Tail in Different Languages
Discover 'Tail' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'tail' holds a unique significance in our daily lives and cultural contexts. It often refers to the posterior part of an animal's body, but it can also mean the lower end of something, like the tail of a kite. Tails play a crucial role in many animals' survival, helping them swim, balance, or escape predators.
Throughout history, tails have been a symbol of power, fertility, and communication. In ancient Egypt, the tail of a lion was a symbol of royalty and divine authority. In Japan, the kitsune (fox) is believed to have multiple tails, with a supernatural fox gaining an additional tail every 100 years.
Understanding the translation of 'tail' in different languages can provide insights into various cultural perspectives. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: cola
- French: queue
- German: Schwanz
- Mandarin: 尾 (wěi)
- Japanese: 尾 (o)
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'tail' translations in various languages, enriching your linguistic and cultural knowledge.
Tail
Tail in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stert | ||
| The word "stert" in Afrikaans derives from the Old Dutch word "sterte", meaning "tail" or "handle". | |||
| Amharic | ጅራት | ||
| "ጅራት" originally meant "rope" in Proto-Ethiosemitic but shifted to mean "tail" in Old Ethiopic. | |||
| Hausa | wutsiya | ||
| In Hausa, "wutsiya" also refers to the bottom or end of an object. | |||
| Igbo | ọdụ | ||
| "Ọdụ" also means "seat" in Igbo, hence the phrase "nwere ọdụ": being stable, having landed or having a place to call home. | |||
| Malagasy | rambo | ||
| Malagasy “rambo” means “tail” but also “piece of cloth” or “rag”. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mchira | ||
| The term "mchira" can also refer to the back of something, such as a shirt or shoe. | |||
| Shona | muswe | ||
| The word 'muswe' also refers to the 'last born' child in a family or the 'end' of something. | |||
| Somali | dabada | ||
| "Dabada" in Somali can also mean the end part of anything, as well as the end of month or the last days of someone's life. | |||
| Sesotho | mohatla | ||
| The word 'mohatla' in Sesotho also refers to a small broom used to clean out a hearth or oven. | |||
| Swahili | mkia | ||
| Mk'ia can also mean "reason" or "cause" in Swahili, especially in the context of a dispute or argument. | |||
| Xhosa | umsila | ||
| The Xhosa word 'umsila' is related to the word 'umsilawo', which means 'a follower' or 'an attendant'. | |||
| Yoruba | iru | ||
| "Iru" also refers to the final part or end of something, such as the last child in a family or the concluding chapter of a book. | |||
| Zulu | umsila | ||
| "Umsila" can also mean "a line" or "a queue." | |||
| Bambara | kukala | ||
| Ewe | asikɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umurizo | ||
| Lingala | mokila | ||
| Luganda | omukira | ||
| Sepedi | mosela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bodua | ||
Tail in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ذيل | ||
| ذيل is sometimes used figuratively to mean "end" or "conclusion" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | זָנָב | ||
| זָנָב also figuratively means a result of an incident with both negative and positive repercussions. | |||
| Pashto | لکۍ | ||
| The Pashto word "لکۍ" has different meanings depending on context, including "trail", "line", or "rope". | |||
| Arabic | ذيل | ||
| ذيل is sometimes used figuratively to mean "end" or "conclusion" in Arabic. | |||
Tail in Western European Languages
| Albanian | bisht | ||
| The Albanian word "bisht" can also refer to a type of traditional Albanian attire worn by men, similar to a robe or cloak. | |||
| Basque | buztana | ||
| In Basque, "buztana" also means "whip" or "flag", derived from the word "buztin" meaning "tail". | |||
| Catalan | cua | ||
| The Catalan noun "cua" may also refer to a line or queue, or to the wake of a ship. | |||
| Croatian | rep | ||
| In Croatian, the word "rep" can also mean "edge" or "rim". | |||
| Danish | hale | ||
| In Danish, "hale" refers to the tailbone or posterior pelvic portion instead of the entirety of the tail. | |||
| Dutch | staart | ||
| "Staart" in Dutch also means "end" or "conclusion". | |||
| English | tail | ||
| "Tail" in English can also refer to the back part of an airplane, the reverse side of a coin, or the act of following or shadowing someone. | |||
| French | queue | ||
| In French, the word "queue" originally meant "follower" or "train of a dress" before taking on its current meaning of "tail." | |||
| Frisian | sturt | ||
| The word "sturt" in Frisian also refers to the back end of an animal, specifically a horse. | |||
| Galician | rabo | ||
| The Galician word "rabo" comes from the Proto-Celtic word *rabo- "tail". | |||
| German | schwanz | ||
| In Old High German, the word "Schwanz" also referred to a rope or strap used to tie something. | |||
| Icelandic | skott | ||
| The word "skott" is cognate with the English word "scut", meaning the tail of an animal. | |||
| Irish | eireaball | ||
| Eireaball has also been used historically to refer to a comet's tail, a type of ship, and a type of hairstyle. | |||
| Italian | coda | ||
| The Italian word "coda" derives from the Late Latin "cauda" (tail) and also refers to a group of musicians performing together. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schwanz | ||
| The word "Schwanz" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a person's manhood. | |||
| Maltese | denb | ||
| The word "denb" also means "end" or "finish", as in "it-tmiem tad-denb" (the end of the tail) | |||
| Norwegian | hale | ||
| "Hale" is the Norwegian word for "tail" and may also refer to a horse's mane or a long, narrow strip of land. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rabo | ||
| In Portugal, "rabo" can also refer to the last card in a game of cards, while in Brazil it can mean "fringe" or "hem." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | earball | ||
| "Earball" comes from "ear" (meaning "back") + "bal" (meaning "a ball or round object"). | |||
| Spanish | cola | ||
| In Spain, "cola" can also refer to a line of waiting people or a queue. | |||
| Swedish | svans | ||
| The word "svans" can also refer to the "tail" of a garment or a queue of people. | |||
| Welsh | cynffon | ||
| The word cynffon is also used to describe the bottom of a dress or a hairstyle that is cut short in the back. | |||
Tail in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | хваста | ||
| In Polish, the word "chwasta" was also used to mean "tuft of hair, brush". | |||
| Bosnian | rep | ||
| The word 'rep' in Bosnian is also used to describe the back part of a coat or dress. | |||
| Bulgarian | опашка | ||
| The word "опашка" can also refer to a line or queue of people or things waiting for something. | |||
| Czech | ocas | ||
| The word "ocas" also means a "fishing net" in some dialects. | |||
| Estonian | saba | ||
| The word "saba" can also mean "the rear part of something", such as the rear of a boat or a house. | |||
| Finnish | häntä | ||
| The word "häntä" can also refer to a braid or pigtail, as well as a row, file, or group of people or animals. | |||
| Hungarian | farok | ||
| In the folklore of the Hungarian speaking people, 'farok' was also used to describe the tail of a kite or a dragon. | |||
| Latvian | asti | ||
| Asti was originally used only for the tails of animals, but its meaning later expanded to include the tails of other objects like clothing. | |||
| Lithuanian | uodega | ||
| Lithuanian "uodega" also means "suffix" (a word that comes at the end of another word) or "end". | |||
| Macedonian | опашка | ||
| The word "опашка" also means "queue" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | ogon | ||
| In ancient Polish, "ogon" also meant "fire" and "hearth". | |||
| Romanian | coadă | ||
| In Romanian, "coadă" also means "queue", derived from the Latin "cauda" meaning "tail". | |||
| Russian | хвост | ||
| "Хвост", in addition to "tail", can also mean a "train" of a dress or an unresolved issue. | |||
| Serbian | реп | ||
| The word "Реп" can also refer to a part of a fruit or a hairstyle. | |||
| Slovak | chvost | ||
| The word "chvost" also means "coward" in Slovak informal language. | |||
| Slovenian | rep | ||
| The word "rep" can also mean "a row". | |||
| Ukrainian | хвіст | ||
| The word "хвіст" is also used figuratively to refer to a trailing part of something, such as a train of a dress or a plume of smoke. | |||
Tail in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | লেজ | ||
| In Bengali, the word "লেজ" (tail) shares the same root as the word "লাঙ্গল" (plow), suggesting a connection to agriculture and plowing. | |||
| Gujarati | પૂંછડી | ||
| Hindi | पूंछ | ||
| " पूंछ " could mean "tail" or the end part of clothing like the tails of a coat. | |||
| Kannada | ಬಾಲ | ||
| ಬಾಲ (bāla) can also refer to the younger brother of a god or goddess in Hindu mythology. | |||
| Malayalam | വാൽ | ||
| The Malayalam word "വാൽ" (tail) shares its root with the Sanskrit word "वल्गु" (bent or crooked), referring to the curved shape of the tail. | |||
| Marathi | शेपूट | ||
| The term "शेपूट" in Marathi can also mean the "end" or "conclusion" of something. | |||
| Nepali | पुच्छर | ||
| In the Mahabharata, the word 'पुच्छर' is also used to describe the hair of a horse's tail. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੂਛ | ||
| The word "ਪੂਛ" in Punjabi can also mean "inquiry" or "question". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වලිගය | ||
| The word "වලිගය" (valigaya) also means "luggage" in Sinhala, originating from the Portuguese word "mala," meaning "bag" or "suitcase." | |||
| Tamil | வால் | ||
| The Tamil word "வால்" also refers to the end, a suffix, an extension, a group of followers, or a kind or sort. | |||
| Telugu | తోక | ||
| The word "తోక" can also refer to a braid of hair or a tuft of grass. | |||
| Urdu | دم | ||
| The word “دم” (tail) in Urdu can also mean “breath” or “moment”. | |||
Tail in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 尾巴 | ||
| 尾巴 (tail) can also mean "ending" or "consequence" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 尾巴 | ||
| In Traditional Chinese, "尾巴" can also refer to a follower or a hanger-on. | |||
| Japanese | 尾 | ||
| In Japanese, the character "尾" can also refer to the end of something, such as a sentence or a period of time. | |||
| Korean | 꼬리 | ||
| "꼬리" means not only a tail but also a comma or a series of people in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | сүүл | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "сүүл" can also refer to the end of a line or verse, the last few words or notes of a musical phrase, or even the remnant of something that has been used up. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမြီး | ||
| "အမြီး" is derived from the Pali word "vatthika", which also means "handle" or "shaft". | |||
Tail in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ekor | ||
| The word "ekor" in Indonesian is shared by animals and currencies, being derived from the Proto-Malay word "iku" meaning "to follow". | |||
| Javanese | buntut | ||
| In Javanese, the word 'buntut' can also refer to an end, result, or consequence. | |||
| Khmer | កន្ទុយ | ||
| Lao | ຫາງ | ||
| The word "ຫາງ" (tail) also refers to the end of a queue or line, or the last part of something. | |||
| Malay | ekor | ||
| 'Ekor' also refers to a group or series of similar things, such as a convoy of cars or a flight of birds. | |||
| Thai | หาง | ||
| The Thai word "หาง" (tail) can also refer to the end or extremity of anything, such as a piece of fabric or a line. | |||
| Vietnamese | đuôi | ||
| "Đuôi" also means "end" as in "đuôi tuần" (end of the week). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buntot | ||
Tail in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | quyruq | ||
| "Quyruq" can also refer to the end of something, such as a line or a queue. | |||
| Kazakh | құйрық | ||
| In Old Turkic, "quyrıq" also means "posterior" and "continuation". | |||
| Kyrgyz | куйрук | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "куйрук" can also refer to a "braid" or a "pigtail" in hair. | |||
| Tajik | дум | ||
| The Tajik word "дум" (tail) is a cognate of the Persian word "دم" (tail), as well as the Pashto word "دم" (tail), suggesting that it entered Tajik from a common ancestor of Persian and Pashto. | |||
| Turkmen | guýrugy | ||
| Uzbek | quyruq | ||
| "Quyruq" also can mean “a line”. In other words, it refers to the line or succession of people or things. | |||
| Uyghur | قۇيرۇق | ||
Tail in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | huelo | ||
| In Hawaiian, 'huelo' not only means 'tail' but also refers to the 'wake of a surfboard or boat'. | |||
| Maori | hiku | ||
| Hiku can also mean 'to cut', 'severe', a 'joint in timber' or an 'end' | |||
| Samoan | siʻusiʻu | ||
| The word "siʻusiʻu" can also refer to a line of descendants or a train of something (e.g., a wedding dress). | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | buntot | ||
| In Tagalog, "buntot" is also used as a slang or colloquial term for someone who is last in line or order. | |||
Tail in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wich'inkha | ||
| Guarani | tuguái | ||
Tail in International Languages
| Esperanto | vosto | ||
| In Polish, "vosto" refers to the hair that grows on the tail of a horse or donkey. | |||
| Latin | cauda | ||
| The Latin word "cauda" also means "the train of a gown," deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *kw- "to grow" | |||
Tail in Others Languages
| Greek | ουρά | ||
| The word "ουρά" means "tail" or "queue" in Greek, but it also refers to a person's "fate" or "destiny". | |||
| Hmong | tus tsov tus tw | ||
| "Tus Tsov tus tw" literally means "a branch that moves" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | terrî | ||
| The word terrî can also mean the 'stalk' (of a fruit) or 'handle' (of a weapon) in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | kuyruk | ||
| In Turkish, "kuyruk" can also refer to a line of people or vehicles waiting for something. | |||
| Xhosa | umsila | ||
| The Xhosa word 'umsila' is related to the word 'umsilawo', which means 'a follower' or 'an attendant'. | |||
| Yiddish | עק | ||
| The Yiddish word "עק" also means "end" or "conclusion". | |||
| Zulu | umsila | ||
| "Umsila" can also mean "a line" or "a queue." | |||
| Assamese | নেজ | ||
| Aymara | wich'inkha | ||
| Bhojpuri | पोंछ | ||
| Dhivehi | ނިގޫ | ||
| Dogri | दुंब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | buntot | ||
| Guarani | tuguái | ||
| Ilocano | ipus | ||
| Krio | tel | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کلک | ||
| Maithili | नांगड़ि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯃꯩ | ||
| Mizo | mei | ||
| Oromo | eegee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଲାଂଜ | ||
| Quechua | chupa | ||
| Sanskrit | पुच्छ | ||
| Tatar | койрыгы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጭራ | ||
| Tsonga | ncila | ||