Wave in Different Languages
Discover 'Wave' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Wave
Afrikaans waai | ||
Albanian valë | ||
Amharic ማዕበል | ||
Arabic موجة | ||
Armenian ալիք | ||
Assamese সোঁত | ||
Aymara kamisaki | ||
Azerbaijani dalğa | ||
Bambara jikuru | ||
Basque olatu | ||
Belarusian хваля | ||
Bengali waveেউ | ||
Bhojpuri लहर | ||
Bosnian talasa | ||
Bulgarian вълна | ||
Catalan onada | ||
Cebuano balod | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 波 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 波 | ||
Corsican onda | ||
Croatian val | ||
Czech mávat | ||
Danish bølge | ||
Dhivehi ރާޅު | ||
Dogri लैहर | ||
Dutch golf | ||
English wave | ||
Esperanto ondo | ||
Estonian laine | ||
Ewe ƒutsotsoe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) kumaway | ||
Finnish aalto | ||
French vague | ||
Frisian weach | ||
Galician onda | ||
Georgian ტალღა | ||
German welle | ||
Greek κύμα | ||
Guarani ypyu'ã | ||
Gujarati તરંગ | ||
Haitian Creole vag | ||
Hausa kalaman | ||
Hawaiian nalu | ||
Hebrew גַל | ||
Hindi लहर | ||
Hmong yoj | ||
Hungarian hullám | ||
Icelandic veifa | ||
Igbo ife | ||
Ilocano alon | ||
Indonesian gelombang | ||
Irish tonn | ||
Italian onda | ||
Japanese 波 | ||
Javanese ombak | ||
Kannada ಅಲೆ | ||
Kazakh толқын | ||
Khmer រលក | ||
Kinyarwanda umuraba | ||
Konkani तरंग | ||
Korean 웨이브 | ||
Krio wev | ||
Kurdish pêl | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) شەپۆڵ | ||
Kyrgyz толкун | ||
Lao ຄື້ນ | ||
Latin fluctus | ||
Latvian vilnis | ||
Lingala mbonge | ||
Lithuanian banga | ||
Luganda amayengo | ||
Luxembourgish wellen | ||
Macedonian бран | ||
Maithili लहर | ||
Malagasy ahevaheva | ||
Malay gelombang | ||
Malayalam തരംഗം | ||
Maltese mewġa | ||
Maori ngaru | ||
Marathi लाट | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯏꯔꯩ | ||
Mizo vai | ||
Mongolian давалгаа, долгио | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) လှိုင်း | ||
Nepali लहर | ||
Norwegian bølge | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) yoweyula | ||
Odia (Oriya) ତରଙ୍ଗ | ||
Oromo dambalii | ||
Pashto څپې | ||
Persian موج | ||
Polish fala | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) onda | ||
Punjabi ਲਹਿਰ | ||
Quechua ola | ||
Romanian val | ||
Russian волна | ||
Samoan galu | ||
Sanskrit तरंगं | ||
Scots Gaelic tonn | ||
Sepedi lephoto | ||
Serbian талас | ||
Sesotho tsokoang | ||
Shona wave | ||
Sindhi موج | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) රැල්ල | ||
Slovak mávať | ||
Slovenian val | ||
Somali ruxruxo | ||
Spanish ola | ||
Sundanese ombak | ||
Swahili wimbi | ||
Swedish vinka | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) kumaway | ||
Tajik мавҷи | ||
Tamil அலை | ||
Tatar дулкын | ||
Telugu అల | ||
Thai คลื่น | ||
Tigrinya ማዕበል | ||
Tsonga gandlati | ||
Turkish dalga | ||
Turkmen tolkun | ||
Twi (Akan) him | ||
Ukrainian хвиля | ||
Urdu لہر | ||
Uyghur دولقۇن | ||
Uzbek to'lqin | ||
Vietnamese làn sóng | ||
Welsh ton | ||
Xhosa wave | ||
Yiddish כוואַליע | ||
Yoruba igbi | ||
Zulu igagasi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "waai" also means "to blow" or "to swing". |
| Albanian | Albanian “valë” is probably borrowed from Latin “volna” or Old Slavic “volna”. As in many Indo-European languages, this word originally referred also to "wool" and is related to the Latin “vellus”. |
| Amharic | The word "ማዕበል" (wave) is thought to have derived from "ማዕመር" meaning "to flow" and "በል" meaning "to spread". |
| Arabic | The word "موجة" (wave) in Arabic is derived from the root "وج" (to push or move), suggesting its association with the motion of water. |
| Armenian | The word "ալիք" ("wave") in Armenian has cognates in other Indo-European languages such as Greek (άλς, "salt"), Latin (sal, "salt"), and Sanskrit (सलिल, "water"). The root of the word may be related to the Proto-Indo-European root *sel-, meaning "to flow". |
| Azerbaijani | In Azerbaijani, "dalğa" also has the alternate meaning of "noise, commotion, or fuss". |
| Basque | The word "olatu" in Basque derives from the Proto-Basque form *olattu, which may stem from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to push, drive, roll". |
| Belarusian | The word "хваля" can also refer to the water body affected by waves, a lake or sea. |
| Bengali | The word "wave" in Bengali, "waveেউ" (pronounced "o-bey"), can also mean "wind" or "current of water". |
| Bosnian | The word "talasa" is of Greek origin and is related to the word "thalassa," meaning "sea". |
| Bulgarian | The word "вълна" can also refer to wool or a type of fabric made from wool. |
| Catalan | The word "onada" in Catalan also means "a large amount of something that comes suddenly or unexpectedly". |
| Cebuano | Balod's root word, 'dalod', means 'to splash'. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The original form of "波" was the shape of water ripples; now refers to water, light, and sound |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 「波」最早指「水波」，引申為「波浪狀的起伏」，後又引申為「波動」、「波紋」等義。 |
| Corsican | In Corsican, onda is also used figuratively to indicate a strong emotion or feeling. |
| Croatian | The Croatian word "val" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "vъlna", also meaning "wave." |
| Czech | The Czech word 'mávat' also means 'to flap'. |
| Danish | The word "bølge" is derived from the Proto-Germanic *bulgijō, meaning "swelling" or "bulge". |
| Dutch | The Dutch word 'golf' can also refer to a large, long-haired sheepdog, a hairstyle with bangs, or a golf course. |
| Esperanto | Esperanto's "ondo" has separate etymologies for its meanings of "wave" (derived from Latin) and "electricity" (derived from Greek). |
| Estonian | "Laine" is likely to originate from the Finnish language, where it was used to describe water in general. |
| Finnish | The word 'aalto' in Finnish is cognate with the Estonian word 'aald' meaning 'undulation' and the Old Prussian word 'alton', meaning 'wave' and is probably also related to the Proto-Germanic word *altjaz, meaning 'wave', and to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el-, meaning 'to flow'. |
| French | The French word "vague" (wave) also means "vague" (imprecise) in English. |
| Frisian | In some regions, "weach" is also used to denote a ripple or a shallow depression on land. |
| Galician | In Galician, "onda" can also mean "fashion" or "trend". |
| Georgian | The Georgian word for "wave," "ტალღა," is cognate with the Persian/Arabic word "طال," meaning "long," suggesting its semantic evolution from something elongated in the sea. |
| German | In surfing, the word "Welle" used to describe a "tube" or "barrel" ridden by the surfer. |
| Greek | The word "κύμα" (wave) in Greek also means "a swelling" or "an elevation". |
| Gujarati | "તરંગ" is also a term used to refer to a state of mental calmness and tranquility in Gujarati. |
| Haitian Creole | The Haitian Creole word "vag" also means "to wander aimlessly" |
| Hausa | The word 'kalaman' can also refer to the 'crest of a wave' or the 'top of the head'. |
| Hawaiian | "Nalu" derives from the Proto-Austronesian words "*calu" ("to flow") and "*walu" ("to wave"). |
| Hebrew | The root of the word גַל ('wave') in Hebrew is גלל ('roll, whirl'), and it is also the root of the word גלגל ('wheel'). |
| Hindi | The word 'लहर' (wave) in Hindi is also used in a figurative sense to refer to a surge or flow of emotion or enthusiasm. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "yoj" not only means "wave", but also carries the connotation of ripples or vibrations. |
| Hungarian | "Hullám" not only denotes a wave but can also refer to the hull of a boat or a ripple effect. |
| Icelandic | The word "veifa" in Icelandic not only means "wave" but also "weave" or "waft", reflecting its connection to the movement of water or air. |
| Igbo | The word "ife" in Igbo can also mean "life" or "existence". |
| Indonesian | "Gelombang" also means "a fluctuation in a medium (especially air, water, or ether)." |
| Irish | The Irish word "tonn" is related to the Welsh "ton", meaning "wave", and the Breton "tonn", meaning "barrel" or "tub". |
| Italian | "Onda" in Italian also means "mood" or "vibe," and can refer to a positive or negative state of mind. |
| Japanese | The word "波" also means "ripple" or "undulation" in Japanese. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, “ombak” not only refers to ocean waves, but also represents undulating movements, including those of the body. |
| Kannada | "ಅಲೆ" in Kannada comes from the Sanskrit word "alam," which also means "boundary" or "edge". |
| Kazakh | The word "толқын" can also refer to a "ripple" or a "surge" in Kazakh. |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "រលក" can also mean "ripple" or "undulation". |
| Korean | "웨이브" in Korean also means "to wave one's hand" or "to beckon someone" |
| Kurdish | Pêl can also denote 'a mass of something', such as the 'pel' of water |
| Kyrgyz | In Kyrgyz, "толкун" can also refer to a type of folk dance or a ripple effect. |
| Lao | The Lao word "ຄື້ນ" can also mean "to shake" or "to move back and forth". |
| Latin | "Fluctus" can mean "gush of liquid" or "stream". |
| Latvian | The word “vilnis” may have originated from Proto-Baltic, where “wilnis” meant “boiling water”. In Old Prussian, the word was “wilnis” and also meant “wave” and “sea”. |
| Lithuanian | The term "banga" is also a Lithuanian colloquialism for a strong emotion, particularly one that is sudden and overwhelming. |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "wellen" is cognate with the German word "wohlan" and the Old English word "welan", both meaning "well". |
| Macedonian | {"text": "The Slavic word "bran" also carries the meaning of "battlefield" or "fight," suggesting its role in tumultuous events."} |
| Malay | "Gelombang" is also used in Malay to mean "wave of emotion" or "wave of change". |
| Malayalam | The word |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "mewġa" is derived from the Italian word "moggia", originally meaning a measure of water or an amount of wheat. |
| Maori | Ngaru is also a type of freshwater mussel, thought to have been named after the sound it makes when opened. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "लाट" (wave) is derived from the Sanskrit word "लट" (creeping), which also refers to a woman's long, flowing hair. |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word “давалгаа, долгио” is also used to mean “ripple” in water. |
| Nepali | The word "लहर" can also mean "rhythm" or "beat" in Nepali music. |
| Norwegian | In Old Norse, |
| Pashto | The word "څپې" also means "splash" or "splashing" in Pashto. |
| Persian | The word موج ( |
| Polish | In Polish, "fala" also means a musical phrase or a ripple effect. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Brazilian Portuguese |
| Punjabi | ਲਹਿਰ (Laher) can also refer to a wave or motion on the surface of a liquid, like water or oil. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "val" likely originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *wel-, meaning "to turn" or "to roll". |
| Russian | Besides "wave", "волна" can also mean "hair" or figuratively "a large amount of something" in Russian. |
| Samoan | In Samoan, the word "galu" can also mean "to move in a wave-like motion" or "to undulate". |
| Scots Gaelic | Tonn, a Gaelic wave, originates in the Proto-Indo-European word ten-, which also gave us "thunder," "tension" & "tone." |
| Serbian | The Serbian word "талас" also has a alternate meaning: a roll or coil.} |
| Shona | The Shona word "wave" also means "water", "sea", or "river". |
| Sindhi | Sindhi "موج" "wave" is from Persian "موج" "wave". Also can mean "fun". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | In folklore, රැල්ල is also used to refer to the water that carries boats. |
| Slovak | The word mávať also has the alternate meaning of 'to gesture' in Slovak. |
| Slovenian | The word "val" in Slovenian can also refer to a ripple, a ridge, or a furrow. |
| Somali | The Somali word "ruxruxo" can also refer to a type of dance performed by women during weddings and other celebrations. |
| Spanish | The word "ola" in Spanish originates from the Arabic word "al-mawj" meaning "water in motion". |
| Sundanese | "Ombak" also means to sway |
| Swahili | The word "wimbi" can also be used to refer to a crest of a wave or a ripple in water. |
| Swedish | The word "vinka" also means to wave goodbye in Swedish, as in "vinka av". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Kumaway is a word in Tagalog that means "wave" and is also used as a farewell gesture. |
| Tajik | In English, the word wave originates from the Old English word "wæg" and from the Proto-Germanic word "*wēgą," meaning "to move up and down, to sway." |
| Tamil | The Tamil word 'அலை' ('wave') also refers to a type of traditional dance performed in Tamil Nadu. |
| Telugu | The Telugu word "అల" can also mean "ripple", "surge", or "undulation". |
| Thai | คลื่น derives from Sanskritคล (klan) meaning “sound” and Proto-Austronesian *quluŋ meaning “ripple”. |
| Turkish | The word "dalga" also refers to a ripple effect in liquids and has a figurative meaning of "stir, hype". |
| Ukrainian | "Khvilya" also means a riot or popular unrest. |
| Urdu | The word "لہر" has other meanings in Urdu, including "desire" and "emotion." |
| Vietnamese | While "làn sóng" literally translates to "layer of water", it can also refer to a crowd, usually in a derogatory sense. |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "ton" can also mean "tune" or "sound", reflecting its association with the rhythmic motion of waves. |
| Xhosa | Some isiXhosa dialects use the word 'wave' to also refer to a 'crest' or 'peak'. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word 'khvalie' originated from the German 'welle', meaning 'wave', and shares the same root with the Russian 'volna'. |
| Yoruba | "Igbi" also denotes an unexpected turn of affairs, misfortune or bad luck in Yoruba parlance. |
| Zulu | Igagasi in Zulu also refers to a type of small sea fish |
| English | The word 'wave' can also refer to a curl of hair, a ripple in the fabric of spacetime, or a surge in public sentiment. |