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
| Afrikaans | beroerte | ||
| The Afrikaans word "beroerte" originates from the Dutch word "beroering", meaning "agitation" or "commotion". | |||
| Amharic | ምት | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ምት" ("stroke") can also refer to a "sign" or "miracle." | |||
| Hausa | bugun jini | ||
| 'Bugun jini' is literally translated to 'evil spirit' in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ọrịa 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. | |||
| Malagasy | tapaka 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". | |||
| Shona | sitiroko | ||
| In Shona, "sitiroko" also refers to the act of sweeping or pushing something. | |||
| Somali | istaroog | ||
| Istaroog is derived from the Arabic word "sukt" meaning "stroke" or "affliction" | |||
| Sesotho | stroke | ||
| In Sesotho, "stroke" also means "to rub, to wipe, or to smooth something." | |||
| Swahili | kiharusi | ||
| The word "kiharusi" comes from the Swahili word "harusi," meaning "festivity," possibly due to the sudden onset of symptoms resembling a celebration. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubetha | ||
| The word 'ukubetha' also carries the alternate meaning of 'to hit' or 'to strike' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | ọpọlọ | ||
| In Yoruba, 'ọpọlọ' can also refer to a 'blemish' or 'scar'. | |||
| Zulu | unhlangothi | ||
| In isiXhosa, ‘unhlangothi’ is a synonym for ‘umhlaza’ which is a term used to refer to various diseases, including stroke. | |||
| Bambara | kuru bɔ | ||
| Ewe | gbagbãdᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inkorora | ||
| Lingala | avc | ||
| Luganda | storoko | ||
| Sepedi | seterouku | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nnwodwoɔ | ||
Stroke in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سكتة 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. | |||
| Hebrew | שבץ | ||
| The Hebrew word "שבץ" (stroke) is also an abbreviation for the phrase "שיתוק מוחי בשרי צרברתי" (cerebral palsy). | |||
| Pashto | وهل | ||
| The word "وهل" can also mean "time" or "occasion" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | سكتة 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
| Albanian | goditje 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. | |||
| Basque | iktusa | ||
| The word "iktusa" also means "shock" in Basque, originating from the Indo-European root *ik- "to see, behold". | |||
| Catalan | ictus | ||
| "Ictus" in Catalan also means "pulse" or "rhythm". | |||
| Croatian | moždani 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. | |||
| Danish | slag | ||
| In Swedish and Norwegian, "slag" may also refer to a "fight" or a "battlefield". | |||
| Dutch | beroerte | ||
| 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. | |||
| English | stroke | ||
| "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. | |||
| French | accident vasculaire cérébral | ||
| The French term "accident vasculaire cérébral" literally translates to "vascular accident of the brain". | |||
| Frisian | beroerte | ||
| 'Beroerte' is cognate with the word 'roer' ('to move') and originally referred to any type of sudden movement. | |||
| Galician | ictus | ||
| The word "ictus" also means "accent" in Galician. | |||
| German | schlaganfall | ||
| 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. | |||
| Icelandic | heilablóðfall | ||
| Heilablóðfall, meaning 'stroke', has an eerie literal translation of 'holy blood fall' | |||
| Irish | stróc | ||
| In Irish, the word 'stróc' can also refer to a sudden rush, impulse, or brainstorm. | |||
| Italian | ictus | ||
| Its Latin root, _ictus_, has the main meanings of "blow" and "beat," both of which have been passed down to Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schlaag | ||
| In carpentry, "Schlaag" also refers to the last blow with a hammer or axe to securely fix something into place. | |||
| Maltese | puplesija | ||
| The word "puplesija" comes from the Italian "apoplexia", which in turn derives from the Greek word "ἀποπληξία", meaning "paralysis". | |||
| Norwegian | hjerneslag | ||
| 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 Gaelic | stròc | ||
| The Gaelic word "stròc" (stroke) can also mean "snore" or "a long talk or speech". | |||
| Spanish | carrera | ||
| Carrera originally meant a racecourse, then a path or street, and finally a race or a career. | |||
| Swedish | stroke | ||
| Stroke (from Old English strāc 'destruction') is also used in Swedish to describe punishment, as in 'straff' (punishment). | |||
| Welsh | strôc | ||
| The Welsh word "strôc" can also refer to a blow or a calamity. | |||
Stroke in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | інсульт | ||
| The word "інсульт" is derived from the Latin word "insultus", meaning "attack" or "assault". | |||
| Bosnian | moždani udar | ||
| The word 'moždani udar' literally means 'brain hit' in Bosnian, although it is not related to a physical hit. | |||
| Bulgarian | удар | ||
| The word "удар" can also mean "impact" or "blow". | |||
| Czech | mrtvice | ||
| The word "mrtvice" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*mrъtvъ", which meant "dead". | |||
| Estonian | insult | ||
| The Estonian word "insult", pronounced "INsoolt", can also mean "stroke". | |||
| Finnish | aivohalvaus | ||
| 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. | |||
| Hungarian | stroke | ||
| In Hungarian, the word “stroke” can be translated to “ütés,” which means “hit” or “blow.” | |||
| Latvian | insults | ||
| The word "insults" in Latvian can also mean "to stroke" or "to caress", originating from the Latin word "insultare". | |||
| Lithuanian | insultas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "insultas" is derived from the Latin "insultus," meaning "sudden attack" or "assault." | |||
| Macedonian | мозочен удар | ||
| The word "мозочен удар" also has the alternate meaning of "sunstroke", where мозг means "brain" and удар means "strike, hit". | |||
| Polish | uderzenie | ||
| The word "uderzenie" in Polish derives from the verb "uderzyć", meaning "to strike", therefore the word carries the broader meaning of "hitting" or "impacting". | |||
| Romanian | accident vascular cerebral | ||
| The Romanian term "accident vascular cerebral" (stroke) comes from the Latin phrase "ictus apoplecticus" (apoplectic stroke). | |||
| Russian | инсульт | ||
| The Russian word "инсульт" can also mean an insult or an impolite remark. | |||
| Serbian | удар | ||
| 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. | |||
| Slovak | mŕtvica | ||
| In addition to meaning "stroke", "mŕtvica" can also mean "apoplexy" or "paralysis" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | možganska kap | ||
| "Možganska kap" is the Slovenian translation of the English term "cerebrovascular accident". | |||
| Ukrainian | інсульт | ||
| 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
| Bengali | স্ট্রোক | ||
| In Bengali, 'স্ট্রোক' (stroke) can also refer to a style or manner of writing or drawing, similar to 'brushstroke' or 'pen stroke' in English. | |||
| Gujarati | સ્ટ્રોક | ||
| The word "stroke" comes from the Middle English word "strok," which means "a light blow." | |||
| Hindi | आघात | ||
| In Hindi, आघात also means shock, or mental trauma. | |||
| Kannada | ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವವಾಯು | ||
| 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. | |||
| Malayalam | സ്ട്രോക്ക് | ||
| The word 'സ്ട്രോക്ക്' ('stroke') in Malayalam can also refer to a 'dash' or 'hyphen' in writing. | |||
| Marathi | स्ट्रोक | ||
| Stroke is a Marathi language word which also means a small amount of anything, or a letter | |||
| Nepali | झड्का | ||
| 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. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਟਰੋਕ | ||
| 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. | |||
| Tamil | பக்கவாதம் | ||
| The Tamil word "பக்கவாதம்" originally meant "paralysis of one side of the body" but now commonly refers to a stroke. | |||
| Telugu | స్ట్రోక్ | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Urdu | اسٹروک | ||
| 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". | |||
| Korean | 뇌졸중 | ||
| "뇌졸중" originates from "뇌가 졸다" meaning "the brain suddenly withers," hence "stroke." | |||
| Mongolian | цус 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
| Indonesian | stroke | ||
| In Indonesian, "stroke" refers specifically to a cerebral infarction, while a cerebrovascular accident in general is known as "serangan otak" or "CVA". | |||
| Javanese | stroke | ||
| "Stroke" in Javanese can also refer to "a drawing, pattern, or line". | |||
| Khmer | ដាច់សរសៃឈាមខួរក្បាល | ||
| Lao | ເສັ້ນເລືອດຕັນໃນ | ||
| Malay | strok | ||
| The word "strok" in Malay also means "line", "mark", and "to draw a line or mark". | |||
| Thai | โรคหลอดเลือดสมอง | ||
| คำว่า "โรคหลอดเลือดสมอง" มาจากคำว่า "หลอด" (vessel) "เลือด" (blood) และ "สมอง" (brain) | |||
| Vietnamese | đột quỵ | ||
| "Đột quỵ" also means "to move suddenly" or "to turn suddenly" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | stroke | ||
Stroke in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | vuruş | ||
| Derived from the verb 'vurmak' meaning 'to hit', 'vuruş' can also refer to a blow, strike, or shot. | |||
| Kazakh | инсульт | ||
| The Kazakh word “инсульт” is derived from the Latin word “insultus,” which means “attack” or “assault.” | |||
| Kyrgyz | инсульт | ||
| The word “инсульт” originates from the Latin word “insultus”, meaning “attack” or “onset”. | |||
| Tajik | зарба | ||
| Слово «зарба» имеет также значение «удар», «ранение», и восходит к персидскому «зарби». | |||
| Turkmen | insult | ||
| Uzbek | qon 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. | |||
| Uyghur | سەكتە | ||
Stroke in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hahau | ||
| Although it literally translates as a blow it can also carry meanings of misfortune | |||
| Maori | whiu | ||
| In the Maori language, "whiu" can also refer to a gesture of dismissal or a reprimand. | |||
| Samoan | afaina | ||
| 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
| Aymara | t'ukhu usu | ||
| Guarani | mbota | ||
Stroke in International Languages
| Esperanto | streko | ||
| The Esperanto word "streko" is also used to describe a line or streak, coming from the root word "strek" meaning "to stretch or extend." | |||
| Latin | ictum | ||
| The word "ictum" in Latin can also refer to a downbeat in music or a metrical foot in poetry. | |||
Stroke in Others Languages
| Greek | εγκεφαλικό | ||
| The term 'Εγκεφαλικό' comes from the Greek word 'εγκέφαλος', which means 'brain', and '-ικό', a suffix indicating a condition or state. | |||
| Hmong | mob 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. | |||
| Kurdish | lêdan | ||
| There is a Kurdish proverb saying 'Her zarok lêdan e' meaning every child has a natural disposition. | |||
| Turkish | inme | ||
| In Mongolian, the root word "inme" also means "to come" or "to arrive." | |||
| Xhosa | ukubetha | ||
| The word 'ukubetha' also carries the alternate meaning of 'to hit' or 'to strike' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | מאַך | ||
| The Yiddish word 'מאַך' has multiple meanings, including 'blow', 'hit', 'movement', and even 'time'. | |||
| Zulu | unhlangothi | ||
| In isiXhosa, ‘unhlangothi’ is a synonym for ‘umhlaza’ which is a term used to refer to various diseases, including stroke. | |||
| Assamese | আঘাত | ||
| Aymara | t'ukhu usu | ||
| Bhojpuri | झटका | ||
| Dhivehi | ސްޓްރޯކް | ||
| Dogri | टनकोर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | stroke | ||
| Guarani | mbota | ||
| Ilocano | stroke | ||
| Krio | strok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لێدان | ||
| Maithili | आघात | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thai | ||
| Oromo | haleellaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଘାତ | ||
| Quechua | siqi | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रहार | ||
| Tatar | инсульт | ||
| Tigrinya | ውቃዕ | ||
| Tsonga | oma swirho | ||