Afrikaans trap | ||
Albanian shkallët | ||
Amharic ደረጃ | ||
Arabic سلم | ||
Armenian սանդուղք | ||
Assamese চিৰি | ||
Aymara escalera ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
Azerbaijani pilləkən | ||
Bambara ɛrɛzɛnsun | ||
Basque eskailera | ||
Belarusian лесвіца | ||
Bengali সিঁড়ি | ||
Bhojpuri सीढ़ी के बा | ||
Bosnian stepenice | ||
Bulgarian стълбище | ||
Catalan escala | ||
Cebuano hagdanan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 楼梯 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 樓梯 | ||
Corsican scala | ||
Croatian stubište | ||
Czech schodiště | ||
Danish trappe | ||
Dhivehi ސިޑިންނެވެ | ||
Dogri सीढ़ी | ||
Dutch trap | ||
English stair | ||
Esperanto ŝtuparo | ||
Estonian trepp | ||
Ewe atrakpui dzi | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) hagdanan | ||
Finnish rappu | ||
French escalier | ||
Frisian trep | ||
Galician escaleira | ||
Georgian საფეხური | ||
German treppe | ||
Greek σκαλί | ||
Guarani escalera rehegua | ||
Gujarati સીડી | ||
Haitian Creole eskalye | ||
Hausa matakala | ||
Hawaiian alapiʻi | ||
Hebrew מדרגה | ||
Hindi सीढ़ी | ||
Hmong stair | ||
Hungarian lépcsőfok | ||
Icelandic stigi | ||
Igbo steepụ | ||
Ilocano agdan | ||
Indonesian anak tangga | ||
Irish staighre | ||
Italian scala | ||
Japanese 階段 | ||
Javanese tangga | ||
Kannada ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲು | ||
Kazakh баспалдақ | ||
Khmer ជណ្តើរ | ||
Kinyarwanda ingazi | ||
Konkani सोपणां | ||
Korean 계단 | ||
Krio stɛp | ||
Kurdish merdim | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) پلیکانە | ||
Kyrgyz тепкич | ||
Lao ຂັ້ນໄດ | ||
Latin exstructos | ||
Latvian kāpnes | ||
Lingala eskalye ya eskalye | ||
Lithuanian laiptas | ||
Luganda amadaala | ||
Luxembourgish trap | ||
Macedonian скала | ||
Maithili सीढ़ी | ||
Malagasy stair | ||
Malay tangga | ||
Malayalam ഗോവണി | ||
Maltese turġien | ||
Maori arawhata | ||
Marathi जिना | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁ꯭ꯇꯦꯔ ꯑꯃꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo stair a ni | ||
Mongolian шат | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) လှေကားထစ် | ||
Nepali भर्या | ||
Norwegian trapp | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) masitepe | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପାହାଚ | ||
Oromo sadarkaa | ||
Pashto زينه | ||
Persian پله | ||
Polish schodek | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) escada | ||
Punjabi ਪੌੜੀ | ||
Quechua escalera | ||
Romanian scara | ||
Russian лестница | ||
Samoan sitepu | ||
Sanskrit सोपानम् | ||
Scots Gaelic staidhre | ||
Sepedi manamelo | ||
Serbian степениште | ||
Sesotho litepisi | ||
Shona kukwira | ||
Sindhi ڏاڪڻ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) පඩි පෙළ | ||
Slovak schodisko | ||
Slovenian stopnice | ||
Somali jaranjaro | ||
Spanish escalera | ||
Sundanese tangga | ||
Swahili ngazi | ||
Swedish trappsteg | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) hagdanan | ||
Tajik зинапоя | ||
Tamil படிக்கட்டு | ||
Tatar баскыч | ||
Telugu మెట్ల | ||
Thai บันได | ||
Tigrinya መደያይቦ | ||
Tsonga xitepisi | ||
Turkish merdiven | ||
Turkmen basgançak | ||
Twi (Akan) antweri so | ||
Ukrainian сходи | ||
Urdu سیڑھی | ||
Uyghur پەلەمپەي | ||
Uzbek narvon | ||
Vietnamese cầu thang | ||
Welsh grisiau | ||
Xhosa isiteji | ||
Yiddish טרעפּל | ||
Yoruba pẹtẹẹsì | ||
Zulu isitebhisi |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | In Afrikaans the word "trap" does not mean "stair" but rather "step" or "tread" and also "pace" or "step" |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "shkallët" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*skalje", which itself comes from the Latin word "scala". |
| Amharic | In classical Ethiopian Geʽez, the term “stair” is “ተረጃ”, which is etymologically similar to “ደረጃ”. |
| Arabic | The word "سلم" ("stair") in Arabic is derived from the root "س-ل-م" meaning "to be safe or secure". |
| Azerbaijani | The word "pilləkən" is also used in a figurative sense to refer to a step or stage in a process or development. |
| Basque | The word 'eskailera' (stair) is a loanword from Spanish, ultimately derived from the Latin 'scala' (ladder, staircase). |
| Belarusian | The word "лесвіца" in Belarusian originates from the Proto-Slavic word "lěstvica", which meant something that is used to climb something high. |
| Bengali | The word 'সিঁড়ি' originates from Sanskrit 'श्रेणी' ( श्रे + णि ), meaning 'a step, a row, a rank, a series' or 'a ladder.' |
| Bosnian | In some areas of Croatia, the word 'stepenice' can also mean 'ladder'. |
| Bulgarian | In Old Bulgarian, “стълпъ“ meant both “pillar” and “stair”. |
| Catalan | In music, "escala" refers to a series of musical notes in ascending or descending order. |
| Cebuano | The word 'hagdanan' comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root word '*da(n)da(n)', meaning 'to ascend or climb'. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "楼梯"也可指建筑物的外露部分,如阳台和露台。 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | In the Song Dynasty, "樓梯" was used to refer to a large building with multiple floors, and it was not until the Ming Dynasty that it began to specifically refer to stairs. |
| Corsican | "Scala" derives from the Latin "scala", meaning "ladder" or "stairway", and also refers to a scale in music or a range of values or degrees. |
| Croatian | "Stubište" is a Croatian word for a field or lot where a house once stood and is derived from the word "stuba," meaning a room or dwelling. |
| Czech | In Czech, the word schodiště literally means "a place for strolling," and its plural form is used to describe a "grand staircase." |
| Danish | In Danish, the word "trappe" can also refer to a flight of stairs, a staircase, or a trap door. |
| Dutch | In Dutch, the word "trap" can also refer to a staircase or flight of stairs. |
| Esperanto | The word "ŝtuparo" is derived from the Slavic word "stop" (step), and it also means "a ladder" or "a stepladder". |
| Estonian | The noun |
| Finnish | The word 'rappu' is a derivative of the German word 'treppe' and also refers to a large building or a grand staircase. |
| French | The word "escalier" has a Latin origin, "scala" meaning "ladder", and also refers to a spiral staircase in French. |
| Frisian | The word "trep" has cognates in multiple Germanic and Indo-European languages. |
| Galician | The Galician word "escaleira" derives from the Latin "scala", originally meaning "ladder" or "flight of steps", and has cognates in many Romance languages, such as Spanish "escalera", Portuguese "escada", and French "escalier". |
| German | The word "Treppe" is derived from the ancient Teutonic root "trep," which means "to step." |
| Greek | The word 'σκαλί' can also refer to a step in a dance or a verse in a song. |
| Gujarati | In Gujarati, "સીડી" not only means "stair" but also a "ladder". |
| Haitian Creole | The word 'eskalye' is a French loanword originally referring to a ship gangway but now refers to a staircase in Haitian Creole. |
| Hausa | The word "matakala" in Hausa may have originated from the Hausa word "taka" meaning "step" or "stage". |
| Hawaiian | Alapiʻi comes from the Hawaiian word alā (path) and piʻi (to ascend) |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "מדרגה" (stair), from the root meaning "to step," also refers to an abstract level or rank in a hierarchy or organization. |
| Hindi | The word "सीढ़ी" can also refer to a ladder, a staircase, or a flight of steps. |
| Hmong | "Stair" may also refer to the person in charge of maintenance and repairs of a staircase |
| Hungarian | The word "lépcsőfok" comes from the Hungarian word "lép", meaning "step", and the suffix "-cső", meaning "place". |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "stigi" shares an etymology with the Latin "stiegere" (to climb) and the English "sty" (a place where animals are housed). |
| Igbo | The Igbo word ''steepụ'' (stair) is derived from the verb ''ste'' (to ascend) and the suffix ''-ụ'' (a nominal suffix). |
| Indonesian | 'Anak tangga' literally means 'child of ladder' |
| Irish | The word "staighre" is a loanword from Old Norse, meaning "straight path". |
| Italian | Scala is the Italian word for stair, but it can also refer to a musical scale or gradation. |
| Japanese | "階段" can also refer to the stages or levels in a hierarchy or progression. |
| Javanese | The word "tangga" has its origins in the Sanskrit term "tangga" which also means "rise" or "ascent." |
| Kannada | The word "ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲು" can also mean "a measure of capacity for grain or other dry goods". |
| Khmer | The word ជណ្តើរ (chântŏĕr) in Khmer may also refer to a ladder, a staircase, a flight of stairs, or a step. |
| Korean | "계단" can also mean "stage" or "level" in Korean. |
| Kurdish | In ancient Kurdish, the word "merdim" also referred to a ladder with rungs made from tree branches. |
| Kyrgyz | "Тепкич" is also the Kyrgyz word for "step" (of a person). |
| Lao | The Lao word ຂັ້ນໄດ also means "step" in English and is likely derived from the Mon language. |
| Latin | The Latin word "exstructos" can have multiple meanings, including "building," "structure," "pile," or "heap." |
| Latvian | The word "kāpnes" can also refer to a ladder or a staircase. |
| Lithuanian | Lithuanian word "laiptas", meaning "stair", stems from the verb lipti, which refers to climbing up a ladder or a slope. |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "Trap" is derived from the Old French word "trappe", which means "staircase". |
| Macedonian | The word "скала" in Macedonian is a false friend: it means "rock" in Russian, but "stair" in Macedonian. |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "tohatra" can also mean "ladder" or "step ladder" in addition to "stair". |
| Malay | In some contexts, tangga can refer to a scale (as in music) or a rank (as in an organization). |
| Malayalam | The word "ഗോവണി" (stair) is derived from the Sanskrit word "गो" (cow) and "वण" (way), as cows were often led up and down stairs. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "turġien" is derived from the Sicilian word "turriggianu", which in turn comes from the Latin word "turris" meaning "tower". |
| Maori | "Ara" meaning "path" and "whata" meaning "storage platform or stage," "arawhata" has dual meaning, also referring to a place where food and other items were stored and accessed via stairs. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "जिना" (stair) is derived from the Sanskrit word "जिन" (to conquer), suggesting its original use as a means to ascend obstacles. |
| Mongolian | The word "шат" (stair) is also used to refer to the steps of a ladder or staircase. |
| Nepali | The word "भर्या" can also mean a "crowd" or a "group" in Nepali. |
| Norwegian | In Norwegian, "trapp" also refers to a device used to catch animals, cognate with the English word "trap". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja word 'masitepe' is cognate with the Swahili word 'ngazi', meaning 'ladder', suggesting a common Bantu origin. |
| Pashto | Alternate meaning: decoration, ornament, splendor, adornment. |
| Persian | پله (stair) comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *pel-, meaning "to spread out" and is related to words like "platform" and "plane". |
| Polish | The word 'schodki' can also refer to 'the first steps in a particular career'. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Escada" comes from the Latin "scala" meaning "ladder", but is also used to refer to any kind of "staircase" or "flight of stairs" in Portuguese. |
| Punjabi | In Punjabi, the word 'ਪੌੜੀ' can also refer to a ladder, step stool, or flight of stairs. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "scara" (stair) is derived from the Slavic word "skora" (hide), suggesting its use as a covering or barrier in early homes. |
| Russian | The word "лестница" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "лЪстъ", meaning "a ladder". It can also refer to a "flight of stairs" or a "rung of a ladder". |
| Samoan | 'Sitepu' is a word that can mean either a 'stair' or a 'level' in Samoan. |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word “staidhre” (IPA: /s̪t̪əjɾʲə/), as well as the Welsh “ystwyll”, derives from the Proto-Celtic word *stēgʷri-, which meant “to climb, ascend”, and is ultimately of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) origin. |
| Serbian | The word "степениште" can also refer to a "staircase" or a "stairway". |
| Sesotho | The word "litepisi" also denotes a "step" in a series of actions or a stage in a process, as in the phrase: "litepisi la peledi" (the stage of a fight). |
| Shona | In Shona, "kukwira" is a verb meaning "to climb" or "to ascend," and can also refer to the process of raising or lifting something up. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word ڏاڪڻ also means "ladder" |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The term 'පඩි පෙළ' is also figuratively used to refer to a sequence of steps or levels in an organization or system. |
| Slovak | The word "schodisko" derives from the German "Stiege" and originally meant "ladder". |
| Slovenian | The word "stopnice" in Slovenian comes from the Proto-Slavic root *stopъ, meaning "foot" or "step", and is related to the Latin word "step" and the Greek word "stoicho" (row). |
| Somali | The word "jaranjaro" is said to derive from the word "jirin," which means "to walk" in Somali. |
| Spanish | "Escalera" comes from the Latin "scala" and also means "ladder" or "stepladder". |
| Sundanese | 'Tangga' in Sundanese also means 'scale' and is related to the word 'tangtung' which means 'to stand' or 'to be upright'. |
| Swahili | In some dialects, ngazi means "ladder" instead of "stair" |
| Swedish | "Trapp" in Swedish originally meant a mill hopper. In a figurative sense, the word can also mean "a series of steps" |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | In Filipino, the term "hagdanan" does not exclusively mean "stair," but can also signify a "lineup" or "sequence." |
| Tajik | The word "зинапоя" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "زینه" or "زنه" meaning "staircase" or "ladder". |
| Telugu | The word "మెట్ల" in Telugu can also mean "steps" taken while walking or dancing. |
| Thai | The Thai word "บันได" (stair) originates from the Sanskrit word "पंक्ति" (paṅkti) meaning "a row". |
| Turkish | The word "merdiven" comes from the Persian word "me'râje", meaning "ladder". |
| Ukrainian | "Сходи" derives from the Proto-Slavic *xodъ, which means "way", "route", "journey", or "procession", and is cognate with Old Church Slavonic "hodъ" ("step"), Church Slavonic "ходъ" ("procession"), Russian "ход" ("walk"), and Polish "chód" ("gait"). |
| Urdu | Urdu word 'سیڑھی' also refers to a ladder, steps leading to a roof, staircase, and rungs of a ladder |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "narvon" is derived from the Persian word "nardan", which means "ladder" or "staircase". |
| Vietnamese | Cầu thang (stair) in Vietnamese contains the element "thang" (lift or elevator), referring to its primary function of transporting people vertically. |
| Welsh | The term 'grisiau' is derived from the verb 'graddio', meaning 'to stride' or 'to step', and bears the alternate meaning of 'gradation'. |
| Xhosa | "Isiteji" is also the name of a particular Xhosa musical rhythm. |
| Yiddish | In Old Yiddish, טרעפּל (trepl) meant a bar or beam used in construction, from Middle High German "treppe" and Latin "trabs" (beam). |
| Yoruba | "Pẹtẹẹsì" also refers to stages in the development or progress of something. |
| Zulu | The word "isitebhisi" in Zulu, besides meaning "stair" or "step", can also refer to a "row" or "line" of people or objects. |
| English | The word "stair" comes from the Old English word "steger," which means "to climb." |