Violence in Different Languages
Discover 'Violence' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Violence: a word that evokes strong emotions and reactions, no matter the language. Its significance is universal, as it represents harm, conflict, and force. But its cultural importance varies greatly across the globe. In some societies, violence is a taboo subject, while in others it is a part of everyday life. Understanding the translation of violence in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures approach and address this complex issue.
Did you know that the English word 'violence' comes from the Latin 'violentia', meaning 'vehemence' or 'force'? Or that in some languages, such as Spanish and French, the word for violence is a feminine noun, while in others, like German and Russian, it is masculine? These linguistic differences reflect cultural attitudes towards violence and gender roles.
So, why should you care about the translation of violence in different languages? Whether you're a language learner, a cultural enthusiast, or a global citizen, understanding this term in various languages can deepen your appreciation for the richness and diversity of human culture. Here are a few translations to get you started:
Violence
Violence in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | geweld | ||
| "Geweld" derives from the Dutch word "geweld", meaning "power" or "force," and is related to the archaic English word "welde," meaning "to rule". | |||
| Amharic | ዓመፅ | ||
| The word "ዓመፅ" has alternate meanings like "an uproar or rebellion" and has an etymology rooted in the Semitic term for "crowd". | |||
| Hausa | tashin hankali | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "violence," "tashin hankali" can also mean "anger" or "rage" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ime ihe ike | ||
| The Igbo phrase | |||
| Malagasy | herisetra | ||
| HERISETRA can be analyzed as "herisetra" which stands for "a violent action" | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chiwawa | ||
| The word "chiwawa" in Nyanja can also refer to a particular type of axe or hoe. | |||
| Shona | mhirizhonga | ||
| The Shona word "mhirizhonga" also means "to be hard" or "to be unyielding". | |||
| Somali | rabshad | ||
| Sesotho | pefo | ||
| Swahili | vurugu | ||
| "Vurugu" is derived from the Arabic word "wuruq" (papers), referring to the chaos and destruction caused by riots | |||
| Xhosa | ubundlobongela | ||
| Yoruba | iwa-ipa | ||
| Iwa-ipa may also mean "bad character" or "immoral behavior". | |||
| Zulu | udlame | ||
| The Zulu word "udlame" is also used to refer to the "act of killing" or "murder." | |||
| Bambara | tɔɲɔnli | ||
| Ewe | avuwɔwɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urugomo | ||
| Lingala | mobulu | ||
| Luganda | obukambwe | ||
| Sepedi | dikgaruru | ||
| Twi (Akan) | basabasayɔ | ||
Violence in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عنف | ||
| The Arabic word "عنف" (unf) is the origin of the English word "offense" which has the meanings of attack or crime. | |||
| Hebrew | אַלִימוּת | ||
| "אַלִימוּת" means brutality, ruthlessness, violence, and force in Hebrew, and it derives from the Hebrew root" א.ל.ם" meaning"mute, silent", because violence silences and brutalizes its victims. | |||
| Pashto | تاوتریخوالی | ||
| Arabic | عنف | ||
| The Arabic word "عنف" (unf) is the origin of the English word "offense" which has the meanings of attack or crime. | |||
Violence in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dhuna | ||
| "Dhuna" can also mean "rage", "fury," or "wrath". | |||
| Basque | indarkeria | ||
| Indarkeria in Basque is cognate with “strength” and “vigor” in neighboring languages | |||
| Catalan | violència | ||
| The word "violència" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "violentia", meaning "force" or "impetuosity". | |||
| Croatian | nasilje | ||
| The word 'nasilje' originates from the Proto-Slavic verb 'nasiliti' meaning 'to force' or 'to compel'. | |||
| Danish | vold | ||
| Vold shares the same Proto-Germanic root as the English words "will," "violence," "wild," "wield," and "voluntary." | |||
| Dutch | geweld | ||
| Geweld can also mean power, authority, or jurisdiction in Dutch. | |||
| English | violence | ||
| "Violence" derives from the Latin "violentia," meaning both "force" and "outrage." | |||
| French | la violence | ||
| Frisian | geweld | ||
| In Frisian, | |||
| Galician | violencia | ||
| A palavra "violencia" possui o mesmo significado em galego e português, derivando do latim "violentia". | |||
| German | gewalt | ||
| The term 'Gewalt' derives from Old High German and means not only physical force, but also legal power and authority. | |||
| Icelandic | ofbeldi | ||
| The word "ofbeldi" can also refer to a state of extreme exertion or distress. | |||
| Irish | foréigean | ||
| The Gaelic word foréigean initially did not carry negative connotations but could have referred to 'excesses' or 'deeds of valour' | |||
| Italian | violenza | ||
| The Italian word "violenza" comes from the Latin term "violentus", meaning "impetuous" or "passionate". | |||
| Luxembourgish | gewalt | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Gewalt" can also refer to "power" or "authority", highlighting its nuanced meaning beyond violence. | |||
| Maltese | vjolenza | ||
| The Maltese word "vjolenza" is derived from the French word "violence" and the Italian word "violenza". | |||
| Norwegian | vold | ||
| The word "vold" in Norwegian can also refer to an area of land that has been cleared of trees. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | violência | ||
| The word "violência" in Portuguese stems from the Latin "violentia", meaning "force, injury, or outrage." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fòirneart | ||
| In a figurative sense, the word 'fòirneart' can also refer to a violation of a law or right. | |||
| Spanish | violencia | ||
| Swedish | våld | ||
| The word "våld" in Swedish is derived from the Old Norse word "vald," meaning "power," and has a broader meaning encompassing "force, oppression, and abuse of power." | |||
| Welsh | trais | ||
| The word "trais" in Welsh may also refer to an excess or abundance of something, as in the phrase "trais o fwyd" (an abundance of food). | |||
Violence in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гвалт | ||
| "Гвалт" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "golti", meaning "death" or "murder." | |||
| Bosnian | nasilje | ||
| "Nasilje" comes from the Slavic root "sila", meaning "force", and can refer to both physical or psychological violence. | |||
| Bulgarian | насилие | ||
| The word "насилие" can also refer to "abuse" or "maltreatment." | |||
| Czech | násilí | ||
| The related Czech word "násilný" means "violent" but in law may also mean "rape". | |||
| Estonian | vägivald | ||
| "Vägivald" (''violence'') derives from the word "vägi" ('force'), and also means 'act of force', 'coercion' and 'rape'. | |||
| Finnish | väkivalta | ||
| In Finnish, "väkivalta" also refers to "force" and "authority". | |||
| Hungarian | erőszak | ||
| Latvian | vardarbība | ||
| "Vardarbība" (violence) is derived from the word "varder", which means "to guard, to protect". It originally meant "the act of defending oneself or others" but has since taken on a more negative connotation. | |||
| Lithuanian | smurtas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "smurtas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *smr- or *smrt-, meaning "remember" or "think". | |||
| Macedonian | насилство | ||
| Polish | przemoc | ||
| "Przemoc" can also mean "power" or "coercion". | |||
| Romanian | violenţă | ||
| The Romanian word "violență" derives from the Latin "violentia", meaning "fierceness, eagerness, impetuosity." | |||
| Russian | насилие | ||
| "Насилие" can also refer to coercion or constraint, not just physical violence. | |||
| Serbian | насиља | ||
| The word "насиља" also means "wrongdoing" or "coercion" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | násilie | ||
| The term "násilie" in Slovak encompasses both physical and verbal harm, as well as the notion of constraint or coercion. | |||
| Slovenian | nasilje | ||
| The word "nasilje" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic root *nasilь, meaning "force, power, compulsion". | |||
| Ukrainian | насильство | ||
| The Ukrainian word "насильство" can also refer to "rape" or "sexual coercion". | |||
Violence in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সহিংসতা | ||
| Gujarati | હિંસા | ||
| The word हिंसा may also refer to physical assault or brutality on another person. | |||
| Hindi | हिंसा | ||
| "हिंसा" literally means "to hurt" but can also refer to non-physical violence like verbal abuse. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಿಂಸೆ | ||
| The word "ಹಿಂಸೆ" in Kannada can also refer to physical injury, suffering, or pain inflicted upon a person or animal. | |||
| Malayalam | അക്രമം | ||
| The word "അക്രമം" in Malayalam also means "lawlessness" and "injustice" | |||
| Marathi | हिंसा | ||
| Marathi 'हिंसा' originates from the Sanskrit word 'हिंसा,' which means 'killing' or 'injury.' | |||
| Nepali | हिंसा | ||
| The Nepali word "हिंसा" can also mean "injury" or "damage". | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਿੰਸਾ | ||
| "ਹਿੰਸਾ" (/hɪnsɑː/), meaning violence, stems from the Sanskrit root "hiṃs" (to strike, injure, kill). In the Vedas, it referred to the "harm done" to the body, mind, or speech of another being. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රචණ්ඩත්වය | ||
| Tamil | வன்முறை | ||
| Telugu | హింస | ||
| Urdu | تشدد | ||
| In Arabic, "شدة" (shidda) primarily signifies "severity" or "intensity," and is used to convey extremes of weather, physical sensations, and emotional states, encompassing both positive and negative connotations. | |||
Violence in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 暴力 | ||
| 暴力 (bào lì) literally means "exposure to force" and can be used in a wider sense to refer to coercion or compulsion. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 暴力 | ||
| Derived from the Chinese idiom '以暴易暴', 暴力 means 'violent' or 'to use violence'. | |||
| Japanese | 暴力 | ||
| "暴力" literally means "power" or "force", and is often used to describe both physical and non-physical forms of violence. | |||
| Korean | 폭력 | ||
| "폭력" (violence) is cognate with "법력" (law power) and "약력" (medicinal power), suggesting that "폭" originally meant "power". | |||
| Mongolian | хүчирхийлэл | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အကြမ်းဖက်မှု | ||
| It can mean 'violence' in a general sense, or it can refer specifically to physical or psychological harm. | |||
Violence in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kekerasan | ||
| In Indonesian, "kekerasan" not only means "violence" but also "hardness" or "firmness." | |||
| Javanese | panganiaya | ||
| The Javanese word "panganiaya" derives from "pan", meaning "the act of," and "aniya", meaning "oppressing". | |||
| Khmer | អំពើហឹង្សា | ||
| The Khmer word "អំពើហឹង្សា" ("violence") comes from the Sanskrit word "hiṃsā" ("injury") and refers not only to physical injury but also to mental harm, abuse, and emotional distress. | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຮຸນແຮງ | ||
| Malay | keganasan | ||
| "Keganasan", meaning "violence" in Malay, also has the archaic meaning of a person afflicted with a disease or evil spirits. | |||
| Thai | ความรุนแรง | ||
| The Thai word "ความรุนแรง" (khwam ruanraeng) can also refer to "severity" or "intensity" depending on context. | |||
| Vietnamese | bạo lực | ||
| Bạo lực derives from the same Chinese characters as the word “power” (quyền lực). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | karahasan | ||
Violence in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şiddət | ||
| In Azerbaijani, | |||
| Kazakh | зорлық-зомбылық | ||
| Kyrgyz | зомбулук | ||
| Зомбулук ultimately derives from the Persian word for 'club' and can also mean 'riot' or 'unrest' in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | зӯроварӣ | ||
| In Tajik, "зӯроварӣ" originally meant "forcible conquest of something" before acquiring its modern meaning of "violence." | |||
| Turkmen | zorluk | ||
| Uzbek | zo'ravonlik | ||
| The word "zo'ravonlik" can also mean "injustice" or "oppression" in Uzbek, highlighting the broader implications of violent acts and the need for fair and ethical behavior in society. | |||
| Uyghur | زوراۋانلىق | ||
Violence in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana ʻino | ||
| The Hawaiian word "hana ʻino" has many meanings such as "evil doing," but also "war," "crime," "sin," "murder," or "treason" depending on the context. | |||
| Maori | te tutu | ||
| The Maori word | |||
| Samoan | saua | ||
| The word 'saua' can also mean 'war' or 'battle' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | karahasan | ||
| 'Karahasan' also means the 'ferocious' or 'violent', as in a typhoon. | |||
Violence in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yanqhachawi | ||
| Guarani | mbaretejeporu | ||
Violence in International Languages
| Esperanto | perforto | ||
| "Perforto" (violence) comes from Latin "perfertus" (pierced, broken, destroyed). | |||
| Latin | violentiam | ||
| The word "violentiam" in Latin can also mean "force" or "impetuosity". | |||
Violence in Others Languages
| Greek | βία | ||
| The Greek word "βία" also denotes physical strength and power. | |||
| Hmong | kev ua phem | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning of "violence," "kev ua phem" can also refer to "war," "fighting," or "abuse." | |||
| Kurdish | cebr | ||
| The term "cebr" in Kurdish is etymologically related to the Persian term "zoor" and the Arabic term "jabr," both of which mean "force" or "coercion." | |||
| Turkish | şiddet | ||
| The word "şiddet" can also mean "intensity" or "severity". | |||
| Xhosa | ubundlobongela | ||
| Yiddish | גוואַלד | ||
| "גוואַלד," in addition to meaning "violence," is a Yiddish exclamation expressing shock, anger, or fear. | |||
| Zulu | udlame | ||
| The Zulu word "udlame" is also used to refer to the "act of killing" or "murder." | |||
| Assamese | হিংসা | ||
| Aymara | yanqhachawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | हिंसा | ||
| Dhivehi | އަނިޔާ | ||
| Dogri | हिंसा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | karahasan | ||
| Guarani | mbaretejeporu | ||
| Ilocano | panangrugsot | ||
| Krio | kuskas | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | توندوتیژی | ||
| Maithili | हिंसा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯠꯅ ꯆꯩꯅꯕ | ||
| Mizo | tharumthawh | ||
| Oromo | goolii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହିଂସା | ||
| Quechua | waqayasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | अपद्रव | ||
| Tatar | көч куллану | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓመጽ | ||
| Tsonga | madzolonga | ||