Afrikaans stert | ||
Albanian bisht | ||
Amharic ጅራት | ||
Arabic ذيل | ||
Armenian պոչ | ||
Assamese নেজ | ||
Aymara wich'inkha | ||
Azerbaijani quyruq | ||
Bambara kukala | ||
Basque buztana | ||
Belarusian хваста | ||
Bengali লেজ | ||
Bhojpuri पोंछ | ||
Bosnian rep | ||
Bulgarian опашка | ||
Catalan cua | ||
Cebuano ikog | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 尾巴 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 尾巴 | ||
Corsican coda | ||
Croatian rep | ||
Czech ocas | ||
Danish hale | ||
Dhivehi ނިގޫ | ||
Dogri दुंब | ||
Dutch staart | ||
English tail | ||
Esperanto vosto | ||
Estonian saba | ||
Ewe asikɛ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) buntot | ||
Finnish häntä | ||
French queue | ||
Frisian sturt | ||
Galician rabo | ||
Georgian კუდი | ||
German schwanz | ||
Greek ουρά | ||
Guarani tuguái | ||
Gujarati પૂંછડી | ||
Haitian Creole ke | ||
Hausa wutsiya | ||
Hawaiian huelo | ||
Hebrew זָנָב | ||
Hindi पूंछ | ||
Hmong tus tsov tus tw | ||
Hungarian farok | ||
Icelandic skott | ||
Igbo ọdụ | ||
Ilocano ipus | ||
Indonesian ekor | ||
Irish eireaball | ||
Italian coda | ||
Japanese 尾 | ||
Javanese buntut | ||
Kannada ಬಾಲ | ||
Kazakh құйрық | ||
Khmer កន្ទុយ | ||
Kinyarwanda umurizo | ||
Konkani शेपडी | ||
Korean 꼬리 | ||
Krio tel | ||
Kurdish terrî | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) کلک | ||
Kyrgyz куйрук | ||
Lao ຫາງ | ||
Latin cauda | ||
Latvian asti | ||
Lingala mokila | ||
Lithuanian uodega | ||
Luganda omukira | ||
Luxembourgish schwanz | ||
Macedonian опашка | ||
Maithili नांगड़ि | ||
Malagasy rambo | ||
Malay ekor | ||
Malayalam വാൽ | ||
Maltese denb | ||
Maori hiku | ||
Marathi शेपूट | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯃꯃꯩ | ||
Mizo mei | ||
Mongolian сүүл | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) အမြီး | ||
Nepali पुच्छर | ||
Norwegian hale | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mchira | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଲାଂଜ | ||
Oromo eegee | ||
Pashto لکۍ | ||
Persian دم | ||
Polish ogon | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) rabo | ||
Punjabi ਪੂਛ | ||
Quechua chupa | ||
Romanian coadă | ||
Russian хвост | ||
Samoan siʻusiʻu | ||
Sanskrit पुच्छ | ||
Scots Gaelic earball | ||
Sepedi mosela | ||
Serbian реп | ||
Sesotho mohatla | ||
Shona muswe | ||
Sindhi پڇ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) වලිගය | ||
Slovak chvost | ||
Slovenian rep | ||
Somali dabada | ||
Spanish cola | ||
Sundanese buntut | ||
Swahili mkia | ||
Swedish svans | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) buntot | ||
Tajik дум | ||
Tamil வால் | ||
Tatar койрыгы | ||
Telugu తోక | ||
Thai หาง | ||
Tigrinya ጭራ | ||
Tsonga ncila | ||
Turkish kuyruk | ||
Turkmen guýrugy | ||
Twi (Akan) bodua | ||
Ukrainian хвіст | ||
Urdu دم | ||
Uyghur قۇيرۇق | ||
Uzbek quyruq | ||
Vietnamese đuôi | ||
Welsh cynffon | ||
Xhosa umsila | ||
Yiddish עק | ||
Yoruba iru | ||
Zulu umsila |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "stert" in Afrikaans derives from the Old Dutch word "sterte", meaning "tail" or "handle". |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "bisht" can also refer to a type of traditional Albanian attire worn by men, similar to a robe or cloak. |
| Amharic | "ጅራት" originally meant "rope" in Proto-Ethiosemitic but shifted to mean "tail" in Old Ethiopic. |
| Arabic | ذيل is sometimes used figuratively to mean "end" or "conclusion" in Arabic. |
| Armenian | The word "պոչ" comes from the Iranian word "pōč" meaning "tail" and is used in Armenian primarily to mean the tail of an animal. |
| Azerbaijani | "Quyruq" can also refer to the end of something, such as a line or a queue. |
| Basque | In Basque, "buztana" also means "whip" or "flag", derived from the word "buztin" meaning "tail". |
| Belarusian | In Polish, the word "chwasta" was also used to mean "tuft of hair, brush". |
| Bengali | In Bengali, the word "লেজ" (tail) shares the same root as the word "লাঙ্গল" (plow), suggesting a connection to agriculture and plowing. |
| Bosnian | The word 'rep' in Bosnian is also used to describe the back part of a coat or dress. |
| Bulgarian | The word "опашка" can also refer to a line or queue of people or things waiting for something. |
| Catalan | The Catalan noun "cua" may also refer to a line or queue, or to the wake of a ship. |
| Cebuano | Ikog derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *ikud meaning 'tail'. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 尾巴 (tail) can also mean "ending" or "consequence" in Chinese. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | In Traditional Chinese, "尾巴" can also refer to a follower or a hanger-on. |
| Corsican | Còddanu means 'young horse', 'mule', or 'donkey'. |
| Croatian | In Croatian, the word "rep" can also mean "edge" or "rim". |
| Czech | The word "ocas" also means a "fishing net" in some dialects. |
| Danish | In Danish, "hale" refers to the tailbone or posterior pelvic portion instead of the entirety of the tail. |
| Dutch | "Staart" in Dutch also means "end" or "conclusion". |
| Esperanto | In Polish, "vosto" refers to the hair that grows on the tail of a horse or donkey. |
| Estonian | The word "saba" can also mean "the rear part of something", such as the rear of a boat or a house. |
| Finnish | The word "häntä" can also refer to a braid or pigtail, as well as a row, file, or group of people or animals. |
| French | In French, the word "queue" originally meant "follower" or "train of a dress" before taking on its current meaning of "tail." |
| Frisian | The word "sturt" in Frisian also refers to the back end of an animal, specifically a horse. |
| Galician | The Galician word "rabo" comes from the Proto-Celtic word *rabo- "tail". |
| Georgian | "კუდი" also means "queue" in Georgian, and is used to refer to a line or group of people waiting for something. |
| German | In Old High German, the word "Schwanz" also referred to a rope or strap used to tie something. |
| Greek | The word "ουρά" means "tail" or "queue" in Greek, but it also refers to a person's "fate" or "destiny". |
| Haitian Creole | In Haiti, 'ke' is not only a word that means 'tail,' but also a slang word used for 'girlfriend'. |
| Hausa | In Hausa, "wutsiya" also refers to the bottom or end of an object. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, 'huelo' not only means 'tail' but also refers to the 'wake of a surfboard or boat'. |
| Hebrew | זָנָב also figuratively means a result of an incident with both negative and positive repercussions. |
| Hindi | " पूंछ " could mean "tail" or the end part of clothing like the tails of a coat. |
| Hmong | "Tus Tsov tus tw" literally means "a branch that moves" in Hmong. |
| Hungarian | In the folklore of the Hungarian speaking people, 'farok' was also used to describe the tail of a kite or a dragon. |
| Icelandic | The word "skott" is cognate with the English word "scut", meaning the tail of an animal. |
| Igbo | "Ọdụ" also means "seat" in Igbo, hence the phrase "nwere ọdụ": being stable, having landed or having a place to call home. |
| Indonesian | The word "ekor" in Indonesian is shared by animals and currencies, being derived from the Proto-Malay word "iku" meaning "to follow". |
| Irish | Eireaball has also been used historically to refer to a comet's tail, a type of ship, and a type of hairstyle. |
| Italian | The Italian word "coda" derives from the Late Latin "cauda" (tail) and also refers to a group of musicians performing together. |
| Japanese | In Japanese, the character "尾" can also refer to the end of something, such as a sentence or a period of time. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, the word 'buntut' can also refer to an end, result, or consequence. |
| Kannada | ಬಾಲ (bāla) can also refer to the younger brother of a god or goddess in Hindu mythology. |
| Kazakh | In Old Turkic, "quyrıq" also means "posterior" and "continuation". |
| Korean | "꼬리" means not only a tail but also a comma or a series of people in Korean. |
| Kurdish | The word terrî can also mean the 'stalk' (of a fruit) or 'handle' (of a weapon) in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | The Kyrgyz word "куйрук" can also refer to a "braid" or a "pigtail" in hair. |
| Lao | The word "ຫາງ" (tail) also refers to the end of a queue or line, or the last part of something. |
| Latin | The Latin word "cauda" also means "the train of a gown," deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *kw- "to grow" |
| Latvian | 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 | Lithuanian "uodega" also means "suffix" (a word that comes at the end of another word) or "end". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "Schwanz" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a person's manhood. |
| Macedonian | The word "опашка" also means "queue" in Macedonian. |
| Malagasy | Malagasy “rambo” means “tail” but also “piece of cloth” or “rag”. |
| Malay | 'Ekor' also refers to a group or series of similar things, such as a convoy of cars or a flight of birds. |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word "വാൽ" (tail) shares its root with the Sanskrit word "वल्गु" (bent or crooked), referring to the curved shape of the tail. |
| Maltese | The word "denb" also means "end" or "finish", as in "it-tmiem tad-denb" (the end of the tail) |
| Maori | Hiku can also mean 'to cut', 'severe', a 'joint in timber' or an 'end' |
| Marathi | The term "शेपूट" in Marathi can also mean the "end" or "conclusion" of something. |
| Mongolian | 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" is derived from the Pali word "vatthika", which also means "handle" or "shaft". |
| Nepali | In the Mahabharata, the word 'पुच्छर' is also used to describe the hair of a horse's tail. |
| Norwegian | "Hale" is the Norwegian word for "tail" and may also refer to a horse's mane or a long, narrow strip of land. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The term "mchira" can also refer to the back of something, such as a shirt or shoe. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "لکۍ" has different meanings depending on context, including "trail", "line", or "rope". |
| Persian | In Persian, the word "دم" can also refer to the "end" or "outcome" of something, or a "line" of people or animals |
| Polish | In ancient Polish, "ogon" also meant "fire" and "hearth". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portugal, "rabo" can also refer to the last card in a game of cards, while in Brazil it can mean "fringe" or "hem." |
| Punjabi | The word "ਪੂਛ" in Punjabi can also mean "inquiry" or "question". |
| Romanian | In Romanian, "coadă" also means "queue", derived from the Latin "cauda" meaning "tail". |
| Russian | "Хвост", in addition to "tail", can also mean a "train" of a dress or an unresolved issue. |
| Samoan | The word "siʻusiʻu" can also refer to a line of descendants or a train of something (e.g., a wedding dress). |
| Scots Gaelic | "Earball" comes from "ear" (meaning "back") + "bal" (meaning "a ball or round object"). |
| Serbian | The word "Реп" can also refer to a part of a fruit or a hairstyle. |
| Sesotho | The word 'mohatla' in Sesotho also refers to a small broom used to clean out a hearth or oven. |
| Shona | The word 'muswe' also refers to the 'last born' child in a family or the 'end' of something. |
| Sindhi | In Sindhi, "پڇ" is also used to refer to the end or tip of something, such as the end of a stick or the tip of a finger. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "වලිගය" (valigaya) also means "luggage" in Sinhala, originating from the Portuguese word "mala," meaning "bag" or "suitcase." |
| Slovak | The word "chvost" also means "coward" in Slovak informal language. |
| Slovenian | The word "rep" can also mean "a row". |
| Somali | "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. |
| Spanish | In Spain, "cola" can also refer to a line of waiting people or a queue. |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, "buntut" also refers to a tree root, the base of a mountain, or the end of a fabric. |
| Swahili | Mk'ia can also mean "reason" or "cause" in Swahili, especially in the context of a dispute or argument. |
| Swedish | The word "svans" can also refer to the "tail" of a garment or a queue of people. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | In Tagalog, "buntot" is also used as a slang or colloquial term for someone who is last in line or order. |
| Tajik | 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. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "வால்" also refers to the end, a suffix, an extension, a group of followers, or a kind or sort. |
| Telugu | The word "తోక" can also refer to a braid of hair or a tuft of grass. |
| Thai | The Thai word "หาง" (tail) can also refer to the end or extremity of anything, such as a piece of fabric or a line. |
| Turkish | In Turkish, "kuyruk" can also refer to a line of people or vehicles waiting for something. |
| Ukrainian | 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. |
| Urdu | The word “دم” (tail) in Urdu can also mean “breath” or “moment”. |
| Uzbek | "Quyruq" also can mean “a line”. In other words, it refers to the line or succession of people or things. |
| Vietnamese | "Đuôi" also means "end" as in "đuôi tuần" (end of the week). |
| Welsh | The word cynffon is also used to describe the bottom of a dress or a hairstyle that is cut short in the back. |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word 'umsila' is related to the word 'umsilawo', which means 'a follower' or 'an attendant'. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "עק" also means "end" or "conclusion". |
| Yoruba | "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" can also mean "a line" or "a queue." |
| English | "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. |