Storm in Different Languages
Discover 'Storm' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Storms have long held a significant place in our lives, inspiring both awe and fear as they unleash their fury upon the world. Throughout history, these natural phenomena have played crucial roles in shaping cultures and societies, even influencing language and literature. For instance, in English, we use phrases like 'stormy weather' to describe tumultuous periods, reflecting the emotional impact of these meteorological events.
Given the global nature of weather patterns, it's no surprise that many languages have their own unique terms for storms. These translations not only provide insight into how different cultures perceive and describe this phenomenon but also offer a chance to explore the rich tapestry of linguistic diversity that exists around the world.
For example, in Spanish, a storm is referred to as 'tormenta', while in German, it's called 'Sturm'. Meanwhile, in Japanese, the term 'arashi' encapsulates the raw power and intensity of these natural events.
Join us as we delve deeper into the fascinating world of storm translations, uncovering intriguing facts and historical contexts along the way. Discover how various languages and cultures have harnessed the power of this natural wonder through their unique vocabularies.
Storm
Storm in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | storm | ||
| The word "storm" in Afrikaans can also mean "attack" or "charge". | |||
| Amharic | ማዕበል | ||
| The word 'ማዕበል' also denotes 'hail' and is linked to the Semitic root 'M-ʕ-B' meaning 'to rain heavily'. | |||
| Hausa | hadari | ||
| Possibly cognate with the Serer word 'adax' meaning 'rain' and the Wolof word 'ad' also meaning 'rain'. | |||
| Igbo | oké mmiri ozuzo | ||
| The word "oké mmiri ozuzo" literally translates to "sound of the rain that falls and scatters". | |||
| Malagasy | drivotra | ||
| The word "DRIVOTRA" shares the same etymology as the word "DRIVE" meaning a violent or urgent action. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkuntho | ||
| The word "mkuntho" can also refer to a type of drum or a large crowd of people. | |||
| Shona | dutu | ||
| The Shona word "dutu" can also refer to a violent person or animal | |||
| Somali | duufaan | ||
| Sesotho | sefefo | ||
| The word "sefefo" can also mean "a fierce battle" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | dhoruba | ||
| The Swahili word "dhoruba" also refers to political or social upheavals. | |||
| Xhosa | isaqhwithi | ||
| "Isaqhwithi" derives from an old Xhosa term meaning "destruction", referring to the power of storms to devastate and reshape the landscape. | |||
| Yoruba | iji | ||
| "Iji" also means "anger" or "wrath" in Yoruba, highlighting the perceived connection between storms and emotional turbulence. | |||
| Zulu | isiphepho | ||
| The Zulu word "isiphepho" is derived from the verb "phepha" meaning "to blow" or "to scatter". | |||
| Bambara | funufunu | ||
| Ewe | ahom | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuyaga | ||
| Lingala | mopepe makasi | ||
| Luganda | kibuyaga | ||
| Sepedi | ledimo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahum | ||
Storm in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عاصفة | ||
| "عاصفة" can also mean a time of hardship or turmoil, such as an emotional storm. | |||
| Hebrew | סערה | ||
| "סערה" (storm) originates from the Akkadian word "sirru" (wrath, anger) and also means "severe dispute" | |||
| Pashto | طوفان | ||
| "طوفان" is also used colloquially in Pashto to refer to a large group of people or animals, similar to the English "swarm". | |||
| Arabic | عاصفة | ||
| "عاصفة" can also mean a time of hardship or turmoil, such as an emotional storm. | |||
Storm in Western European Languages
| Albanian | stuhi | ||
| The Albanian word "stuhi" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*stuχi" and is related to the word "zë", meaning "thunder". It can also refer to a severe commotion or disturbance. | |||
| Basque | ekaitza | ||
| The word "ekaitza" derives from the Proto-Basque root *ekait-, meaning "thunder" or "storm." | |||
| Catalan | tempesta | ||
| Catalan "tempesta" derives from Latin "tempestas" and is related to English "tempest" and "temporarily". | |||
| Croatian | oluja | ||
| The word "oluja" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *orlja, meaning "eagle". | |||
| Danish | storm | ||
| The Danish word "storm" can also refer to a gathering of people, an uproar, or a sudden influx of something. | |||
| Dutch | storm | ||
| In Dutch, the word "storm" can also refer to a flood or a strong current. | |||
| English | storm | ||
| The word "storm" comes from the Old English word "storm", which means "assault" or "onslaught". | |||
| French | tempête | ||
| "Tempête" in French can also mean a violent outbreak (of passion, laughter, or applause), a commotion, or a state of agitation. | |||
| Frisian | stoarm | ||
| The Frisian word "stoarm" is cognate with the Old English word "storm" and the Proto-Germanic word "*sturmaz". | |||
| Galician | tormenta | ||
| The Galician word "tormenta" also means "torment" or "annoyance". | |||
| German | sturm | ||
| The German word "Sturm" can also refer to an assault by troops, stemming from Middle High German "stürmen" (to charge). | |||
| Icelandic | stormur | ||
| The Icelandic word "stormur" can also mean "conflict" or "debate". | |||
| Irish | stoirm | ||
| The Irish word "stoirm" comes from the Old Norse word "stormr," and its alternate Irish spelling is "storm." | |||
| Italian | tempesta | ||
| The word "tempesta" derives from the Latin word "tempestas," meaning "time" or "season"} | |||
| Luxembourgish | stuerm | ||
| Stuerm is derived from the Old High German "sturm", meaning "noise" or "commotion". | |||
| Maltese | maltempata | ||
| "Maltempata" derives from the Italian word "maltempo," meaning "bad weather," and also means "misfortune" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | storm | ||
| In Norwegian, 'storm' can also refer to a strong wind or a heavy rain, and it is cognate with the English word 'storm' and the German word 'Sturm'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tempestade | ||
| The word "tempestade" derives from Latin "tempestas", meaning the "time of the year". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | stoirm | ||
| The word "stoirm" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a noisy argument or quarrel. | |||
| Spanish | tormenta | ||
| The word 'tormenta' derives from the Latin 'tormentum', meaning 'means of torture' or 'hurricane'. | |||
| Swedish | storm | ||
| In Swedish, the word "storm" can also refer to a crowd of people. | |||
| Welsh | storm | ||
| Welsh storm can also mean "to rage". | |||
Storm in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бура | ||
| The word "бура" in Belarusian also means "borax", a common mineral compound used in a variety of industrial processes. | |||
| Bosnian | oluja | ||
| The noun ‘oluja’ can also mean ‘attack’, ‘charge’ or ‘onset’. | |||
| Bulgarian | буря | ||
| In Bulgarian, "буря" can also mean a "riot" or "tumult". | |||
| Czech | bouřka | ||
| Originally, "bouřka" referred to the rumble of a barrel as a warning, later the rumble of thunder. | |||
| Estonian | torm | ||
| The word "torm" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*turmi" or "*torma" and also means "a whirlwind or vortex". | |||
| Finnish | myrsky | ||
| The Finnish word "myrsky" also refers to a period of turmoil or unrest. | |||
| Hungarian | vihar | ||
| The word "vihar" is also used colloquially to refer to a state of great turmoil or confusion. | |||
| Latvian | vētra | ||
| The word "vētra" may also refer to a whirlwind or a violent uproar. | |||
| Lithuanian | audra | ||
| The word "audra" in Lithuanian shares its Indo-European root with "aqua" and "auriga", suggesting a connection between storms and the celestial realm. | |||
| Macedonian | бура | ||
| In Macedonian, the word "бура" (storm) is cognate with the Albanian word "burrë", which means "man" | |||
| Polish | burza | ||
| In Polish, the word "burza" also refers to a "stock market crash". | |||
| Romanian | furtună | ||
| The Romanian word for "storm", "furtună", has Slavic origins and is related to the word "vârtej" (whirlwind). | |||
| Russian | буря | ||
| The word "буря" also denotes turmoil or anxiety. | |||
| Serbian | олуја | ||
| "Олуја" is also a popular female name in Serbia. | |||
| Slovak | búrka | ||
| In old Slovak, "búrka" also meant "attack", "battle" or "siege". | |||
| Slovenian | nevihta | ||
| "Nevihta" is also the Slovenian word for "thunderstorm" and is derived from the Slovene word "vihra", meaning "whirlwind". | |||
| Ukrainian | шторм | ||
| The Ukrainian word "шторм" comes from the Old Norse word "stormr" which can mean "heavy rain" or "attack". | |||
Storm in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঝড় | ||
| The Bengali word "ঝড়" (storm) is derived from the Proto-Indo-Aryan word "*dhr̥s-ti" (hurry), which is also related to the English word "thoroughfare". | |||
| Gujarati | તોફાન | ||
| The word "તોફાન" can also refer to a "tumult" or "riot". | |||
| Hindi | आंधी | ||
| The word "आंधी" can also mean "cyclone" or "hurricane" in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಂಡಮಾರುತ | ||
| The word ಚಂಡಮಾರುತ (storm) in Kannada can also mean a tornado or cyclone. | |||
| Malayalam | കൊടുങ്കാറ്റ് | ||
| Marathi | वादळ | ||
| "वादळ" (storm) derives from the Sanskrit word "वात" (wind) and can also refer to a "whirlwind" or "cyclone" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | आँधी | ||
| The word "आँधी" derives from Proto-Indo-Iranian, meaning "to breathe"} | |||
| Punjabi | ਤੂਫਾਨ | ||
| The word "ਤੂਫਾਨ" likely comes from the Sanskrit word "туфана", meaning "a violent wind or storm". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කුණාටුව | ||
| The Sinhalese word "කුණාටුව" is thought to be derived from the Dravidian root "kuṇ", meaning "to blow". | |||
| Tamil | புயல் | ||
| The Tamil word 'புயல்' (storm) comes from the Prakrit word 'pujala', which means 'blowing' or 'whirling'. An alternate meaning of 'புயல்' in Tamil is 'a large and powerful bird'. | |||
| Telugu | తుఫాను | ||
| The word "తుఫాను" is derived from the Arabic word "tufān", which means "flood" or "deluge". | |||
| Urdu | طوفان | ||
| The original meaning of "طوفان" ("storm") in Urdu was flood but it gained the meanings of a severe storm and tempest later, from an Arabic loanword. | |||
Storm in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 风暴 | ||
| The Chinese word “风暴” can also refer to extreme events, especially when used in the context of politics or economics. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 風暴 | ||
| "風" and "暴" are characters meaning "wind" and "violence" or "fierce," respectively; hence, "風暴" means a violent wind, storm, or tempest. | |||
| Japanese | 嵐 | ||
| "嵐" (storm) is also a Japanese boy band formed in 1999. | |||
| Korean | 폭풍 | ||
| "폭풍" also means "a multitude of falling things, such as petals or confetti" | |||
| Mongolian | шуурга | ||
| The word "шуурга" can also refer to a type of heavy snowstorm that occurs in Mongolia and the surrounding regions. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မုန်တိုင်း | ||
Storm in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | badai | ||
| "Badai" also means "heavy rain" in Indonesian | |||
| Javanese | badai | ||
| The Javanese word "badai" is also used to describe a violent person or a difficult situation. | |||
| Khmer | ព្យុះ | ||
| The word "ព្យុះ" also refers to a type of small, flat rice cake in Khmer cuisine. | |||
| Lao | ພະຍຸ | ||
| ພະຍຸ is also the name of a popular Laotian folk dance, featuring intricate hand and arm movements that imitate the wind and rain of a storm. | |||
| Malay | ribut | ||
| "Ribut" is also used to describe a noisy argument or commotion. | |||
| Thai | พายุ | ||
| The etymology of "พายุ" is not certain. | |||
| Vietnamese | bão táp | ||
| The word "bão táp" could also refer to a hurricane or a tempest. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bagyo | ||
Storm in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fırtına | ||
| "Fırtına" can also refer to a type of Turkish folk dance in Turkey and northern Cyprus. | |||
| Kazakh | дауыл | ||
| The word "дауыл" has alternative meanings such as "a flood", "hurricane", and "earthquake". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бороон | ||
| The word "бороон" can also refer to water in general (not rain), snow, or hail. | |||
| Tajik | тӯфон | ||
| Tajik "тӯфон" comes from the Persian word "طوفان" (ṭūfān), meaning "flood" or "deluge". | |||
| Turkmen | tupan | ||
| Uzbek | bo'ron | ||
| "Bo'ron" is cognate with "boran" in Mongolian, "bor" in Yakut, "burian" in Kazakh, and "buraan" in Kyrgyz, all of which mean "blizzard". | |||
| Uyghur | بوران | ||
Storm in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻinoʻino | ||
| The Hawaiian word ʻinoʻino could also refer to a person who is easily angered or annoyed. | |||
| Maori | tupuhi | ||
| As well as meaning 'storm', in some parts of New Zealand, 'tupuhi' can also mean 'a big wave' | |||
| Samoan | afa | ||
| The word afa is used to describe a storm or a hurricane, and can also refer to a strong wind. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bagyo | ||
| "Bagyo" is thought by linguists to be rooted either in the Tagalog term "bigaw," which meant "a sudden squall or gust" or the Indonesian "bagyo," which carries a similar meaning. | |||
Storm in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | q'ixu q'ixu | ||
| Guarani | yvytu'atã | ||
Storm in International Languages
| Esperanto | ŝtormo | ||
| "Ŝtormo" in Esperanto comes from the German "Sturm" and also means "assault". | |||
| Latin | tempestas | ||
| Tempestas is the root of the word 'Tempest' and means not only 'storm' but also 'time' or 'season' | |||
Storm in Others Languages
| Greek | καταιγίδα | ||
| In ancient Greek theatre, ''kataigis'' was a machine that produced thunderous noise and simulated storms. | |||
| Hmong | cua daj cua dub | ||
| The phrase "cua daj cua dub" is a poetic expression in Hmong that describes a violent storm as a "crazy dragon". | |||
| Kurdish | bahoz | ||
| The word "bahoz" can also mean "a violent emotion or passion" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | fırtına | ||
| "Fırtına" also means "trouble" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | isaqhwithi | ||
| "Isaqhwithi" derives from an old Xhosa term meaning "destruction", referring to the power of storms to devastate and reshape the landscape. | |||
| Yiddish | שטורעם | ||
| Yiddish word "שטאָרעם" means "storm," but also "outburst of emotions". | |||
| Zulu | isiphepho | ||
| The Zulu word "isiphepho" is derived from the verb "phepha" meaning "to blow" or "to scatter". | |||
| Assamese | ধুমুহা | ||
| Aymara | q'ixu q'ixu | ||
| Bhojpuri | तूफान | ||
| Dhivehi | ޠޫފާން | ||
| Dogri | तफान | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bagyo | ||
| Guarani | yvytu'atã | ||
| Ilocano | bagyo | ||
| Krio | bad bad briz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | زریان | ||
| Maithili | तूफान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯣꯡꯂꯩ ꯅꯨꯡꯁꯤꯠ | ||
| Mizo | thlipui | ||
| Oromo | rooba bubbeen makate | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | storm ଡ଼ | ||
| Quechua | tormenta | ||
| Sanskrit | चण्डवात | ||
| Tatar | давыл | ||
| Tigrinya | ህቦብላ | ||
| Tsonga | bubutsa | ||