Stick in Different Languages
Discover 'Stick' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'stick' is simple, yet versatile, with a rich history and cultural significance that reaches far beyond its basic definition as a long, thin piece of wood or plastic. From the role it plays in various cultural traditions and activities, to its metaphorical uses in language and literature, the stick has proven to be a vital tool and symbol for humans around the world.
For example, in many Indigenous cultures, the stick is used in traditional dances and ceremonies, symbolizing elements such as the connection to the land and the continuation of cultural heritage. In sports like hockey and lacrosse, the stick is not only a necessary piece of equipment, but also a symbol of skill and teamwork.
Given its importance in various aspects of human life, it's no wonder that the word 'stick' has been translated into countless languages, each with its own unique cultural and linguistic nuances. Here are just a few examples:
- Spanish: palo
- French: bâton
- German: Stock
- Mandarin: 棍子 (gùn zi)
- Japanese: 棒 (bō)
Stick
Stick in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vashou | ||
| The word 'vashou' may be derived from the Dutch word 'vuistslag', meaning 'fist hit', suggesting its use as a weapon. | |||
| Amharic | ዱላ | ||
| The word "ዱላ" (dula) can also refer to a rod used for whipping or beating. | |||
| Hausa | sanda | ||
| The word 'sanda' can also refer to a person who is unyielding or stubborn. | |||
| Igbo | osisi | ||
| The Igbo word 'osisi' can also be used to mean 'tree', indicating its significant role in the Igbo culture and society. | |||
| Malagasy | tapa-kazo | ||
| The word "tapa-kazo" can also mean "wood", "forest", or a "wooden handle for a tool". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ndodo | ||
| The word "ndodo" also refers to a slender young woman in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | tsvimbo | ||
| In certain contexts, the word "tsvimbo" can also refer to a walking stick or a cane. | |||
| Somali | dheji | ||
| The Somali word "dheji" can also refer to a tool used for digging. | |||
| Sesotho | thupa | ||
| The word “thupa” is also used to refer to an arrow, a stick used as a support for a plant, or a peg on which meat is hung. | |||
| Swahili | fimbo | ||
| "Fimbo" also refers to a wooden bar that serves as a door latch in traditional African homes. | |||
| Xhosa | intonga | ||
| The Xhosa word 'intonga' can also refer to a person who is thin and tall, akin to the English term 'beanpole'. | |||
| Yoruba | duro lori | ||
| The word "duro lori" can also refer to someone who is stubborn or unyielding. | |||
| Zulu | induku | ||
| The word 'induku' may refer to either a walking stick or a tree branch. | |||
| Bambara | bere | ||
| Ewe | ati | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inkoni | ||
| Lingala | nzete | ||
| Luganda | akati | ||
| Sepedi | kgomarela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ka | ||
Stick in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عصا | ||
| "عصا" has several meanings such as a tree branch or a wand in addition to a stick. | |||
| Hebrew | מקל | ||
| "מקל" also means "staff, rod, stick, cudgel, sceptre." | |||
| Pashto | چپنه | ||
| "چپنه" was originally a loanword from a Turkic language meaning "staff", but is now mostly used in a slang sense meaning "knife" or "dagger". | |||
| Arabic | عصا | ||
| "عصا" has several meanings such as a tree branch or a wand in addition to a stick. | |||
Stick in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shkop | ||
| In Gheg Albanian, "shkop" can refer to a tree branch, a wooden peg, or a thin piece of wood used as a weapon. | |||
| Basque | makila | ||
| The Basque word "makila" can also refer to a "shepherd's crook" or a "staff of authority". | |||
| Catalan | pal | ||
| The Catalan word "pal" can also refer to a lever or a playing card of the suit of batons or clubs. | |||
| Croatian | štap | ||
| "Štap" is also a colloquial term used to refer to the mayor of Zagreb. | |||
| Danish | pind | ||
| The Danish word "Pind" can also refer to a part of a body or a tool used in sewing or agriculture. | |||
| Dutch | stok | ||
| The Dutch word "stok" derives from the Proto-Germanic root *stakka- and is cognate with the English "stake" and German "Stock". In modern Dutch, "stok" can also refer to a cane or walking stick, as well as a cue stick, and is used figuratively to mean something dull or boring. | |||
| English | stick | ||
| The word "stick" derives from the Old English word "sticca," meaning "a small piece of wood". | |||
| French | bâton | ||
| In heraldry, the French word "bâton" can refer to a diagonal or bend, and is not to be confused with a "baton" in English. | |||
| Frisian | stôk | ||
| The word "stôk" can also mean "stem", "trunk", "handle", or "pole" in Frisian, showing its diverse semantic range. | |||
| Galician | pau | ||
| The word "pau" in Galician means "stick," but can also refer to the "wooden handles of a tool or instrument." | |||
| German | stock | ||
| The German word "Stock" can also refer to a plant's root or stem, a prison, or a store of goods. | |||
| Icelandic | stafur | ||
| The word "stafur" also means "staff" or "pole" in Icelandic, and can have multiple meanings in different contexts. | |||
| Irish | bata | ||
| The word "bata" also means "cudgel" and "staff" in Irish. | |||
| Italian | bastone | ||
| Its name likely derives from the Latin "bastum" but is also used to refer to a card suit (clubs), "bastoni". | |||
| Luxembourgish | stiechen | ||
| The verb "stiechen" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Middle High German word "stechen" and originally meant "to pierce" or "to stab". | |||
| Maltese | twaħħal | ||
| The Maltese word "twaħħal" is derived from the Arabic word "tawaḥḥal" meaning "to become attached". | |||
| Norwegian | pinne | ||
| The word "pinne" in Norwegian can also refer to the spokes of a wheel or the fingers or toes of a person or animal. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | bastão | ||
| Bastão can also refer to a police officer's truncheon, a musical instrument, or a magic wand | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bata | ||
| In Gaelic, the word "bata" can refer to a staff or cudgel, or more broadly to any rod-shaped object. | |||
| Spanish | palo | ||
| The word "palo" in Spanish also refers to a mast of a ship, a sail, a card in a deck, or a beating. | |||
| Swedish | pinne | ||
| Pinne shares its Proto-Germanic roots with the English word "peg". | |||
| Welsh | ffon | ||
| "Ffon" can also mean a baton used in musical conducting or a thin rod used for measuring." | |||
Stick in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | палка | ||
| The word "палка" in Belarusian has other meanings, including "club", "staff", "cane", and "stick". | |||
| Bosnian | štap | ||
| The word "štap" derives from the same root as "stop" in English, and like that word, it can also mean "support" or "prop". | |||
| Bulgarian | пръчка | ||
| The word "пръчка" (stick) in Bulgarian also has the alternate meaning of "discipline" or "punishment". | |||
| Czech | lepit | ||
| The word "lepit" can also refer to a type of adhesive, such as glue or paste | |||
| Estonian | kinni | ||
| The word "kinni" can also mean "closed" or "stuck" in Estonian, like a door or a drawer. | |||
| Finnish | keppi | ||
| The word 'keppi' is also used in the Finnish idiom 'heittää keppiä' which refers to trying to divert attention or deflect criticism. | |||
| Hungarian | rúd | ||
| Cognate with English 'reed', Finnish 'ruoko', Estonian 'roog' meaning 'cane' | |||
| Latvian | nūja | ||
| Nūja can mean either a stick or a staff, and originally comes from Old Prussian *nausjan, meaning "to beat, to strike." | |||
| Lithuanian | pagaliukas | ||
| Pagaliukas, derived from the verb pagaliuoti "to help by carrying a heavy thing," can also denote a crutch. | |||
| Macedonian | стап | ||
| It shares the same root with the words 'to stand' and 'to step' in English. | |||
| Polish | kij | ||
| The word "kij" can also mean a "club" or a "staff" in Polish, and is cognate with the Russian word for "stick", "палка" (palka). | |||
| Romanian | băț | ||
| The Romanian word "băț" can also refer to a wooden club used in traditional Romanian dances or a small, thin stick used to stir liquids. | |||
| Russian | придерживаться | ||
| The word "придерживаться" can also mean "to adhere to" or "to comply with." | |||
| Serbian | штап | ||
| Štap, which means "staff" in Serbian, originally derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*stopъ", meaning the same thing. | |||
| Slovak | palica | ||
| The noun "palica" can also refer to a weapon made from a thick, heavy stick with a blunt or sharp end. | |||
| Slovenian | palico | ||
| The word 'palico' derives from the Proto-Slavic root '*polьka', meaning 'stick' or 'pole'. | |||
| Ukrainian | палиця | ||
| Etymology: Ukrainian "палиця" comes from the Slavic word "palka" meaning "rod", "stick" or "branch". | |||
Stick in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লাঠি | ||
| Also called a 'staff' or 'pole', it can be any long piece of wood, especially one used to aid in walking or as a weapon. | |||
| Gujarati | લાકડી | ||
| The Gujarati word "લાકડી" can also be a slang referring to a police constable or a baton. | |||
| Hindi | छड़ी | ||
| The word "छड़ी" can also mean "a cane, a rod, or a baton" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಸ್ಟಿಕ್ | ||
| The word "ಸ್ಟಿಕ್" also means "to beat" or "to strike" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വടി | ||
| The word "വടി" can also refer to a walking stick, a pole, or a rod used for various purposes. | |||
| Marathi | काठी | ||
| The word "काठी" also means "horse saddle" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | छडी | ||
| छडी is also a measure of distance, a four foot long rod used in land measurement. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੋਟੀ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸੋਟੀ" can also refer to a walking stick or a rod used for disciplinary purposes. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සැරයටිය | ||
| The word "සැරයටිය" (stick) is believed to have originated from the word "සැරය" (to move), implying its function as a tool for moving objects. | |||
| Tamil | குச்சி | ||
| In addition to meaning "stick," குச்சி also means "a young goat." | |||
| Telugu | కర్ర | ||
| కర్ర is derived from the Sanskrit word "kara" meaning "hand" and it can also mean "staff" or "sceptre". | |||
| Urdu | چھڑی | ||
| In Urdu, "چھڑی" can also refer to a magical or supernatural staff, such as that carried by a wizard or sorcerer. | |||
Stick in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 棒 | ||
| In the Chinese saying “棒打鸳鸯”, 棒 is used to mean “to thwart” or “to destroy”. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 棒 | ||
| 棒 (stick) also means "strong" when used as an adjective. | |||
| Japanese | スティック | ||
| The word "スティック" (stick) can also mean "a slender, pointed object used for stabbing or piercing" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 스틱 | ||
| The word "스틱" is also used to refer to a "baton", "cane" or "club". | |||
| Mongolian | саваа | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "саваа" can also refer to an animal's limb or a pole for carrying a yurt. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တုတ် | ||
| The Myanmar word တုတ် can also refer to something short like the stump of a limb. | |||
Stick in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tongkat | ||
| Tongkat can also refer to a staff carried by officials as a symbol of authority, a magic wand, or a walking stick. | |||
| Javanese | teken | ||
| Although the word 'teken' refers to a small wooden stick for counting or marking, it can also mean 'a sign' or 'a gesture'. In the latter sense, it is related to the word 'tandha', which refers to a mark, sign, or symbol. | |||
| Khmer | បិទ | ||
| The word "បិទ" can also mean "to close" or "to shut". | |||
| Lao | ຕິດ | ||
| The Lao word ຕິດ also means 'attached' or 'stuck' in a metaphorical sense, such as being in a difficult situation. | |||
| Malay | tongkat | ||
| The Malay word "tongkat" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *tuŋkat, which also means "club, staff, or cane." | |||
| Thai | ติด | ||
| The word "ติด" can also mean "to be addicted to" or "to be stuck with". | |||
| Vietnamese | gậy | ||
| "Gậy" is also used as a unit of measurement for length/height in Vietnamese, roughly equivalent to a meter. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | patpat | ||
Stick in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qalmaq | ||
| The word "qalmaq" can also refer to a type of rug made from sheepskin. | |||
| Kazakh | таяқ | ||
| The Kazakh word "таяқ" can also refer to a shepherd's crook, a walking stick, or a staff of authority. | |||
| Kyrgyz | таяк | ||
| The word "таяк" in Kyrgyz also means "support" or "authority". | |||
| Tajik | чӯб | ||
| The word "чӯб" in Tajik can also refer to a type of woodwind instrument, a flute or a pipe. | |||
| Turkmen | taýak | ||
| Uzbek | tayoq | ||
| The word "tayoq" can also refer to a wooden stake or pole used to support a structure. | |||
| Uyghur | تاياق | ||
Stick in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lāʻau | ||
| "Lāʻau" can also mean "medicine" or "plant" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | rakau | ||
| In Maori, 'rakau' can also refer to a tree or a weapon made from wood. | |||
| Samoan | laau | ||
| Laau can also refer to wood, logs, trunks or trees in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | patpat | ||
| The word "patpat" can also refer to a kind of flatbread in the Philippines. | |||
Stick in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wara | ||
| Guarani | yvyra | ||
Stick in International Languages
| Esperanto | bastono | ||
| The word "bastono" may also refer to a baton or staff, particularly one used for conducting music. | |||
| Latin | lignum unum, | ||
| Lignum unum is a Latin phrase meaning “one wood” and can refer to an individual stick or a bundle of sticks. | |||
Stick in Others Languages
| Greek | ραβδί | ||
| The Greek word "ραβδί" also refers to a magic wand used in mythology or a baton carried by priests during religious ceremonies. | |||
| Hmong | lo | ||
| The Hmong word "lo" also means "branch". | |||
| Kurdish | dar | ||
| "Dar" also means "battle" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | çubuk | ||
| 'Çubuk' is also the name of a district in Ankara, Turkey, and of a river that flows through it. | |||
| Xhosa | intonga | ||
| The Xhosa word 'intonga' can also refer to a person who is thin and tall, akin to the English term 'beanpole'. | |||
| Yiddish | שטעקן | ||
| The word "שטעקן" in Yiddish can also refer to a "scammer" or a "crook". | |||
| Zulu | induku | ||
| The word 'induku' may refer to either a walking stick or a tree branch. | |||
| Assamese | লাঠী | ||
| Aymara | wara | ||
| Bhojpuri | छड़ी | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަނޑިބުރި | ||
| Dogri | सोटी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | patpat | ||
| Guarani | yvyra | ||
| Ilocano | bislak | ||
| Krio | stik | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پەیوەست | ||
| Maithili | छड़ी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯩ | ||
| Mizo | tiang | ||
| Oromo | ulee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାଡ଼ି | ||
| Quechua | kaspi | ||
| Sanskrit | दण्डः | ||
| Tatar | таяк | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕንጨይቲ | ||
| Tsonga | xinhongana | ||