Suicide in different languages

Suicide in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word suicide holds great significance as it refers to the act of intentionally causing one's own death. This term is not only crucial in the medical and psychological fields but also in understanding societal issues, cultural attitudes, and personal struggles. Suicide has been a topic of interest across various cultures and historical periods, with different languages providing unique perspectives on this complex issue.

For instance, in Latin, suicidium reflects the intentional nature of the act, while in Japanese, joushi (� joushi) carries a sense of sadness and tragedy. In Hindi, atmahatya (अत्महत्या) highlights the religious and moral implications of self-inflicted death. These translations not only offer linguistic diversity but also shed light on cultural nuances surrounding suicide.

Understanding the word suicide in different languages can foster empathy, promote open discussions, and help break down cultural barriers. Here's a list of translations that reveal the global reach and impact of this critical issue.

Suicide


Suicide in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansselfmoord
"Selfmoord" (suicide) in Afrikaans derives from "zelf" (self) and "moord" (murder), indicating the perception of suicide as an act of self-murder.
Amharicራስን መግደል
Hausakashe kansa
Igboigbu onwe
Etymology of 'igbu onwe' suggests it meant something different in earlier forms of Igbo: 'igbu' meaning 'killing' and 'onwe' meaning 'person' but in this context it means 'oneself'.
Malagasyfamonoan-tena
Nyanja (Chichewa)kudzipha
'Kudzipha' comes from the root word 'pha', meaning 'to kill', and the prefix 'ku', signifying an action. It shares a root with the word 'kupha', meaning 'to die' or 'to be killed'.
Shonakuzviuraya
Somaliismiidaamin
The word "ismiidaamin" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "istimdaad", meaning "to seek help".
Sesothoho ipolaea
The Sesotho word "ho ipolaea" (suicide) is derived from the verb "ho ipolosa" (to destroy oneself).
Swahilikujiua
The word 'kujiua' in Swahili originates from 'ku' (to do) and 'jiua' (to kill oneself), but can also refer to animal sacrifice.
Xhosaukuzibulala
Yorubaigbẹmi ara ẹni
Igbẹ́mi ara ẹni translates to 'self-killing', and not suicide as it is commonly used.
Zuluukuzibulala
Bambarayɛrɛfaga
Eweameɖokuiwuwu
Kinyarwandakwiyahura
Lingalakomiboma
Lugandaokwetta
Sepedigo ipolaya
Twi (Akan)obi a okum ne ho

Suicide in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicانتحار
Hebrewהִתאַבְּדוּת
The word "הִתאַבְּדוּת" derives from the root "אבד", meaning "to be lost" or "to perish."
Pashtoځان وژنه
The word "ځان وژنه" not only means "suicide" but is also used as the technical word for "self-sacrifice".
Arabicانتحار

Suicide in Western European Languages

Albanianvetëvrasje
The word "vetëvrasje" derives from the Albanian words "vetë" (self) and "vrasje" (killing), and it can also refer to self-sacrifice or martyrdom in some contexts.
Basquesuizidioa
The Basque word "suizidioa" is related to "suizida" in the Romance languages and "suicide" in English, with no alternative meanings.
Catalansuïcidi
Suïcidi comes from the Latin word "sui cidium", meaning "self-killing".
Croatiansamoubojstvo
Danishselvmord
The Danish word "selvmord" is derived from the Old Norse "sjalfsmorð", a compound of "sjalf" (self) and "morð" (murder), and thus literally means "self-murder."
Dutchzelfmoord
The word 'zelfmoord' (suicide in Dutch) is derived from the Old Dutch words 'zelf' (self) and 'moord' (murder), meaning literally 'murdering oneself'
Englishsuicide
The English word 'suicide' has roots in Latin as well as French (where it was 'suiscide'): both are ultimately derived from Old Latin _sui caedere_ (_sway kay-duh-ray_; "to kill oneself"), but also have meanings associated with murder of another person, especially through treachery; the English 'cide' suffix is ultimately derived from this verb and appears in numerous modern words derived from Latin that pertain to killing.
Frenchsuicide
The French word for "suicide" is composed of the words "sui" (oneself) and "cide" (to kill), and shares a common root with the English word "homicide".
Frisianselsmoard
The Middle Frisian word "selsmoard" comes from the root "self" (self) and "moard" (murder).
Galiciansuicidio
The word "suicidio" in Galician can also refer to the voluntary termination of one's life.
Germanselbstmord
The German word "Selbstmord" literally translates to "self-murder," reflecting its legal and moral connotations in German society.
Icelandicsjálfsmorð
The Icelandic word "sjálfsmorð" can also refer to "self-death".
Irishféinmharú
Italiansuicidio
Luxembourgishsuizid
The Luxembourgish word "Suizid" is also used to describe the act of self-sacrifice, martyrdom, or dying for a noble cause.
Maltesesuwiċidju
The Maltese word "suwiċidju" comes from the Latin "suicidium", which in turn comes from the Latin verb "sui caedere", meaning "to kill oneself".
Norwegianselvmord
The Norwegian word "selvmord" literally translates to "self-murder".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)suicídio
Suicídio comes from the Latin 'suicidium' while also meaning the act of taking one's own life.
Scots Gaelicfèin-mharbhadh
The term "fèin-mharbhadh" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to the "self-murder" of one's reputation or status.
Spanishsuicidio
The Spanish word "suicidio" can also refer to the act of giving up one's life for religious or political reasons.
Swedishsjälvmord
"Självmord" literally means "self-murder" in Swedish.
Welshhunanladdiad
The word 'hunanladdiad' is derived from the Welsh words 'hun' (self) and 'lladdiad' (killing), literally meaning 'self-killing'.

Suicide in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianсамагубства
The word "самагубства" (suicide) is derived from the Old Slavic root "губъ" (to destroy, to lose).
Bosniansamoubistvo
The word "samoubistvo" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "sъmoubijьstvo", which means "self-killing".
Bulgarianсамоубийство
The Bulgarian word "самоубийство" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*samъ" (self) and "*ubiti" (to kill), meaning "self-killing".
Czechsebevražda
The Czech word "sebevražda" is derived from the Slavic word "vražda" (murder) and the prefix "sebe-" (self), literally meaning "murder of oneself".
Estonianenesetapp
The term is not considered to be an original Estonian one, with some sources suggesting it may have been borrowed from Old Norse.
Finnishitsemurha
"Itsemurha" is a compound word, formed from the words "itse" (self) and "murha" (murder).
Hungarianöngyilkosság
"Öngyilkosság" literally means "self-killing" in Hungarian.
Latvianpašnāvība
The term "pašnāvība" in Latvian can also refer to self-mutilation and ritual self-sacrifice.
Lithuaniansavižudybė
Macedonianсамоубиство
The word "самоубиство" is derived from the Slavic word "sam" (self) and "ubiti" (to kill).
Polishsamobójstwo
The Polish word 'samobójstwo' is derived from the Old Polish word 'samobójca' meaning 'one who kills himself' and is related to the Slavic root 'smrt' ('death').
Romaniansinucidere
In the case of Romanian "sinucidere" the prefix "sino-" (literally "by itself, by one's own will, on its own, of its own accord, by itself alone, unaided ") refers to an action done without any external help.
Russianсамоубийство
"Самоубийство" is not related to any words for "self" or "kill" but instead goes back to "убийство," meaning "murder".
Serbianсамоубиство
The word "самоубиство" in Serbian originally meant "self-sacrifice" or "death by one's own hand", but it has since come to mean "suicide".
Slovaksamovražda
"Samovražda" in Slovak is related to the word "vražda" (murder), suggesting self-killing as a form of murder against oneself.
Sloveniansamomor
The word "samomor" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *sъmo-morъ, meaning "self-inflicted death".
Ukrainianсамогубство
The Ukrainian word "самогубство" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *samgubstvo, which is derived from the roots *samъ ("self") and *gubiti ("to destroy").

Suicide in South Asian Languages

Bengaliআত্মহত্যা
Gujaratiઆત્મહત્યા
The word "आत्महत्या" (suicide) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्महत्या" (self-killing), which is composed of the words "आत्म" (self) and "हत्या" (killing).
Hindiआत्मघाती
The word "आत्मघाती" can also mean "murderer" or "killer" in Hindi.
Kannadaಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ
Malayalamആത്മഹത്യ
The word "ആത്മഹത്യ" (suicide) is derived from the Sanskrit words "आत्म" (self) and "हत्या" (killing). It can also be used in a broader sense to refer to self-harm or self-destructive behavior.
Marathiआत्महत्या
The word "आत्महत्या" (suicide) in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit words "आत्म" (self) and "हत्या" (killing), thus conveying the idea of self-killing or taking one's own life.
Nepaliआत्महत्या
The word "आत्महत्या" literally means "giving up oneself" in Sanskrit.
Punjabiਖੁਦਕੁਸ਼ੀ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සියදිවි නසා ගැනීම
Tamilதற்கொலை
In Tamil, the word "தற்கொலை" (suicide) literally translates to "self-killing."
Teluguఆత్మహత్య
The word "ఆత్మహత్య" (suicide) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आत्महत्या" (ātmahatyā), which literally means "self-killing".
Urduخودکشی

Suicide in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)自杀
The term 自杀 ('suicide') literally means 'self-killing' in Chinese.
Chinese (Traditional)自殺
Japanese自殺
The Japanese word "自殺" (jisatsu) originally meant "self-killing" or "self-murder" but is now used solely to refer to suicide.
Korean자살
자살 is the Korean word for 'suicide,' derived from Chinese characters meaning 'self' and 'kill' and can also refer to the Buddhist concept of 'self-killing' or 'death of the self,' which is considered as a way of transcending the cycle of rebirth and achieving spiritual enlightenment.
Mongolianамиа хорлох
The Mongolian word ‘амиа хорлох’ is etymologically connected to the word ‘хорлон’ which is the Mongolian word for ‘worm’, and it can metaphorically represent ‘the worm that hollows a tree’.
Myanmar (Burmese)ကိုယ့်ကိုယ်ကိုသတ်သေခြင်း

Suicide in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianbunuh diri
Javaneselampus
The Javanese word "lampus" originates from the Old Javanese word "lampu", meaning "to burn oneself".
Khmerការធ្វើអត្តឃាត
Laoການຂ້າຕົວຕາຍ
Malaymembunuh diri
Thaiการฆ่าตัวตาย
In Thai, the word "การฆ่าตัวตาย" can also refer to ritual suicide or self-sacrifice.
Vietnamesetự sát
The word "tự sát" (suicide) is formed from two Sino-Vietnamese words: "tự" (self) and "sát" (to kill).
Filipino (Tagalog)pagpapakamatay

Suicide in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniintihar
The word 'intihar' is derived from the Arabic word 'intihar', which means 'to throw oneself into danger'.
Kazakhсуицид
Слово «суицид» в казахском языке произошло от латинского «sui caedere», что означает «убивать себя».
Kyrgyzсуицид
The Kyrgyz word "суицид" is derived from the Latin word "sui cidium," which means "self-killing."
Tajikхудкушӣ
The Tajik word "худкушӣ" derives from the Persian word "خودکشی" (khudkushī), meaning "self-killing".
Turkmenöz janyna kast etmek
Uzbeko'z joniga qasd qilish
Uyghurئۆزىنى ئۆلتۈرىۋېلىش

Suicide in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianpepehi kanaka ʻana
The word "pepehi kanaka ʻana" can also be used to describe homicide or other forms of killing.
Maoriwhakamomori
The word "whakamomori" can also mean "to protect" or "to keep safe" in Maori.
Samoanpule i le ola
The Samoan word for suicide, "pule i le ola," literally translates to "prayer for life".
Tagalog (Filipino)pagpapakamatay

Suicide in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajupa pachpa jiwayasiña
Guaraniojesuicida haguã

Suicide in International Languages

Esperantomemmortigo
Memmortigo is a calque of the Latin word "memoriam mortis" (remembrance of death).
Latinmortem
"Mortem", which stems from Latin, can also refer to the state of being dead, rather than just the act of intentional death.

Suicide in Others Languages

Greekαυτοκτονία
Αυτοκτονία derives from "αὐτός" (self) and "κτείνω" (to kill) and originally referred to the act of killing oneself in order to avoid dishonour or disgrace.
Hmongyus tua yus
"Yus tua yus" literally means "a life for a life" in Hmong.
Kurdishxwekûştinî
The word “xwekûştinî” derives from the two words “xwe” (self) and “kûştin” (kill), thus literally meaning “self-killing.”
Turkishintihar
"İntihar" is an Arabic loanword used in Turkish that originally meant "warning", a meaning still retained in Azeri.
Xhosaukuzibulala
Yiddishזעלבסטמאָרד
The Yiddish word for 'suicide' is 'זעלבסטמאָרד', a compound word meaning 'self-murder'.
Zuluukuzibulala
Assameseআত্মহত্যা
Aymarajupa pachpa jiwayasiña
Bhojpuriआत्महत्या के बात बा
Dhivehiއަމިއްލައަށް މަރުވުމެވެ
Dogriआत्महत्या
Filipino (Tagalog)pagpapakamatay
Guaraniojesuicida haguã
Ilocanopanagpakamatay
Kriofɔ kil dɛnsɛf
Kurdish (Sorani)خۆکوشتن
Maithiliआत्महत्या
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯃꯁꯥꯅꯥ ꯃꯁꯥꯕꯨ ꯁꯤꯖꯕꯥ꯫
Mizomahni intihhlum
Oromoof ajjeesuu
Odia (Oriya)ଆତ୍ମହତ୍ୟା
Quechuawañuchikuy
Sanskritआत्महत्या
Tatarүз-үзенә кул салу
Tigrinyaነብሰ ቅትለት
Tsongaku tidlaya

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