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
| Afrikaans | spesifiek | ||
| In Afrikaans, "spesifiek" retains its original Latin meaning of "peculiar" or "different." | |||
| Amharic | የተወሰነ | ||
| Hausa | takamaiman | ||
| The word "takamaiman" in Hausa also means "exactly", "precisely", and "completely". | |||
| Igbo | kpọmkwem | ||
| The word "kpọmkwem" in Igbo, meaning "specific," also implies "exactly" or "precisely" in some contexts. | |||
| Malagasy | manokana | ||
| 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. | |||
| Shona | yakananga | ||
| The word 'yakananga' can also mean 'the one' or 'the only one' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | gaar ah | ||
| "Gaar ah" can also mean "definitely" or "indeed "in Somali | |||
| Sesotho | itseng | ||
| "Itseng" also means "really, truly" or "in earnest." | |||
| Swahili | maalum | ||
| The word "maalum" is derived from the Arabic word "ma'lum" which means "known" or "familiar". | |||
| Xhosa | ngqo | ||
| The word "ngqo" is a homonym, meaning it has multiple forms with identical spellings, but different pronunciations and meanings. | |||
| Yoruba | kan pato | ||
| The word "kan pato" can also mean "to be aware of" or "to take note of" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ethize | ||
| In Zulu, "ethize" comes from the word "isikhathi," which means "time," implying its specificity. | |||
| Bambara | kɛrɛnkɛrɛnlen | ||
| Ewe | si dzi wotᴐ asi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yihariye | ||
| Lingala | ya sikisiki | ||
| Luganda | kilondemu | ||
| Sepedi | go ikgetha | ||
| Twi (Akan) | pɔtee | ||
Specific in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | محدد | ||
| The Arabic word "محدد" can also refer to "determined" or "precise". | |||
| Hebrew | ספֵּצִיפִי | ||
| The word ספֵּצִיפִי derives from the Latin 'species', referring to the distinct attributes of something. | |||
| Pashto | ځانګړی | ||
| The word "ځانګړی" is often used in Pashto to mean "particular" or "distinctive", and is related to the word "ځانګیال" (a type of weapon). | |||
| Arabic | محدد | ||
| The Arabic word "محدد" can also refer to "determined" or "precise". | |||
Specific in Western European Languages
| Albanian | specifike | ||
| The Albanian word "specifike" comes from the Latin "specificus" meaning "belonging to a species". | |||
| Basque | zehatzak | ||
| "Zehatz" is a Basque word meaning "specific" and can also refer to "exact" or something that is "without error". | |||
| Catalan | específic | ||
| The Catalan word "específic" can also mean "explicit" or "precise". | |||
| Croatian | specifično | ||
| "Specifično" is derived from Latin "species", meaning "form, appearance, kind". | |||
| Danish | bestemt | ||
| Its synonym "vis" is sometimes more preferred in Standard Danish while "bestemt" is more common in some dialects. | |||
| Dutch | specifiek | ||
| In Dutch, "specifiek" can also refer to something that is "peculiar" or "odd". | |||
| English | specific | ||
| The word “specific” comes from the Latin word “species”, meaning “kind”, “form” or “appearance”. | |||
| French | spécifique | ||
| The French word "spécifique" is related to "espèce" (species), which refers to the particular qualities that distinguish one kind of thing from another. | |||
| Frisian | beskaat | ||
| The word "beskaat" may also refer to "distinctive" or "remarkable" | |||
| Galician | específico | ||
| German | spezifisch | ||
| The word "Spezifisch" can also refer to a substance's density or specific gravity. | |||
| Icelandic | sérstakur | ||
| The word "sérstakur" has various uses beyond "specific", including "especial", "particular", and "special". | |||
| Irish | sonrach | ||
| In addition to meaning 'specific' in Irish, 'sonrach' can also mean 'strange' or 'peculiar'. | |||
| Italian | specifica | ||
| Specifica derives from Latin "specificus", meaning "distinctive or characteristic of a particular kind"} | |||
| Luxembourgish | spezifesch | ||
| While the German word "spezifisch" only means "specific", "spezifesch" in Luxembourgish is also used for the meaning of "special" or "unique" | |||
| Maltese | speċifiku | ||
| Speċifiku originates from the Latin word "specificus," meaning "definite," and has come to mean "particular" or "precise" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | spesifikk | ||
| 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 Gaelic | sònraichte | ||
| The word "sònraichte" originates from the word "sònra", meaning "apart" or "separate", and therefore can also mean "special" or "particular". | |||
| Spanish | específico | ||
| En español, "específico" también significa "concreto" o "preciso". | |||
| Swedish | specifik | ||
| The Swedish word "specifik" derives from the Latin word "specificus" meaning characteristic. | |||
| Welsh | penodol | ||
| The word 'penodol' in Welsh may also refer to a particular, distinct, or separate item or group of items. | |||
Specific in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | канкрэтныя | ||
| Bosnian | specifično | ||
| Bosnian word “specifično” can also refer to something characteristic and typical for a particular group or person. | |||
| Bulgarian | специфични | ||
| "Специфични" in Bulgarian is also related to the word "specific" in English which is related to the word "species". | |||
| Czech | charakteristický | ||
| The word "charakteristický" is derived from the Greek word "charakteristikos" which means "distinctive" or "peculiar." | |||
| Estonian | spetsiifiline | ||
| The Estonian word "spetsiifiline" comes from Latin "species", meaning "kind". It originally meant "pertaining to a particular kind". | |||
| Finnish | erityinen | ||
| The word "erityinen" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "*eritehinen", meaning "divided" or "distinct". | |||
| Hungarian | különleges | ||
| The word "különleges" is derived from the Turkic word "kürek", meaning "extra" or "special". | |||
| Latvian | specifiski | ||
| In modern Latvian, "specifisks" sometimes means "special", especially in reference to individuals or their abilities. | |||
| Lithuanian | specifinis | ||
| The word "specifinis" in Lithuanian also means "distinctive" or "particular". | |||
| Macedonian | специфични | ||
| The Slavic root of the word "специфични" ("specific") relates to the notion of "kind or type" or "different from others, | |||
| Polish | konkretny | ||
| In Polish, "konkretny" also means 'tangible', 'real', or 'palpable'. | |||
| Romanian | specific | ||
| In Romanian, "specific" means "precise" or "detailed", as well as "related to a particular subject or thing." | |||
| Russian | конкретный | ||
| The word "конкретный" derives from the Latin "concrete" and can also mean "definite" or "tangible." | |||
| Serbian | специфична | ||
| The Serbian word "специфична" can also mean "particular", "concrete", or "definite". | |||
| Slovak | konkrétne | ||
| The word "konkrétne" in Slovak also has the meaning of "for example" or "in particular". | |||
| Slovenian | posebne | ||
| The word "posebne" can also mean "special" or "particular". | |||
| Ukrainian | конкретні | ||
| The word "конкретні" also means "real" and "tangible" in Ukrainian. | |||
Specific in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | নির্দিষ্ট | ||
| The term 'নির্দিষ্ট' ('specific') originally derived from the Latin phrase 'species specificus,' meaning 'a particular or distinct form of something'. | |||
| Gujarati | ચોક્કસ | ||
| The word "ચોક્કસ" derives from the Sanskrit word "चक्र" meaning "wheel", referring to the notion of something precise or well-defined. | |||
| Hindi | विशिष्ट | ||
| In Hindi, the word विशिष्ट (vishist) can also mean 'distinguished', 'remarkable', or 'particular'. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟ | ||
| The word 'ನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟ' (specific) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'निर्दिष्ट' (fixed, definite) and can also mean 'particular', 'precise', or 'exact'. | |||
| Malayalam | നിർദ്ദിഷ്ടം | ||
| Marathi | विशिष्ट | ||
| विशिष्ट (vishist) is also the root of the word विशिष्ट (vishisht), meaning 'unique' or 'special'. | |||
| Nepali | विशिष्ट | ||
| "विशिष्ट" is derived from the Sanskrit word "विशेष" meaning "distinctive, special, or unique." | |||
| Punjabi | ਖਾਸ | ||
| 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". | |||
| Tamil | குறிப்பிட்ட | ||
| Telugu | నిర్దిష్ట | ||
| Urdu | مخصوص | ||
| 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". | |||
| Korean | 특유한 | ||
| 특유한 is a Sino-Korean word that literally means 'special' or 'exclusive'. | |||
| Mongolian | тодорхой | ||
| 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
| Indonesian | spesifik | ||
| The Indonesian word "spesifik" is derived from the Latin word "specificus", meaning "individual" or "certain". | |||
| Javanese | khusus | ||
| The word "khusus" also means "special", "particular", or "extraordinary" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ជាក់លាក់ | ||
| Lao | ສະເພາະ | ||
| The word ສະເພາະ ('specific') in Lao is originally derived from Sanskrit, and also shares an etymology with the Siamese word 'เจาะจง' ('specific'). | |||
| Malay | spesifik | ||
| The term 'spesifik' in Malay, derived from English, can also refer to the 'particulars' or 'detailed information' of something. | |||
| Thai | เฉพาะ | ||
| Etymology: Sanskritเฉพาะ; specifically meaning to "show" in Pali. | |||
| Vietnamese | riêng | ||
| "Riêng" derives from the Chinese word "領", which also means "to lead" and "to receive". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyak | ||
Specific in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | spesifik | ||
| The word "spesifik" in Azerbaijani is derived from Latin and originally meant "precisely defined" or "particular". | |||
| Kazakh | нақты | ||
| "Нақты" can also refer to the physical presence of someone or something in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | конкреттүү | ||
| "Конкреттүү" (specific) comes from the Latin word "concretus", meaning "grown together". | |||
| Tajik | мушаххас | ||
| The word "мушаххас" has a Semitic origin and is cognate with the Hebrew word "מֻשָּׁם" (mosham), meaning "placed" or "established". | |||
| Turkmen | aýratyn | ||
| Uzbek | aniq | ||
| "Aniq" can also mean "real" or "genuine" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | كونكرېت | ||
Specific in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kikoʻī | ||
| The word "kikoʻī" can also mean "clear" or "distinct". | |||
| Maori | motuhake | ||
| Mōtuhake is also used to describe a particular place, a special person or thing, or a unique experience. | |||
| Samoan | faʻapitoa | ||
| 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
| Aymara | qhana amyu | ||
| Guarani | ha'etéva | ||
Specific in International Languages
| Esperanto | specifa | ||
| "Specifa" is an Esperanto word that has been borrowed from Latin, where it meant "to look at, to behold, to observe, to consider". | |||
| Latin | certis | ||
| "Certis" is the ablative form of "certus" which can mean "agreed", "sure", "fixed" or "right". | |||
Specific in Others Languages
| Greek | ειδικός | ||
| The word "ειδικός" can also mean "expert" or "specialist". | |||
| Hmong | kev | ||
| The first character, "k" represents "something", and the second character, "ev" represents "a thing that is pointed". | |||
| Kurdish | taybetî | ||
| 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. | |||
| Turkish | özel | ||
| Özel, Turkish for "specific," also means "private," "special," and "different." | |||
| Xhosa | ngqo | ||
| The word "ngqo" is a homonym, meaning it has multiple forms with identical spellings, but different pronunciations and meanings. | |||
| Yiddish | ספּעציפיש | ||
| ספּעציפיש can also mean "exactly" or "precisely" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ethize | ||
| In Zulu, "ethize" comes from the word "isikhathi," which means "time," implying its specificity. | |||
| Assamese | নিৰ্দিষ্ট | ||
| Aymara | qhana amyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | बिशेस | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަކި | ||
| Dogri | टकोहदा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyak | ||
| Guarani | ha'etéva | ||
| Ilocano | naisalumina | ||
| Krio | patikyula | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تایبەت | ||
| Maithili | विशेष | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯀꯛꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chiang | ||
| Oromo | qophaatti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ | ||
| Quechua | nikusqa | ||
| Sanskrit | विशिष्टः | ||
| Tatar | конкрет | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝተወሰነ | ||
| Tsonga | hlawuleka | ||