Source in Different Languages
Discover 'Source' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'source' holds immense significance across various cultures and languages. It refers to the origin or starting point of something, a place, person, or thing from which something comes or starts. Its cultural importance is evident in how it is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from the sources of our food and water to the origins of our stories and traditions.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'source' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into the cultural nuances and distinctions that shape our world. For instance, in Spanish, the translation is 'fuente,' which also means 'fountain' or 'spring,' reflecting the language's rich history and connection to nature. Meanwhile, in Japanese, the translation is ' origin,' which highlights the language's emphasis on precision and clarity.
With that in mind, let's explore some of the many translations of 'source' in different languages, shedding light on the diverse ways in which this simple yet powerful word is expressed around the world.
Source
Source in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bron | ||
| In Afrikaans, "bron" also means "well" or "spring", reflecting its origin from the Proto-West Germanic word "brunna". | |||
| Amharic | ምንጭ | ||
| "ምንጭ" also refers to an outlet pipe for water, the base of a tree trunk, the beginning of a river or a cause. | |||
| Hausa | tushe | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "tushe" can also refer to a tributary, origin, or foundation. | |||
| Igbo | isi mmalite | ||
| Isi mmalite can also mean "spring" or "well" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | source | ||
| In Malagasy, "loharano" can also mean "spring" or "well" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | gwero | ||
| The Nyanja word 'gwero' also denotes the origin, beginning, cause or fountainhead of a river. | |||
| Shona | mabviro | ||
| The word "mabviro" can also mean "origin" or "beginning" in Shona. | |||
| Somali | xigasho | ||
| The Somali word "xigasho" can also mean "place of origin" or "birthplace." | |||
| Sesotho | mohloli | ||
| Mohloli is often used in Sesotho to refer to a specific place where something begins, or a starting point. | |||
| Swahili | chanzo | ||
| The Swahili word "chanzo" can also refer to an origin, a beginning, or a cause | |||
| Xhosa | imvelaphi | ||
| The word also means 'the first person to notice something'. | |||
| Yoruba | orisun | ||
| While orisun is a Yoruba word that means source, it also relates to the time of day just before sunset or sunrise, when the sky glows. | |||
| Zulu | umthombo | ||
| Zulu people also use 'umthombo' to refer to where someone comes from or their origin. | |||
| Bambara | bununda | ||
| Ewe | dzᴐtsoƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | isoko | ||
| Lingala | esika | ||
| Luganda | ensibuko | ||
| Sepedi | mothopo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | farebae | ||
Source in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مصدر | ||
| The Arabic word "مصدر" can also refer to an "income" or a "subject of conversation". | |||
| Hebrew | מָקוֹר | ||
| "מָקוֹר" (source) also means "beak" in Hebrew, reflecting the original source of food for birds. | |||
| Pashto | سرچینه | ||
| In Pashto, the word "سرچینه" can also refer to the beginning of a river or a place where water emerges from the ground. | |||
| Arabic | مصدر | ||
| The Arabic word "مصدر" can also refer to an "income" or a "subject of conversation". | |||
Source in Western European Languages
| Albanian | burim | ||
| The Albanian word "burim" also means "spring" or "well" and is likely derived from an Indo-European root meaning "to bubble up". | |||
| Basque | iturria | ||
| The Basque word "iturria" derives from the Latin "fons" and is also applied to the origin of a river or a genealogy. | |||
| Catalan | font | ||
| In Catalan, "font" can also refer to a natural spring or a public fountain. | |||
| Croatian | izvor | ||
| "Izvor" in Croatian has a dual meaning, referring to both "source" and "spring." | |||
| Danish | kilde | ||
| The Danish word "kilde" comes from the Old Norse word "kelda", which means "spring" or "well". | |||
| Dutch | bron | ||
| The Dutch word "bron" also refers to a stream of liquid originating from a spring. | |||
| English | source | ||
| The word "source" comes from the Old French word "sours," meaning "to rise" or "to spring forth." | |||
| French | la source | ||
| In French, the word la source can also mean a spring or fountain, a source of inspiration, or the beginning of a river. | |||
| Frisian | boarne | ||
| In the Frisian language, the word "boarne" has other meanings besides "source", like "well" or "spring." | |||
| Galician | fonte | ||
| Fonte derives from the Latin word "fons, fontis" with the meaning "spring of water", but can also refer to a fountain or a trough for animals in Galician. | |||
| German | quelle | ||
| Quelle may also refer to an underground spring, a well, or a small stream. | |||
| Icelandic | heimild | ||
| "Heimild" in Icelandic can refer to a place of origin, a person who provides information, or a document used as evidence. | |||
| Irish | foinse | ||
| The Old Irish word "foinse" also meant "origin", "beginning", or "cause". | |||
| Italian | fonte | ||
| "Fonte" can also indicate a font used for printing or display. | |||
| Luxembourgish | quell | ||
| In the 1775 dictionary of the Trier dialect, "Quell," apart from designating a "source," was defined as a "ditch" or "drainage channel." | |||
| Maltese | sors | ||
| The word "sors" in Maltese likely derives from the Latin word "sortes", meaning "lots" or "oracles". | |||
| Norwegian | kilde | ||
| In Old Norse, a related word (kelda), referred to a bubbling spring that gushed out from underground. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fonte | ||
| The Portuguese word "fonte" derives from the Latin "fons," meaning "a spring" or "a jet of water"} | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stòr | ||
| The word "stòr" is also used to refer to an informant or witness in a legal context. | |||
| Spanish | fuente | ||
| "Fuente" derives from the Latin "fons" and also means "fountain" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | källa | ||
| Swedish "källa" can also refer to a physical or spiritual "fount" such as of life, strength, knowledge, etc., or to a person considered so. | |||
| Welsh | ffynhonnell | ||
| The word 'ffynhonnell' can also refer to a wellspring of inspiration or knowledge. | |||
Source in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | крыніца | ||
| The word "крыніца" can also mean "well" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *krъnigъ, which meant "spring". | |||
| Bosnian | izvor | ||
| The word 'izvor' can also refer to the spring water itself or to a place where it flows from. | |||
| Bulgarian | източник | ||
| The word "източник" also means a "well" or a "fountain" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | zdroj | ||
| In addition to "source," "zdroj" can also mean "resource" or "spring." | |||
| Estonian | allikas | ||
| The word "allikas" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *allikka, which means "spring" or "well". It is related to the Finnish word "lähde", which also means "source" or "spring". | |||
| Finnish | lähde | ||
| "Lähde" also means "spring" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | forrás | ||
| The verb "forr" ("to boil") and the noun "forrás" ("source") share an origin. | |||
| Latvian | avots | ||
| In Latvian, the word “avots” is used colloquially to describe a knowledgeable person or insider in a particular field. | |||
| Lithuanian | šaltinis | ||
| "Šaltinis" also means "a spring" (wellspring). | |||
| Macedonian | извор | ||
| The word "извор" also means "spring" and is related to the verb "извирам" (to spring, to flow). | |||
| Polish | źródło | ||
| In Polish, the word "źródło" can also mean "spring," "well," or "origin." | |||
| Romanian | sursă | ||
| The word "sursă" in Romanian also means "lot" or "a handful". | |||
| Russian | источник | ||
| The word "источник" (source) in Russian comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "исток" (spring, source), which in turn comes from the Proto-Slavic word "istъkъ" (mouth, source). | |||
| Serbian | извор | ||
| The word "извор" (izvor) also refers to a place where the water emerges from the ground. | |||
| Slovak | zdroj | ||
| The Slavic word for "source," zdroj, also refers to a spring, fountain, or place where something originates. | |||
| Slovenian | vir | ||
| "Vir" can also mean "vortex", "whirlpool" or "eddying water" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | джерело | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "джерело" can also refer to a well, a fountain, an origin, a starting point, or an ancestor. | |||
Source in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সূত্র | ||
| In Bengali, the word "সূত্র" signifies not only sources but can also symbolize links or connections. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્ત્રોત | ||
| The Sanskrit root ‘sr’ means ‘to move’, and ‘strota’ refers to a river. | |||
| Hindi | स्रोत | ||
| स्रोत can also refer to a 'spring' or 'origin', which is where a river begins. | |||
| Kannada | ಮೂಲ | ||
| In Kannada, the word "ಮೂಲ" is also used to refer to an "original text" or a "root cause". | |||
| Malayalam | ഉറവിടം | ||
| The word "ഉറവിടം" can also mean "resource" or "origin" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | स्त्रोत | ||
| The word 'स्त्रोत' ('source') in Marathi has an alternate meaning of 'river, lake, or pond'. | |||
| Nepali | मुहान | ||
| The word 'muhan' in Nepali has multiple origins and meanings, including 'spring', 'source' and the mouth of a stream. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਰੋਤ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸਰੋਤ" can also refer to a pond, a source of information, or resources in general. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මූලාශ්රය | ||
| The term "මූලාශ්රය" can also refer to an origin, foundation, or basis, and is derived from the Sanskrit "मूल+आश्रय" (meaning "origin" and "support"). | |||
| Tamil | மூல | ||
| The word மூல in Tamil also means 'base', 'root', or 'origin'. | |||
| Telugu | మూలం | ||
| In Telugu, 'మూలం' can also refer to the base of a tree or a foundation. | |||
| Urdu | ذریعہ | ||
| ذریعہ can also mean 'means', 'method', 'resource', or 'agency'. | |||
Source in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 资源 | ||
| "资源" (source) originates from "资", implying means or capital, and can also mean materials to create wealth as well as the advantages to achieve specific goals that may not involve monetary benefit." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 資源 | ||
| 資源 (source) is derived from the characters 資 (wealth) and 源 (spring), implying a source of valuable assets. | |||
| Japanese | ソース | ||
| ソース (source) can also mean "sauce" in Japanese, likely due to the influence of Western cooking. | |||
| Korean | 출처 | ||
| "출처" can also mean "reference" or "origin" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | эх сурвалж | ||
| The word "эх сурвалж" (source) in Mongolian can also refer to "root". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရင်းအမြစ် | ||
Source in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sumber | ||
| The word 'sumber' also has other meanings in Indonesian, such as 'fountain', 'reservoir', or 'spring'. In Javanese, it can also refer to a village. | |||
| Javanese | sumber | ||
| "Sumber" in Javanese can also mean "spring" or "well", alluding to its original meaning as a source of water. | |||
| Khmer | ប្រភព | ||
| ប្រភព can also refer to the origin, cause, or beginning of something. | |||
| Lao | ແຫຼ່ງ | ||
| ແຫຼ່ງ can be a noun, meaning "source," "origin," "spring," or "mine," or a verb, meaning "to flow," "to leak," or "to ooze." | |||
| Malay | sumber | ||
| The word can also refer to a well | |||
| Thai | แหล่งที่มา | ||
| The word แหล่งที่มา has a literal meaning of "exiting place" and also denotes the origin or foundation of something. | |||
| Vietnamese | nguồn | ||
| The word "nguồn" can also mean "origin" or "cause" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pinagmulan | ||
Source in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mənbə | ||
| The word "mənbə" also means "origin" or "beginning" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | қайнар көзі | ||
| The word "қайнар көзі" can also refer to a "boiling spring" or a "hot spring". | |||
| Kyrgyz | булак | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "булак" also means "spring" or "well". | |||
| Tajik | сарчашма | ||
| The word сарчашма in Tajik, which means "source", also means "the beginning" or "the origin" of something. | |||
| Turkmen | çeşme | ||
| Uzbek | manba | ||
| The word "manba" can also refer to a spring, a reservoir, or a supply of water. | |||
| Uyghur | مەنبە | ||
Source in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumuwaiwai | ||
| "Kumuwaiwai" also means "spring," "well," or "origin". | |||
| Maori | pūtake | ||
| Pūtake also describes an origin of a person's genealogy or a traditional meeting place. | |||
| Samoan | punavai | ||
| In addition to meaning "source" or "spring", "punavai" can also refer to an opening to the sea or "entrance" to a lagoon. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pinagmulan | ||
| Pinagmulan in Tagalog derives from the word "mulan," which means "beginning" or "origin". | |||
Source in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phunti | ||
| Guarani | heñoipy | ||
Source in International Languages
| Esperanto | fonto | ||
| "Fonto" can mean spring, well, or fountainhead in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | fons | ||
| Fons's alternate meaning as a 'font' comes from its relation to fonts being baptismal sources. | |||
Source in Others Languages
| Greek | πηγή | ||
| πηγή also refers to a wellspring of water, a fount | |||
| Hmong | lub hauv paus | ||
| In Hmong, "lub hauv paus" literally translates to "the mouth at the end". | |||
| Kurdish | kanî | ||
| The word "kanî" in Kurdish also refers to a place where water seeps out of the ground, forming a small stream or spring. | |||
| Turkish | kaynak | ||
| The Turkish word "kaynak" is also a verb and the word for "to weld". | |||
| Xhosa | imvelaphi | ||
| The word also means 'the first person to notice something'. | |||
| Yiddish | מקור | ||
| In Yiddish, "מקור" can also mean "origin", "beginning", or "root". | |||
| Zulu | umthombo | ||
| Zulu people also use 'umthombo' to refer to where someone comes from or their origin. | |||
| Assamese | উত্স | ||
| Aymara | phunti | ||
| Bhojpuri | स्रोत | ||
| Dhivehi | އަސްލު | ||
| Dogri | जरिया | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pinagmulan | ||
| Guarani | heñoipy | ||
| Ilocano | pammataudan | ||
| Krio | usay i kɔmɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرچاوە | ||
| Maithili | सूत्र | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯣꯔꯛꯐꯝ | ||
| Mizo | bultanna | ||
| Oromo | madda | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉତ୍ସ | ||
| Quechua | qallariy | ||
| Sanskrit | स्रोतः | ||
| Tatar | чыганак | ||
| Tigrinya | ፍልፍል | ||
| Tsonga | xihlovo | ||