | |||
Slave in Others Languages
| Greek | δούλος | ||
| The Greek word 'δουλος' has roots in Indo-European, with cognates in Sanskrit and Latin meaning 'servant' or 'bondsman', indicating a broader range of servitude than just chattel slavery. | |||
| Hmong | qhev | ||
| The word "qhev" can also refer to a person who is under the control of another person or a person who is forced to work for another person. | |||
| Kurdish | xûlam | ||
| The word “xûlam” has been etymologically connected by several scholars including Bedirxan and Jaba to the term “ghulam” and “gholami” that meant slave in Farsi. | |||
| Turkish | köle | ||
| Etymology of "köle" is unknown but can also mean "a captive" | |||
| Xhosa | ikhoboka | ||
| "Ikhoboka" derives from "khoboka," meaning "to tie up" or "to imprison." | |||
| Yiddish | קנעכט | ||
| The Yiddish word 'קנעכט', meaning 'slave,' derives from the Middle High German word 'knecht,' which also means 'servant.' | |||
| Zulu | isigqila | ||
| Historically 'isigqila' could also refer to captives of war or abducted persons in addition to slaves bought and owned. | |||
| Assamese | দাস | ||
| Aymara | jan samarayata | ||
| Bhojpuri | गुलाम | ||
| Dhivehi | އަޅުމީހާ | ||
| Dogri | गुलाम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alipin | ||
| Guarani | tembiguái | ||
| Ilocano | adipen | ||
| Krio | slev | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆیلە | ||
| Maithili | गुलाम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯅꯥꯏ | ||
| Mizo | sal | ||
| Oromo | garba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦାସ | ||
| Quechua | punqu | ||
| Sanskrit | दासः | ||
| Tatar | кол | ||
| Tigrinya | ባርያ | ||
| Tsonga | hlonga | ||