Specific in different languages

Specific in Different Languages

Discover 'Specific' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'specific' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that is precise, detailed, and clearly defined. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, including science, medicine, and technology, where specificity is key to understanding and solving complex problems.

Delving into the historical context, the term 'specific' has its roots in Latin, where 'specificus' means 'determined by special circumstances.' This etymology highlights the word's inherent connection to uniqueness and individuality.

For globetrotters and language enthusiasts, understanding the translations of 'specific' in different languages can be both fascinating and practical. For instance, in Spanish, 'specific' is 'específico,' while in French, it becomes 'spécifique.' In German, the word transforms into 'spezifisch,' and in Japanese, it is '特定的 (tokutei-teki).'

Discovering these linguistic nuances not only enriches our cross-cultural communication but also offers insights into how different cultures perceive and interact with the concept of specificity.

Specific


Specific in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansspesifiek
In Afrikaans, "spesifiek" retains its original Latin meaning of "peculiar" or "different."
Amharicየተወሰነ
Hausatakamaiman
The word "takamaiman" in Hausa also means "exactly", "precisely", and "completely".
Igbokpọmkwem
The word "kpọmkwem" in Igbo, meaning "specific," also implies "exactly" or "precisely" in some contexts.
Malagasymanokana
The term "manokana" is derived from the root "oka," meaning "to point out" or "to indicate," conveying the idea of something that is clearly defined or specified.
Nyanja (Chichewa)zenizeni
The word "zenizeni" can also mean "only" or "alone" in Nyanja.
Shonayakananga
The word 'yakananga' can also mean 'the one' or 'the only one' in Shona.
Somaligaar ah
"Gaar ah" can also mean "definitely" or "indeed "in Somali
Sesothoitseng
"Itseng" also means "really, truly" or "in earnest."
Swahilimaalum
The word "maalum" is derived from the Arabic word "ma'lum" which means "known" or "familiar".
Xhosangqo
The word "ngqo" is a homonym, meaning it has multiple forms with identical spellings, but different pronunciations and meanings.
Yorubakan pato
The word "kan pato" can also mean "to be aware of" or "to take note of" in Yoruba.
Zuluethize
In Zulu, "ethize" comes from the word "isikhathi," which means "time," implying its specificity.
Bambarakɛrɛnkɛrɛnlen
Ewesi dzi wotᴐ asi
Kinyarwandayihariye
Lingalaya sikisiki
Lugandakilondemu
Sepedigo ikgetha
Twi (Akan)pɔtee

Specific in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمحدد
The Arabic word "محدد" can also refer to "determined" or "precise".
Hebrewספֵּצִיפִי
The word ספֵּצִיפִי derives from the Latin 'species', referring to the distinct attributes of something.
Pashtoځانګړی
The word "ځانګړی" is often used in Pashto to mean "particular" or "distinctive", and is related to the word "ځانګیال" (a type of weapon).
Arabicمحدد
The Arabic word "محدد" can also refer to "determined" or "precise".

Specific in Western European Languages

Albanianspecifike
The Albanian word "specifike" comes from the Latin "specificus" meaning "belonging to a species".
Basquezehatzak
"Zehatz" is a Basque word meaning "specific" and can also refer to "exact" or something that is "without error".
Catalanespecífic
The Catalan word "específic" can also mean "explicit" or "precise".
Croatianspecifično
"Specifično" is derived from Latin "species", meaning "form, appearance, kind".
Danishbestemt
Its synonym "vis" is sometimes more preferred in Standard Danish while "bestemt" is more common in some dialects.
Dutchspecifiek
In Dutch, "specifiek" can also refer to something that is "peculiar" or "odd".
Englishspecific
The word “specific” comes from the Latin word “species”, meaning “kind”, “form” or “appearance”.
Frenchspécifique
The French word "spécifique" is related to "espèce" (species), which refers to the particular qualities that distinguish one kind of thing from another.
Frisianbeskaat
The word "beskaat" may also refer to "distinctive" or "remarkable"
Galicianespecífico
Germanspezifisch
The word "Spezifisch" can also refer to a substance's density or specific gravity.
Icelandicsérstakur
The word "sérstakur" has various uses beyond "specific", including "especial", "particular", and "special".
Irishsonrach
In addition to meaning 'specific' in Irish, 'sonrach' can also mean 'strange' or 'peculiar'.
Italianspecifica
Specifica derives from Latin "specificus", meaning "distinctive or characteristic of a particular kind"}
Luxembourgishspezifesch
While the German word "spezifisch" only means "specific", "spezifesch" in Luxembourgish is also used for the meaning of "special" or "unique"
Maltesespeċifiku
Speċifiku originates from the Latin word "specificus," meaning "definite," and has come to mean "particular" or "precise" in Maltese.
Norwegianspesifikk
The word "spesifikk" stems from the Latin "species," meaning a particular kind or group.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)específico
Em português, "específico" pode se referir a algo preciso, concreto ou relativo a uma espécie.
Scots Gaelicsònraichte
The word "sònraichte" originates from the word "sònra", meaning "apart" or "separate", and therefore can also mean "special" or "particular".
Spanishespecífico
En español, "específico" también significa "concreto" o "preciso".
Swedishspecifik
The Swedish word "specifik" derives from the Latin word "specificus" meaning characteristic.
Welshpenodol
The word 'penodol' in Welsh may also refer to a particular, distinct, or separate item or group of items.

Specific in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianканкрэтныя
Bosnianspecifično
Bosnian word “specifično” can also refer to something characteristic and typical for a particular group or person.
Bulgarianспецифични
"Специфични" in Bulgarian is also related to the word "specific" in English which is related to the word "species".
Czechcharakteristický
The word "charakteristický" is derived from the Greek word "charakteristikos" which means "distinctive" or "peculiar."
Estonianspetsiifiline
The Estonian word "spetsiifiline" comes from Latin "species", meaning "kind". It originally meant "pertaining to a particular kind".
Finnisherityinen
The word "erityinen" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*eritehinen", meaning "divided" or "distinct".
Hungariankülönleges
The word "különleges" is derived from the Turkic word "kürek", meaning "extra" or "special".
Latvianspecifiski
In modern Latvian, "specifisks" sometimes means "special", especially in reference to individuals or their abilities.
Lithuanianspecifinis
The word "specifinis" in Lithuanian also means "distinctive" or "particular".
Macedonianспецифични
The Slavic root of the word "специфични" ("specific") relates to the notion of "kind or type" or "different from others,
Polishkonkretny
In Polish, "konkretny" also means 'tangible', 'real', or 'palpable'.
Romanianspecific
In Romanian, "specific" means "precise" or "detailed", as well as "related to a particular subject or thing."
Russianконкретный
The word "конкретный" derives from the Latin "concrete" and can also mean "definite" or "tangible."
Serbianспецифична
The Serbian word "специфична" can also mean "particular", "concrete", or "definite".
Slovakkonkrétne
The word "konkrétne" in Slovak also has the meaning of "for example" or "in particular".
Slovenianposebne
The word "posebne" can also mean "special" or "particular".
Ukrainianконкретні
The word "конкретні" also means "real" and "tangible" in Ukrainian.

Specific in South Asian Languages

Bengaliনির্দিষ্ট
The term 'নির্দিষ্ট' ('specific') originally derived from the Latin phrase 'species specificus,' meaning 'a particular or distinct form of something'.
Gujaratiચોક્કસ
The word "ચોક્કસ" derives from the Sanskrit word "चक्र" meaning "wheel", referring to the notion of something precise or well-defined.
Hindiविशिष्ट
In Hindi, the word विशिष्ट (vishist) can also mean 'distinguished', 'remarkable', or 'particular'.
Kannadaನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟ
The word 'ನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟ' (specific) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'निर्दिष्ट' (fixed, definite) and can also mean 'particular', 'precise', or 'exact'.
Malayalamനിർദ്ദിഷ്ടം
Marathiविशिष्ट
विशिष्ट (vishist) is also the root of the word विशिष्ट (vishisht), meaning 'unique' or 'special'.
Nepaliविशिष्ट
"विशिष्ट" is derived from the Sanskrit word "विशेष" meaning "distinctive, special, or unique."
Punjabiਖਾਸ
The Punjabi word "ਖਾਸ" is derived from the Persian word "خاص", meaning "special" or "custom-made."
Sinhala (Sinhalese)විශේෂිත
"විශේෂිත" also means "exceptional" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "विशेषिता" meaning "distinctive".
Tamilகுறிப்பிட்ட
Teluguనిర్దిష్ట
Urduمخصوص
The adjective "مخصوص" is primarily used to mean "reserved" or "special" in Urdu, rather than "specific".

Specific in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)具体
Concrete (noun) is a different meaning of "具体" in Chinese.
Chinese (Traditional)具體
具體 (specific) is a compound word meaning 'complete' or 'solid' and is used to refer to something that has a clearly defined form or properties.
Japanese明確な
明確な originates from the Chinese word "명확한" and can also mean "obvious" or "distinct".
Korean특유한
특유한 is a Sino-Korean word that literally means 'special' or 'exclusive'.
Mongolianтодорхой
The word "тодорхой" is also used to mean "distinct" or "certain" in Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)တိကျတဲ့
The word "တိကျြ႙ႀ်" is derived from the Pali word "titikkhati", meaning "correct" or "accurate".

Specific in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianspesifik
The Indonesian word "spesifik" is derived from the Latin word "specificus", meaning "individual" or "certain".
Javanesekhusus
The word "khusus" also means "special", "particular", or "extraordinary" in Javanese.
Khmerជាក់លាក់
Laoສະເພາະ
The word ສະເພາະ ('specific') in Lao is originally derived from Sanskrit, and also shares an etymology with the Siamese word 'เจาะจง' ('specific').
Malayspesifik
The term 'spesifik' in Malay, derived from English, can also refer to the 'particulars' or 'detailed information' of something.
Thaiเฉพาะ
Etymology: Sanskritเฉพาะ; specifically meaning to "show" in Pali.
Vietnameseriêng
"Riêng" derives from the Chinese word "領", which also means "to lead" and "to receive".
Filipino (Tagalog)tiyak

Specific in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanispesifik
The word "spesifik" in Azerbaijani is derived from Latin and originally meant "precisely defined" or "particular".
Kazakhнақты
"Нақты" can also refer to the physical presence of someone or something in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzконкреттүү
"Конкреттүү" (specific) comes from the Latin word "concretus", meaning "grown together".
Tajikмушаххас
The word "мушаххас" has a Semitic origin and is cognate with the Hebrew word "מֻשָּׁם" (mosham), meaning "placed" or "established".
Turkmenaýratyn
Uzbekaniq
"Aniq" can also mean "real" or "genuine" in Uzbek.
Uyghurكونكرېت

Specific in Pacific Languages

Hawaiiankikoʻī
The word "kikoʻī" can also mean "clear" or "distinct".
Maorimotuhake
Mōtuhake is also used to describe a particular place, a special person or thing, or a unique experience.
Samoanfaʻapitoa
Faʻapitoa also means "sacred," "set apart," or "holy" in Samoan, implying a special status or purpose.
Tagalog (Filipino)tiyak
The word "tiyak" can also mean "sure" or "certain" in Tagalog.

Specific in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraqhana amyu
Guaraniha'etéva

Specific in International Languages

Esperantospecifa
"Specifa" is an Esperanto word that has been borrowed from Latin, where it meant "to look at, to behold, to observe, to consider".
Latincertis
"Certis" is the ablative form of "certus" which can mean "agreed", "sure", "fixed" or "right".

Specific in Others Languages

Greekειδικός
The word "ειδικός" can also mean "expert" or "specialist".
Hmongkev
The first character, "k" represents "something", and the second character, "ev" represents "a thing that is pointed".
Kurdishtaybetî
The word 'taybetî' is derived from the Arabic word 'ṭayb' (meaning 'good') and is used to refer to something that is particular, distinct, or special.
Turkishözel
Özel, Turkish for "specific," also means "private," "special," and "different."
Xhosangqo
The word "ngqo" is a homonym, meaning it has multiple forms with identical spellings, but different pronunciations and meanings.
Yiddishספּעציפיש
ספּעציפיש can also mean "exactly" or "precisely" in Yiddish.
Zuluethize
In Zulu, "ethize" comes from the word "isikhathi," which means "time," implying its specificity.
Assameseনিৰ্দিষ্ট
Aymaraqhana amyu
Bhojpuriबिशेस
Dhivehiވަކި
Dogriटकोहदा
Filipino (Tagalog)tiyak
Guaraniha'etéva
Ilocanonaisalumina
Kriopatikyula
Kurdish (Sorani)تایبەت
Maithiliविशेष
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯑꯀꯛꯅꯕ
Mizochiang
Oromoqophaatti
Odia (Oriya)ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ
Quechuanikusqa
Sanskritविशिष्टः
Tatarконкрет
Tigrinyaዝተወሰነ
Tsongahlawuleka

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