Society in Different Languages
Discover 'Society' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
At its core, society represents the collective of individuals and institutions that shape our everyday lives. It's a cultural melting pot, an economic powerhouse, and a social network all rolled into one. The significance of society cannot be overstated, as it forms the very foundation of our shared human experience.
Throughout history, societies have evolved and adapted in response to changing circumstances, giving rise to a rich tapestry of cultural diversity and linguistic complexity. From the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome to the modern metropolises of New York and Tokyo, society has taken on many forms and meanings.
Understanding the translation of society in different languages is more than just a linguistic exercise. It's a window into the values, beliefs, and traditions of people around the world. By exploring the many ways in which this concept is expressed in different languages, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural nuances that make our global society so vibrant and dynamic.
Here are a few sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- Gesellschaft (German)
- Samfunn (Norwegian)
- 社会 (Shehui, Mandarin)
- Gemeenschap (Dutch)
- Общество (Obshchestvo, Russian)
Society
Society in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | samelewing | ||
| "Samelewing" is an Afrikaans word with several different meanings, including "society" but also "community" and "association." | |||
| Amharic | ህብረተሰብ | ||
| The Amharic word ህብረተሰብ means not only "society", but also "social contract" | |||
| Hausa | jama'a | ||
| The Hausa word "jama'a" also means "group of people" or "community." | |||
| Igbo | ọha mmadụ | ||
| "Ọha mmadụ" means "meeting or gathering of people", but in a more metaphorical sense, it is used in Igbo to refer to "society," or more particularly, the "social order." | |||
| Malagasy | society | ||
| The Malagasy word "fiarahamonina" originates from the root word "fiaraha" meaning "together" and carries the same meaning of "society" in English. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gulu | ||
| The word "gulu" in Nyanja also means "a group of people who live together". | |||
| Shona | nzanga | ||
| The word 'nzanga' can also refer to the female head of a household. | |||
| Somali | bulshada | ||
| The word "bulshada" in Somali can also refer to a specific group of people, such as a community or a social class. | |||
| Sesotho | sechaba | ||
| "Sechaba" is also used to refer to a group of people who live together in a community or nation. | |||
| Swahili | jamii | ||
| "Jamii" is an Arabic loanword in Swahili meaning "people", "congregation", or "assembly". | |||
| Xhosa | uluntu | ||
| The Xhosa word "uluntu" also refers to the concept of "personhood" or "humanity," emphasizing the interconnectedness of individuals within the collective. | |||
| Yoruba | awujo | ||
| The word 'awujo' in Yoruba derives from the root "awu," meaning "to mix" or "to blend," implying a society's diverse and interconnected nature. | |||
| Zulu | umphakathi | ||
| The word "umphakathi" is a term originating in the Bantu language, which carries additional connotations of community, collectivity, and interconnectedness, encapsulating a broader sense of cohesion than the narrower English term "society." | |||
| Bambara | sosiyete | ||
| Ewe | du | ||
| Kinyarwanda | sosiyete | ||
| Lingala | lisanga | ||
| Luganda | abantu ku kyaalo | ||
| Sepedi | setšhaba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nipakuo | ||
Society in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | المجتمع | ||
| In Arabic, "المجتمع" is a term used to describe not only "society" but also a "mosque", hinting at the intertwining of religion and community in the region's culture. | |||
| Hebrew | חֶברָה | ||
| In Hebrew, "חֶברָה" can also refer to a group of friends or a partnership. | |||
| Pashto | ټولنه | ||
| The Pashto word ټولنه (tolna) also refers to a meeting of a tribe for discussion or to settle disputes. | |||
| Arabic | المجتمع | ||
| In Arabic, "المجتمع" is a term used to describe not only "society" but also a "mosque", hinting at the intertwining of religion and community in the region's culture. | |||
Society in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shoqërisë | ||
| The Albanian word "shoqërisë" is derived from the Latin word "societas" meaning "companionship, association, alliance, or league". | |||
| Basque | gizartea | ||
| The word "gizartea" can also mean "social gathering" or "community". | |||
| Catalan | societat | ||
| The Catalan word "societat" derives from the Latin word "societas", meaning "group" or "community". | |||
| Croatian | društvo | ||
| The Croatian word "društvo" originates from the Slavic root "drug" meaning "friend" or "companion". | |||
| Danish | samfund | ||
| The word "samfund" in Danish comes from the Proto-Germanic root *samafundjan, meaning "community". | |||
| Dutch | maatschappij | ||
| The word 'maatschappij' is derived from the Old Dutch word 'maatschap', which means 'partnership' or 'company'. | |||
| English | society | ||
| The word "society" derives from the Latin "societas," meaning "companionship" or "association." | |||
| French | société | ||
| The French word "société" not only means society but also a company or corporation. | |||
| Frisian | maatskippij | ||
| The word "maatskippij" is derived from the Old Frisian words "maet" (meeting) and "skip" (ship), implying a group of people who meet together. | |||
| Galician | sociedade | ||
| In Galician, "sociedade" also refers to a legal entity, like a company or association. | |||
| German | gesellschaft | ||
| Gesellschaft derives from the Old High German word "giscaft," meaning "creation" or "creature." | |||
| Icelandic | samfélag | ||
| Samfélag literally means "gathering of the same," referring to an assembly or group of peers. | |||
| Irish | sochaí | ||
| The word "sochaí" in Irish comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *sa-, meaning "to bind together". | |||
| Italian | società | ||
| The word "società" in Italian can also refer to a business partnership or association. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gesellschaft | ||
| The word "Gesellschaft" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a group of people with common interests or goals. | |||
| Maltese | soċjetà | ||
| The word "soċjetà" is derived from the Italian word "società", which in turn comes from the Latin word "societas", meaning "companionship, association, or alliance" | |||
| Norwegian | samfunn | ||
| In Old Norse the word "samfunn" referred to shared property, indicating that sharing and community were key concepts in the Viking society. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sociedade | ||
| The word 'sociedade' in Portuguese comes from the Latin 'societas,' meaning a group of individuals united for a common purpose, but can also refer to a group of individuals sharing common interests or beliefs. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | comann-sòisealta | ||
| The term 'comann-sòisealta' is also used to describe a 'commonwealth' or 'society of friends' in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | sociedad | ||
| In Spanish, "sociedad" can refer to a business partnership, similar to "company" in English. | |||
| Swedish | samhälle | ||
| The word "samhälle" can also mean "commune" or "parish" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | cymdeithas | ||
| The word "cymdeithas" in Welsh comes from the root word "cyd", which means "together" or "with". It can also refer to a group or community of people sharing common interests, values or goals. | |||
Society in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | грамадства | ||
| The Belarusian word "грамадства" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "громада", which originally meant "crowd" or "gathering". | |||
| Bosnian | društvo | ||
| The word "društvo" in Bosnian can also refer to a formal organization or association. | |||
| Bulgarian | общество | ||
| The word "общество" also means "community" or "company" and is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "съборъ", meaning "gathering" or "assembly". | |||
| Czech | společnost | ||
| The word "společnost" in Czech also means "companionship", "company" or "gathering". | |||
| Estonian | ühiskonnas | ||
| The word "ühiskonnas" can also mean "in society" or "in a community". | |||
| Finnish | yhteiskunnassa | ||
| The word "yhteiskunnassa" is derived from the verb "yhtyä" (to unite) and the suffix "-ssa" (in), indicating a place or context where people are united to form a society. | |||
| Hungarian | társadalom | ||
| The word "társadalom" stems from the words "társ" (companion) and "dalom" (belonging somewhere), referring to the sense of community among people who share a common identity. | |||
| Latvian | sabiedrībā | ||
| The Latvian word "sabiedrībā" can also mean "in the company of someone" or "amongst people". | |||
| Lithuanian | visuomenės | ||
| The Lithuanian word "visuomenės" is derived from the word "visas" meaning "whole" or "all", and originally meant "the community of all people". | |||
| Macedonian | општеството | ||
| The word "општеството" comes from the Old Church Slavonic and means "gatherings", but can also mean "association" or "community" in modern Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | społeczeństwo | ||
| "Społeczeństwo" comes from the Old Polish word "społ", meaning "together". | |||
| Romanian | societate | ||
| In Romanian, "societate" also means "company" or "firm". | |||
| Russian | общество | ||
| Общество, a word for "society" in Russian, comes from the Slavic "obshchaty", which means "joint property" and "community". | |||
| Serbian | друштво | ||
| The word 'друштво' can also mean a group of people or a club, and it is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'дръжити', meaning 'to hold' or 'to join'. | |||
| Slovak | spoločnosti | ||
| The word "spoločnosti" can also mean "companies" or "corporations" in English, depending on the context. | |||
| Slovenian | družba | ||
| The word "družba" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *druga, meaning "companion" or "friend." | |||
| Ukrainian | суспільство | ||
| The original meaning of the Ukrainian word "суспільство" was "group," and it gradually came to mean "society." | |||
Society in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সমাজ | ||
| The word "সমাজ" (samaj) in Bengali has the additional meaning of "gathering" or "assembly". | |||
| Gujarati | સમાજ | ||
| The Gujarati word 'સમાજ' ('society') is derived from the Sanskrit root 'sam' (together) and 'aaaj' (to move), implying a group of people moving together in a harmonious manner. | |||
| Hindi | समाज | ||
| The word "समाज" (samaaj) in Hindi derives from the Sanskrit root "सम्" (sam), meaning "together," and also refers to a gathering or assembly of people with common interests or goals. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಮಾಜ | ||
| The word ಸಮಾಜ literally combines the words 'sama' (equal) and 'aja' (goat), referring to a group of goats that treat each other equally | |||
| Malayalam | സമൂഹം | ||
| The term 'സമൂഹം' comes from Sanskrit and originally meant 'a gathering of people' or 'an assembly'. | |||
| Marathi | समाज | ||
| "समाज" comes either from the Sanskrit word "समाज" meaning "to meet" or "समन् + आ + जा" meaning "coming together". | |||
| Nepali | समाज | ||
| The word "समाज" in Nepali is derived from the Sanskrit word "samāja", which means "assembly" or "gathering". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਮਾਜ | ||
| "ਸਮਾਜ" (society) derives from the Sanskrit root "samaj" meaning "to come together," implying a collective of individuals with common interests or goals. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමාජය | ||
| The Sinhala word "සමාජය" ("samajaya") also has the alternate meaning of "community" or "public." | |||
| Tamil | சமூகம் | ||
| "சமூகம்" (society) derives from Sanskrit "samaja," meaning "multitude," but also refers to "goodness" in the sense of adhering to social conventions. | |||
| Telugu | సమాజం | ||
| Also refers to a gathering of people or fellowship. | |||
| Urdu | معاشرے | ||
| The word معاشرے "society" in Urdu, derived from the Arabic root "'ashara," meaning "to mix or associate," implies a collective of interacting individuals with shared values and norms. | |||
Society in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 社会 | ||
| The Chinese character 社会 (shèhuì), meaning "society," also refers to "social" phenomena, interactions, and relationships. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 社會 | ||
| The word 社會 (society) is derived from the combination of 社 (shrine or temple) and 會 (gathering or assembly), indicating the importance of social interactions in early Chinese societies. | |||
| Japanese | 社会 | ||
| The term "社会" can also refer to a social gathering or event in Japanese | |||
| Korean | 사회 | ||
| The word '사회' can also mean 'world' or 'universe' in Korean, reflecting the concept of society as a microcosm of the larger cosmos. | |||
| Mongolian | нийгэм | ||
| The word 'нийгэм' in Mongolian is derived from the Tibetan 'mi 'gyu ma' ('people's group'), and is also cognate with the Russian word 'общество', both of which derive from the Latin 'socius'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူ့အဖွဲ့အစည်း | ||
Society in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | masyarakat | ||
| The Indonesian word "masyarakat" is derived from the Sanskrit word "masyam", which means "crowd" or "gathering". | |||
| Javanese | masarakat | ||
| The Javanese word 'masarakat' shares the same etymology with 'masyarakat' in Indonesian, which means 'to associate', highlighting the communal nature of society. | |||
| Khmer | សង្គម | ||
| The term "Sangkum" can also mean a "political coalition". | |||
| Lao | ສັງຄົມ | ||
| The word ສັງຄົມ (sangkōm) shares the etymology of "sangha," meaning Buddhist society, order, or community, suggesting a strong historical link between society and religious life in Lao culture. | |||
| Malay | masyarakat | ||
| The word "masyarakat" in Malay is derived from the Sanskrit word "majjhati", meaning "middle" or "center". | |||
| Thai | สังคม | ||
| The word "สังคม" (society) derives from the Sanskrit word "samāja" and can also mean "community", "association", or "group". | |||
| Vietnamese | xã hội | ||
| The term "xã hội" can also refer to any type of organization that shares a common goal and a sense of cohesion, such as a club, school, or political party. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lipunan | ||
Society in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cəmiyyət | ||
| The word "cəmiyyət" (society) is derived from Arabic and refers to a group of individuals living together. Its plural form is "cəmiyyətlər". | |||
| Kazakh | қоғам | ||
| The word "қоғам" also means "people" or "community" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | коом | ||
| The Kyrgyz word “коом” (society) is likely derived from the Turkic word “qom” (horde, clan). | |||
| Tajik | ҷомеа | ||
| The word "ҷомеа" also means "community" or "gathering" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | jemgyýet | ||
| Uzbek | jamiyat | ||
| The word "jamiyat" is also used to refer to a group of people who share common interests or goals. | |||
| Uyghur | جەمئىيەت | ||
Society in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kaiāulu | ||
| Kaiāulu, which means 'community' in Hawaiian, is derived from the words kai ('ocean') and ʻāulu ('community, society') which together imply a shared connection to the ocean and the land. | |||
| Maori | hapori | ||
| The word 'hapori' also denotes a 'community of like-minded people' or 'a gathering of people' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | sosaiete | ||
| The word "sosaiete" also means fellowship, company, companionship, company, circle, or gathering together for companionship. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lipunan | ||
| The word "lipunan" in Tagalog can also refer to a group of people who share a common interest or purpose. | |||
Society in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaqinaka | ||
| Guarani | avano'õ | ||
Society in International Languages
| Esperanto | socio | ||
| The Esperanto word "socio" is derived from the Latin word "socius," meaning "companion" or "friend." | |||
| Latin | societatis, | ||
| Societatis derives from two Latin roots: "socius" meaning companion and "etatis" meaning age or generation. | |||
Society in Others Languages
| Greek | κοινωνία | ||
| The word 'κοινωνία' in Greek can also mean 'fellowship' or 'communion', reflecting the bonds between individuals in a society. | |||
| Hmong | tib neeg | ||
| "Tib neeg" comes from "tis" meaning "to join" and "neeg" meaning "people". | |||
| Kurdish | civat | ||
| The word "civat" also means "world" or "the public". | |||
| Turkish | toplum | ||
| The word "toplum" comes from the verb "toplamak" meaning "to collect" and "derlemek" meaning "to compile". This implies that a society is a collective of individuals and their compiled ideas and behaviors. | |||
| Xhosa | uluntu | ||
| The Xhosa word "uluntu" also refers to the concept of "personhood" or "humanity," emphasizing the interconnectedness of individuals within the collective. | |||
| Yiddish | געזעלשאַפט | ||
| The Yiddish word געזעלשאַפט ('society') is ultimately derived from the Middle High German 'gesellschaft', meaning 'companionship, fellowship' and 'company, assembly'. | |||
| Zulu | umphakathi | ||
| The word "umphakathi" is a term originating in the Bantu language, which carries additional connotations of community, collectivity, and interconnectedness, encapsulating a broader sense of cohesion than the narrower English term "society." | |||
| Assamese | সমাজ | ||
| Aymara | jaqinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | समाज | ||
| Dhivehi | މުޖުތަމަޢު | ||
| Dogri | समाज | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lipunan | ||
| Guarani | avano'õ | ||
| Ilocano | gimong | ||
| Krio | sosayti | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کۆمەڵگە | ||
| Maithili | समाज | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯟꯅꯥꯏ | ||
| Mizo | khawtlang | ||
| Oromo | hawaasa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସମାଜ | ||
| Quechua | huñu | ||
| Sanskrit | समाज | ||
| Tatar | җәмгыять | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕብረተሰብ | ||
| Tsonga | vaaki | ||