Updated on March 6, 2024
The word structure holds a significant place in our lives, shaping how we perceive and interact with the world around us. Derived from the Latin structura, it signifies the arrangement of parts or elements in a systematic and coherent manner. This concept is not only crucial in various fields such as engineering, architecture, and mathematics but also extends to our cultural and linguistic spheres.
Throughout history, the significance of structure has been evident in the grandeur of ancient civilizations. From the colossal pyramids of Egypt to the intricate Parthenon of Greece, these structures have not only withstood the test of time but also left indelible marks on our cultural consciousness. Understanding the word structure in different languages can provide us with unique perspectives on how various cultures perceive and organize their worlds.
For instance, the French translation of structure is structure, while in Spanish, it is estructura. In German, the word for structure is Struktur, and in Japanese, it is STRUKUTORU or 構造.
Afrikaans | struktuur | ||
"Struktuur" can mean structure, posture, or build in Afrikaans, and derives from the French word "structure". | |||
Amharic | መዋቅር | ||
"መዋቅር" can also mean "foundation", especially in the context of a religious or philosophical system. | |||
Hausa | tsari | ||
"Tsari" in Hausa, derived from Arabic, also refers to the order or formation of something. | |||
Igbo | ọdịdị | ||
The word "Ọdịdị" in Igbo can also refer to the state or quality of being something, particularly in the abstract sense. | |||
Malagasy | firafitra | ||
The term "firafitra" also means "order" in its abstract sense, like in the expression "firafitry ny fisehoan-javatra". This second meaning is shared with the French term "structure" from which it derives. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kapangidwe | ||
The verb "kapangidwe" also means to build or construct. | |||
Shona | chimiro | ||
The word "chimiro" can also mean "building" or "house". | |||
Somali | qaabdhismeed | ||
"Qaabdhismeed" is also used to refer to a group of people organized for a specific purpose, such as a committee or a board. | |||
Sesotho | sebopeho | ||
Sebopeho is related to the word sebopeha, which means "to establish." | |||
Swahili | muundo | ||
Muundo, meaning 'structure', is derived from the verb 'ku-unda', which means 'to create', 'to form', or 'to put together'. In some contexts, muundo can also mean 'system' or 'organization'. | |||
Xhosa | ulwakhiwo | ||
The Xhosa word 'ulwakhiwo' can also refer to a building or a framework. | |||
Yoruba | igbekale | ||
Igbekale refers to "framework", especially of a building. | |||
Zulu | isakhiwo | ||
In Xhosa, 'isakhiwo' also means 'behavior', 'conduct' or 'character', especially the character of children | |||
Bambara | kɛcogo | ||
Ewe | nɔnɔme | ||
Kinyarwanda | imiterere | ||
Lingala | ndenge ezali | ||
Luganda | enkula | ||
Sepedi | sebopego | ||
Twi (Akan) | nhyehyɛeɛ | ||
Arabic | بناء | ||
The word "بناء" in Arabic is cognate with the English word "edify" and shares the meaning of "to instruct or improve morally or intellectually" | |||
Hebrew | מִבְנֶה | ||
The word "מִבְנֶה" originates from the root ב.נ.ה, meaning "to build", and is related to the Arabic word "بناء" (bināʾ), meaning "structure" or "building". | |||
Pashto | جوړښت | ||
The Pashto word "جوړښت" means both "structure" and "arrangement". | |||
Arabic | بناء | ||
The word "بناء" in Arabic is cognate with the English word "edify" and shares the meaning of "to instruct or improve morally or intellectually" |
Albanian | struktura | ||
In Albanian, the word "struktura" (structure) can also refer to a physical or social system, or to a complex or intricate arrangement. | |||
Basque | egitura | ||
The word “egitura” in Basque also refers to the “framework” or “body” of a building. | |||
Catalan | estructura | ||
The Catalan word for "structure" is a homonym meaning "strain" | |||
Croatian | struktura | ||
Struktura can also mean 'texture' in Croatian and is a cognate of 'structure' in English which comes from Latin 'struere' (to pile up). | |||
Danish | struktur | ||
The Danish word "struktur" can also refer to the texture of a fabric or the framework of a story. | |||
Dutch | structuur | ||
In some dialects in the north of the Netherlands, 'structuur' means an old barn. | |||
English | structure | ||
Originating from the Latin word "struere," the word "structure" initially meant "to pile up" or "to construct. "} | |||
French | structure | ||
In French, "structure" also refers to a building or construction, and can be used in a literary sense to describe the organization or arrangement of something. | |||
Frisian | struktuer | ||
The word "struktuer" in Frisian has the added meaning of "skeleton" which is not found in Standard Dutch. | |||
Galician | estrutura | ||
Galician estrutura has the same meaning of "structure" and "building" in Portuguese, as it comes from the Latin "structūra", meaning "construction". | |||
German | struktur | ||
In linguistics, "Struktur" can also refer to the framework for classifying the grammatical roles of words within a sentence.} | |||
Icelandic | uppbyggingu | ||
Uppbyggingu is also used in Icelandic to refer to a person's character or the quality of being upstanding. | |||
Irish | struchtúr | ||
In Irish, the word 'struchtúr' is derived from the Latin word 'structūra', which means 'arrangement' or 'building'. | |||
Italian | struttura | ||
The Italian word "struttura" comes from the Latin word "structura", meaning "building" or "arrangement". | |||
Luxembourgish | struktur | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Struktur" can also refer to the act of organizing or the composition of something. | |||
Maltese | struttura | ||
In Maltese, "struttura" can also refer to a "framework" or "outline". | |||
Norwegian | struktur | ||
Struktur in Norwegian can also mean texture | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | estrutura | ||
The Portuguese word "estrutura" comes from the Latin word "structura", meaning "arrangement" or "order". | |||
Scots Gaelic | structar | ||
In Scots Gaelic, the word "structar" not only means "structure," but also "foundation" and "fabrication." | |||
Spanish | estructura | ||
The word "estructura" in Spanish can also refer to the arrangement of elements in a text or discourse. | |||
Swedish | strukturera | ||
The word "strukturera" is also used to refer to the act of organizing or arranging something. | |||
Welsh | strwythur | ||
Strwythur is the Welsh word for "structure". It may also refer to a person of large or imposing stature. |
Belarusian | структуры | ||
The word "структуры" can also refer to an organization or institution in Belarusian. | |||
Bosnian | struktura | ||
It derives from Latin word „sstructura” (building, construction, arrangement) and was adopted into German, Czech, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Russian and Ukrainian languages. | |||
Bulgarian | структура | ||
The word "структура" can also refer to a building or construction in Bulgarian. | |||
Czech | struktura | ||
In Czech, "struktura" can also refer to the "construction" of a building or the "fabric" of a textile. | |||
Estonian | struktuur | ||
The word "struktuur" in Estonian can also mean "organ". | |||
Finnish | rakenne | ||
The suffix '-ne' forms singular, abstract forms; it could derive from '-nen,' where '-n-' would serve as an euphonic glide (see 'nenä'). | |||
Hungarian | szerkezet | ||
The Hungarian word "szerkezet" comes from the Latin word "structura", which means "building, construction, arrangement". | |||
Latvian | struktūru | ||
In Latvian, "struktūru" also refers to a building's framework or internal organization. | |||
Lithuanian | struktūra | ||
The Lithuanian word "struktūra" originates from the Latin "structūra" and can also refer to a pattern or a plan. | |||
Macedonian | структура | ||
The word "структура" is derived from the Latin word "struere", meaning "to build". | |||
Polish | struktura | ||
"Struktura" can also refer to a building or other architectural construction. | |||
Romanian | structura | ||
From Old French structure ('building', 'construction'), via Latin from the past participle stem of struere ('to build'), perhaps of Etruscan origin. | |||
Russian | структура | ||
The word "структура" can also mean "organization" or "framework". | |||
Serbian | структура | ||
The Slavic words for "form" and "shape" are the most frequent synonyms of "структура" in Serbian | |||
Slovak | štruktúra | ||
The word "štruktúra" can also refer to a building or a formation of people or things. | |||
Slovenian | struktura | ||
The Slovenian word "struktura" comes from the Latin word "structura", which means "arrangement" or "organization". | |||
Ukrainian | структура | ||
In scientific disciplines, the word can have a broad meaning, referring to the organization of objects and their relationships. |
Bengali | কাঠামো | ||
কাঠামো (structure) derives from 'কাঠ' ('wood'), signifying a robust framework supporting something. | |||
Gujarati | માળખું | ||
The word 'માળખું' (structure) in Gujarati can also refer to the backbone or skeleton of an animal or the frame of a building. | |||
Hindi | संरचना | ||
The word "संरचना" also refers to the process of construction or arrangement, and the result of this process. | |||
Kannada | ರಚನೆ | ||
The word "ರಚನೆ" is a compound word of "ರಚ" (compose) and "ನೆ" (the one that is). | |||
Malayalam | ഘടന | ||
The word "ഘടന" (structure) is derived from the Sanskrit word "घटना" (combination, composition), signifying the arrangement and relationship of parts within a whole. | |||
Marathi | रचना | ||
रचना in Marathi can also mean an essay, a play, a novel, or any other form of creative writing. | |||
Nepali | संरचना | ||
सांख्य दर्शन में, संरचना को 'प्रकृति' या 'वस्तु' से अलग एक स्वतंत्र और नित्य तत्व के रूप में देखा जाता है। | |||
Punjabi | ਬਣਤਰ | ||
The word "ਬਣਤਰ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "बनावट" meaning "construction" or "form." | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ව්යුහය | ||
In the field of architecture, 'ව්යුහය' refers to the skeletal framework of a building or other structure. | |||
Tamil | அமைப்பு | ||
In Tamil, "அமைப்பு" can also refer to a system, organization, or composition. | |||
Telugu | నిర్మాణం | ||
నిర్మాణం may also refer to the arrangement, form, or organization of something. | |||
Urdu | ساخت | ||
Derived from Persian "ساخت" (sākht) meaning "construction, workmanship"} |
Chinese (Simplified) | 结构体 | ||
在计算机科学中,"结构体"指一种数据结构,用于存储和组织不同类型数据 | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 結構體 | ||
"結構體" is a translation of the English word "structure". Alternatively, it can also mean something like organization or something that is organized. | |||
Japanese | 構造 | ||
構造's kun-yomi reading, "たてまえ", implies the basic framework or plan of a project, building, or organization and dates back to the 10th century. | |||
Korean | 구조 | ||
구조 derives from the Chinese word "枸杞", meaning "wolfberry" or "goji berry". | |||
Mongolian | бүтэц | ||
Бүтэц (bütets) is a Mongolian word meaning 'structure' or 'composition'. It is derived from the verb бүтээх (büteeld) 'to create' or 'to make'. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖွဲ့စည်းပုံ | ||
Indonesian | struktur | ||
The Indonesian word 'struktur' can also refer to 'form' or 'system' | |||
Javanese | struktur | ||
The Javanese word "struktur" can also mean "composition" or "arrangement". | |||
Khmer | រចនាសម្ព័ន្ធ | ||
Lao | ໂຄງສ້າງ | ||
Malay | struktur | ||
In Malay, 'struktur' also refers to a musical composition's form. | |||
Thai | โครงสร้าง | ||
In Thai, "โครงสร้าง" also refers to the structure of a story or organization. | |||
Vietnamese | kết cấu | ||
The word "kết cấu" originates from Chinese words meaning both "structure" and a type of fabric with woven patterns. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | istraktura | ||
Azerbaijani | quruluş | ||
"Quruluş" also means "establishment" or "foundation" in Azerbaijani. | |||
Kazakh | құрылым | ||
The word "құрылым" can also refer to "organization" or "system" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | структура | ||
Tajik | сохтори | ||
The word "сохтори" can also mean "creation" or "building" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | gurluşy | ||
Uzbek | tuzilishi | ||
In Uzbek, "tuzilishi" can also refer to the composition or arrangement of something. | |||
Uyghur | قۇرۇلما | ||
Hawaiian | hanana | ||
"Hana" is one of the Hawaiian words for craft, work, or industry and is also the name for a Hawaiian dance style. | |||
Maori | hanganga | ||
The word 'hanganga' also refers to a type of woven flax basket or container in Maori culture. | |||
Samoan | fausaga | ||
The word 'fausaga' in Samoan comes from the Proto-Polynesian word '*pusanga', and also means 'to erect' or 'to build' | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | istraktura | ||
"Istraktura" is an adopted Spanish word which is used to refer to the organization and interrelation of the parts of something or a whole. |
Aymara | utt'ayata | ||
Guarani | hetepy | ||
Esperanto | strukturo | ||
The word "strukturo" is also used in Esperanto to refer to the skeletal framework of a building or the internal organization of something. | |||
Latin | structure | ||
The Latin word “struere” means “to build, put together, join,” and “to arrange.” |
Greek | δομή | ||
The word 'δομή' can also mean 'building' or 'edifice' in Greek. | |||
Hmong | qauv | ||
The word 'qauv' in Hmong is derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word '*kɔu', meaning 'to weave' or 'to braid'. | |||
Kurdish | awayî | ||
"Awayî" also means "the act of creating, constructing, arranging." | |||
Turkish | yapı | ||
In Turkish, "yapı" can also refer to a "composition" or "work" | |||
Xhosa | ulwakhiwo | ||
The Xhosa word 'ulwakhiwo' can also refer to a building or a framework. | |||
Yiddish | סטרוקטור | ||
סטרוקטור also means a building, an establishment or a company | |||
Zulu | isakhiwo | ||
In Xhosa, 'isakhiwo' also means 'behavior', 'conduct' or 'character', especially the character of children | |||
Assamese | গাঁঠনি | ||
Aymara | utt'ayata | ||
Bhojpuri | ढांचा | ||
Dhivehi | ބިނާ | ||
Dogri | ढांचा | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | istraktura | ||
Guarani | hetepy | ||
Ilocano | istruktura | ||
Krio | bildin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | پێکهاتە | ||
Maithili | ढांचा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯑꯣꯡ ꯃꯇꯧ | ||
Mizo | ruangam | ||
Oromo | caasaa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଗଠନ | ||
Quechua | estructura | ||
Sanskrit | संरचना | ||
Tatar | структурасы | ||
Tigrinya | ቅርፂ | ||
Tsonga | xivumbeko | ||