Tooth in Different Languages
Discover 'Tooth' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Teeth are small, calcified, white structures embedded in our jawbones that play a crucial role in helping us chew and digest food. But did you know that the word 'tooth' has a rich cultural and historical significance, and is expressed differently in various languages around the world?
For instance, in Spanish, the word for tooth is 'diente,' which comes from the Latin word 'dens.' In French, it's 'dent,' derived from the Latin word 'dentem.' In German, it's 'Zahn,' which has roots in the Old High German word 'zand.' In Japanese, the word for tooth is 'ha' (歯), which is written with the same character as the word for leaf, symbolizing growth and renewal.
Understanding the translation of the word 'tooth' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural and historical contexts of various societies. It can also help us appreciate the diversity and richness of human languages and cultures.
Tooth
Tooth in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tand | ||
| In Afrikaans, ''tand'' not only means ''tooth'', but also ''cog''. | |||
| Amharic | ጥርስ | ||
| In Amharic, "ጥርስ" also refers to ridges on a piece of fabric. | |||
| Hausa | hakori | ||
| The Hausa word "hakori" can also refer to a "spear" or the act of "biting". | |||
| Igbo | eze | ||
| "Eze" also refers to the "upper jaw" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | nify | ||
| The Malagasy word "nify" can also refer to a type of edible seaweed. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | dzino | ||
| "Dzino" in Nyanja also means "seed". | |||
| Shona | zino | ||
| The word "zino" in Shona may also refer to a person's age, a certain type of animal trap, or the act of grinding grain. | |||
| Somali | ilig | ||
| The word "ilig" in Somali is derived from the Arabic word "al-ilah" which means "the tooth". It is related to the word "ilah" which means "god" and "aliyah" which means "to ascend". The word "ile" in Somali is also used to refer to the "mouth" and "the edge".} | |||
| Sesotho | leino | ||
| "Leino" also refers to a chisel and a peg or pole. | |||
| Swahili | jino | ||
| The word 'jino' in Swahili is derived from the Proto-Bantu root *-dzino, meaning 'tooth' or 'horn'. | |||
| Xhosa | izinyo | ||
| The Xhosa word "izinyo" can also refer to a type of traditional necklace worn by women. | |||
| Yoruba | ehin | ||
| In some dialects, "ehin" also refers to the gums. | |||
| Zulu | izinyo | ||
| The Zulu word 'izinyo' can also refer to the edge or point of a weapon. | |||
| Bambara | ɲin | ||
| Ewe | aɖu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iryinyo | ||
| Lingala | lino | ||
| Luganda | erinnyo | ||
| Sepedi | leino | ||
| Twi (Akan) | se | ||
Tooth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سن | ||
| In colloquial Arabic, the word "سن" can also mean "age" or "classmate." | |||
| Hebrew | שן | ||
| The Hebrew word "שן" ("tooth") also means "year" or "age". | |||
| Pashto | غاښ | ||
| The word "غاښ" (tooth) in Pashto also refers to the "edge" of a blade or other sharp instrument. | |||
| Arabic | سن | ||
| In colloquial Arabic, the word "سن" can also mean "age" or "classmate." | |||
Tooth in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dhëmbi | ||
| "Dhëmbi" is also used in Albanian to refer to the | |||
| Basque | hortza | ||
| In some regions of the Basque Country, 'hortza' also refers to a 'fang'. | |||
| Catalan | dent | ||
| The Catalan word "dent" is derived from the Latin word "dens", meaning "tooth", and also relates to the Spanish word "diente". | |||
| Croatian | zub | ||
| The word "zub" is derived from Proto-Slavic and has various meanings in Croatian, including tusk, fang, or prong. | |||
| Danish | tand | ||
| In Danish, the word "tand" can also refer to the teeth of a saw or comb, or the cogs of a wheel. | |||
| Dutch | tand | ||
| The Dutch word "tand" is cognate with the English word "tooth" and can also refer to prongs on tools and machines or the pointed end of a key. | |||
| English | tooth | ||
| The word 'tooth' is derived from the Old English word 'toþ', which means 'a projection' or 'a spike'. | |||
| French | dent | ||
| The French word | |||
| Frisian | tosk | ||
| The word "tosk" can also refer to a tusk, a sharp point, or a toothache. | |||
| Galician | dente | ||
| The Galician word "dente" can also refer to a spike or prong. | |||
| German | zahn | ||
| The word "Zahn" in German is also a term for a toothed wheel or gear. | |||
| Icelandic | tönn | ||
| The word "tönn" can also refer to a small, sharp object, such as a pin or a needle. | |||
| Irish | fiacail | ||
| The Irish word "fiacail" can also refer to a toothache, a fang, or the tusk of a wild animal. | |||
| Italian | dente | ||
| In Italian, 'dente' can also refer to a tooth-like projection, such as on a saw or gear. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zännofdréck | ||
| In the past, the word "Zännofdréck" had a different meaning and referred to the "dental plaque". | |||
| Maltese | sinna | ||
| "Sinna" may come from the Proto-Semitic word "*θinnu" meaning "tooth, tusk, or horn", and was likely influenced by the Arabic word "سنّ" (sinn) meaning "tooth". | |||
| Norwegian | tann | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "tann" can also mean "cog" or "gear". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dente | ||
| In the 13th century, "dente" could also mean "a part or side of something." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fiacail | ||
| The Gaelic word "fiacail" can also refer to a tusk or a fang. | |||
| Spanish | diente | ||
| "Diente de león" means "dandelion" in Spanish because its serrated leaves resemble teeth. | |||
| Swedish | tand | ||
| The word 'tand' in Swedish is cognate with the English word 'tooth' and the German word 'Zahn', all deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *dent-. | |||
| Welsh | dant | ||
| Welsh 'dant' derives from Proto-Celtic *denti- ('tooth') and also means 'a notch'. | |||
Tooth in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | зуба | ||
| In some Belarusian dialects, "зуба" can also refer to "a sharp object" or "a small peg." | |||
| Bosnian | zub | ||
| In Slavic languages, the word "zub" can also refer to a sharp object, such as a spike or a sawtooth. | |||
| Bulgarian | зъб | ||
| The Proto-Slavic word for "tooth" was *zǫbъ, and is cognate with the words "zambr" in Albanian, "dant" in Romanian, and "δόντι" (dónti) in Greek. | |||
| Czech | zub | ||
| The word "zub" in Czech can also mean "notch" or "cog". | |||
| Estonian | hammas | ||
| In Old Estonian "hammas" also meant "claw" or "thorn". | |||
| Finnish | hammas | ||
| "Hammas" also refers to teeth as a collection or to the state of having teeth (having too many teeth: "hampaisto"). | |||
| Hungarian | fog | ||
| 'Fog' comes from the Proto-Germanic word 'fanhan', meaning 'to seize' or 'to hold', and is related to the Latin 'prehendere', meaning 'to grasp'. | |||
| Latvian | zobs | ||
| The Latvian word "zobs" has Indo-European and Germanic roots and is related to the Sanskrit word "dabh" and the Old English word "tóþ", both of which also mean "tooth." | |||
| Lithuanian | dantis | ||
| The Lithuanian word "dantis" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dent-, which also gave rise to the English word "dental". | |||
| Macedonian | заб | ||
| In the Kumanovo dialect of Macedonian, "заб" (tooth) has the alternate meanings of "lip" and "fang." | |||
| Polish | ząb | ||
| "Ząb" also means "cog" (of a gear) or "fang" (of a key). | |||
| Romanian | dinte | ||
| The Romanian word "dinte" (tooth) is derived from the Latin word "dens" (also meaning tooth), and is cognate with the English word "dental". | |||
| Russian | зуб | ||
| In Russian, "зуб" (tooth) also refers to teeth in tools like gears or combs. | |||
| Serbian | зуб | ||
| The word 'зуб' ('tooth') can also mean 'prong', 'cog' or 'indent' in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | zub | ||
| The term "zub" originates from Proto-Slavonic and is shared by the Czech "zub" and Polish "ząb". | |||
| Slovenian | zob | ||
| Slovenian has two words for 'tooth': 'zob' of Slavic origin, and 'dent' borrowed from German. | |||
| Ukrainian | зуба | ||
| The Ukrainian word "зуба" not only means "tooth", but also refers to a sharp object, a pointed part of something, or a part of a tool that resembles a tooth in shape or function. | |||
Tooth in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দাঁত | ||
| দাঁত comes from Sanskrit दन्तात् (dantāt), which also means “ivory”. | |||
| Gujarati | દાંત | ||
| The Gujarati word "દાંત" also refers to the teeth of a comb. | |||
| Hindi | दांत | ||
| The word "दांत" (tooth) is derived from the Sanskrit word "दन्त" (dent), which also means "ivory" or "tusk". | |||
| Kannada | ಹಲ್ಲು | ||
| "ಹಲ್ಲು" (tooth) is also used to refer to the teeth of a comb or a file. | |||
| Malayalam | പല്ല് | ||
| The word 'പല്ല്' ('tooth') is also used to refer to the teeth of a comb or saw, or the points of a key. | |||
| Marathi | दात | ||
| In Prakrit, where words typically end in vowels, the term for tooth is "danta" which evolved to "dat" in Marathi during the medieval period while retaining the meaning. | |||
| Nepali | दाँत | ||
| In Nepali, "दाँत" can also refer to a cog or gear on a machine. | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੰਦ | ||
| The word | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දත | ||
| The Sinhala word "දත" (tooth) is also used to refer to a key, especially a traditional wooden lock key. | |||
| Tamil | பல் | ||
| The Tamil word "பல்" (pal) also refers to a category of ancient Tamil poetic compositions. | |||
| Telugu | పంటి | ||
| The word "పంటి" (tooth) can also refer to a peg or pin used in various contexts, such as in jewelry or carpentry. | |||
| Urdu | دانت | ||
| The word "دانت" can also refer to the cogs or teeth of a gear or wheel in Urdu. | |||
Tooth in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 齿 | ||
| "齿" can also mean 'age' in Chinese, e.g. "花甲之齿" ("a person reaching the age of sixty"). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 齒 | ||
| The character "齒" also means "edge, notch, or sawtooth" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 歯 | ||
| The word "歯" (ha) can also mean "blade" or "edge" in Japanese, reflecting its sharp shape. | |||
| Korean | 이 | ||
| The word '이' ('tooth' in modern Korean) evolved from the Koreanic term 'nir', which also means 'to bite' and has cognates in other Altaic languages such as Proto-Mongolic '*nire-ke'. | |||
| Mongolian | шүд | ||
| The Mongolian word | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သွား | ||
| The word "သွား" in Myanmar (Burmese) can also mean "edge" or "rim", and is related to the Shan word "swa" meaning "edge" or "rim". | |||
Tooth in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gigi | ||
| Gigi is also used figuratively to refer to a person's smile or a facial expression that shows teeth. | |||
| Javanese | waos | ||
| Waos in Javanese is also a term of endearment, akin to calling a child 'my little tooth'. | |||
| Khmer | ធ្មេុញ | ||
| In Khmer, the word "ធ្មេុញ" (tooth) can also refer to the "edge" of a blade or a "spike" of a plant. | |||
| Lao | ແຂ້ວ | ||
| The Lao word for tooth, “ແຂ້ວ,” is also used to describe a tusk, fang or the pointed tip of something sharp | |||
| Malay | gigi | ||
| The word "gigi" is also used in Malay to refer to a comb or a tool for combing hair. | |||
| Thai | ฟัน | ||
| The Thai word “ฟัน” also means “to bite” and an edge of an object. | |||
| Vietnamese | răng | ||
| The word "răng" in Vietnamese can also mean "the time or period of cutting rice and gathering it inside", as in the phrase "vụ gặt" (harvesting period). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ngipin | ||
Tooth in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | diş | ||
| The word 'diş' in Azerbaijani has the same origin as the English word 'dent' and the Latin word 'dens', all meaning 'tooth'. It also has the alternate meaning of 'fang' or 'tusk' in some contexts. | |||
| Kazakh | тіс | ||
| "Тіс" is a Turkic word that also means the "tooth of a saw". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тиш | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "тиш" can also refer to a type of traditional musical instrument, similar to a guitar. | |||
| Tajik | дандон | ||
| In Tajik, the word "дандон" can also refer to the cogs of a gear. | |||
| Turkmen | diş | ||
| Uzbek | tish | ||
| In Uzbek, "tish" can also mean "ivory" or "a tooth of a comb" | |||
| Uyghur | چىش | ||
Tooth in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | niho | ||
| The Hawaiian word "niho" also means "tusk" or "fang" of an animal. | |||
| Maori | niho | ||
| The word "niho" also refers to a tooth projection carved on the handrails of meeting houses, representing the prestige of the ancestor whose bones lie below. | |||
| Samoan | nifo | ||
| The word "nifo" can also refer to a child's first tooth or a toothache. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ngipin | ||
| "Ngipin" also means "to bite" or "to chew" in Tagalog. | |||
Tooth in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | k'achi | ||
| Guarani | tãi | ||
Tooth in International Languages
| Esperanto | dento | ||
| The word "dento" has a Latin etymology, deriving from "dens" meaning "tooth" or "dentate" meaning "toothed". | |||
| Latin | dente | ||
| The Latin word "dente" shares an etymological root with "edentate," meaning "without teeth". | |||
Tooth in Others Languages
| Greek | δόντι | ||
| The word "δόντι" can also mean "rock" or "mountain" in some regional dialects of Greek. | |||
| Hmong | hniav | ||
| The Hmong word "hniav" has the alternate meaning of "the tip of a bamboo shoot" | |||
| Kurdish | diran | ||
| The Kurmanji word "diran" also means "sharp" or "pointed" and is related to the Persian word "tiran" meaning "arrow". | |||
| Turkish | diş | ||
| The word "diş" also means "tooth" in Turkish, which is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "*tiš" meaning "tooth" or "fang". | |||
| Xhosa | izinyo | ||
| The Xhosa word "izinyo" can also refer to a type of traditional necklace worn by women. | |||
| Yiddish | צאָן | ||
| The Yiddish word צאָן also means "prong," "cusp," and "tusk." | |||
| Zulu | izinyo | ||
| The Zulu word 'izinyo' can also refer to the edge or point of a weapon. | |||
| Assamese | দাঁত | ||
| Aymara | k'achi | ||
| Bhojpuri | दांत | ||
| Dhivehi | ދަތް | ||
| Dogri | दंद | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ngipin | ||
| Guarani | tãi | ||
| Ilocano | ngipen | ||
| Krio | tit | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ددان | ||
| Maithili | दांत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥ | ||
| Mizo | ha | ||
| Oromo | ilkaan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦାନ୍ତ | ||
| Quechua | kiru | ||
| Sanskrit | दंत | ||
| Tatar | теш | ||
| Tigrinya | ስኒ | ||
| Tsonga | tino | ||