Updated on March 6, 2024
The throat, a vital part of our anatomy, plays a significant role in various aspects of our lives. It enables us to swallow, speak, and breathe. Throughout history, the throat has held cultural importance, symbolizing communication and passage in many traditions. For instance, in ancient Egypt, the throat was associated with the god Anubis, who oversaw the transition to the afterlife.
Given its significance and cultural importance, it's no wonder that people might want to know the translation of 'throat' in different languages. After all, language is a powerful tool that connects us to diverse cultures and experiences. Here are a few sample translations to pique your curiosity:
Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of 'throat' translations in various languages, providing you with a deeper appreciation of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Afrikaans | keel | ||
In Afrikaans, "keel" can also refer to the narrowest part of a river or the opening of a volcano. | |||
Amharic | ጉሮሮ | ||
The word "ጉሮሮ" (guroro) in Amharic is an onomatopoeia for the sound of the throat being cleared | |||
Hausa | makogwaro | ||
"Makogwaro" in Hausa, meaning "throat," is also used to denote a "passage" or a "necklace of beads." | |||
Igbo | akpịrị | ||
The Igbo word "akpịrị" (throat) is also used to refer to a "narrow or difficult passage". | |||
Malagasy | tenda | ||
The word "tenda" in Malagasy can also mean "channel" or "narrow entrance". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mmero | ||
The word "mmero" can also refer to the opening of a container, such as a bottle or a pot | |||
Shona | huro | ||
The word 'huro' in Shona also refers to the gullet, esophagus and the trachea, and is onomatopoeically related to 'ruri', the sound of a blocked pipe. | |||
Somali | cunaha | ||
Cunaha is the term for 'throat' in Somali, and can also refer to the 'entrance to a cave' or 'opening of a river' | |||
Sesotho | 'metso | ||
While the word "metso" means "throat" in Sesotho, it also refers to the neck or nape of the neck. | |||
Swahili | koo | ||
"Koo" also means "neck" or "voice" in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | umqala | ||
'Umqala' also means 'a difficult obstacle' | |||
Yoruba | ọfun | ||
'Ọfun' is the Yoruba word for 'throat' and 'the act of swallowing' | |||
Zulu | umphimbo | ||
Umphimbo, meaning throat, originates from the Nguni click sound /q/. | |||
Bambara | gɔnɔ | ||
Ewe | vetome | ||
Kinyarwanda | umuhogo | ||
Lingala | mongongo | ||
Luganda | amamiro | ||
Sepedi | mogolo | ||
Twi (Akan) | menem | ||
Arabic | حلق | ||
The Arabic word "حلق" (throat) also refers to the act of shaving or cutting hair, as well as the sound produced by birds, frogs, and other animals | |||
Hebrew | גרון | ||
"גרון" can also refer to the back of the neck, the esophagus, or the tonsils. | |||
Pashto | ستونی | ||
The word "ستونی" is derived from the Proto-Iranian word "*stána", meaning "chest" or "throat." | |||
Arabic | حلق | ||
The Arabic word "حلق" (throat) also refers to the act of shaving or cutting hair, as well as the sound produced by birds, frogs, and other animals |
Albanian | fyt | ||
The word "fyt" can also mean "gullet" or "esophagus" in Albanian. | |||
Basque | eztarria | ||
In Spanish, «estarria» (throat) is not only used to refer to the anatomy of the neck but also to the narrow passages that are found in a mountain to reach a valley, as well as to the part of a river in which a ship stops and is tied up, although this word is currently disused. | |||
Catalan | gola | ||
The word "gola" in Catalan also means "bay" or "gulf". | |||
Croatian | grlo | ||
In Croatian, "grlo" can also refer to a strait or narrow passage, such as the strait between two islands. | |||
Danish | hals | ||
In Danish, "hals" can also refer to a person's neck, especially the back part, or figuratively to a narrow passage or isthmus. | |||
Dutch | keel | ||
In Dutch, "keel" has several related meanings including "gill" and, figuratively, "throat". | |||
English | throat | ||
The word "throat" comes from the Old English word "þrote", which originally meant "neck" or "gullet". | |||
French | gorge | ||
In French, "gorge" also refers to a narrow valley or a pass through mountains. | |||
Frisian | kiel | ||
In Frisian, "kiel" can also refer to a ship's keel or the sharp point of a blade. | |||
Galician | gorxa | ||
Galician "gorxa" comes from Latin "gurgulia" and also refers to the esophagus | |||
German | kehle | ||
The word "Kehle" is also used in German to refer to the narrowest part of a river or valley, or to the groove in a violin bow. | |||
Icelandic | háls | ||
In Old Norse, 'háls' referred to the narrowest part of a fjord or bay, reflecting the similar shape of a throat. | |||
Irish | scornach | ||
The word "scornach" can also refer to a person's neck or to the act of choking. | |||
Italian | gola | ||
"Gola" is also a term used to describe the narrow inlet of a lake, estuary, or bay. | |||
Luxembourgish | hals | ||
The word "Hals" in Luxembourgish can also refer to the neck area or a narrow passage. | |||
Maltese | gerżuma | ||
The word 'gerżuma' is derived from the Arabic word 'gharzūma', which means 'Adam's apple'. | |||
Norwegian | hals | ||
The word "hals" also means "neck" in Norwegian, and is cognate with the English word "necklace". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | garganta | ||
The Portuguese word "garganta" is derived from the Latin word "gargantio," which means "throat or gullet." | |||
Scots Gaelic | amhach | ||
The Gaelic word 'amhach' also refers to a gorge, pass, or strait. | |||
Spanish | garganta | ||
"Garganta" also means "ravine, canyon, chasm, gorge, narrow passage, pass, sound". | |||
Swedish | hals | ||
The word "hals" in Swedish is cognate with "hals" in English and "hals" in German, all of which originally meant "neck". The meaning shifted to "throat" in Swedish, but not in the other languages. | |||
Welsh | gwddf | ||
The word "gwddf" can also refer to a neck, a passageway, or an entrance. |
Belarusian | горла | ||
"Горла" means "throat" in Belarusian, but it can also refer to a narrow passageway or ravine. | |||
Bosnian | grlo | ||
While grlo usually indicates the throat in Slavic languages, it can be used in Bosnian to refer to an esophagus. | |||
Bulgarian | гърлото | ||
"Гърлото" can also refer to a narrow passage or opening, such as a mountain pass or a strait. | |||
Czech | hrdlo | ||
In the past, the word "hrdlo" could also refer to the neck, the larynx, the esophagus, or a bottleneck, and it is still sometimes used in these senses today. | |||
Estonian | kurgus | ||
"Kurgus" can also mean "crane" in Estonian, which is a large wading bird with long legs and a long neck. | |||
Finnish | kurkku | ||
The word "kurkku" also means "cucumber" in Finnish, as it is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "kurkku", meaning "cucurbit"} | |||
Hungarian | torok | ||
"Torok" is also an archaic Hungarian word for "gorge", and is used to refer to the narrow pass where the Danube flows through the Carpathian Mountains. | |||
Latvian | rīkle | ||
The word “rīkle” shares an ancient Indo-European root with the English word “reach”. | |||
Lithuanian | gerklė | ||
The word "gerklė" is related to the Lithuanian word "gargaras", which means "gargle". This suggests that the word "gerklė" originally referred to the act of gargling, rather than the anatomical structure of the throat. | |||
Macedonian | грло | ||
The Macedonian word "грло" can also refer to the neck or a geographical strait. | |||
Polish | gardło | ||
"Gardło" can also mean "necktie" or "larynx". | |||
Romanian | gât | ||
In Romanian, "gât" can also refer to a narrow passage or a sound in music. | |||
Russian | горло | ||
The word "горло" (throat) is also a diminutive form of the word "гора" (mountain). | |||
Serbian | грло | ||
The Serbian word "грло" (throat) can also refer to a narrow passage, a gorge, or a sound made by an animal. | |||
Slovak | hrdlo | ||
Hrdlo in Slovak can also mean "neck", "strait", or "pass", all referring to narrow or constricted passages. | |||
Slovenian | grlo | ||
The word "grlo" also means "opening" or "mouth" in Slovenian. | |||
Ukrainian | горло | ||
The word "горло" also refers to the narrow part of a bottle or jar. |
Bengali | গলা | ||
The word "গলা" can also mean "voice" or "sound" in Bengali, extending its literal meaning as the passage for air and sound from the mouth. | |||
Gujarati | ગળું | ||
The Gujarati word 'ગળું' (throat) may also refer to the 'neck' or the 'esophagus'. | |||
Hindi | गले | ||
The word "गले" also refers to the sound produced by a choked person. | |||
Kannada | ಗಂಟಲು | ||
The Kannada word "ಗಂಟಲು" also has a secondary meaning of "a narrow passage or defile" | |||
Malayalam | തൊണ്ട | ||
The word 'തൊണ്ട' (throat) in Malayalam is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word 'tuṇḍi', meaning 'mouth' or 'opening'. | |||
Marathi | घसा | ||
The word "घसा" in Marathi can also refer to the esophagus or the larynx. | |||
Nepali | घाँटी | ||
"घाँटी" (throat) comes from Sanskrit "kantha" (neck), and "घाँस" (grass) is related to "ghāsya" (grass). | |||
Punjabi | ਗਲਾ | ||
'ਗਲਾ' (gala) originally meant neck in Prakrit and Apabhramsha and also neck or throat in Sanskrit, but in Punjabi its use narrowed down to throat only, and neck became 'ਬੁੱਕ' (bookk) in the 16th century. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උගුර | ||
The word “උගුර” can be used to refer to the throat in general, the cavity of the larynx, or the opening of the esophagus | |||
Tamil | தொண்டை | ||
The word 'தொண்டை' (throat) in Tamil can also refer to a region or a musical instrument, particularly a type of drum. | |||
Telugu | గొంతు | ||
The word "గొంతు" can also refer to the voice or the act of speaking. | |||
Urdu | حلق | ||
In Urdu, "حلق" (halq) not only means "throat" but also refers to a "ring" or "circle". |
Chinese (Simplified) | 喉 | ||
In traditional Chinese medicine, "喉" refers to a specific acupuncture point located in the hollow of the throat. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 喉 | ||
The character 喉 (throat) originally meant "big gullet" in ancient Chinese, and is composed of the mouth radical (口) and a simplified form of the character 虎 (tiger). | |||
Japanese | 喉 | ||
The word "喉" (throat) also means "channel" or "passageway" in Japanese. | |||
Korean | 목 | ||
목 (喉) in Korean, can also refer to one's life or neck. | |||
Mongolian | хоолой | ||
The Mongolian word "хоолой" can also refer to a mountain pass or a narrow valley. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လည်ချောင်း | ||
Indonesian | tenggorokan | ||
The word tenggorokan is derived from the Old Javanese word 'tênggĕr', meaning 'hoarse' or 'rough'. It can also refer to the gullet or esophagus. | |||
Javanese | tenggorokan | ||
"Tenggorokan" in Javanese can also mean "the passage of a river". | |||
Khmer | បំពង់ក | ||
In Khmer language the word បំពង់ក (throat) can also mean gullet, or esophagus. | |||
Lao | ຄໍ | ||
The word "ຄໍ" (kɔɔ) can also refer to the "neck" or "voice" in Lao. | |||
Malay | tekak | ||
"Tekak" also means "gullet" in Malay. | |||
Thai | ลำคอ | ||
The Thai word "ลำคอ" (lam kho) also means "neck". | |||
Vietnamese | họng | ||
The word "họng" also refers to the narrow opening of a bottle or jar. | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lalamunan | ||
Azerbaijani | boğaz | ||
In Azerbaijani, "boğaz" also means "strait," a narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water. | |||
Kazakh | тамақ | ||
The Kazakh word “тамақ” (“throat”) also refers to food | |||
Kyrgyz | тамак | ||
The word "тамак" also has the alternate meaning of "food" in Kyrgyz. | |||
Tajik | гулӯ | ||
In addition to meaning "throat", the word "гулӯ" ("ghulū") can also refer to a person's voice or singing ability in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | bokurdak | ||
Uzbek | tomoq | ||
"Tomoq," meaning "throat," also refers to the space where the throat is located. | |||
Uyghur | كېكىردەك | ||
Hawaiian | ʻāʻī | ||
In Hawaiian, ʻāʻī can also mean `the narrow point between two parts of a canoe` or, metaphorically, `the point where life leaves the body`. | |||
Maori | korokoro | ||
"Korokoro" means "throat" in Māori, but also refers to the gurgling sound made by water or a person swallowing. | |||
Samoan | faʻaʻi | ||
"Faʻaʻi" also refers to the area below a tree, or a part of a banana bunch that is attached to its stalk. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | lalamunan | ||
"Lalamunan" is said to be derived from the root word "lunok," meaning "swallow." |
Aymara | mallq'a | ||
Guarani | ahy'o | ||
Esperanto | gorĝo | ||
The word comes from Italian _gola_, with additional Esperanto -j- for body parts. | |||
Latin | faucium | ||
Faucium also refers to the entrance of a place; fauces was the main entrance to the circus or other place of entertainment. |
Greek | λαιμός | ||
Λαιμός derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰel-, meaning 'to swallow'. | |||
Hmong | caj pa | ||
The term "caj pa" in the Hmong language also refers to the vocal cords, or the narrow passageway in the throat through which air and food pass. | |||
Kurdish | qirrik | ||
The word “qirrik” is also used to refer to a narrow passage or a difficult situation. | |||
Turkish | boğaz | ||
In Turkish, "boğaz" also refers to the Bosphorus Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. | |||
Xhosa | umqala | ||
'Umqala' also means 'a difficult obstacle' | |||
Yiddish | האַלדז | ||
The Yiddish word "האַלדז" "haldz" meaning "throat" may originate from the Middle Low German "hals" or the Old High German "hals". | |||
Zulu | umphimbo | ||
Umphimbo, meaning throat, originates from the Nguni click sound /q/. | |||
Assamese | নেলু | ||
Aymara | mallq'a | ||
Bhojpuri | गला | ||
Dhivehi | ކަރު | ||
Dogri | गला | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | lalamunan | ||
Guarani | ahy'o | ||
Ilocano | karabukob | ||
Krio | trot | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گەروو | ||
Maithili | गला | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯅꯥꯎ | ||
Mizo | hrawk | ||
Oromo | kokkee | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଗଳା | ||
Quechua | tunquri | ||
Sanskrit | कण्ठ | ||
Tatar | тамак | ||
Tigrinya | ጎሮሮ | ||
Tsonga | nkolo | ||