Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'supply' holds immense significance in our daily lives, referring to the act of providing or making something available when needed. Its cultural importance is evident in various contexts, such as business, economics, and even social relationships. Understanding the concept of supply in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural appreciation.
Did you know that the term 'supply' has roots in the Latin word 'supplyere,' which means 'to fill up'? Or that in Old English, it was referred to as 'sylfian,' meaning 'to provide for oneself'? These historical contexts add depth to our modern understanding of the word.
Knowing the translation of 'supply' in various languages can be beneficial for travelers, international business professionals, and language enthusiasts. For instance, in Spanish, 'supply' translates to 'abastecimiento,' while in French, it is 'approvisionnement.' In German, it is 'Versorgung,' and in Japanese, it is '供給 (kujo)'.
Afrikaans | aanbod | ||
"Aanbod" is Dutch for both "supply" and "proposal." | |||
Amharic | አቅርቦት | ||
The word 'አቅርቦት' ('supply') is derived from the verb 'አቅርብ' ('to approach'), and can also refer to offerings or gifts. | |||
Hausa | wadata | ||
Hausa word "wadata" also refers to a person who supplies something. | |||
Igbo | ọkọnọ | ||
"Ọkọnọ" can also mean 'provision', 'equipment', or 'means'" | |||
Malagasy | famatsiana | ||
The word "famatsiana" can also refer to the supplies needed for a ritual or ceremony. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | kupereka | ||
Kupereka, in addition to meaning 'to supply' in Nyanja, comes from the verb 'kupereka' which means 'to carry on the back'. | |||
Shona | kugovera | ||
The term "kugovera" is related to the notion of "passing something to" or "transfer of an object". | |||
Somali | sahay | ||
The Somali word "sahay" can also mean "to help" or "to support". | |||
Sesotho | phepelo | ||
The word 'phepelo' can also refer to the process of providing food and other necessities to a community, or to a person or group who provides these items. | |||
Swahili | usambazaji | ||
The verb form of 'usambazaji' can be 'kusambaza' (to distribute), 'kusambazwa' (to be distributed), 'kusambazisha' (to cause to be distributed). | |||
Xhosa | unikezelo | ||
The Xhosa word "unikezelo" is derived from the verb "ukunika," meaning "to give" or "to provide." | |||
Yoruba | ipese | ||
In Yoruba, 'ipese' can alternatively refer to 'provisions' or 'a gift'. | |||
Zulu | ukuphakela | ||
The word "ukuphakela" can also mean "to provide" or "to give with intent to benefit". | |||
Bambara | ka di a ma | ||
Ewe | nunana | ||
Kinyarwanda | gutanga | ||
Lingala | kopesa | ||
Luganda | okugaba | ||
Sepedi | kabo | ||
Twi (Akan) | fa ma | ||
Arabic | يتبرع | ||
The word "يتبرع" also carries the meaning of "spontaneous"} | |||
Hebrew | לְסַפֵּק | ||
The root ספק (s-p-q) also means 'doubt' | |||
Pashto | عرضه | ||
The word "عرضه" in Pashto also means "presentation" or "display". | |||
Arabic | يتبرع | ||
The word "يتبرع" also carries the meaning of "spontaneous"} |
Albanian | furnizimi | ||
The word "furnizimi" in Albanian ultimately derives from the Latin "furnire", meaning "to provide" or "to supply". | |||
Basque | hornidura | ||
The Basque word | |||
Catalan | subministrament | ||
The term "subministrament" in Catalan originates from the Latin "subministrare," meaning "to furnish" or "to provide." | |||
Croatian | opskrba | ||
"Opskrba" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "opъskrbъ" meaning "care, providing for" and carries additional connotations of "protection" and "patronage". | |||
Danish | levere | ||
"Levere" is also the Danish word for "deliver", "submit", and "hand in", similar to its German, Swedish, and Norwegian cognates. | |||
Dutch | levering | ||
The Dutch word "levering" can also refer to the act of delivering or transporting goods. | |||
English | supply | ||
The word "supply" comes from the Latin word "supplere," meaning "to fill up" or "to make complete." | |||
French | la fourniture | ||
"Fourniture" also comes from the verb "fournir", meaning "to furnish" or "to provide." | |||
Frisian | leverje | ||
In Dutch, "leveren" also means "to deliver" and comes from the Old French "livrer" with the same meaning. | |||
Galician | subministración | ||
The word "subministración" in Galician comes from the Latin "subministratio", meaning "to provide" or "to furnish". | |||
German | liefern | ||
"Liefern" comes from the old word "lifern" which is related to "life" and "leave". | |||
Icelandic | framboð | ||
The Icelandic word "framboð" derives from the Old Norse word "framboð", which meant "military levy", indicating the word's historical association with supply of troops. | |||
Irish | soláthar | ||
Italian | fornitura | ||
In musical terminology, "fornitura" can also refer to a mixture stop on an organ. | |||
Luxembourgish | versuergung | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Versuergung" can also refer to a group of people responsible for providing resources or services. | |||
Maltese | provvista | ||
The word "provvista" is likely of Romance origin, perhaps from Latin "providentia" meaning "foresight" or "providence". | |||
Norwegian | forsyning | ||
The word "forsyning" also means "assistance" or "provision" and is derived from the Old Norse word "forsynja" with the same meaning. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fornecem | ||
The verb 'fornecer' comes from the Latin verb 'fornirê', which means 'to furnish' or 'to equip'. | |||
Scots Gaelic | solar | ||
In Gaelic, solar can also mean 'floor' or 'sole' of a foot. | |||
Spanish | suministro | ||
The Spanish word "suministro" derives from the Latin verb "subministrare," meaning "to furnish" or "to provide." | |||
Swedish | tillförsel | ||
The term 'tillförsel' can also refer to 'delivery', 'admission' or 'influx'. | |||
Welsh | cyflenwi | ||
The Welsh word "cyflenwi" originally meant "to fill" or "to fulfill" before taking on its modern meaning. |
Belarusian | пастаўка | ||
"Пастаўка" has two meanings: "delivery" (of goods) and "station". | |||
Bosnian | opskrba | ||
The word 'opskrba' comes from the Serbian word 'ops`krba', which means 'care, attention, treatment', and is related to the verb 'ops`krbljivati', which means 'to take care of, to attend to, to treat'. | |||
Bulgarian | доставка | ||
The word "доставка" can also mean "delivery" or "shipment". | |||
Czech | zásobování | ||
"Zásobování" is derived from the word "zásoba" which means "stock" or "inventory" in Czech. | |||
Estonian | pakkumine | ||
In Estonian, "pakkumine" can also refer to a job offer or a proposal in addition to its primary meaning of "supply." | |||
Finnish | toimittaa | ||
The Finnish word "toimittaa" shares a root with "toimi", meaning "action", and can also refer to "delivering" or "executing" something. | |||
Hungarian | kínálat | ||
"Kínálat" is derived from the verb "kínál" which means "to offer". It can also refer to a range of choices or options. | |||
Latvian | piegādi | ||
The word “piegāde” derives from the root “pieg” which means “to bring close, to approach” and initially it was used in Latvian in the context of bringing close goods that had been previously ordered. | |||
Lithuanian | tiekimas | ||
Etymology unknown, perhaps related to word "teikti" (to provide). | |||
Macedonian | снабдување | ||
The verb "снабдувам" ("snabduvam") also means "to procure", and is related to the word "добав" ("dobav") meaning "to add". | |||
Polish | dostawa | ||
The Polish word 'dostawa' also has a slightly outdated alternate meaning of 'arrival', as a noun, and the verb form 'dostawac' can also mean 'to receive'. | |||
Romanian | livra | ||
The word "livra" is borrowed from the French "livrer", which means "to deliver" or "to supply" and is also related to the English word "livery", which refers to the clothing supplied to servants or horses. | |||
Russian | поставка | ||
In Russian, "поставка" not only means "supply" but also "delivery" and "installation". | |||
Serbian | снабдевање | ||
The Serbian word "снабдевање" comes from the Slavic word "snabditi" meaning "to furnish" and is related to the words "snabdenie" and "snabzhenie" in Russian. | |||
Slovak | zásobovanie | ||
"Zásobovanie" is derived from the verb "zásobovať" (to supply) and shares its root with the word "zásoba" (supply). | |||
Slovenian | ponudbe | ||
Ponudbe, meaning "supply" or "offer," is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*ponuditi" and is related to "ponuditi," meaning "to offer." | |||
Ukrainian | постачання | ||
The word "постачання" comes from the verb "поставляти" which means "to supply" or "to deliver". |
Bengali | সরবরাহ | ||
The word "সরবরাহ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "सर्वरः" (sarvaraḥ), meaning "lake" or "reservoir". | |||
Gujarati | પુરવઠા | ||
The Gujarati word "પુરવઠા" also means "provisions" or "stores" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "पर्वतित" (parvatita), meaning "heaped up". | |||
Hindi | आपूर्ति | ||
The word आपूर्ति comes from the Sanskrit root 'पूर्' meaning 'to fill', 'supply' or 'make complete'. | |||
Kannada | ಪೂರೈಕೆ | ||
The word "ಪೂರೈಕೆ" (supply) in Kannada comes from the Sanskrit word "पूरण" (pūraṇa), meaning "filling" or "completion." | |||
Malayalam | വിതരണം | ||
"വിതരണം" means 'distribution' or 'circulation'. It is derived from the word 'വിതരിക്കുക', which means 'to distribute' or 'to share' | |||
Marathi | पुरवठा | ||
The word "पुरवठा" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "पूर्ति", which means "fulfillment". It can also mean "provision" or "stock". | |||
Nepali | आपूर्ति | ||
The Nepali word "आपूर्ति" originates from the Sanskrit word "आपूर्ति" which also means "accomplishment, fulfillment" and "completion". | |||
Punjabi | ਸਪਲਾਈ | ||
The word 'ਸਪਲਾਈ' (supply) in Punjabi comes from the Persian word 'supurdan', meaning 'to deliver'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සැපයුම | ||
The word "සැපයුම" can also mean "happiness" or "comfort" in Sinhala. | |||
Tamil | விநியோகி | ||
The word "விநியோகி" (supply) in Tamil can also mean "distributor" or "agent". | |||
Telugu | సరఫరా | ||
"సరఫరా" is cognate with Persian "saraapaa" meaning, "head to foot," and the Urdu/Hindi word "saraapa" meaning the "complete outfit," a sense which was historically used in Telugu as well. | |||
Urdu | سپلائی | ||
سپلائی (Supply) derives from Old French |
Chinese (Simplified) | 供应 | ||
In Chinese, "供应" (supply) also refers to the provision of goods or services by a government or other entity to meet the needs of the public. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 供應 | ||
The word "供應" (supply) in Traditional Chinese can also mean "to provide" or "to furnish". | |||
Japanese | 供給 | ||
The word "供給" can also mean "provision" or "furnishing." | |||
Korean | 공급 | ||
The word "공급" in Korean can also mean "to provide" or "to furnish". | |||
Mongolian | хангамж | ||
The Mongolian word "хангамж" also means "support" or "sustenance". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ထောက်ပံ့ရေး | ||
Indonesian | pasokan | ||
"Pasokan" shares the same root word with "suplai" in Indonesian and comes from the Dutch word "voorzien" meaning "to provide". | |||
Javanese | pasokan | ||
"Pasokan" can also refer to a small container for rice grains. | |||
Khmer | ផ្គត់ផ្គង់ | ||
Lao | ການສະຫນອງ | ||
Malay | membekalkan | ||
In Malay, "membekalkan" can also mean "to provide" or "to furnish". | |||
Thai | จัดหา | ||
"จัดหา" can also mean "to find a suitable person or thing for a particular purpose". | |||
Vietnamese | cung cấp | ||
Cung cấp in Vietnamese is also used to mean 'to provide', 'to make available', or 'to furnish'. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | panustos | ||
Azerbaijani | təchizatı | ||
The word "təchizatı" in Azerbaijani language can also refer to "equipment". | |||
Kazakh | жабдықтау | ||
The Kazakh word "жабдықтау" can also refer to the process of providing resources or materials for an army or other large group. | |||
Kyrgyz | камсыздоо | ||
The Kyrgyz word "камсыздоо" can also refer to the process of "providing something" or "making something available". | |||
Tajik | таъминот | ||
The word "таъминот" can also refer to "provision" or "support" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | üpjün etmek | ||
Uzbek | ta'minot | ||
The word "ta'minot" in Uzbek, meaning "supply", also has the alternate meaning of "support" or "assistance." | |||
Uyghur | تەمىنلەش | ||
Hawaiian | lako | ||
The word "lako" in Hawaiian originates from the Proto-Polynesian word "*lako", meaning "to go", "to proceed", or "to travel". | |||
Maori | tuku | ||
"Tuku" in Maori can also mean "to release" or "to drop," hinting at the act of giving or providing something. | |||
Samoan | sapalai | ||
The word 'sapalai' can also refer to a storehouse in Samoan. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | panustos | ||
The Tagalog word "panustos" literally means "for support" and can refer to a budget or inventory. |
Aymara | uchaña | ||
Guarani | jehupytyka | ||
Esperanto | provizo | ||
The Esperanto word "provizo" is derived from the French word "provis" (literally: "for-seeing"). | |||
Latin | copiam | ||
"Copia" also means "abundance" or "plenty" in Latin, and is the root of the English word "copious" |
Greek | προμήθεια | ||
Προμήθεια is a Greek word that can also refer to dowry, wedding gifts, a commission, or a tip. | |||
Hmong | mov | ||
The word 'mov' in Hmong can also mean 'to carry' or 'to transport'. | |||
Kurdish | erzaq | ||
The word "erzaq" in Kurdish can also refer to "rations" or "goods". | |||
Turkish | arz | ||
Arz shares its origin with the Persian and Arabic | |||
Xhosa | unikezelo | ||
The Xhosa word "unikezelo" is derived from the verb "ukunika," meaning "to give" or "to provide." | |||
Yiddish | צושטעלן | ||
"צושטעלן" means "to provide" in Yiddish and is related to the German word "zustellen". | |||
Zulu | ukuphakela | ||
The word "ukuphakela" can also mean "to provide" or "to give with intent to benefit". | |||
Assamese | যোগান | ||
Aymara | uchaña | ||
Bhojpuri | सप्लाई | ||
Dhivehi | ސަޕްލައި | ||
Dogri | सप्लाई | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | panustos | ||
Guarani | jehupytyka | ||
Ilocano | suplay | ||
Krio | gi | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | دابینکردن | ||
Maithili | आपूर्ति | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯤꯕ | ||
Mizo | pechhuak | ||
Oromo | dhiyeessii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଯୋଗାଣ | ||
Quechua | munachiy | ||
Sanskrit | आपूर्ति | ||
Tatar | тәэмин итү | ||
Tigrinya | ቀረብ | ||
Tsonga | phakela | ||