Soil in Different Languages
Discover 'Soil' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Soil is a vital component of our planet, playing a crucial role in the growth of plants and the health of ecosystems worldwide. It is the foundation of agriculture, providing nutrients and support for the crops that feed billions of people every day. But soil is more than just dirt - it is a complex mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air, teeming with life and rich in cultural significance.
Throughout history, soil has been a symbol of fertility, prosperity, and connection to the land. In many cultures, soil is considered sacred, and rituals and ceremonies revolve around its veneration. For example, in some Indigenous cultures, soil is seen as a living entity, deserving of respect and care.
Understanding the translation of the word 'soil' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural significance of this important resource. Here are a few examples:
- In Spanish, 'suelo' not only means soil but also foundation or bottom.
- In French, 'sol' means soil, but it also means ground in the sense of floor.
- In German, 'Boden' means soil, but it also means floor or bottom.
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of translations of the word 'soil' in different languages, showcasing the global importance of this vital resource.
Soil
Soil in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | grond | ||
| "grond" can also mean "reason" or "land" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | አፈር | ||
| The word “አፈር” ( | |||
| Hausa | ƙasa | ||
| "Ƙasa" also refers to a nation, as opposed to ƙauye, or an individual's hometown. | |||
| Igbo | ala | ||
| In Igbo, the word | |||
| Malagasy | nofon-tany | ||
| "Nofon-tany" literally means "mother of the land" in Malagasy, reflecting the importance of soil in Malagasy culture and agriculture. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nthaka | ||
| "Nthaka" also means "country" in Nyanja, implying a strong connection between soil and national identity. | |||
| Shona | ivhu | ||
| The Shona word "ivhu" can also mean "loam" or "clay". | |||
| Somali | ciidda | ||
| The word "ciidda" is derived from the Proto-Cushitic root *d-i-d, meaning "to be sticky" or "to adhere." | |||
| Sesotho | mobu | ||
| The word 'mobu' can also refer to the dust raised by animals or vehicles on the ground. | |||
| Swahili | udongo | ||
| "Udongo" also means "foundation" in Swahili, signifying the soil's role as a supporting base. | |||
| Xhosa | umhlaba | ||
| ‘Umhlaba’ means soil in Xhosa and is also a word for earth, world, and land. | |||
| Yoruba | ile | ||
| "Ile" (soil) can also mean "home" due to the importance of agriculture in Yoruba culture. | |||
| Zulu | umhlabathi | ||
| The Zulu word 'umhlabathi' originates from the Proto-Bantu noun -daba, likely derived from roots meaning 'to be flat' or 'to spread out'. | |||
| Bambara | dugukolo | ||
| Ewe | ke | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubutaka | ||
| Lingala | mabele | ||
| Luganda | ettaka | ||
| Sepedi | mabu | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dɔteɛ | ||
Soil in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التربة | ||
| "تربة" refers to the soil and to the grave earth, the latter meaning being related to the verb "دفن" meaning "to bury". | |||
| Hebrew | אדמה | ||
| The word “אדמה” in Hebrew originates from the Akkadian word “adamatu”, which also means “soil”. | |||
| Pashto | خاوره | ||
| The word 'خاوره' can also refer to a type of clay or mud. | |||
| Arabic | التربة | ||
| "تربة" refers to the soil and to the grave earth, the latter meaning being related to the verb "دفن" meaning "to bury". | |||
Soil in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dheu | ||
| The Albanian word "dheu" is a homonym, meaning both "soil" and "land, homeland". | |||
| Basque | lurzorua | ||
| The word "lurzorua" in Basque can be broken down into "lur" (earth) and "zoru" (floor), indicating that the concept of soil in Basque is tied to the idea of the earth's surface. | |||
| Catalan | terra | ||
| "Terra" in Catalan also means "land" or "earth", and comes from the Latin word "terra" with the same meanings. | |||
| Croatian | tlo | ||
| The word "tlo" can also mean "floor" or "ground" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | jord | ||
| The word "jord" in Danish is derived from the Old Norse word "jorð", meaning "earth" and can also refer to land, country or planet. | |||
| Dutch | bodem | ||
| The Dutch word "bodem" can also refer to "sediment", "floor", "bottom", or "basis". | |||
| English | soil | ||
| "Soil" derives from the Old French "soille," meaning "filth" or "dung," and has a secondary meaning of "bottom of a ditch." | |||
| French | sol | ||
| In French, "sol" can also refer to musical scores or the ground floor of a building. | |||
| Frisian | ierde | ||
| The Frisian word 'ierde' is also used in Dutch, where it means 'earth' or 'ground'. | |||
| Galician | chan | ||
| In the local variety of Portuguese speech, chan refers to clay soil and, especially, to earth used in the sealing of tombs as a symbol of finitude. | |||
| German | boden | ||
| In German, the word "Boden" can also refer to a floor or a ground covering, such as a carpet or tiles. | |||
| Icelandic | mold | ||
| In Icelandic, "mold" can also refer to a form or shape, similar to the English word "mould". | |||
| Irish | ithreach | ||
| The word "ithreach" in Irish also means "fertile" or "productive" land. | |||
| Italian | suolo | ||
| The noun 'suolo' can also mean 'floor', a meaning derived from Latin. | |||
| Luxembourgish | buedem | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Buedem" can also refer to the floor or ground of a room or building. | |||
| Maltese | ħamrija | ||
| The word "ħamrija" is derived from the Semitic root "ḥmr", meaning "red", and is cognated with the Arabic word "humrah", meaning "redness" or "soil". | |||
| Norwegian | jord | ||
| The word "jord" in Norwegian is directly related to the English word "earth". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | solo | ||
| In Portuguese, "solo" derives from the Latin "solum" (ground, soil), and also means "lonely" or "single" in its musical and dance forms. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ùir | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word for soil, "ùir", also means "earth" or "land." | |||
| Spanish | suelo | ||
| In Spanish, 'suelo' can also refer to the floor of a building, reflecting its Latin origin 'solum' meaning 'ground'. | |||
| Swedish | jord | ||
| The Swedish word "jord" comes from the Old Norse word "jörð", which means "earth" or "land". It is related to the English word "yard", which originally referred to an enclosed piece of land. | |||
| Welsh | pridd | ||
| The Welsh word 'pridd' has cognates in other Brythonic languages including Cornish 'prydhes' and Breton 'pred' | |||
Soil in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | глеба | ||
| The word "глеба" in Belarusian is of Indo-European origin and has various meanings, including soil, land, and terrain. | |||
| Bosnian | tla | ||
| The word "tla" can also mean "sediment" or "sludge" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | почва | ||
| Bulgarian "почва" has a secondary meaning "principle, base, ground," probably a calque on Russian "почва" (meaning "soil") borrowed into Russian from French "sol". | |||
| Czech | půda | ||
| "Půda" also means "attic" or "loft" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | muld | ||
| The word for “black earth soil” used in the southern provinces of Estonia comes directly from the Middle Low German (a type of Low Saxon) phrase “moleerde” or German “moderde, mudder. | |||
| Finnish | maaperään | ||
| The word "maaperään" also refers to the upper soil layer of a construction site and the subsoil used when grading the site. | |||
| Hungarian | talaj | ||
| The word 'talaj' is likely derived from the Turkic word 'tal', meaning 'bottom', 'ground', or 'field'. | |||
| Latvian | augsne | ||
| The word "augsne" in Latvian is derived from the verb "augt" (to grow) and the suffix "-sne," indicating a place or condition, and thus means "place of growth." | |||
| Lithuanian | dirvožemio | ||
| The Lithuanian word "dirvožemio" ("soil") derives from the Proto-Baltic root *dher-, meaning "to hold". | |||
| Macedonian | почвата | ||
| The word "почвата" also refers to the layer covering the Earth's surface. | |||
| Polish | gleba | ||
| The word "gleba" in Polish also means "clod", "lump", or "mass", and is cognate with the English word "globe". | |||
| Romanian | sol | ||
| The Romanian noun "sol" (meaning "soil") shares etymology with the term "salt" and denotes both literal soil and the saline deposit extracted from it. | |||
| Russian | почвы | ||
| Почва is also used figuratively to describe the basis or foundation of something, such as a theory or an argument. | |||
| Serbian | тла | ||
| As a root of different words, 'тла' can mean 'soil' 'foundation' or even 'press'. | |||
| Slovak | pôda | ||
| The word "pôda", meaning "soil" in Slovak, also has an alternate meaning of "ground" or "surface". | |||
| Slovenian | prst | ||
| The word 'prst' can also refer to a finger or toe in Slovenian, or dirt in a derogatory sense. | |||
| Ukrainian | ґрунт | ||
| "Ґрунт" is related to the Old Ukrainian "грядка" (garden bed); in Western Ukraine, it also means "ground floor or basement." | |||
Soil in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মাটি | ||
| In Bengali, "মাটি" (mati) can refer to soil, but it also means "mother" and is associated with life and sustenance. | |||
| Gujarati | માટી | ||
| The Gujarati word "માટી" can also refer to the "earth" or "ground" in a broader sense and is derived from the Sanskrit word "मृत्तिका" (mṛttikā), meaning "earth" or "clay". | |||
| Hindi | मिट्टी | ||
| The word "मिट्टी" also refers to the earth as a celestial body or to the planet Earth, emphasizing its material composition. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಣ್ಣು | ||
| "ಮಣ್ಣು" also refers to the material that covers the surface of the Earth, including the soil on the ground. | |||
| Malayalam | മണ്ണ് | ||
| The word "മണ്ണ്" derives from the Proto-Dravidian word "*maṇ" meaning "earth, dust, or ground". | |||
| Marathi | माती | ||
| The word "माती" ("soil") in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "मातृ" ("mother"), signifying its importance as a life-sustaining element. | |||
| Nepali | माटो | ||
| The word "माटो" (soil) is derived from the Sanskrit word "mrit", which also means "death" or "mortality". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਿੱਟੀ | ||
| "ਮਿੱਟੀ" not only means "soil" in Punjabi, but also represents the concept of "earth" or "land" in a broader sense, often carrying cultural and emotional significance. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පාංශු | ||
| The word "පාංශු" (soil) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "पांशु" (dust) and also means "ash" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | மண் | ||
| The Tamil word "மண்" (soil) is also used to refer to mud, or clay. | |||
| Telugu | నేల | ||
| నేల (nēla) also means "land" or "ground" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | مٹی | ||
| In Urdu, "مٹی" can also refer to "earth" as a planet and "dust" in addition to "soil". | |||
Soil in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 泥 | ||
| "泥" can also refer to ooze, mire, or a person in a slump. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 泥 | ||
| In Chinese, "泥" can also refer to "clay" or the "sediment" that settles at the bottom of a body of water. | |||
| Japanese | 土 | ||
| The Chinese character "土" can also mean "place". It can have other meanings too depending on context. | |||
| Korean | 흙 | ||
| The term "흙" has an additional meaning in Korean, referring specifically to the soil used in pottery or ceramic arts. | |||
| Mongolian | хөрс | ||
| "Хөрс" can also refer to the ground, land, territory or a country. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြေဆီလွှာ | ||
Soil in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tanah | ||
| "Tanah" also means ‘ground’, and refers to areas of any size from a field to a whole country” | |||
| Javanese | lemah | ||
| The word "lemah" can also refer to the physical body in a spiritual context. | |||
| Khmer | ដី | ||
| The Khmer word "ដី" can also refer to land, dirt, or earth. | |||
| Lao | ດິນ | ||
| The word ດິນ “din” can also mean “ground” as in territory or land area. | |||
| Malay | tanah | ||
| The Malay word "tanah" shares its etymological roots with Sanskrit, meaning both "soil" and "land." | |||
| Thai | ดิน | ||
| "ดิน" (soil) might also mean "earth" (the element), or "land" (a territory). | |||
| Vietnamese | đất | ||
| "Đất" derives from the Austroasiatic word *daːt "land". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lupa | ||
Soil in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | torpaq | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | топырақ | ||
| "Топырақ" is an Old Turkic word, derived from Proto-Turkic words "topraɣ", "tupraq", meaning “soil, land, earth”. | |||
| Kyrgyz | топурак | ||
| The word "топурак" can also mean "dirt" or "dust" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | хок | ||
| The Russian word "хок" (soil) is cognate with the Tajik word "хок" (land). | |||
| Turkmen | toprak | ||
| Uzbek | tuproq | ||
| "Tuproq" also means "motherland" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تۇپراق | ||
Soil in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lepo | ||
| The related terms 'lepo' and 'lepo lepo' mean both 'dirt' and 'pretty'. | |||
| Maori | oneone | ||
| The Māori word "oneone" is also used to refer to the skin on the underside of the arm. | |||
| Samoan | palapala | ||
| Palapala also refers to a traditional medicine or ointment in Polynesian cultures that treats ailments, such as burns and wounds. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | lupa | ||
| "Lupa" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*qupa" meaning "soil" or "ground". It has cognates in many other Austronesian languages, such as Hawaiian "'āina", Malay "tanah", and Javanese " lemah". | |||
Soil in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uraqi | ||
| Guarani | sapy'ajepi | ||
Soil in International Languages
| Esperanto | grundo | ||
| The Esperanto word "grundo" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "grunduz" meaning "bottom" or "earth". | |||
| Latin | soli | ||
| "Sol" can also mean "sun" in Latin, highlighting the close relationship between sunlight and soil fertility. | |||
Soil in Others Languages
| Greek | έδαφος | ||
| The word "έδαφος" is derived from the verb "εδάφω," meaning "to tread on or crush," and is related to the word "έδαφος," meaning "floor or pavement." | |||
| Hmong | av | ||
| In addition to meaning "soil" it can also mean "land" or "country". | |||
| Kurdish | erd | ||
| The Kurdish word "erd" originally meant "sand" and is related to the Persian word "ard" with the same meaning. | |||
| Turkish | toprak | ||
| Toprak may also refer to a type of clay used for making pots and bricks, or to the earth from which a plant grows and derives nourishment. | |||
| Xhosa | umhlaba | ||
| ‘Umhlaba’ means soil in Xhosa and is also a word for earth, world, and land. | |||
| Yiddish | באָדן | ||
| The Yiddish word "באָדן" (boden) is derived from the German word "Boden" and also means "floor" or "ground". | |||
| Zulu | umhlabathi | ||
| The Zulu word 'umhlabathi' originates from the Proto-Bantu noun -daba, likely derived from roots meaning 'to be flat' or 'to spread out'. | |||
| Assamese | মাটি | ||
| Aymara | uraqi | ||
| Bhojpuri | मिट्टी | ||
| Dhivehi | ވެލި | ||
| Dogri | मिट्ठी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | lupa | ||
| Guarani | sapy'ajepi | ||
| Ilocano | daga | ||
| Krio | dɔti | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خاک | ||
| Maithili | माटि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯩꯍꯥꯎ | ||
| Mizo | lei | ||
| Oromo | biyyoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାଟି | ||
| Quechua | allpa | ||
| Sanskrit | मृदा | ||
| Tatar | туфрак | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓመድ | ||
| Tsonga | misava | ||