Updated on March 6, 2024
The stomach is a vital organ in our body, responsible for breaking down food and extracting nutrients. Its significance goes beyond the physical, as it also holds cultural importance in many societies. For instance, in Chinese culture, the stomach is often associated with the concept of 'storing' and is believed to be linked to our capacity for empathy and understanding.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'stomach' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how different cultures view and name this essential organ. For example, in Spanish, the stomach is called 'estómago,' while in French, it's 'estomac.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, it's 'お腹 (onaka),' and in Hindi, it's 'पेट (pet).'
Delving into the translations of 'stomach' in various languages can also reveal interesting historical contexts. For instance, in Old English, the stomach was referred to as 'magent,' which is derived from the Latin word 'magnus,' meaning 'great.'
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'stomach' in different languages can be a fun and enlightening journey!
Afrikaans | maag | ||
The Afrikaans word "maag" is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "maag" or the German word "Magen", both meaning "stomach". | |||
Amharic | ሆድ | ||
In the Shewa and Gojam regions, ሆድ is sometimes used to mean 'chest'. | |||
Hausa | ciki | ||
The word "ciki" in Hausa is also used to refer to pregnancy, as the stomach is where the baby grows. | |||
Igbo | afọ | ||
The word 'afọ' can also refer to a traditional Igbo calendar consisting of four market weeks. | |||
Malagasy | vavony | ||
Vavony, the Malagasy word for "stomach", is also used to refer to the "guts" or "intestines." | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | m'mimba | ||
The word "m'mimba" in Nyanja (Chichewa) has a similar root to the word "mimba", meaning "womb" or "uterus" in the same language. | |||
Shona | dumbu | ||
The Shona word 'dumbu' also means 'drum' or 'swollen belly'. | |||
Somali | caloosha | ||
In Southern Somali dialects, "caloosha" also means "throat". | |||
Sesotho | mala | ||
The Sesotho word "mala" also means "to want" or "to desire". | |||
Swahili | tumbo | ||
The Swahili word "tumbo" also refers to the womb, indicating a shared cultural concept of the stomach as the center of life and nourishment. | |||
Xhosa | isisu | ||
Xhosa 'isisu' also refers to the stomach's emotional or psychological state. | |||
Yoruba | ikun | ||
The word "ikun" in Yoruba can also refer to "womb" or "uterus". | |||
Zulu | isisu | ||
The Zulu word 'isisu' also refers to a person's inner self or core being. | |||
Bambara | kɔnɔbara | ||
Ewe | ƒodo | ||
Kinyarwanda | igifu | ||
Lingala | estoma | ||
Luganda | olubuto | ||
Sepedi | dimpa | ||
Twi (Akan) | yafunu | ||
Arabic | معدة | ||
Despite its similarity to other languages such as Spanish or Italian, | |||
Hebrew | בֶּטֶן | ||
The word "בֶּטֶן" can also mean "womb" or "interior" in Hebrew. | |||
Pashto | معده | ||
In Pashto, the word 'معده' is also used to mean 'gut' or 'abdomen'. | |||
Arabic | معدة | ||
Despite its similarity to other languages such as Spanish or Italian, |
Albanian | stomaku | ||
The word "stomaku" is derived from the Greek word "stomachos", meaning "guts". | |||
Basque | urdaila | ||
Urdaila is derived from the Proto-Basque root *urd-, meaning 'full' or 'swollen'. | |||
Catalan | estómac | ||
"Estómac" comes from the Latin "stomachus", meaning "mouth" or "throat". | |||
Croatian | trbuh | ||
The word "trbuh" is also used figuratively to refer to the womb or the abdomen, and its roots can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic word "*tr̥bux". | |||
Danish | mave | ||
The Danish word "mave" also means "womb" and is related to the word "mother" in many Indo-European languages. | |||
Dutch | maag | ||
In 16th century Dutch, "maag" referred to any part of the body's core. | |||
English | stomach | ||
The word "stomach" is derived from Old English "stomaca," which referred to the chest or abdomen. | |||
French | estomac | ||
In Old French, "estomac" had two meanings: the modern "stomach" plus the idea of appetite, hunger, or desire. | |||
Frisian | mage | ||
The word "mage" can also mean "belly" or "paunch". | |||
Galician | estómago | ||
In Galician, "estómago" (stomach) derives from the Latin "stomachus" (stomach) and "estómago" (throat). | |||
German | bauch | ||
"Bauch" also means "belly" and shares its root with "bake" and "bulge". | |||
Icelandic | maga | ||
The word "maga" comes from the Old Norse "magi", meaning "the stomach" or "the belly". | |||
Irish | boilg | ||
The Irish word "boilg" can also mean "a bubble" or "a blister". | |||
Italian | stomaco | ||
The word "stomaco" in Italian also means "offense" or "boredom". | |||
Luxembourgish | mo. | ||
Mo' derives from Moge from Old High German which meant “intestinal contents” which then became 'stomach'. | |||
Maltese | istonku | ||
In Maltese, "istonku" also refers to "gut" or "intestine" in the singular or plural context. | |||
Norwegian | mage | ||
Mage in Norwegian also refers to the compartment in a ship's hull used to store liquids. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | estômago | ||
Besides meaning "stomach", "estômago" can also mean "bad humor" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | stamag | ||
The Scots Gaelic word "stamag" can also mean a "person who is gluttonous" or a "greedy person". | |||
Spanish | estómago | ||
The word "estómago" in Spanish can also refer to the thorax or chest cavity, especially in zoological contexts. | |||
Swedish | mage | ||
The word "mage" in Swedish is etymologically related to the English word "maw" and refers to the stomach, particularly that of a large animal. | |||
Welsh | stumog | ||
The Welsh word stumog derives from the Latin stomachus and Old French estomac. |
Belarusian | страўнік | ||
The word "страўнік" in Belarusian comes from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word "*strьvъnikъ", which also means "oesophagus". | |||
Bosnian | želudac | ||
The word 'želudac' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*želǫdъ', meaning 'acorn', and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word 'жєлъдь', meaning 'stomach'. | |||
Bulgarian | стомаха | ||
'Стомаха' also refers to the digestive system and abdominal cavity. | |||
Czech | žaludek | ||
The word "žaludek" in Czech comes from the Slavic word "*želŭdъ", which originally meant "acorn", and is related to the words for "gland" and "stomach" in other Slavic languages. | |||
Estonian | kõht | ||
"Kõht" is also used figuratively to refer to a person's appetite or hunger. | |||
Finnish | vatsa | ||
"Vatsa" also refers to the stomach and womb, and derives from the Proto-Finnic word "vatsā" meaning "uterus". | |||
Hungarian | gyomor | ||
The word "gyomor" in Hungarian can also mean "womb" or "uterus". | |||
Latvian | kuņģī | ||
The word "kuņģī" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰen- meaning "to kill". | |||
Lithuanian | skrandis | ||
The word "skrandis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerd- ("heart, stomach"), and is related to the Latin word "cor" ("heart"). | |||
Macedonian | стомак | ||
The Macedonian word "стомак" is derived from Proto-Slavic "stomakъ" meaning "throat" and is also related to the word "stoma". | |||
Polish | żołądek | ||
"Żołądek" is derived from Proto-Slavic *žǫdъ, which is also the root of the Russian "желудок" (želudok) and Ukrainian "шлунок" (shlunok). | |||
Romanian | stomac | ||
In Romanian, "stomac" can also refer to the chest or abdomen, and is derived from the Latin "stomachus". | |||
Russian | желудок | ||
In Russian folklore, “желудок” was also a name for a mythical water creature resembling a giant frog. | |||
Serbian | стомак | ||
"Стомак" is also a Serbian term of endearment similar to English "honey" and can be used as an exclamation ("Stomak!") conveying shock or dismay. | |||
Slovak | žalúdok | ||
The word "žalúdok" is most likely derived from the Proto-Slavic *žǫdro, which also meant "chest" or "abdomen". | |||
Slovenian | želodec | ||
"Želodec" comes from Proto-Slavic *želądъ, a diminutive of *želo."Želo" is itself the Slavic cognate of Greek γαστήρ, meaning 'belly' or 'womb'. This word is perhaps derived from *ǵʰes- 'to yawn', from the notion of the 'gaping void' of the stomach. | |||
Ukrainian | шлунку | ||
"Шлунку" in Ukrainian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *želǫdъ, which also meant "acorn". |
Bengali | পেট | ||
The root word "পেট" may have originated from the Dravidian languages, with cognates found in Tamil "பேத்து" (pethu) and Kannada "ಬೇಟೆ" (bete), both meaning "belly" or "womb." | |||
Gujarati | પેટ | ||
The Gujarati word "પેટ" also means "belly, abdomen, or womb" in English. | |||
Hindi | पेट | ||
The Hindi word "पेट" (stomach) is also used figuratively to mean a person's financial resources or appetite for something. | |||
Kannada | ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ | ||
The word 'ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ' is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word '*putti', meaning 'belly' or 'womb'. | |||
Malayalam | ആമാശയം | ||
ആമാശയം also means 'a leather bag for holding water', coming from a combination of 'ആമ' meaning 'turtle' and 'ആശയം' meaning 'to hold'. | |||
Marathi | पोट | ||
The word 'पोट' (stomach) in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word 'पेट,' which means 'belly' or 'abdomen.' | |||
Nepali | पेट | ||
The word "पेट" (stomach) in Nepali also refers to the abdomen, belly, or womb. | |||
Punjabi | ਪੇਟ | ||
The word 'peṭ' (ਪੇਟ) in Punjabi can also refer to the abdomen or belly, and is cognate with the Sanskrit word 'petta' (पेट) meaning 'womb'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආමාශය | ||
The Sinhala word "ආමාශය" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आमाशय" (āmaśaya), meaning "intestinal canal". | |||
Tamil | வயிறு | ||
The word "வயிறு" (stomach) in Tamil also refers to the abdomen, belly, or womb. | |||
Telugu | కడుపు | ||
The word "కడుపు" (stomach) can also mean "hunger" or "famine" in Telugu. | |||
Urdu | پیٹ | ||
The word "پیٹ" can also refer to a "lap" or "waist" in Urdu. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 胃 | ||
胃, pronounced 'wèi', is an archaic character that can also refer to the intestines. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 胃 | ||
The word "胃" (stomach) can also mean "appetite" or "digestion". | |||
Japanese | 胃 | ||
胃 is also used in a compound word "胃袋" which literally means "stomach bag" and is usually translated as "stomach", but can also mean "appetite". | |||
Korean | 위 | ||
"위" also means "place" or "position" in Korean, and is a common suffix in place names like 서울 (Seoul). | |||
Mongolian | ходоод | ||
In Mongolian, the word "ходоод" also refers to a person's personality or mental state. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အစာအိမ် | ||
Indonesian | perut | ||
In Indonesian, 'perut' also refers to the abdomen, and its root word is 'paru', meaning 'lungs' | |||
Javanese | weteng | ||
The term 'weteng' also means 'container' or 'storage', and is used in phrases like 'weteng sampah' (trash bin). | |||
Khmer | ក្រពះ | ||
The Khmer word "ក្រពះ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "krampa", meaning "a cramp" or "a painful contraction" | |||
Lao | ທ້ອງ | ||
The Lao word "ທ້ອງ" is a cognate of the Thai word "ท้อง" and is also used to refer to the belly, abdomen, or womb. | |||
Malay | perut | ||
The word "perut" also refers to the lower part of a body, such as the belly or abdomen. | |||
Thai | ท้อง | ||
In Thai, "ท้อง" means both "stomach" and "pregnancy". | |||
Vietnamese | cái bụng | ||
"Cái bụng" can also mean "famine" or "hunger" in Vietnamese. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyan | ||
Azerbaijani | mədə | ||
The Azerbaijani word "mədə" is of Proto-Turkic origin, with related words in Turkish, Tatar, and Uzbek. | |||
Kazakh | асқазан | ||
The word "асқазан" in Kazakh can also refer to the womb. | |||
Kyrgyz | ашказан | ||
“Ашказан” is a common word used in the Kyrgyz language, it is derived from an older Turkic word “аш-қазан”, which literally means “food-pot | |||
Tajik | меъда | ||
The word "меъда" can also refer to the "abdomen" or "belly" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | aşgazan | ||
Uzbek | oshqozon | ||
The Uzbek word "oshqozon" shares a root with the Persian word "āsh" and the English word "gastric", both of which relate to the stomach and digestive system. | |||
Uyghur | ئاشقازان | ||
Hawaiian | ʻōpū | ||
'Ōpū also means 'pregnancy' or 'pregnant' in Hawaiian. | |||
Maori | puku | ||
**Puku** also refers to a pregnant woman, where Puku is a euphemism for her pregnant stomach. | |||
Samoan | manava | ||
The word 'manava' also refers to a person's character or inner self in Samoan culture. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | tiyan | ||
The Tagalog word "tiyan" can also mean "belly", "abdomen", or "womb". |
Aymara | puraka | ||
Guarani | py'a | ||
Esperanto | stomako | ||
The word "stomako" is derived from the Greek "stomakhos", meaning "throat" or "gullet". | |||
Latin | ventri | ||
"Ventri" can also refer to the pregnant female uterus or, less commonly, the womb of an animal |
Greek | στομάχι | ||
In Byzantine Greek the word stomachi referred to the 'throat' | |||
Hmong | plab | ||
The Hmong word "plab" is cognate with the Thai word "plaa" meaning "fish", suggesting a possible historical connection between the two languages and cultures. | |||
Kurdish | made | ||
The word "made" in Kurdish can also refer to the womb or the internal organs of an animal. | |||
Turkish | mide | ||
The Turkish word 'mide' comes from the Persian word 'ma'idah' meaning 'table,' as the stomach was perceived as a place where food is consumed. | |||
Xhosa | isisu | ||
Xhosa 'isisu' also refers to the stomach's emotional or psychological state. | |||
Yiddish | מאָגן | ||
"מאָגן" is also an anatomical term meaning womb and, figuratively, a place of protection or refuge. | |||
Zulu | isisu | ||
The Zulu word 'isisu' also refers to a person's inner self or core being. | |||
Assamese | পেট | ||
Aymara | puraka | ||
Bhojpuri | लाद | ||
Dhivehi | ބަނޑު | ||
Dogri | ढिड्ड | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyan | ||
Guarani | py'a | ||
Ilocano | buksit | ||
Krio | bɛlɛ | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گەدە | ||
Maithili | पेट | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯛꯈꯥꯎ | ||
Mizo | pumpui | ||
Oromo | garaacha | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ପେଟ | ||
Quechua | wiksa | ||
Sanskrit | उदर | ||
Tatar | ашказаны | ||
Tigrinya | ከብዲ | ||
Tsonga | khwiri | ||