Speech in Different Languages
Discover 'Speech' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Speech is a powerful tool that allows us to communicate, express ourselves, and share ideas with others. It is a fundamental aspect of human connection and has played a crucial role in shaping cultures and societies throughout history. From political speeches that have changed the course of nations, to personal speeches that have inspired and moved audiences, the significance of speech cannot be overstated.
In addition to its cultural importance, speech is also a universal concept that transcends language barriers. Whether you're speaking in English, Spanish, Mandarin, or any other language, the basic principles of speech remain the same. This is why it's so fascinating to explore the translations of speech in different languages, and to see how different cultures and languages approach this fundamental aspect of communication.
For example, in Spanish, the word for speech is 'discurso.' In Mandarin, it's '演辩' (yánbiàn). And in Arabic, it's 'خطاب' (khuṭāb). By learning these translations, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity and richness of human language and culture.
Speech
Speech in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | toespraak | ||
| The Afrikaans word "toespraak" ultimately derives from the Old English word "sprǣc", meaning "speech" or "language". | |||
| Amharic | ንግግር | ||
| In Amharic, ንግግር can also refer to the faculty of speech, a language, or a particular way of speaking. | |||
| Hausa | magana | ||
| Hausa "magana" originally meant "something spoken" but now also refers to "language". | |||
| Igbo | okwu | ||
| Okwu is often extended to mean 'case' or any matter requiring discussion. | |||
| Malagasy | teny | ||
| The Malagasy word "teny" can also mean "word", "language", or "proverb." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kulankhula | ||
| Kulankhula also means "to discuss" or "to talk to someone" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kutaura | ||
| In Shona, the word `kutaura` is a derivative of the root `-taura`, meaning 'to connect', suggesting that speech is seen as a way to establish connections. | |||
| Somali | hadalka | ||
| 'Hadalka' is also used to refer to the traditional Somali dance, where dancers enact stories and songs. | |||
| Sesotho | puo | ||
| The word 'puo' is a noun and is a homograph meaning both 'a spoken language' and 'an argument'. | |||
| Swahili | hotuba | ||
| "Hotuba" can also refer to a ceremonial or formal discourse, like a sermon or a keynote address. | |||
| Xhosa | intetho | ||
| The word 'intetho' is also used to refer to a traditional form of Xhosa poetry. | |||
| Yoruba | ọrọ | ||
| Ọrọ can also refer to a secret or hidden language used by certain groups or in specific situations. | |||
| Zulu | inkulumo | ||
| The word "inkulumo" shares its root with the word "ukulumo" which means "listening" | |||
| Bambara | kumakan | ||
| Ewe | nuƒoƒo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | imvugo | ||
| Lingala | maloba | ||
| Luganda | okwoogera | ||
| Sepedi | polelo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkasa | ||
Speech in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خطاب | ||
| The word "خطاب" also means "address", "letter" or "sermon" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | נְאוּם | ||
| The Hebrew word "נְאוּם" also means "oracle" in Biblical Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | وينا | ||
| The Pashto word "وينا" (speech) can also refer to "language" in a more broad sense, encompassing both spoken and written forms of communication. | |||
| Arabic | خطاب | ||
| The word "خطاب" also means "address", "letter" or "sermon" in Arabic. | |||
Speech in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fjalim | ||
| In Albanian, "fjalim" can also refer to a lecture or an oration. | |||
| Basque | hizketa | ||
| The Basque word "hizketa" can also mean "language" or "discourse" and is derived from the verb "hitz egin," meaning "to speak." | |||
| Catalan | discurs | ||
| The Catalan word "discurs" comes from the Latin word "discursus," which means "act of running or moving apart" or "a going to and fro." | |||
| Croatian | govor | ||
| The Croatian word 'govor' has its origins in the Proto-Slavic 'govorъ', which also meant 'assembly' and 'conversation'. | |||
| Danish | tale | ||
| The Danish word "tale" is derived from the Old Norse word "tal" which means number or enumeration | |||
| Dutch | toespraak | ||
| The word "toespraak" comes from the Old Dutch word "toespreken" meaning "to speak to" | |||
| English | speech | ||
| "Speech" originates from the Old English word "spræc," which originally meant "conversation" or "discourse" but later came to refer specifically to formal addresses. | |||
| French | discours | ||
| Discours's etymological roots are found in ancient Greek, where it meant 'to run' or 'to pursue', and in Latin, where it referred to 'the act of running' or 'discussion'. | |||
| Frisian | speech | ||
| In Frisian, "speech" ("sprek") also means "conversation" or "language". | |||
| Galician | fala | ||
| The Galician word "fala" comes from the Latin "fabula", meaning "fable" or "story", and also refers to the dialects of Astur-Leonese spoken in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. | |||
| German | rede | ||
| The word "Rede" can also refer to a formal speech or oration, or to a statement or pledge. | |||
| Icelandic | ræðu | ||
| The Old Norse word "ræða" also meant "to advise" or "to have a conversation". | |||
| Irish | óráid | ||
| Óráid originates in Latin "oratio," where it refers to public speech. | |||
| Italian | discorso | ||
| In Italian, "discorso" also refers to a treatise or reasoned argument | |||
| Luxembourgish | ried | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Ried" is derived from the German word "Rede" and also means "council" or "assembly". | |||
| Maltese | diskors | ||
| The Maltese word "diskors" derives from the Italian "discorso" and the Latin "discursus", both meaning "conversation, dialogue, or discussion." | |||
| Norwegian | tale | ||
| "Tale" is a feminine form of the word "tala," meaning "to speak". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | discurso | ||
| Discurso derives from Medieval Latin *discursus*, meaning "running in different directions" (later "running about; conversation"), originally from Latin discurrere, from dis- ("apart, away") + currere ("to run"). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cainnt | ||
| 'Cainnt' also refers to something said which is not necessarily true. | |||
| Spanish | habla | ||
| In the Middle Ages, 'habla' referred specifically to speech with the mouth. | |||
| Swedish | tal | ||
| The word "tal" can also mean "number" or "rate" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | araith | ||
| While 'araith' directly translates to 'speech', it can also mean a 'discourse' or 'oration'. | |||
Speech in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гаворка | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "speech," "гаворка" can also refer to "dialect" or "conversation." | |||
| Bosnian | govor | ||
| Govor can also mean 'act of saying' or 'expression' in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | реч | ||
| The word "реч" (speech) in Bulgarian also has the meaning of "river". | |||
| Czech | mluvený projev | ||
| Mluvený projev (literally "spoken expression") is derived from the Czech word "mluvit" meaning "to speak". | |||
| Estonian | kõne | ||
| "Kõne" can also refer to "language", as in grammar and linguistics. | |||
| Finnish | puhe | ||
| Puhe derives from the verb 'puhua' and can also refer to a talk or discussion, or an address given by a speaker in a professional or formal setting. | |||
| Hungarian | beszéd | ||
| In Hungarian, "beszéd" can also mean "language," "discourse," or "lecture." | |||
| Latvian | runa | ||
| The name "Runa" was borrowed into Latvian from Lithuanian, where it means a song, a ballad or an incantation. | |||
| Lithuanian | kalbos | ||
| The word "kalbos" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷʰelbʰ-, meaning "to speak". | |||
| Macedonian | говор | ||
| "Говор" in Macedonian can also refer to a dialect or a way of speaking. | |||
| Polish | przemówienie | ||
| The word "przemówienie" in Polish also has the meaning of "an address". | |||
| Romanian | vorbire | ||
| The noun "vorbire" comes from the Latin word "verbum," meaning both "word" and "speech." | |||
| Russian | речь | ||
| Речь can also refer to the text of an address, lecture, or any type of spoken or written composition. | |||
| Serbian | говор | ||
| The word "говор" can also refer to a rumor or gossip, or a style of singing or talking. | |||
| Slovak | reč | ||
| The word "reč" in Slovak can also mean "language" or "dialect." | |||
| Slovenian | govor | ||
| The word "govor" in Slovenian also means "agreement" and "dialect". | |||
| Ukrainian | мовлення | ||
| The word "мовлення" also means "broadcast" in Ukrainian. | |||
Speech in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বক্তৃতা | ||
| The word 'বক্তৃতা' (speech) is derived from the Sanskrit root 'বক্তृ' (speaker), which also means 'one who speaks' or 'a rhetorician'. | |||
| Gujarati | ભાષણ | ||
| In Gujarati, "ભાષણ" (speech) also refers to a type of poetic composition used in traditional folk theater performances. | |||
| Hindi | भाषण | ||
| The word "भाषण" (bhāshaṇa) also means "conversation, discourse" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಾತು | ||
| In Kannada, "ಮಾತು" (speech) also refers to words, dialogue, and communication. | |||
| Malayalam | സംസാരം | ||
| The word "സംസാരം" (speech) in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word "संसार" (saṃsāra), which means "the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth". | |||
| Marathi | भाषण | ||
| The word "भाषण" also means "lecture" or "oratory" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | भाषण | ||
| भाषण originates from संस्कृत and can also mean address, sermon, talk, or lecture. | |||
| Punjabi | ਭਾਸ਼ਣ | ||
| The word "ਭਾਸ਼ਣ" (bhashan) in Punjabi can also mean a religious discourse or a lecture. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කථාව | ||
| The word "කථාව" is derived from the Sanskrit word "kathanam" which means "to speak or to tell". | |||
| Tamil | பேச்சு | ||
| The Tamil word "பேச்சு" not only means "speech" but also has connotations of "conversation" and "talk". | |||
| Telugu | ప్రసంగం | ||
| 'ప్రసంగ' means 'extension' or 'spread' in Sanskrit, referring to the extended or elaborated nature of a speech. | |||
| Urdu | تقریر | ||
| The word "تقریر" originated from the Arabic word "qara'a" meaning "to read" or "to recite". | |||
Speech in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 言语 | ||
| 言语 originally meant 'words on a book' and was only used with the written language, but since the 20th century it has been used with both written and spoken language. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 言語 | ||
| 言語 also means "language" in Chinese, a term commonly used to refer to a system of communication in a particular community or nation. | |||
| Japanese | スピーチ | ||
| スピーチ (speech) is a loanword from English, and can also mean "a statement or remark," "a faculty for uttering articulate sounds," or "a formal address delivered in public." | |||
| Korean | 연설 | ||
| The word '연설' in Korean can also refer to a 'lecture' or 'talk' more generally, and its root '연' can mean 'speech' or 'language'. | |||
| Mongolian | яриа | ||
| The Mongolian word 'яриа' also has the alternate meaning of 'argument' or 'quarrel'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မိန့်ခွန်း | ||
Speech in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pidato | ||
| "Pidato" is derived from the Portuguese "prata" (silver or money) and has historically referred to a formal speech given by an elder or leader. | |||
| Javanese | wicara | ||
| The word "wicara" in Javanese may have originated from the Sanskrit words "vicara" (thought) or "vacana" (speech). | |||
| Khmer | សុន្ទរកថា | ||
| Lao | ຄຳ ເວົ້າ | ||
| The word "Khăm Veua" (speech) can also mean "word" or "language" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | ucapan | ||
| The word "ucapan" can also refer to a proclamation or announcement | |||
| Thai | สุนทรพจน์ | ||
| In Thai "สุนทรพจน์" (sunthraphotch) not only means "speech" but can also be used to refer to writing that uses eloquent language. | |||
| Vietnamese | phát biểu | ||
| In Vietnamese, "phát biểu" can also mean "to declare" or "to make a statement."} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | talumpati | ||
Speech in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nitq | ||
| The Azerbaijani word | |||
| Kazakh | сөйлеу | ||
| "Сөйлеу" also means "to talk" or "to speak" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сүйлөө | ||
| Tajik | суханронӣ | ||
| The word "суханронӣ" in Tajik can also refer to a speech or lecture given in a formal setting. | |||
| Turkmen | çykyş | ||
| Uzbek | nutq | ||
| Uzbek "nutq" is a word of Arabic origin borrowed into Mongolian, Turkic, and Iranian languages, cognate with Persian "nūṭaq" and "nutk" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
| Uyghur | نۇتۇق | ||
Speech in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | haiolelo | ||
| The Hawaiian word "haiolelo" can also refer to a debate or argument. | |||
| Maori | whaikorero | ||
| The Maori word "whaikorero" originally referred to a formal meeting or assembly rather than just a speech. | |||
| Samoan | tautalaga | ||
| The word "tautalaga" in Samoan can also refer to a sermon or a lecture. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagsasalita | ||
| Etymology: Tagalog "salita" means "word," and the "pa"- prefix denotes a collective noun like "a group of things," so "pagsasalita" could mean "a group of words," i.e. "speech." | |||
Speech in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | arsu | ||
| Guarani | eñe'ẽ | ||
Speech in International Languages
| Esperanto | parolado | ||
| Esperanto's "parolado" is derived from Latin's "parabola" and also means "parable". | |||
| Latin | oratio | ||
| "Oratio" also means "prayer" or "plea", and is the root of the word "oration", meaning "formal speech". | |||
Speech in Others Languages
| Greek | ομιλία | ||
| The word "ομιλία" (speech) in Greek also means "conversation" or "discussion". | |||
| Hmong | hais lus | ||
| The word "hais lus" also refers to the act of reciting a Hmong creation myth and/or folktale or an important message. | |||
| Kurdish | axaftin | ||
| Axaftin derives from the Proto-Indo-European word *gʷʰabʰ-, meaning "to speak or shout." | |||
| Turkish | konuşma | ||
| The word "konuşma" derives from the same root as the Old Turkic word "kün", meaning "day," and was originally used to refer to "speaking out loud." | |||
| Xhosa | intetho | ||
| The word 'intetho' is also used to refer to a traditional form of Xhosa poetry. | |||
| Yiddish | רעדע | ||
| The Yiddish word “רעדע” also means “advice”, suggesting that speeches are a form of guidance. | |||
| Zulu | inkulumo | ||
| The word "inkulumo" shares its root with the word "ukulumo" which means "listening" | |||
| Assamese | বক্তৃতা | ||
| Aymara | arsu | ||
| Bhojpuri | बोलल | ||
| Dhivehi | ވާހަކަ | ||
| Dogri | भाशन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | talumpati | ||
| Guarani | eñe'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | bitla | ||
| Krio | tɔk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قسە | ||
| Maithili | भाषण | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯋꯥꯉꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | thusawi | ||
| Oromo | dubbii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭାଷଣ | ||
| Quechua | rimay | ||
| Sanskrit | भाषणम् | ||
| Tatar | сөйләм | ||
| Tigrinya | ዘረባ | ||
| Tsonga | mbulavulo | ||