Updated on March 6, 2024
Technology, a term that has become ubiquitous in our daily lives, is a reflection of human creativity and innovation. It is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, and it has significantly shaped the way we live, work, and communicate. From smartphones to artificial intelligence, technology has become an integral part of our cultural identity, transforming societies and economies around the world.
But have you ever wondered how the word 'technology' is translated in different languages? Understanding the nuances of this term in various languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures view and interact with technology. For instance, in Spanish, 'technology' is 'tecnología,' while in German, it's 'Technik.' In Mandarin, it's '技术,' and in Arabic, it's 'تكنولوجيا' (tekno-lojia).
Exploring the translation of 'technology' in different languages is not just a linguistic exercise, but also a cultural journey. It allows us to appreciate the diversity and richness of human languages and cultures, and to understand how technology is perceived and experienced in various parts of the world.
Afrikaans | tegnologie | ||
"Tegnologie" is derived from the Greek word "tekhne" meaning "art, skill, or craft". | |||
Amharic | ቴክኖሎጂ | ||
The word "ቴክኖሎጂ" is derived from the Greek words "τέχνη" (art, craft) and "λογία" (study, discourse), and can also refer to the study of techniques and methods used in the production of goods and services. | |||
Hausa | fasaha | ||
Fasaha also means 'eloquence' or 'facility in speech' in Hausa | |||
Igbo | teknụzụ | ||
"Teknụzụ" derives from "téé" (do/make) and "nụzụ" (know/understand), highlighting the practical and knowledge-based nature of technology. | |||
Malagasy | technology | ||
The Malagasy word "teknolojia" comes from the French "technologie" and also means "industry" or "technique". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | ukadaulo | ||
The word "ukadaulo" is derived from the verb "kudaula", which means "to create" or "to invent". | |||
Shona | technology | ||
Technology is derived from the Greek word 'tekhne', meaning 'art', 'craft', or 'skill'. | |||
Somali | farsamada | ||
The word "farsamada" is also used in Somali to mean "craftsmanship", "industry", or "technique." | |||
Sesotho | theknoloji | ||
The word "theknoloji" in Sesotho is derived from the Greek word "tekhnologia", which means "systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique." | |||
Swahili | teknolojia | ||
"Teknolojia" is ultimately derived from the Greek "technē" meaning "art, craft, or skill" via Arabic. | |||
Xhosa | iteknoloji | ||
"Iteknoloji" originally comes from the Greek word "technē", meaning "art, craft, or skill." | |||
Yoruba | imọ ẹrọ | ||
The Yoruba word "imọ ẹrọ" can also refer to the act or process of developing and using technology. | |||
Zulu | ubuchwepheshe | ||
"ubuchwepheshe" is a Zulu term that can also mean "skill" or "expertise". | |||
Bambara | tɛkinolozi | ||
Ewe | mɔɖaŋu | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikoranabuhanga | ||
Lingala | teknoloji | ||
Luganda | tekinolojiya | ||
Sepedi | theknolotši | ||
Twi (Akan) | tɛknɔlɔgyi | ||
Arabic | تقنية | ||
In classical Arabic, تقنية (tqnīyah) refers to a craft, art, or technique, while in Modern Standard Arabic, it denotes technology. | |||
Hebrew | טֶכנוֹלוֹגִיָה | ||
The Hebrew word "טֶכנוֹלוֹגִיָה" (tekhnologiya) is derived from the Greek word "τέχνη" (tekhnē), meaning "art, skill, or craft." | |||
Pashto | ټیکنالوژي | ||
The word "ټیکنالوژي" in Pashto is derived from the Greek word "τέχνη", meaning "art" or "craft", and "λογία", meaning "discourse" or "knowledge". | |||
Arabic | تقنية | ||
In classical Arabic, تقنية (tqnīyah) refers to a craft, art, or technique, while in Modern Standard Arabic, it denotes technology. |
Albanian | teknologji | ||
The word "teknologji" in Albanian comes from the Greek word "tekhne." Tekhne originally meant "art, skill, or craft." | |||
Basque | teknologia | ||
"Teknologia" originates from the Greek words "technē" (art, skill) and "logos" (word, discourse)" | |||
Catalan | tecnologia | ||
In Catalan, 'tecnologia' also refers to a specific school subject about technological processes and materials. | |||
Croatian | tehnologija | ||
Tehnologija is derived from the Greek word "τέχνη" (techne), meaning "art, skill, or craft." | |||
Danish | teknologi | ||
The Danish word "teknologi" derives from the Greek word "tekhne", meaning "art", "skill", or "craft". | |||
Dutch | technologie | ||
"Technologie" in Dutch can also refer to the study or field of applied technology. | |||
English | technology | ||
The word "technology" comes from the Greek word "technē," which means "art, skill, or craft." | |||
French | la technologie | ||
The word 'technologie' in French originally meant 'the art of discourse' or 'the art of speech'. | |||
Frisian | technology | ||
The Frisian word 'technology' comes from the Greek word 'tekhnē', meaning 'art' or 'craft'. | |||
Galician | tecnoloxía | ||
German | technologie | ||
German 'Technologie' also denotes 'science of trade, economics or the arts' or 'system of instruction, especially of a practical or technical kind', rather than just the 'application of science to industry'. | |||
Icelandic | tækni | ||
In Icelandic, the word "tækni" is also used to refer to the skill and knowledge required for a particular task, such as a craft or profession. | |||
Irish | teicneolaíocht | ||
Teicneolaíocht is a loanword from Greek with original meanings including 'art,' 'craft,' and 'systematic knowledge'. | |||
Italian | tecnologia | ||
The Italian word "tecnologia" ultimately derives from the Greek "tekhnē" (art, skill, craft) and "logia" (study, discourse). | |||
Luxembourgish | technologie | ||
In Luxembourgish, "Technologie" also refers to the subject taught in high schools that combines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. | |||
Maltese | teknoloġija | ||
The word "teknoloġija" originates from the Greek terms "τέχνη" ("art, skill") and "λόγος" ("word, discourse"). | |||
Norwegian | teknologi | ||
The word "teknologi" in Norwegian is derived from the Greek word "tekhne," meaning "art, craft, or skill." | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tecnologia | ||
In Portuguese, "tecnologia" can also refer to the knowledge and skills needed to perform a particular task or operate a machine. | |||
Scots Gaelic | teicneòlas | ||
Etymology: "teicneòlas" comes from the Greek words "tekhne" (art, skill, craft) and "logos" (word, speech), referring to systematic knowledge of techniques. | |||
Spanish | tecnología | ||
Swedish | teknologi | ||
The Swedish word 'teknologi' is derived from the Greek 'τεχνολογία' (tekhnologia), which itself is made up of two words: 'τέχνη' (tékhne), meaning "art", and 'λόγος' (lógos), meaning "discourse" or "science". | |||
Welsh | technoleg | ||
Technoleg is a portmanteau word derived from two Welsh words, 'techneg' meaning 'craft or skill' and 'leg' meaning 'place'. |
Belarusian | тэхналогіі | ||
The Belarusian word "тэхналогіі" is derived from the Greek word "τέχνη" (τέχνη = art, skill, craft) and "λογία" (λογία = study, discourse), ultimately meaning "the study of craft". | |||
Bosnian | tehnologija | ||
The word "tehnologija" is derived from the Greek words "techne" (art, craft) and "logia" (study, knowledge). | |||
Bulgarian | технология | ||
In Bulgarian, the word "технология" ("tekhnologiya") can also refer to the skills, methods, and techniques used in a specific industry or field. | |||
Czech | technologie | ||
In Czech, "technologie" can also refer to the process of manufacturing or the field of study related to it. | |||
Estonian | tehnoloogia | ||
The word "tehnoloogia" in Estonian comes from the Greek words "techne" (art, skill) and "logos" (word, speech). | |||
Finnish | tekniikkaa | ||
The etymology of the Finnish word "tekniikkaa" (technology) is rooted in the Greek words "tekhne" (art, craft) and "logia" (study, discourse), reflecting the multifaceted nature of technology. | |||
Hungarian | technológia | ||
The term "technológia" in Hungarian comes from the Greek word "technē", meaning "art, craftsmanship, or skill", implying a wider meaning than just the modern concept of technology. | |||
Latvian | tehnoloģija | ||
In Latvian, "tehnoloģija" can also refer to the "fine arts" or even "witchcraft" depending on the context. | |||
Lithuanian | technologija | ||
The Lithuanian word "technologija" comes from the Greek "techne" and "logos" and means "a systematic approach to solving problems" | |||
Macedonian | технологија | ||
The word "технологија" can also refer to the study of the techniques used in a particular field or the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. | |||
Polish | technologia | ||
The Polish word "technologia" derives from the Greek terms "techne" and "logos," meaning "craft" and "knowledge," respectively. | |||
Romanian | tehnologie | ||
The Romanian word "tehnologie" also refers to the process of transforming raw materials into finished products or goods. | |||
Russian | технологии | ||
The word "технологии" can also refer to the process of creating or using technology. | |||
Serbian | технологија | ||
Tehnologija derives from Greek "τέχνη" (art, craft) and "λόγος" (study, knowledge). | |||
Slovak | technológie | ||
The Slovak word "technológie" derives from the French and Greek words "techne" (art or craft) and "logos" (word or discourse), respectively. | |||
Slovenian | tehnologija | ||
Tehnologija can refer to both "technology" and "textile technology" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | технології | ||
"Технології" in Ukrainian comes from the Greek word "technē," meaning "art, skill, or craft." |
Bengali | প্রযুক্তি | ||
প্রযুক্তি is derived from the Sanskrit word 'प्रयुक्ति', meaning 'application', 'skill', or 'methodology'. | |||
Gujarati | ટેકનોલોજી | ||
The word "ટેકનોલોજી" can also refer to techniques or methods that are used in a specific field or industry. | |||
Hindi | प्रौद्योगिकी | ||
The word "प्रौद्योगिकी" comes from the Sanskrit words "प्र" (pra) meaning "forth or forward" and "उद्योग" (udyog) meaning "industry or application," connoting the practical application of knowledge. | |||
Kannada | ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ | ||
The term "ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ" is formed from the Sanskrit roots "tantra" (system) and "jnan" (knowledge), implying a systematic approach to understanding and applying knowledge. | |||
Malayalam | സാങ്കേതികവിദ്യ | ||
Marathi | तंत्रज्ञान | ||
The word “तंत्रज्ञान” in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit term “tantra”, meaning “systematic knowledge or craft”. | |||
Nepali | टेक्नोलोजी | ||
The word "टेक्नोलोजी" is derived from the Greek word "τέχνη" (techne), meaning "art, skill, or craft." | |||
Punjabi | ਤਕਨਾਲੋਜੀ | ||
ਤਕਨਾਲੋਜੀ is derived from the Greek words 'tekhne' (art, craft) and 'logia' (study), and can refer to the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes or to the machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තාක්ෂණ | ||
The word "තාක්ෂණ" comes from the Sanskrit word "tākshika," which means "craftsmanship" or "skill." | |||
Tamil | தொழில்நுட்பம் | ||
Telugu | సాంకేతికం | ||
The word "సాంకేతికం" (sAnkEtikam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "तन्त्र" (tantra), meaning "system". It can also refer to "technology" in the sense of "skill" or "craft". | |||
Urdu | ٹیکنالوجی | ||
Chinese (Simplified) | 技术 | ||
The word "技术" (jishu) in Chinese can also mean "skill" or "technique". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 技術 | ||
技術 in Chinese (Traditional) also means "art" and "skill." | |||
Japanese | 技術 | ||
"技術" (technology) originally meant "skill" or "art" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 과학 기술 | ||
The term "과학 기술" in Korean literally translates to "science-technique" or "science-skill". | |||
Mongolian | технологи | ||
The word is of Greek origin, meaning "art" or "craft" | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | နည်းပညာ | ||
Indonesian | teknologi | ||
In Indonesian, "teknologi" can refer to both "technology" and traditional knowledge. | |||
Javanese | teknologi | ||
Javanese word "teknologi" originally means "magic" or "supernatural power". | |||
Khmer | បច្ចេកវិទ្យា | ||
Lao | ເຕັກໂນໂລຢີ | ||
Malay | teknologi | ||
In Malay, "teknologi" is often used in the sense of "knowledge and skills", rather than just "technology." | |||
Thai | เทคโนโลยี | ||
The word เทคโนโลยี ('technology') in Thai is derived from the Greek words τεχνη ('art, skill, craft') and λογος ('speech, reason, word'). | |||
Vietnamese | công nghệ | ||
The word "Công nghệ" in Vietnamese originates from the Chinese term "工藝", meaning "craft" or "technique". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | teknolohiya | ||
Azerbaijani | texnologiya | ||
The word "texnologiya" derives from the Greek word "tekhne", meaning "art, skill, or craft", and "logos", meaning "word, discourse, or reason." | |||
Kazakh | технология | ||
"Технология" derives from Greek words "tekhnē" (art, craft) and "logia" (study) in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | технология | ||
The Kyrgyz word "технология" comes from the Greek word "τέχνη", meaning "art" or "craft", and the suffix "-логия", meaning "study of". It originally referred to the study of the mechanical arts. | |||
Tajik | технология | ||
In Tajik, “технология” also has the alternate meaning of “the science of crafts.” | |||
Turkmen | tehnologiýasy | ||
Uzbek | texnologiya | ||
"Texnologiya" word borrowed from Russian "texnologiya", and is cognate with the Greek "texnē" meaning "art, craft" and "logia" meaning "study." | |||
Uyghur | تېخنىكا | ||
Hawaiian | ʻenehana | ||
ʻEnehana is a loanword from the English word "technology" and is used to refer to advanced or modern technology. | |||
Maori | hangarau | ||
The word "hangarau" can also mean "framework" or "platform" in Māori. | |||
Samoan | tekinolosi | ||
Tekinolosi can also mean 'skill' or 'method' in Samoan | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | teknolohiya | ||
The Tagalog word "teknolohiya" is derived from the Spanish word "tecnología", which in turn comes from the Greek word "τέχνη" (technē), meaning "art, skill, or craft." |
Aymara | tiknulujiya | ||
Guarani | tembiporu pyahu | ||
Esperanto | teknologio | ||
Latin | technology | ||
The Latin root of technology, "textere," also means to weave or construct. |
Greek | τεχνολογία | ||
The word ‘τεχνολογία’ originates from the Greek words ‘τέχνη’ (art, skill, craft) and ‘λογία’ (study of), thus meaning the ‘study of craft’. | |||
Hmong | thev naus laus zis | ||
The phrase 'thev naus laus zis' (technology) translates to 'methods of understanding and improving' in English. | |||
Kurdish | teknolocî | ||
The Kurdish word "teknolocî" is derived from the Greek word "technologia," which means "systematic treatment of an art or craft." | |||
Turkish | teknoloji | ||
The Turkish word "teknoloji" derives from the Greek word "tekhnē," which translates to "art," "craft," or "skill." | |||
Xhosa | iteknoloji | ||
"Iteknoloji" originally comes from the Greek word "technē", meaning "art, craft, or skill." | |||
Yiddish | טעכנאָלאָגיע | ||
Although the word טעכנאָלאָגיע is usually translated to English as “technology”, it is also sometimes used in Yiddish to refer to any type of scientific skill or expertise. | |||
Zulu | ubuchwepheshe | ||
"ubuchwepheshe" is a Zulu term that can also mean "skill" or "expertise". | |||
Assamese | প্ৰযুক্তি | ||
Aymara | tiknulujiya | ||
Bhojpuri | तकनीक | ||
Dhivehi | ޓެކްނޮލޮޖީ | ||
Dogri | तकनीक | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | teknolohiya | ||
Guarani | tembiporu pyahu | ||
Ilocano | teknolohiya | ||
Krio | tɛknɔlogi | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | تەکنەلۆجیا | ||
Maithili | प्रौद्योगिकी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯁꯤꯟꯂꯣꯟ | ||
Mizo | tunlai thiamna | ||
Oromo | teeknooloojii | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଟେକ୍ନୋଲୋଜି | ||
Quechua | tecnologia | ||
Sanskrit | तन्त्रज्ञान | ||
Tatar | технология | ||
Tigrinya | ቴክኖሎጂ | ||
Tsonga | thekinoloji | ||