Stroke in different languages

Stroke in Different Languages

Discover 'Stroke' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

A stroke, medically known as a cerebrovascular accident, is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, causing brain cells to die. It is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, making it a significant global health concern.

Strokes have been documented throughout history and are referenced in ancient texts such as the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus and the Chinese Huangdi Neijing. The word 'stroke' itself comes from the Old English word 'strocan,' meaning 'to stroke or touch gently.'

Understanding the term 'stroke' in different languages can provide valuable insights into cultural perspectives on health and illness. For example, in Spanish, a stroke is called 'un accidente cerebrovascular' or 'un ictus,' while in German, it is known as 'Schlaganfall.' In Japanese, the term is 'ストローク (sutorōku),' and in Arabic, it is 'عمودية الدم (3amudiyat aldam).'

Exploring the translation of 'stroke' in different languages can also help break down language barriers and promote cross-cultural communication in healthcare settings. By understanding and respecting these linguistic and cultural differences, we can work together to raise awareness of this important global health issue.

Stroke


Stroke in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansberoerte
The Afrikaans word "beroerte" originates from the Dutch word "beroering", meaning "agitation" or "commotion".
Amharicምት
In Amharic, the word "ምት" ("stroke") can also refer to a "sign" or "miracle."
Hausabugun jini
'Bugun jini' is literally translated to 'evil spirit' in Hausa.
Igboọrịa strok
In Igbo, the word ọrịa strok, literally translates to "sickness of the stroke" and is used to describe both the medical condition and the physical act of striking something.
Malagasytapaka lalan-dra
The word "tapaka lalan-dra" can also refer to a stroke of luck or a stroke of genius.
Nyanja (Chichewa)sitiroko
In Nyanja, the word "sitiroko" can also mean "sickness" or "disease".
Shonasitiroko
In Shona, "sitiroko" also refers to the act of sweeping or pushing something.
Somaliistaroog
Istaroog is derived from the Arabic word "sukt" meaning "stroke" or "affliction"
Sesothostroke
In Sesotho, "stroke" also means "to rub, to wipe, or to smooth something."
Swahilikiharusi
The word "kiharusi" comes from the Swahili word "harusi," meaning "festivity," possibly due to the sudden onset of symptoms resembling a celebration.
Xhosaukubetha
The word 'ukubetha' also carries the alternate meaning of 'to hit' or 'to strike' in Xhosa.
Yorubaọpọlọ
In Yoruba, 'ọpọlọ' can also refer to a 'blemish' or 'scar'.
Zuluunhlangothi
In isiXhosa, ‘unhlangothi’ is a synonym for ‘umhlaza’ which is a term used to refer to various diseases, including stroke.
Bambarakuru bɔ
Ewegbagbãdᴐ
Kinyarwandainkorora
Lingalaavc
Lugandastoroko
Sepediseterouku
Twi (Akan)nnwodwoɔ

Stroke in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicسكتة دماغية
This word comes from the root سكت which means "to be silent", referring to the sudden onset of paralysis and loss of speech characteristic of a stroke.
Hebrewשבץ
The Hebrew word "שבץ" (stroke) is also an abbreviation for the phrase "שיתוק מוחי בשרי צרברתי" (cerebral palsy).
Pashtoوهل
The word "وهل" can also mean "time" or "occasion" in Pashto.
Arabicسكتة دماغية
This word comes from the root سكت which means "to be silent", referring to the sudden onset of paralysis and loss of speech characteristic of a stroke.

Stroke in Western European Languages

Albaniangoditje në tru
The word "goditje në tru" in Albanian literally means "hit in the head" or "hitting the head", which refers to the sudden and severe impact to the head that causes a stroke.
Basqueiktusa
The word "iktusa" also means "shock" in Basque, originating from the Indo-European root *ik- "to see, behold".
Catalanictus
"Ictus" in Catalan also means "pulse" or "rhythm".
Croatianmoždani udar
The etymology of "moždani udar" in Croatian is "moždan" (brain) and "udar" (blow), referring to the sudden impact on the brain during a stroke.
Danishslag
In Swedish and Norwegian, "slag" may also refer to a "fight" or a "battlefield".
Dutchberoerte
The word "beroerte" derives from the Middle Dutch "berueringe", meaning "touching" or "affection", and was originally used to describe a range of ailments, including seizures and paralysis.
Englishstroke
"Stroke" also means a line or dash used in writing or drawing; a sudden illness, especially one affecting the brain and causing paralysis or cognitive impairment; and a caress or gentle blow.
Frenchaccident vasculaire cérébral
The French term "accident vasculaire cérébral" literally translates to "vascular accident of the brain".
Frisianberoerte
'Beroerte' is cognate with the word 'roer' ('to move') and originally referred to any type of sudden movement.
Galicianictus
The word "ictus" also means "accent" in Galician.
Germanschlaganfall
In German, the term "Schlaganfall" literally translates to "sudden fall" or "collapsed fall," reflecting the sudden loss of motor function and balance often associated with strokes.
Icelandicheilablóðfall
Heilablóðfall, meaning 'stroke', has an eerie literal translation of 'holy blood fall'
Irishstróc
In Irish, the word 'stróc' can also refer to a sudden rush, impulse, or brainstorm.
Italianictus
Its Latin root, _ictus_, has the main meanings of "blow" and "beat," both of which have been passed down to Italian.
Luxembourgishschlaag
In carpentry, "Schlaag" also refers to the last blow with a hammer or axe to securely fix something into place.
Maltesepuplesija
The word "puplesija" comes from the Italian "apoplexia", which in turn derives from the Greek word "ἀποπληξία", meaning "paralysis".
Norwegianhjerneslag
The word 'hjerneslag' in Norwegian literally means 'brain blow' or 'brain stroke', and is related to the English word 'to strike'.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)derrame
The word "derrame" in Portuguese can also mean "spillage" or "leakage", originating from the Latin word "deramare" meaning "to pour out".
Scots Gaelicstròc
The Gaelic word "stròc" (stroke) can also mean "snore" or "a long talk or speech".
Spanishcarrera
Carrera originally meant a racecourse, then a path or street, and finally a race or a career.
Swedishstroke
Stroke (from Old English strāc 'destruction') is also used in Swedish to describe punishment, as in 'straff' (punishment).
Welshstrôc
The Welsh word "strôc" can also refer to a blow or a calamity.

Stroke in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianінсульт
The word "інсульт" is derived from the Latin word "insultus", meaning "attack" or "assault".
Bosnianmoždani udar
The word 'moždani udar' literally means 'brain hit' in Bosnian, although it is not related to a physical hit.
Bulgarianудар
The word "удар" can also mean "impact" or "blow".
Czechmrtvice
The word "mrtvice" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*mrъtvъ", which meant "dead".
Estonianinsult
The Estonian word "insult", pronounced "INsoolt", can also mean "stroke".
Finnishaivohalvaus
Aivohalvaus, "brain paralysis" in Finnish, has the same Indo-European root *kel- as paralysis. This word is reflected also in "cold" in many European languages.
Hungarianstroke
In Hungarian, the word “stroke” can be translated to “ütés,” which means “hit” or “blow.”
Latvianinsults
The word "insults" in Latvian can also mean "to stroke" or "to caress", originating from the Latin word "insultare".
Lithuanianinsultas
The Lithuanian word "insultas" is derived from the Latin "insultus," meaning "sudden attack" or "assault."
Macedonianмозочен удар
The word "мозочен удар" also has the alternate meaning of "sunstroke", where мозг means "brain" and удар means "strike, hit".
Polishuderzenie
The word "uderzenie" in Polish derives from the verb "uderzyć", meaning "to strike", therefore the word carries the broader meaning of "hitting" or "impacting".
Romanianaccident vascular cerebral
The Romanian term "accident vascular cerebral" (stroke) comes from the Latin phrase "ictus apoplecticus" (apoplectic stroke).
Russianинсульт
The Russian word "инсульт" can also mean an insult or an impolite remark.
Serbianудар
The word "удар" in Serbian can mean a blow, an attack, a beat or rhythm, an emphasis or stress, a stroke of good luck, or a shock.
Slovakmŕtvica
In addition to meaning "stroke", "mŕtvica" can also mean "apoplexy" or "paralysis" in Slovak.
Slovenianmožganska kap
"Možganska kap" is the Slovenian translation of the English term "cerebrovascular accident".
Ukrainianінсульт
The word "інсульт" derives from the Latin word "insultus", meaning "attack" or "onset", referring to the sudden nature of a stroke.

Stroke in South Asian Languages

Bengaliস্ট্রোক
In Bengali, 'স্ট্রোক' (stroke) can also refer to a style or manner of writing or drawing, similar to 'brushstroke' or 'pen stroke' in English.
Gujaratiસ્ટ્રોક
The word "stroke" comes from the Middle English word "strok," which means "a light blow."
Hindiआघात
In Hindi, आघात also means shock, or mental trauma.
Kannadaಪಾರ್ಶ್ವವಾಯು
The term 'ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವವಾಯು' literally means 'half wind' or 'partial air', capturing the concept of a sudden interruption in airflow to a part of the brain.
Malayalamസ്ട്രോക്ക്
The word 'സ്ട്രോക്ക്' ('stroke') in Malayalam can also refer to a 'dash' or 'hyphen' in writing.
Marathiस्ट्रोक
Stroke is a Marathi language word which also means a small amount of anything, or a letter
Nepaliझड्का
झड्का can also refer to the sudden stopping of something or a rapid movement, such as the sudden stop of a vehicle or a sudden jerk of the hand.
Punjabiਸਟਰੋਕ
In Punjabi, the word "ਸਟਰੋਕ" can also refer to a unit of measurement for land, with one stroke being approximately 0.16 acres.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)ආ roke ාතය
"ආ roke ාතය" (stroke) is also used in Sinhala (Sinhalese) to refer to a sudden severe illness or misfortune.
Tamilபக்கவாதம்
The Tamil word "பக்கவாதம்" originally meant "paralysis of one side of the body" but now commonly refers to a stroke.
Teluguస్ట్రోక్
The word 'స్ట్రోక్' ('stroke') in Telugu can also refer to a 'line' or 'stroke' made with a pen or brush and is derived from the word 'strīk' of Middle Dutch origin, meaning 'to rub'.
Urduاسٹروک
The Urdu word "اسٹروک" can also refer to a "stroke of good luck" or to the act of "ironing clothes".

Stroke in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)中风
中风 (Zhōngfēng) refers to a blockage and accumulation of qi that disrupts the functions of the zang-fu organs.
Chinese (Traditional)中風
The character "中" in "中風" originally meant "inside" or "center", but it also refers to the body or the human form, so "中風" can be understood as a "wind" or "force" that affects the inside or center of the body.
Japanese脳卒中
"脳卒中" is formed by the characters for "brain" and "apoplexy" or "attack".
Korean뇌졸중
"뇌졸중" originates from "뇌가 졸다" meaning "the brain suddenly withers," hence "stroke."
Mongolianцус харвалт
The word "цус харвалт" in Mongolian also refers to a sudden rush of blood to the brain, causing dizziness or fainting.
Myanmar (Burmese)လေဖြတ်
The word "လေဖြတ်" literally means "wind cut" in Myanmar, and can also refer to a type of fencing.

Stroke in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianstroke
In Indonesian, "stroke" refers specifically to a cerebral infarction, while a cerebrovascular accident in general is known as "serangan otak" or "CVA".
Javanesestroke
"Stroke" in Javanese can also refer to "a drawing, pattern, or line".
Khmerដាច់សរសៃឈាមខួរក្បាល
Laoເສັ້ນເລືອດຕັນໃນ
Malaystrok
The word "strok" in Malay also means "line", "mark", and "to draw a line or mark".
Thaiโรคหลอดเลือดสมอง
คำว่า "โรคหลอดเลือดสมอง" มาจากคำว่า "หลอด" (vessel) "เลือด" (blood) และ "สมอง" (brain)
Vietnameseđột quỵ
"Đột quỵ" also means "to move suddenly" or "to turn suddenly" in Vietnamese.
Filipino (Tagalog)stroke

Stroke in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanivuruş
Derived from the verb 'vurmak' meaning 'to hit', 'vuruş' can also refer to a blow, strike, or shot.
Kazakhинсульт
The Kazakh word “инсульт” is derived from the Latin word “insultus,” which means “attack” or “assault.”
Kyrgyzинсульт
The word “инсульт” originates from the Latin word “insultus”, meaning “attack” or “onset”.
Tajikзарба
Слово «зарба» имеет также значение «удар», «ранение», и восходит к персидскому «зарби».
Turkmeninsult
Uzbekqon tomir
The Uzbek word "qon tomir" comes from the Persian words "qon" (blood) and "tomir" (vein), and can also refer to a type of aneurysm or hemorrhage.
Uyghurسەكتە

Stroke in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianhahau
Although it literally translates as a blow it can also carry meanings of misfortune
Maoriwhiu
In the Maori language, "whiu" can also refer to a gesture of dismissal or a reprimand.
Samoanafaina
In Samoa, the word "afaina" has an alternative meaning of "fishing" and is related to the Polynesian verb "afa" which means "to weave."
Tagalog (Filipino)stroke
In Tagalog, "stroke" can also refer to a type of board paddle, a musical note, or a game similar to billiards.

Stroke in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarat'ukhu usu
Guaranimbota

Stroke in International Languages

Esperantostreko
The Esperanto word "streko" is also used to describe a line or streak, coming from the root word "strek" meaning "to stretch or extend."
Latinictum
The word "ictum" in Latin can also refer to a downbeat in music or a metrical foot in poetry.

Stroke in Others Languages

Greekεγκεφαλικό
The term 'Εγκεφαλικό' comes from the Greek word 'εγκέφαλος', which means 'brain', and '-ικό', a suffix indicating a condition or state.
Hmongmob stroke
"Mob stroke" is a derogatory term referring to East Asian people; the word "stroke" also refers to a physical condition caused by a disruption of blood flow to the brain.
Kurdishlêdan
There is a Kurdish proverb saying 'Her zarok lêdan e' meaning every child has a natural disposition.
Turkishinme
In Mongolian, the root word "inme" also means "to come" or "to arrive."
Xhosaukubetha
The word 'ukubetha' also carries the alternate meaning of 'to hit' or 'to strike' in Xhosa.
Yiddishמאַך
The Yiddish word 'מאַך' has multiple meanings, including 'blow', 'hit', 'movement', and even 'time'.
Zuluunhlangothi
In isiXhosa, ‘unhlangothi’ is a synonym for ‘umhlaza’ which is a term used to refer to various diseases, including stroke.
Assameseআঘাত
Aymarat'ukhu usu
Bhojpuriझटका
Dhivehiސްޓްރޯކް
Dogriटनकोर
Filipino (Tagalog)stroke
Guaranimbota
Ilocanostroke
Kriostrok
Kurdish (Sorani)لێدان
Maithiliआघात
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯌꯩꯕ
Mizothai
Oromohaleellaa
Odia (Oriya)ଆଘାତ
Quechuasiqi
Sanskritप्रहार
Tatarинсульт
Tigrinyaውቃዕ
Tsongaoma swirho

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