Terrorism in Different Languages
Discover 'Terrorism' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Terrorism: a word that evokes strong emotions and carries immense significance in today's world. It refers to the unlawful use of violence or threat of violence, often motivated by political, religious, or ideological objectives, causing fear, harm, and disruption in society. The cultural importance of understanding terrorism cannot be overstated, as it impacts global security, diplomacy, and social cohesion.
Moreover, exploring the translation of terrorism in different languages offers valuable insights into how various cultures and languages grapple with this complex and sensitive concept. For instance, in Spanish, terrorismo retains the same roots as its English counterpart, while in Arabic, the term irhāb reflects the region's historical experience with extremist ideologies.
By learning the translations of terrorism in multiple languages, you not only expand your cross-cultural communication skills but also deepen your appreciation for the nuanced ways different societies engage with this critical issue. Keep reading to discover how terrorism is conveyed in a diverse range of languages and cultures.
Terrorism
Terrorism in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | terrorisme | ||
| The word "terrorisme" can also mean "terrorism" or "atrocity" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ሽብርተኝነት | ||
| Hausa | ta'addanci | ||
| Ta'addanci, which refers to terrorism in Hausa, is also a word meaning | |||
| Igbo | iyi ọha egwu | ||
| Malagasy | asa fampihorohoroana | ||
| The word "ASA fampihorohoroana" in Malagasy is derived from the Arabic word "asa" meaning "to make terrified". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | uchigawenga | ||
| The word "uchigawenga" is derived from the root word "chiga," meaning to harm or injure someone. | |||
| Shona | ugandanga | ||
| In Shona, the word “ugandanga” has other meanings, including “rebellion” and “insurrection”. | |||
| Somali | argagixiso | ||
| The word "argagixiso" is the Somali translation of the English term "terrorism" and its etymology can be traced to the Arabic word "irhāb" meaning "intimidation". | |||
| Sesotho | bokhukhuni | ||
| Bokhukhuni is derived from the word 'khukhuni' meaning 'to shake', referring to the disruptive nature of terrorist acts. | |||
| Swahili | ugaidi | ||
| Ugaidi, the Swahili word for 'terrorism,' derives from the Arabic word 'ughdiyya' meaning 'attack' or 'raid'. | |||
| Xhosa | ubunqolobi | ||
| The word “ubunqolobi” also refers to the “spear” or “weapon” used by the Xhosa in ancient warfare. | |||
| Yoruba | ipanilaya | ||
| The word 'ipanilaya' also means 'wickedness', 'wicked act' or 'depravity' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ubuphekula | ||
| Ubuphekula is thought to be cognate with the Nguni word pheku, meaning 'to attack' or 'seize'. | |||
| Bambara | terrorisme (jatigɛwale) ye | ||
| Ewe | ŋɔdzinuwɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iterabwoba | ||
| Lingala | terrorisme oyo esalemaka | ||
| Luganda | obutujju | ||
| Sepedi | botšhošetši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | amumɔyɛsɛm | ||
Terrorism in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الإرهاب | ||
| The word "الإرهاب" (al-irhab) in Arabic originally meant "the act of frightening" but now primarily means "terrorism". | |||
| Hebrew | טֵרוֹר | ||
| The Hebrew word טֵרוֹר ("terror") derives from the Latin "terror", which itself comes from the verb terrēre ("to frighten"). | |||
| Pashto | تروریزم | ||
| The word تروریزم derives from the Arabic word رهب (rahaba), meaning "to frighten or terrify". | |||
| Arabic | الإرهاب | ||
| The word "الإرهاب" (al-irhab) in Arabic originally meant "the act of frightening" but now primarily means "terrorism". | |||
Terrorism in Western European Languages
| Albanian | terrorizmi | ||
| "Terrorizmi" in Albanian has a more general meaning and can refer to both terrorism and violence in general. | |||
| Basque | terrorismoa | ||
| In its other meaning, terrorismoa is the term used to designate the 'fear' that would be caused by an event. | |||
| Catalan | terrorisme | ||
| "Terrorisme" (Catalan for 'terrorism') derives from the Latin "terror", meaning 'fear' and 'dread'" | |||
| Croatian | terorizam | ||
| The word "terorizam" has the same meaning in Croatian as in English, but its alternative meaning is "terrorism". It also has a third meaning which is "acts of terrorism". | |||
| Danish | terrorisme | ||
| Dutch | terrorisme | ||
| The Dutch word "terreur" not only means "terrorism", but also can mean "the act of frightening someone". | |||
| English | terrorism | ||
| The word "terrorism" derives from the French "terrorisme," which is derived from the Latin "terror," which means "fear" or "terror" | |||
| French | terrorisme | ||
| The French word "terrorisme" can also refer to a state of extreme fear or horror. | |||
| Frisian | terrorisme | ||
| Galician | terrorismo | ||
| "Terrorismo" means "terrorism" but also "tremor" in Galician. | |||
| German | terrorismus | ||
| Icelandic | hryðjuverk | ||
| In addition to meaning "terrorism," hryðjuverk in Icelandic can also mean "convulsion," "agitation," or "tremor." | |||
| Irish | sceimhlitheoireacht | ||
| The Irish word "sceimhlitheoireacht" can also refer to revolutionary activity or ideology. | |||
| Italian | terrorismo | ||
| In Italian, "terrorismo" also means "fear-mongering" | |||
| Luxembourgish | terrorismus | ||
| Maltese | terroriżmu | ||
| It shares the same root as "terrore" in Italian and "terreur" in French, and can also mean "horror" in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | terrorisme | ||
| In Norwegian, "terrorisme" also means "terrorism". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | terrorismo | ||
| In Portuguese, "terrorismo" has no direct relationship with the term "terror". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ceannairc | ||
| "Ceannairc" also means "warrior" or "soldier" in a more general sense. | |||
| Spanish | terrorismo | ||
| El término "terrorismo" tiene su origen en el latín "terror", que significa "miedo intenso". | |||
| Swedish | terrorism | ||
| "Terrorism" comes from the Latin word "terror", meaning "great fear" or "dread" | |||
| Welsh | terfysgaeth | ||
| Terfysgaeth (Welsh for "terrorism") originates from the Greek words "treo" (to tremble) and "gasos" (dread), emphasizing the fear and disruption caused by acts of terrorism. | |||
Terrorism in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тэрарызм | ||
| Bosnian | terorizam | ||
| In Bosnian, "terorizam" also means "to make a mess of something." | |||
| Bulgarian | тероризъм | ||
| "Терроризъм" произлиза от латинското "terror", което означава "ужас", "страх". | |||
| Czech | terorismus | ||
| The word "terorismus" can also refer to "terrorize" or "terrorize someone or something" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | terrorism | ||
| Terrorism (terrorism) comes from the Latin word "terror", meaning "great fear" or "dread." | |||
| Finnish | terrorismi | ||
| Terrorismi comes from the French word terrorisme and is thought to have been used for the first time in English in the 1790s. | |||
| Hungarian | terrorizmus | ||
| In Hungarian, “terrorizmus” may also refer to an intense fear or dread and to a means of intimidation. | |||
| Latvian | terorismu | ||
| The Latvian word "terorismu" originally meant "terrorism," but it now also means "fear" or "intimidation." | |||
| Lithuanian | terorizmas | ||
| The word "terorizmas" in Lithuanian is derived from the Latin word "terror", meaning "fear" or "dread". | |||
| Macedonian | тероризам | ||
| The word "тероризам" (terrorism) in Macedonian is derived from the French word "terrorisme". | |||
| Polish | terroryzm | ||
| "Terroryzm" originally meant "acts of terror" and the word "terror" itself was taken from the French "terreur". | |||
| Romanian | terorism | ||
| In Romanian, the word "terorism" can also refer to a feeling of fear or terror, or to a state of panic or alarm. | |||
| Russian | терроризм | ||
| 'Терроризм' derives from the Latin 'terror', meaning 'great fear' or 'dread'. | |||
| Serbian | тероризам | ||
| The word “тероризам” in Serbian is derived from the French word “terrorisme”, which in turn comes from the Latin word “terror”, meaning “great fear”. | |||
| Slovak | terorizmu | ||
| "Terorizmu" v slovenčine znamená aj "strašenie náhodnými násilnými trestnými činmi". | |||
| Slovenian | terorizem | ||
| Beseda "terorizem" izvira iz francoske besede "terreur", ki pomeni "strah". | |||
| Ukrainian | тероризм | ||
| In Ukrainian, "тероризм" is also used to refer to "violent suppression of resistance or opposition". | |||
Terrorism in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সন্ত্রাসবাদ | ||
| The word "সন্ত্রাসবাদ" also means "terrorism" in Sanskrit, Hindi, and Marathi. | |||
| Gujarati | આતંકવાદ | ||
| Hindi | आतंक | ||
| The Hindi word 'आतंक' ultimately derives from the Sanskrit root 'त्रस्' (tras), meaning 'fear' or 'trembling'. | |||
| Kannada | ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದನೆ | ||
| The word "ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದನೆ" (pronounced as "bhayothpadane") is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhay" (meaning fear) and "utpadana" (meaning creation or production), ultimately meaning "the creation of fear". | |||
| Malayalam | ഭീകരത | ||
| The word "ഭീകരത" can also mean "extreme fear or horror" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | दहशतवाद | ||
| The word "दहशतवाद" (terrorism) in Marathi originates from the Persian word "dahshat" meaning "fear" or "terror". | |||
| Nepali | आतंकवाद | ||
| The word "आतंकवाद" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आतंक" which means "terror" or "dread". | |||
| Punjabi | ਅੱਤਵਾਦ | ||
| Originally meaning 'violent disorder' in Punjabi, the definition of 'ਅੱਤਵਾਦ' ('atavaad') has expanded to include political and ideological violence. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ත්රස්තවාදය | ||
| The word originates from the Greek word "τρέω" (treō), meaning "to tremble" or "shake". | |||
| Tamil | பயங்கரவாதம் | ||
| "பயங்கரவாதம் is derived from the French word 'terrorisme', which means 'a system of terror' or 'terrorism." | |||
| Telugu | ఉగ్రవాదం | ||
| The word "ఉగ్రవాదం" in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "उग्रवाद" (ugravada), meaning "extremism" or "violence." | |||
| Urdu | دہشت گردی | ||
Terrorism in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 恐怖主义 | ||
| 该词起源于拉丁语“terror”，“恐惧”之意，在18世纪时用以形容由雅各宾派实施的国家恐怖统治。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 恐怖主義 | ||
| 「恐怖主義」一詞在中文中有「恐怖的主義」或「可怕的主義」等意涵。 | |||
| Japanese | テロ | ||
| 「テロ」は、元々は「恐怖」を意味する言葉で、フランス語の「terreur」に由来するといわれます。 | |||
| Korean | 테러 | ||
| Mongolian | терроризм | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကြမ်းဖက်ဝါဒ | ||
| The word "terrorism" in Myanmar can also refer to "oppression" or "suppression". | |||
Terrorism in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | terorisme | ||
| "Terorisme" has an alternate meaning in Indonesian, referring to the state of being startled or frightened. | |||
| Javanese | terorisme | ||
| There is no Javanese term for terrorism; instead Javanese people would use the Indonesian word 'terorisme' while speaking Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ភេរវកម្ម | ||
| The word 'ភេរវកម្ម' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'ભૈરવ' (Bhairava), which means 'terrible' or 'frightful'. | |||
| Lao | ການກໍ່ການຮ້າຍ | ||
| Malay | keganasan | ||
| The word "keganasan" (terrorism) can also mean 'ferocity' and 'savagery' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | การก่อการร้าย | ||
| การก่อการร้าย comes from the Sanskrit word "त्रास [traas]", meaning "to frighten". | |||
| Vietnamese | khủng bố | ||
| The word "khủng bố" is used in Vietnamese to describe both the concept of terrorism as well as the specific historical event known as the "Red Terror" in the Soviet Union. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | terorismo | ||
Terrorism in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | terrorizm | ||
| The word "terrorizm" comes from the Latin word "terror", meaning "great fear". | |||
| Kazakh | терроризм | ||
| Kyrgyz | терроризм | ||
| The word | |||
| Tajik | терроризм | ||
| The word "терроризм" ("terrorism") also has a secondary meaning in Tajik, where it can refer to a form of religious extremism. | |||
| Turkmen | terrorçylyk | ||
| Uzbek | terrorizm | ||
| Uyghur | تېرورلۇق | ||
Terrorism in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻoweliweli | ||
| The word "hoʻoweliweli" also means "to horrify" or "to make terrible" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whakatumatuma | ||
| "Whakatumatuma" is also the name of a traditional Maori game similar to tug-of-war. | |||
| Samoan | faiga faatupu faalavelave | ||
| The word "faiga faatupu faalavelave" is a compound noun in Samoan that has the literal meaning of "the making (faiga) of that which creates (faatupu) disorder (faalavelave)". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | terorismo | ||
Terrorism in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | terrorismo ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Guarani | terrorismo rehegua | ||
Terrorism in International Languages
| Esperanto | terorismo | ||
| In Esperanto, the noun 'teroro' can refer to either terrorism or terror. | |||
| Latin | terrorism | ||
| The word "terrorism" comes from the Latin "terror", meaning "fear" or "dread". | |||
Terrorism in Others Languages
| Greek | τρομοκρατία | ||
| Τρομοκρατία (tromokratía) is a compound word that literally means "the rule by fear", from τρόμος (trómos), "fear, terror," and κρατία (kratía), "rule, power." | |||
| Hmong | kev ua phem | ||
| The word "kev ua phem" can also refer to "violence" or "threats of violence". | |||
| Kurdish | terorîzm | ||
| In Kurdish, the word "terorîzm" is a loanword from Turkish, derived from the French word "terrorisme". | |||
| Turkish | terörizm | ||
| The word "terörizm" in Turkish entered the language in the 18th century via the French word "terrorisme" and originally meant "fear, panic". | |||
| Xhosa | ubunqolobi | ||
| The word “ubunqolobi” also refers to the “spear” or “weapon” used by the Xhosa in ancient warfare. | |||
| Yiddish | טעראָריזם | ||
| The Yiddish word "טעראָריזם" also means "tyranny", "oppression", and "cruelty". | |||
| Zulu | ubuphekula | ||
| Ubuphekula is thought to be cognate with the Nguni word pheku, meaning 'to attack' or 'seize'. | |||
| Assamese | সন্ত্ৰাসবাদ | ||
| Aymara | terrorismo ukat juk’ampinaka | ||
| Bhojpuri | आतंकवाद के बारे में बतावल गइल बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޓެރަރިޒަމް | ||
| Dogri | आतंकवाद दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | terorismo | ||
| Guarani | terrorismo rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | terorismo | ||
| Krio | terorizim we dɛn kin du | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تیرۆر | ||
| Maithili | आतंकवाद के | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯦꯔꯣꯔꯤꯖꯃꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯥꯡꯗꯥ ꯋꯥꯐꯝ ꯀꯌꯥ ꯊꯃꯈꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | firfiakte a ni | ||
| Oromo | shororkeessummaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆତଙ୍କବାଦ | ||
| Quechua | terrorismo nisqamanta | ||
| Sanskrit | आतङ्कवादः | ||
| Tatar | терроризм | ||
| Tigrinya | ግብረሽበራ ምዃኑ’ዩ። | ||
| Tsonga | vutherorisi | ||