Stone in Different Languages
Discover 'Stone' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Stone, a solid and enduring material, has been an essential part of human history. From creating the first tools to building monumental structures, stone has played a significant role in our cultural development. Its durability and versatility have made it a symbol of strength and resilience across various civilizations.
Moreover, stones have been used for ornamental and spiritual purposes. In many cultures, stones are believed to possess healing properties and are often used in jewelry and decorative arts. The gemstone industry, in particular, thrives on the unique colors, patterns, and energies associated with different types of stones.
Understanding the translation of the word 'stone' in different languages can provide insights into how various cultures perceive and interact with this material. For instance, in Spanish, 'stone' is 'piedra', while in French, it's 'pierre'. In German, it's 'Stein', and in Japanese, it's 'いし' (ishi).
Explore the list below to learn more about the fascinating world of stones and their translations in various languages.
Stone
Stone in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | klip | ||
| "Klip" (stone) is also used in Afrikaans to refer to a rockfall or a landslide. | |||
| Amharic | ድንጋይ | ||
| Although the term 'ድንጋይ' literally means 'stone', it also refers to 'hail' in certain contexts. | |||
| Hausa | dutse | ||
| The word 'dutse' (stone) in Hausa also figuratively refers to the heart, bravery, and determination of a person. | |||
| Igbo | nkume | ||
| In Igbo, "nkume" also refers to a type of fruit, a person who is unyielding, or a hard surface. | |||
| Malagasy | vato | ||
| The word 'vato' can also refer to a person or thing that is strong or solid. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwala | ||
| In some contexts, "mwala" in Nyanja can also refer to a pestle or an anvil. | |||
| Shona | ibwe | ||
| 'Ibwe' also refers to the seeds used in the traditional board game called 'nhodo'. | |||
| Somali | dhagax | ||
| The word "dhagax" can also refer to a person who is very stubborn or unyielding, similar to the English expression "a stone in one's shoe". | |||
| Sesotho | lejoe | ||
| The word "lejoe" can refer to a gemstone (especially jade) or a smooth, rounded stone used for polishing. | |||
| Swahili | jiwe | ||
| The word "jiwe" in Swahili may have originated from the Bantu root "-iwa", meaning "firm" or "solid". | |||
| Xhosa | ilitye | ||
| "Ilitye" in Xhosa originates from the verb "ilitya," meaning "to build with stones"} | |||
| Yoruba | okuta | ||
| Okutas are used as a form of currency in some traditional Yoruba communities and are often marked with specific symbols to denote their value. | |||
| Zulu | itshe | ||
| The word "itshe" is thought to come from the Proto-Bantu root "-cʰe", meaning "to be hard" or "to be solid." | |||
| Bambara | gabakurun | ||
| Ewe | kpe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibuye | ||
| Lingala | libanga | ||
| Luganda | ejjinja | ||
| Sepedi | leswika | ||
| Twi (Akan) | boɔ | ||
Stone in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حصاة | ||
| حصاة, meaning "stone" in Arabic, can also refer to a small amount of food or money | |||
| Hebrew | אֶבֶן | ||
| אֶבֶן (Even): "Rock, stone"; also a term of weight in the Bible (1 Sam. 17:40), which was the same as the Roman "libra" and corresponded to the Attic and Babylonian "mina"" | |||
| Pashto | ډبره | ||
| The word "ډبره" in Pashto can also refer to a type of percussion musical instrument or a unit of weight. | |||
| Arabic | حصاة | ||
| حصاة, meaning "stone" in Arabic, can also refer to a small amount of food or money | |||
Stone in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gur | ||
| The word "gur" in Albanian is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gher-," which also gave rise to words like "rock" in English and "roc" in French. | |||
| Basque | harria | ||
| The toponym Harria in Basque could be the result of the union of "*kar" (a Basque suffix that creates collective words) and "ar" (stone), "*harria" (stone collection). | |||
| Catalan | pedra | ||
| In Catalan, "pedra" can also mean "hail" or "a precious stone". | |||
| Croatian | kamen | ||
| The word "kamen" in Croatian can also refer to a hailstone, a millstone, or a tombstone. | |||
| Danish | sten- | ||
| Sten- also appears in the Danish word stendynge, an ancient monument in the form of a stone pillar or menhir. | |||
| Dutch | steen | ||
| The Dutch word "steen" originally referred to a specific type of stone used for building purposes, but over time its meaning has broadened to include any type of stone. | |||
| English | stone | ||
| The word "stone" comes from the Old English word "stan", which also meant "rock" or "cliff." | |||
| French | calcul | ||
| The word "calcul" in French can also refer to a gallstone or a kidney stone, as it is derived from the Latin word "calculus", meaning "small stone." | |||
| Frisian | stien | ||
| In West Frisian, "stien" can also refer to a piece of precious jewelry or a gemstone | |||
| Galician | pedra | ||
| "Pedra", meaning "stone" in Galician, also stems from "petra" and refers to the church's rock-solid foundation | |||
| German | stein | ||
| The German word 'Stein' also refers to a type of beer mug or drinking vessel. | |||
| Icelandic | steinn | ||
| The Icelandic word "steinn" also refers to a unit of weight equal to 0.56 kilograms. | |||
| Irish | cloch | ||
| The Gaelic word 'cloch' originates from the Proto-Celtic root *kl̥kʷ- meaning 'stone', related to the Latin 'lapis' or the Welsh 'llech' | |||
| Italian | calcolo | ||
| The Latin "calculo" meant "small stone" but also "calculation" and "reckoning". | |||
| Luxembourgish | steen | ||
| The word "Steen" comes from the Germanic root "staina", which means "stone" and is related to the English word "stone" and the German word "Stein". It can also mean a building made of stone, a fortress or a castle. | |||
| Maltese | ġebla | ||
| "Ġebla" also means "gem" or "precious stone" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | stein | ||
| In Norwegian, "stein" can also refer to a type of earthenware vessel used for holding liquids. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pedra | ||
| The word "pedra" can also refer to a precious stone (e.g. "pedra preciosa"), or to a hailstone (e.g. "pedra de granizo"). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | chlach | ||
| The Gaelic word 'chlach' is cognated with Welsh 'clach' (also meaning 'stone') and Cornish 'klek' (meaning 'bank of earth') and is derived from a Proto-Celtic *klakkos (thought to mean 'heap of stones') | |||
| Spanish | roca | ||
| "Roca" can also mean a fortress or a spinning wheel in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | sten | ||
| The Swedish word "sten" can also refer to a male first name or the chess piece "rook". | |||
| Welsh | carreg | ||
| Carreg is a feminine noun in Modern Welsh, but in Old Welsh was masculine. | |||
Stone in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | камень | ||
| In Belarusian, "камень" may also refer to a gem or precious stone. | |||
| Bosnian | kamen | ||
| In Bosnian, the word "kamen" can also refer to a type of fruit preserve similar to jam. | |||
| Bulgarian | камък | ||
| The word "камък" is also used in Bulgarian to refer to a precious stone or a building block. | |||
| Czech | kámen | ||
| The word "kámen" can also refer to a precious stone or a mile marker. | |||
| Estonian | kivi | ||
| The Estonian word "kivi" can also refer to a stone tool or a stone building. | |||
| Finnish | kivi | ||
| In addition to its meaning as 'stone', 'kivi' is also a word for 'fruit pit', 'nut', 'kernel', and 'testicle'. | |||
| Hungarian | kő | ||
| "Kő" means "stone" in Hungarian and also refers to the whetstone on which a scythe is sharpened. | |||
| Latvian | akmens | ||
| The word “akmens” is derived from the Proto-Baltic word “akmén”, which also means | |||
| Lithuanian | akmuo | ||
| The Lithuanian word "akmuo" is related to the Sanskrit word "ashman" and the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂ékʷ-men-", meaning "stone". | |||
| Macedonian | камен | ||
| Камен is a term used in Macedonian language to refer to stone, but it can also refer to fruit pits or the hard shell that covers a nut. | |||
| Polish | złóg | ||
| The word "złóg" also means "syllable" in Polish, which is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb "*zъlogati" meaning "to gather" or "to arrange." | |||
| Romanian | piatră | ||
| The word "piatră" is derived from the Latin word "petra", meaning "rock" or "stone". | |||
| Russian | камень | ||
| The alternate meaning of "камень" is a kidney stone as derived from the medical term, calculus | |||
| Serbian | камен | ||
| The word "камен" (stone) in Serbian is also related to the word "камень" (rocky) in Russian, and to the word "камень" (stone) in Old Church Slavonic. | |||
| Slovak | kameň | ||
| The word "kameň" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *kamy "stone", which is related to the Latin word "lapis". | |||
| Slovenian | kamen | ||
| The word "kamen" can also refer to the stony part of fruit, or be used as a term of endearment for a girlfriend or lover | |||
| Ukrainian | камінь | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "камінь" has a variety of meanings and etymological roots, including references to precious stones and the act of throwing rocks. | |||
Stone in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পাথর | ||
| "পাথর" also means 'kidney stone' or 'calculus' in some contexts in Bangla. | |||
| Gujarati | પથ્થર | ||
| The Gujarati word "પથ્થર" can also mean "obstacle" or "hurdle". | |||
| Hindi | पथरी | ||
| पथरी literally translates to 'stone', but also refers to a kidney stone in Hindi | |||
| Kannada | ಕಲ್ಲು | ||
| "ಕಲ್ಲು" also means a weight or a milestone in Kannada | |||
| Malayalam | കല്ല് | ||
| The word "കല്ല്" (stone) in Malayalam is cognate with the word "கல்" (stone) in Tamil, and both are derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *kal. | |||
| Marathi | दगड | ||
| The Marathi word "दगड" also refers to the hard part of a fruit's seed (e.g., a cherry or plum). | |||
| Nepali | ढु stone्गा | ||
| The word "ढु stone्गा" is derived from the Proto-Indo-Aryan root *dʰuH-, meaning "to shake" or "to move". | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੱਥਰ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਪੱਥਰ" (stone) also refers to any hard or unyielding substance, such as a precious gem or even human nature. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගල් | ||
| The root of the word ගල් is related to words denoting the hardness and permanence of rock. | |||
| Tamil | கல் | ||
| The word "கல்" (kal) in Tamil, besides meaning "stone," also refers to learning, precious stones, and an obstacle or difficulty. | |||
| Telugu | రాయి | ||
| రాయి (rāyi) may also refer to a boundary mark between two fields. | |||
| Urdu | پتھر | ||
| The Urdu word "پتھر" (stone) shares its etymology with the Sanskrit word "पत्र" (leaf), suggesting its historical use to refer to flat, stone-like surfaces. | |||
Stone in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 结石 | ||
| The word "结石" (jiéshí) can also refer to gallstones, kidney stones, or urinary stones. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 結石 | ||
| The word "結石" can also mean "calculus" in medical contexts. | |||
| Japanese | 結石 | ||
| The word "結石" ("stone") can also refer to a calculus, concretion, or foreign body within a bodily organ or tissue. | |||
| Korean | 결석 | ||
| 결석(石)은 "결(欠)"과 "석(石)"을 합한 형태로, 본래는 "의무를 지지 않는 돌"이라는 뜻이었습니다. | |||
| Mongolian | чулуу | ||
| The word "чулуу" can also refer to a type of stele used to mark a burial site or to commemorate a significant event. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျောက် | ||
| "ကျောက်" in Burmese is a homophone for "to be hard" and refers to a precious stone or stone for religious use. | |||
Stone in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | batu | ||
| "Batu" means "stone" in Indonesian and is derived from "batur" in Old Javanese, which also means "mountain", due to the rocky mountains in the region. | |||
| Javanese | watu | ||
| The Javanese word "watu" can also refer to a precious stone or gem. | |||
| Khmer | ថ្ម | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, the Khmer word "ថ្ម" can also refer to other types of hard, solid materials like metal or ceramics. | |||
| Lao | ກ້ອນຫີນ | ||
| Malay | batu | ||
| In Malay, the word "batu" not only refers to stones, but also to chess pieces and a type of traditional Malay dessert. | |||
| Thai | หิน | ||
| The word 'หิน' has additional meanings like 'hard', 'solid', or 'stubborn' in certain contexts. | |||
| Vietnamese | sỏi | ||
| In Vietnamese, "sỏi" can also mean "gravel" or "pebbles" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bato | ||
Stone in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | daş | ||
| The word "daş" in Azerbaijani also means "testicle" and is used in colloquial speech. | |||
| Kazakh | тас | ||
| The etymology of "тас" is obscure, but it has also been used in the sense of "a mound of earth" or "a heap." | |||
| Kyrgyz | таш | ||
| The word "таш" can also refer to a whetstone or a millstone. | |||
| Tajik | санг | ||
| The word "санг" in Tajik can also refer to a weight or a burden. | |||
| Turkmen | daş | ||
| Uzbek | tosh | ||
| In Uzbek, "tosh" may also refer to a type of marble, a tombstone, or a place name denoting a rocky area. | |||
| Uyghur | تاش | ||
Stone in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pōhaku | ||
| In Hawaiian, "pōhaku" not only refers to stones but also to solid objects, gems, and even certain body parts. | |||
| Maori | kohatu | ||
| The word 'kohatu' (stone) in Māori also refers to a person's heart or mind, indicating the deep connection between the physical and spiritual realms in Māori culture. | |||
| Samoan | maa | ||
| The Samoan word "maa" is sometimes used to refer to rocks, stones, or gravel. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bato | ||
| In the Philippine language of Cebuano, the word "bato" can also mean "a person who is deaf mute" | |||
Stone in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qala | ||
| Guarani | ita | ||
Stone in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝtono | ||
| "ŝtono" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*steh₂-" (to stand) and is related to the English word "stand". | |||
| Latin | lapis | ||
| "Lapis" is the Latin word for stone, and was also used to refer specifically to the gemstone "lazuli", which was later corrupted to "lapis lazuli". | |||
Stone in Others Languages
| Greek | πέτρα | ||
| The word πέτρα (stone) also refers to the biblical city Petra, the capital of the Nabataeans and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jordan. | |||
| Hmong | pob zeb | ||
| The word "pob zeb" in Hmong can be traced back to the Old Chinese word "pu" which also means "stone". | |||
| Kurdish | kevir | ||
| "Kevir" also refers to a type of traditional Kurdish headdress, often worn by women. | |||
| Turkish | taş | ||
| In Middle Mongolian, " taş" means "rock" and "stone". In Old Turkish, it only meant "stone". | |||
| Xhosa | ilitye | ||
| "Ilitye" in Xhosa originates from the verb "ilitya," meaning "to build with stones"} | |||
| Yiddish | שטיין | ||
| "שטיין" can also mean "mad" in Yiddish, likely derived from the German "Stein," meaning "intoxicated." | |||
| Zulu | itshe | ||
| The word "itshe" is thought to come from the Proto-Bantu root "-cʰe", meaning "to be hard" or "to be solid." | |||
| Assamese | শিল | ||
| Aymara | qala | ||
| Bhojpuri | पत्थर | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިލަ | ||
| Dogri | पत्थर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bato | ||
| Guarani | ita | ||
| Ilocano | bato | ||
| Krio | ston | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەرد | ||
| Maithili | पाथर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯡ | ||
| Mizo | lung | ||
| Oromo | dhagaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପଥର | ||
| Quechua | rumi | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रस्तरं | ||
| Tatar | таш | ||
| Tigrinya | እምኒ | ||
| Tsonga | ribye | ||