Wall in Different Languages
Discover 'Wall' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Walls have been an integral part of human civilization since time immemorial. They have served as protection, boundaries, and even as canvases for artistic expression. From the Great Wall of China to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, walls have held immense cultural significance across the globe.
Translating the word 'wall' into different languages not only bridges the linguistic gap but also offers a glimpse into the unique cultural perspectives associated with this simple yet profound term. For instance, in Spanish, a wall is known as 'muro', in French it's 'mur', while in German, it's 'Wand'. These translations not only represent a linguistic conversion but also symbolize the historical and cultural importance that walls have held in these societies.
Delving deeper into the translations of 'wall' in various languages can be a fascinating exploration of our shared human experience. Here are some translations to get you started:
Wall
Wall in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | muur | ||
| The word "muur" originates from the Dutch word "muur" and the Latin word "murus", both meaning "wall". | |||
| Amharic | ግድግዳ | ||
| The Amharic word "ግድግዳ" originally referred to a fortified wall. | |||
| Hausa | bango | ||
| The word "bango" is also used in Hausa to mean "a place where people gather". | |||
| Igbo | mgbidi | ||
| The word | |||
| Malagasy | rindrina | ||
| The Malagasy word “rindrina” can also refer to the outer skin or crust of something, such as fruit. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khoma | ||
| The word 'khoma' or 'koma' originated from 'kuma,' which meant to surround. | |||
| Shona | wall | ||
| The word 'rusvingo' can also mean 'boundary' or 'edge'. | |||
| Somali | derbiga | ||
| The Somali word "derbiga" may also refer to a fortified fence or a rampart. | |||
| Sesotho | lebota | ||
| The word "lebota" in Sesotho can also refer to a protective structure, such as a fence or a barricade. | |||
| Swahili | ukuta | ||
| The Swahili word "ukuta" comes from the Proto-Bantu word "*kuta", which means "to enclose" or "to fence off." | |||
| Xhosa | udonga | ||
| In Xhosa, 'udonga' can also refer to a boundary or enclosure, emphasizing its protective or separating function beyond just a physical structure. | |||
| Yoruba | odi | ||
| The Yoruba word "odi" not only means "wall" but also refers to a boundary, a fence, or a barrier. | |||
| Zulu | udonga | ||
| The word 'udonga' can also mean 'the side of a mountain' or 'a vertical cliff'. | |||
| Bambara | kogo | ||
| Ewe | glĩ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | urukuta | ||
| Lingala | efelo | ||
| Luganda | ekisenge | ||
| Sepedi | leboto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ban | ||
Wall in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حائط | ||
| The Arabic word "حائط" can also refer to a barrier or a partition. | |||
| Hebrew | קִיר | ||
| The word "קִיר" in Hebrew can also mean "enemy" or "opponent". | |||
| Pashto | دیوال | ||
| The word "دیوال" in Pashto also refers to a boundary or a partition. | |||
| Arabic | حائط | ||
| The Arabic word "حائط" can also refer to a barrier or a partition. | |||
Wall in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mur | ||
| The Albanian word "mur" is derived from the Latin "murus" and also means "rock formation" or "ridge" in some contexts. | |||
| Basque | horma | ||
| The word "horma" also means "mould" or "shape" in Basque, and it can refer to either the shape of a material object or to a metaphorical or abstract shape. | |||
| Catalan | paret | ||
| The word "paret" in Catalan originates from the Latin word "paries," meaning "wall" or "enclosure." | |||
| Croatian | zid | ||
| The Croatian word 'zid' derives from the Proto-Slavic 'zidъ', also meaning 'wall', which itself originates from the Proto-Indo-European word 'gʰedh-', meaning 'to build' or 'to construct'. Other words sharing a similar etymology are the English word 'hedge' and the Persian word 'divar' (meaning 'wall', 'barrier', or 'fence'). | |||
| Danish | væg | ||
| The word "væg" in Danish can also refer to a panel or partition, as well as the side of a ship or boat. | |||
| Dutch | muur | ||
| The word "muur" comes from Proto-Germanic "*mūraz" meaning "wall made of stakes". | |||
| English | wall | ||
| "Wall" comes from the Latin "vallum," which originally meant "stake" and later "rampart" or "fortification." | |||
| French | mur | ||
| The French word "mur" derives from the Latin "murus" and shares its Latin root with the English word "mural". | |||
| Frisian | muorre | ||
| In East Frisian, "muorre" can also refer to a "mound," especially one for water management | |||
| Galician | muro | ||
| In Galician, "muro" also refers to a heap or pile, likely derived from the Latin "murus" (wall) and sharing a root with "montón" (heap). | |||
| German | wand | ||
| The word "Wand" in German also means "meadow" or "pasture". | |||
| Icelandic | vegg | ||
| The word "vegg" also means "slope" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | balla | ||
| The Irish "balla" likely derives from the Proto-Celtic "*waljā" and akin to the Welsh "gwal" and Breton "faou". | |||
| Italian | parete | ||
| The word "parete" in Italian derives from the Latin word "paries," which can also mean "defense" or "protection." | |||
| Luxembourgish | mauer | ||
| "Mauer" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a boundary marker or a fortification, such as a castle wall. | |||
| Maltese | ħajt | ||
| Maltese "ħajt" (wall) comes from the Arabic word "hayṭ" (also meaning "wall"), and is cognate with English "hedge" and Russian "забор" (zabor). | |||
| Norwegian | vegg | ||
| The word "vegg" in Norwegian also refers to a "slope" or "incline" in landscape. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | parede | ||
| The Portuguese word "parede" originally meant "defense", and is related to the Spanish word "pared" and the Latin word "parare", meaning "to prepare or make ready." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | balla | ||
| Balla, pronounced "bulla" and often anglicized to "bal" or "ball", can also mean a "fence" or "farm enclosure". | |||
| Spanish | pared | ||
| The Spanish word "pared" (wall) also means "paired" in English, suggesting its role in dividing spaces. | |||
| Swedish | vägg | ||
| In Swedish, 'vägg' also refers to the side of a boat or a ship's plank. | |||
| Welsh | wal | ||
| Welsh "wal" can also refer to a defensive rampart or the side of a ship. | |||
Wall in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сцяна | ||
| The word "сцяна" (wall) in Belarusian can also refer to a "side" or "face" of a building or object. | |||
| Bosnian | zid | ||
| The word "zid" can also refer to a fence or a partition. | |||
| Bulgarian | стена | ||
| In the 18th century "стена" could also be used figuratively to refer to a row of tall people. | |||
| Czech | zeď | ||
| Slovo "zeď" pochází ze staroslověnštiny, původně znamenalo plot nebo ohradu. | |||
| Estonian | sein | ||
| The word "sein" in Estonian is also used to refer to a series of something, such as pearls or sausages. | |||
| Finnish | seinä | ||
| Cognate with Sanskrit 'sēnā' (force, army), Latin 'senex' (old man), 'senatus' (council of elders) and 'sentinō' (think). | |||
| Hungarian | fal | ||
| The word 'fal' also means 'village' in Hungarian, derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₂el-' meaning 'to turn, bend' | |||
| Latvian | sienas | ||
| The word "sienas" also means "fences" or "sides" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | siena | ||
| The Lithuanian word "siena" is also used to refer to a fence or a barrier, and it is related to the word "sienis", which means "border" or "boundary". | |||
| Macedonian | wallид | ||
| The word 'wallид' could also refer to a defensive building or a large fence made of stone or brick. | |||
| Polish | ściana | ||
| The word "ściana" can also refer to a "cliff" or a "barrier". | |||
| Romanian | perete | ||
| The word "perete" in Romanian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*perta", meaning "partition" or "barrier" | |||
| Russian | стена | ||
| "Стена" (wall) comes from the Old Slavic word "stena", which meant "fence" or "barrier". | |||
| Serbian | зид | ||
| In Serbian, 'зид' ('zid') can also refer to a 'fence' or a 'barrier'. | |||
| Slovak | stena | ||
| The word "stena" has a Proto-Balto-Slavic origin and cognates in many other languages, such as English "stone", Polish "ściana", and Russian "стена". | |||
| Slovenian | zid | ||
| The word | |||
| Ukrainian | стіна | ||
| The Ukrainian word "стіна" also refers to various structures like dams, fences, embankments, or a row of people or objects. | |||
Wall in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রাচীর | ||
| This word means | |||
| Gujarati | દિવાલ | ||
| "Dival" also refers to a wick or lamp used for worship in Gujarati, derived from the Sanskrit word "deepa" meaning "light". | |||
| Hindi | दीवार | ||
| The word "दीवार" can also mean a 'fort' or a 'barrier' | |||
| Kannada | ಗೋಡೆ | ||
| The word 'ಗೋಡೆ' in Kannada can also mean a 'barrier' or 'obstacle'. | |||
| Malayalam | മതിൽ | ||
| 'മതിൽ' ('wall') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'mathula', meaning 'stronghold' or 'fort'. | |||
| Marathi | भिंत | ||
| The Marathi word "भिंत" comes from the Sanskrit word "भित्ति" (bhitti), which also means "wall". | |||
| Nepali | भित्ता | ||
| The word “भित्ता” can also mean the internal surface of a body or hollow space and is related to Sanskrit “bhitti” meaning 'to fix' or 'to establish'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੰਧ | ||
| The word 'ਕੰਧ' (kandh) also means 'shoulder' in Punjabi, highlighting the shared concept of a supporting structure. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බිත්තිය | ||
| The word "බිත්තිය" (wall) in Sinhala shares its roots with the Sanskrit word "vetti," which means "to encompass." | |||
| Tamil | சுவர் | ||
| The Tamil word 'சுவர்' originates from the Proto-Dravidian word '*cur-' meaning 'to enclose' and also relates to the Sanskrit word 'चतुर्' ('catúr') meaning 'four,' implying the four walls of a room. | |||
| Telugu | గోడ | ||
| The word "గోడ" ("wall") in Telugu is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *koḍi, meaning "fence" or "defense." | |||
| Urdu | دیوار | ||
| The word | |||
Wall in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 壁 | ||
| The character "壁" (wall) also means "cliff, precipice" and "screen, shade". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 壁 | ||
| 壁 (pronounced "bì" in Mandarin) can also refer to an obstacle or barrier to success or progress. | |||
| Japanese | 壁 | ||
| The character "壁" can also mean "curtain" or "screen" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 벽 | ||
| The word '벽' can also refer to a person's stomach or intestines. | |||
| Mongolian | хана | ||
| The word "хана" is derived from the Turkic "khana" or "qana" meaning "fortified city". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မြို့ရိုး | ||
Wall in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dinding | ||
| The word "dinding" can also refer to a membrane or a thin layer that separates two things. | |||
| Javanese | tembok | ||
| In Javanese, "tembok" (wall) has a related word "tembe" which means a temporary construction to separate or surround spaces, typically made from woven bamboo or coconut leaves. | |||
| Khmer | ជញ្ជាំង | ||
| Despite the obvious meaning of "wall", the word ជញ្ជាំង can also refer to the outside layer of a coconut fruit. | |||
| Lao | ຝາ | ||
| The Lao word "ຝາ" can also refer to a lid, cover, or partition. | |||
| Malay | dinding | ||
| The word "dinding" also refers to a "rib" in the body or a "side" of something, showcasing the concept of "boundary" or "separation" in its etymology. | |||
| Thai | ผนัง | ||
| ผนัง is derived from the Proto-Austroasiatic "*panaŋ" and Proto-Mon-Khmer "*pənaŋ" meaning "partition, wall". | |||
| Vietnamese | tường | ||
| The character tường can also refer to partitions (e.g. of cubicles) or to screens. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pader | ||
Wall in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | divar | ||
| The word "divar" in Azerbaijani, besides its primary meaning as "wall", also refers to the side walls of a tent, and historically to fortification walls or ramparts. | |||
| Kazakh | қабырға | ||
| The word "қабырға" (қауырсын) can also mean 'rib' and is thought to derive from the Proto-Turkic root *kabırgak or *kaburga, which originally meant 'rib'. | |||
| Kyrgyz | дубал | ||
| The word | |||
| Tajik | девор | ||
| The word "девор" in Tajik likely derives from the Persian word "دیوار" (dīvār), which also means "wall". | |||
| Turkmen | diwar | ||
| Uzbek | devor | ||
| The word "devor" in Uzbek is cognate with the Persian word "diwar", both meaning "wall". | |||
| Uyghur | تام | ||
Wall in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pā | ||
| The Hawaiian word "pā" can also mean a fortress or enclosure. | |||
| Maori | pakitara | ||
| The word | |||
| Samoan | pa | ||
| The Samoan word | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pader | ||
| The word "pader" is cognate with the Malay word "padang" and the Indonesian word "pagar", meaning "fence". | |||
Wall in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pirqa | ||
| Guarani | agyke | ||
Wall in International Languages
| Esperanto | muro | ||
| The Esperanto word "muro" is derived from the Latin word "murus", meaning "wall", and also has additional meanings such as "barrier" or "obstacle". | |||
| Latin | murus | ||
| The word murus also refers to "a barrier", "defense", "protection", or "fortress" and comes from an Indo-European root meaning "to defend". | |||
Wall in Others Languages
| Greek | τείχος | ||
| In Greek, "τείχος" referred to ramparts, embankments, or stone fortifications in the Classical period, while it expanded to encompass a broader range of enclosing structures like terraces and dikes in the Byzantine era. | |||
| Hmong | ntsa | ||
| The Hmong word 'ntsa' can also refer to a fence or enclosure | |||
| Kurdish | dîwar | ||
| The word "dîwar" is also used in Kurdish to refer to a fence or hedge. | |||
| Turkish | duvar | ||
| In some contexts, | |||
| Xhosa | udonga | ||
| In Xhosa, 'udonga' can also refer to a boundary or enclosure, emphasizing its protective or separating function beyond just a physical structure. | |||
| Yiddish | וואַנט | ||
| וואַנט" is also the Yiddish word for "mole," possibly related to the Old English "want." This may reflect the pale color of the animal and the light color of earth excavated to build a wall. | |||
| Zulu | udonga | ||
| The word 'udonga' can also mean 'the side of a mountain' or 'a vertical cliff'. | |||
| Assamese | দেৱাল | ||
| Aymara | pirqa | ||
| Bhojpuri | भीत | ||
| Dhivehi | ފާރު | ||
| Dogri | कंध | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pader | ||
| Guarani | agyke | ||
| Ilocano | diding | ||
| Krio | wɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دیوار | ||
| Maithili | देवाल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯛꯂꯥꯡ | ||
| Mizo | bang | ||
| Oromo | keenyan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କାନ୍ଥ | ||
| Quechua | pirqa | ||
| Sanskrit | भित्ति | ||
| Tatar | дивар | ||
| Tigrinya | መንደቅ | ||
| Tsonga | khumbi | ||