Title in Different Languages
Discover 'Title' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'title' carries great significance in various cultural and linguistic contexts. It refers to the name of a book, article, or other published work, as well as a person's position or status. In literature, a title can make or break a work's success, while in social settings, a title can reflect one's achievements and respectability.
Throughout history, titles have been used to denote power and authority. In feudal Europe, for instance, a person's title could indicate their rank in the social hierarchy. Meanwhile, in many Asian cultures, titles are still used to show respect and deference to elders and authority figures.
Given the word's cultural importance and historical context, it's no wonder that people might want to know its translation in different languages. Here are some examples:
- French: titre
- Spanish: título
- German: Titel
- Mandarin: 题目 (tí mù)
- Japanese: タイトル (taitoru)
- Russian: заголовок (zagolovok)
- Arabic: عنوان (ʿunwān)
Title
Title in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | titel | ||
| The Afrikaans word "titel" can also refer to a deed or document that establishes ownership of property, or to the opening or closing section of a book, article, or other work. | |||
| Amharic | ርዕስ | ||
| The word "ርዕስ" ("title") can also refer to a chapter heading or a book's table of contents. | |||
| Hausa | take | ||
| The word "take" in Hausa may also refer to a traditional head covering worn by Hausa men. | |||
| Igbo | aha | ||
| In Igbo, “aha” also means “to conquer”. | |||
| Malagasy | lohateny | ||
| The Malagasy word "lohateny" can refer to a title, a speech, or a text. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mutu | ||
| The word "mutu" can also mean "head" or "chief". | |||
| Shona | zita | ||
| The word "zita" in Shona is also used to mean "a name given to a person born after twins". | |||
| Somali | cinwaan | ||
| "Cinwaan" is the Arabic word meaning "address" and is commonly used to refer to the title of a book, film or article, as well as to a person's name or address. | |||
| Sesotho | sehlooho | ||
| Sehloho can also refer to a type of traditional drum in some parts of Southern Africa. | |||
| Swahili | kichwa | ||
| The Swahili word "kichwa" can also refer to "the head" or "the beginning of something." | |||
| Xhosa | isihloko | ||
| The isiXhosa term "isihloko" can also refer to the traditional head-ring worn by married women. | |||
| Yoruba | akọle | ||
| Akole is also a type of head tie worn traditionally by Yoruba women | |||
| Zulu | isihloko | ||
| The word 'isihloko' can also mean 'topic' or 'subject' in Zulu, highlighting its semantic relevance to the concept of titling. | |||
| Bambara | titiri | ||
| Ewe | tanya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umutwe | ||
| Lingala | titre | ||
| Luganda | omutwe | ||
| Sepedi | thaetlele | ||
| Twi (Akan) | atiti asɛm | ||
Title in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عنوان | ||
| The word عنوان in Arabic originally derives from the verb 'عنون', meaning to direct, point or assign direction to something. | |||
| Hebrew | כותרת | ||
| The word "כותרת" can also refer to a headline, a caption, or a summary. | |||
| Pashto | سرلیک | ||
| The word "سرلیک" ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ker-/*kre-", meaning "to make" or "to cut". | |||
| Arabic | عنوان | ||
| The word عنوان in Arabic originally derives from the verb 'عنون', meaning to direct, point or assign direction to something. | |||
Title in Western European Languages
| Albanian | titulli | ||
| "Titulli" is derived from the Latin word "titulus", which also means "inscription" or "epigraph". | |||
| Basque | izenburua | ||
| The Basque word "Izenburua" can also refer to a "title of nobility" or a "surname" | |||
| Catalan | títol | ||
| The word "títol" in Catalan also refers to a noble rank or degree, such as a marquisate or a barony. | |||
| Croatian | titula | ||
| The word "titula" is derived from the Latin word "titulus", meaning "inscription" or "heading." | |||
| Danish | titel | ||
| In Danish, "titel" can also refer to the front page of a newspaper. | |||
| Dutch | titel | ||
| In Dutch, "titel" can also refer to a heading or a person's professional designation. | |||
| English | title | ||
| "Title" also refers to a piece of land with an accompanying status held by a noble, as in the expression "titled land." | |||
| French | titre | ||
| "Titre" shares the same root as "to draw" in English, hence the meaning of "draw" in financial instruments. | |||
| Frisian | titel | ||
| The word 'titel' also means 'chapter' in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | título | ||
| The word "título" can also refer to a university degree in Galician. | |||
| German | titel | ||
| The word "Titel" can also refer to a name or a headline.} | |||
| Icelandic | titill | ||
| Titill' can also refer to the sound of tiny bells jingling in Icelandic folklore. | |||
| Irish | teideal | ||
| Teideal also means 'ideal' or 'perfect' and comes from the French word 'idéal'. | |||
| Italian | titolo | ||
| The Italian word "titolo" can also refer to a nobleman's estate, a financial instrument, or a legal document granting privileges. | |||
| Luxembourgish | titel | ||
| The word "Titel" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a person's rank or position in society. | |||
| Maltese | titlu | ||
| "Titlu", in Maltese, may also refer to an official document confirming a property purchase which is referred to in English as an "Act of Sale". | |||
| Norwegian | tittel | ||
| The Norwegian word "tittel" originally meant "inscription" and is related to the Old Norse word "titill", meaning "mark" or "stroke". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | título | ||
| "Título" in Portuguese can also refer to a diploma or a university degree. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tiotal | ||
| The Gaelic word 'tiotal' also refers to a person's status or social rank. | |||
| Spanish | título | ||
| In Spanish, "título" can also refer to a document that proves ownership or a legal right. | |||
| Swedish | titel | ||
| The word "titel" can also refer to a title of honor or a person's official position. | |||
| Welsh | teitl | ||
| The Welsh word "teitl" is derived from the Latin "titulus," meaning "inscription" or "superscription." | |||
Title in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | загаловак | ||
| The word "загаловак" in Belarusian could derive from the word "голова" (head) or the phrase "за головне" (above the main text). | |||
| Bosnian | naslov | ||
| "Naslov" can also mean "address" or "heading" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | заглавие | ||
| The word "заглавие" also means "headline" or "caption" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | titul | ||
| In Czech, "titul" can also refer to a student's thesis-based degree. | |||
| Estonian | pealkiri | ||
| The word "pealkiri" derives from the Old Estonian words "pea" (head) and "kiri" (writing), suggesting a heading or chief inscription. | |||
| Finnish | otsikko | ||
| "Otsikko" is derived from the word "ottaa" (to take), and originally meant "a thing taken" or "a section" | |||
| Hungarian | cím | ||
| In Ottoman Turkish, "çem" meant "thing, object," which could become "cím" with the loss of the original suffix, and this may connect to the Hungarian word "cím." | |||
| Latvian | nosaukums | ||
| No direct English cognates, likely a loanword from Old Prussian | |||
| Lithuanian | pavadinimas | ||
| "Pavadinimas" is also used to denote a type of publication that resembles a pamphlet but contains less content. | |||
| Macedonian | наслов | ||
| The Macedonian word "Наслов" can also refer to a heading, caption, or name. | |||
| Polish | tytuł | ||
| The word "tytuł" (title) in Polish also means "style or form of address" and "dignity or honor" | |||
| Romanian | titlu | ||
| The Romanian word "titlu" originated from the French word "titre" and the Latin word "titulus", meaning "inscription" or "distinctive mark". | |||
| Russian | заглавие | ||
| "Заглавие" in Russian has cognates with the words "head" and "voice", which reflects its original meaning as the opening part of a speech or text. | |||
| Serbian | наслов | ||
| The Serbian word 'наслов' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *naslovь, meaning 'inscription' or 'superscription', and is cognate with the Russian word 'название'. | |||
| Slovak | titul | ||
| In Slovak, titul can also mean academic degree or form of address. | |||
| Slovenian | naslov | ||
| In Slovenian, "naslov" can also refer to an address or a headline. | |||
| Ukrainian | заголовок | ||
| The word "заголовок" in Ukrainian can also mean "heading" or "caption". | |||
Title in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শিরোনাম | ||
| The word "শিরোনাম" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शीर्षनाम" meaning "head name" or "name at the top". | |||
| Gujarati | શીર્ષક | ||
| The Gujarati word 'शीर्षक' ('title') originally meant 'crest', 'forehead' or 'head' and was borrowed into Gujarati from Sanskrit. | |||
| Hindi | शीर्षक | ||
| The Sanskrit word शीर्षक (śīrṣaka) is not only the ancestor of the Hindi शीर्षक, but also means "crest," "head," or "headman." | |||
| Kannada | ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malayalam | ശീർഷകം | ||
| The Malayalam word "ശീർഷകം" (śīrṣakam) traces its roots to the Sanskrit word "शीर्षक" (śīrṣaka), meaning "head, top," suggesting its position at the beginning of a text. | |||
| Marathi | शीर्षक | ||
| The word शीर्षक can also mean 'heading' or 'caption' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | शीर्षक | ||
| शीर्षक शब्द संस्कृत के शीर्ष शब्द से आया है जिसका अर्थ है 'सिर' या 'ऊपर का भाग'। | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਿਰਲੇਖ | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'शीर्षक' (śīrṣaka) originally meant 'head' or 'crown'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ශීර්ෂය | ||
| 'Title' in Sinhalese is "ශීර්ෂය" (pronounced as 'sheershaya') and has the alternate meanings of "head", and of the "first, foremost or highest" of a set. | |||
| Tamil | தலைப்பு | ||
| "தலைப்பு" originates from the root "தலை" (head), implying something at the beginning or top. | |||
| Telugu | శీర్షిక | ||
| శీర్షిక షీర్షిక భియె లెను కోస మయలబుత నా భెలారీత తలుసుకౌనక టాప | |||
| Urdu | عنوان | ||
| عنوان literally means ‘front’, referring to the front part of a book or a document where its title is usually written. | |||
Title in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 标题 | ||
| 标题（title）一词在汉语中有多个用法，包括标题、标题、目录和级别。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 標題 | ||
| The word 標題 in Chinese can also refer to a label, heading, or caption. | |||
| Japanese | 題名 | ||
| The characters in the Japanese word "題名" mean "subject" and "name," and it was originally used to indicate the topic of the book, rather than the specific name of the book. | |||
| Korean | 표제 | ||
| "표제" originally meant "a signboard" or "a notice", but it now primarily means "title". | |||
| Mongolian | гарчиг | ||
| The term "гарчиг" shares an etymological root with the Mongolian word for "handwriting", suggesting a connection between titles and the written word. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခေါင်းစဥ် | ||
Title in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | judul | ||
| The word _judul_ also exists in Malay in an alternate usage meaning the first chapter of a Qur'an reading. | |||
| Javanese | judhul | ||
| The Javanese word "judhul" is derived from the Sanskrit word "yuddha" meaning "battle" or "war", suggesting that titles in ancient Javanese may have been associated with military achievements or conflicts. | |||
| Khmer | ចំណងជើង | ||
| The word "ចំណងជើង" is also used to refer to the opening or closing part of a Cambodian classical dance performance. | |||
| Lao | ຫົວຂໍ້ | ||
| Malay | tajuk | ||
| The word "tajuk" in Malay can also refer to a headdress or a type of traditional Malay hat. | |||
| Thai | หัวข้อ | ||
| หัวข้อ might also refer to the top or front of something, like the head of a bed or the front of a book. | |||
| Vietnamese | tiêu đề | ||
| The word "tiêu đề" can also mean "heading" or "caption" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamagat | ||
Title in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | başlıq | ||
| "Başlıq" can be used to refer to a heading or a cover for a bed, as well as a small gift for the head of the family during Novruz, the spring celebration." | |||
| Kazakh | тақырып | ||
| The word "тақырып" can also mean "theme", "topic", or "subject" | |||
| Kyrgyz | аталышы | ||
| The word “аталышы” can be translated as both “title” and “name” in English. | |||
| Tajik | унвон | ||
| The word "унвон" in Tajik can also refer to a "rank" or a "grade". | |||
| Turkmen | ady | ||
| Uzbek | sarlavha | ||
| The word "sarlavha" literally means "a writing on a head" in Uzbek and is also used for "heading" or "chapter" in a book. | |||
| Uyghur | ماۋزۇ | ||
Title in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | poʻo inoa | ||
| The Hawaiian word "poʻo inoa" originally referred to the head of a fish, which was considered a delicacy, and over time came to mean "title" as a metaphor for the importance of a chief. | |||
| Maori | taitara | ||
| The word 'taitara' also connotes the idea of 'ownership' or 'authority' in the Maori language. | |||
| Samoan | ulutala | ||
| The word "ulutala" is also used to refer to a chief or orator. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pamagat | ||
| "Pamagat" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *pamaŋu(q)*, which also means "to guide". | |||
Title in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | titulu | ||
| Guarani | myakãha | ||
Title in International Languages
| Esperanto | titolo | ||
| In Esperanto, "titolo" can also mean "section" in a book or "heading" in a newspaper. | |||
| Latin | title | ||
| The Latin word "titulus" originally meant "inscription" or "superscription," and was later used to refer to a legal document or a formal designation. | |||
Title in Others Languages
| Greek | τίτλος | ||
| The Greek word "τίτλος" also means "accent mark", and derives from the verb "τίτλω", "to pierce". | |||
| Hmong | qha | ||
| "Qha" can also refer to a rank, status, a type of tree, or type of bird. | |||
| Kurdish | nav | ||
| The word "nav" in Kurdish can also refer to a person's dignity or honor. | |||
| Turkish | başlık | ||
| In Turkish, "Başlık" can also mean "headband" or "heading". | |||
| Xhosa | isihloko | ||
| The isiXhosa term "isihloko" can also refer to the traditional head-ring worn by married women. | |||
| Yiddish | טיטל | ||
| טיטל - Yiddish slang for 'a lie' is cognate with the Russian title 'titula,' meaning 'imperial title bestowed upon people of rank'. | |||
| Zulu | isihloko | ||
| The word 'isihloko' can also mean 'topic' or 'subject' in Zulu, highlighting its semantic relevance to the concept of titling. | |||
| Assamese | অলপ | ||
| Aymara | titulu | ||
| Bhojpuri | हक | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޤާމު | ||
| Dogri | शीर्शक | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pamagat | ||
| Guarani | myakãha | ||
| Ilocano | titulo | ||
| Krio | taytul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ناونیشان | ||
| Maithili | शीर्षक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯤꯡꯊꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | nihna | ||
| Oromo | mata-duree | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆଖ୍ୟା | ||
| Quechua | suti | ||
| Sanskrit | शीर्षक | ||
| Tatar | исем | ||
| Tigrinya | ርእሲ | ||
| Tsonga | xirhangi | ||