Wealth in Different Languages
Discover 'Wealth' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Wealth, a concept deeply ingrained in societies and cultures worldwide, represents an abundance of resources, financial or otherwise. Its significance transcends monetary value, often symbolizing prosperity, success, and security. Throughout history, the pursuit of wealth has driven human ambition, shaping civilizations and economies.
Interestingly, the word 'wealth' has fascinating translations in different languages, reflecting unique cultural perspectives. For instance, in German, 'wealth' translates to 'Vermögen,' which also means 'ability' or 'capability,' emphasizing the potential of wealth. Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'wealth' is 'tsuuchou,' sharing roots with the word for 'long life' or 'eternity,' hinting at the association between prosperity and longevity.
Understanding the translation of 'wealth' in various languages can provide intriguing insights into different cultural mindsets and historical contexts. So, let's explore how this multifaceted term is rendered in a selection of global languages.
Wealth
Wealth in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | rykdom | ||
| "Ryrdom" originates from the Old Norse term "ríkidómr," which also means "dominion" or "power." | |||
| Amharic | ሀብት | ||
| The word ሀብት can also mean 'a gift'. | |||
| Hausa | dukiya | ||
| The Hausa word "dukiya" can also mean "inheritance" or "property". | |||
| Igbo | akụnụba | ||
| Malagasy | ny harena | ||
| In Betsimisaraka, the term "ny harena" can refer to either wealth or livestock. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chuma | ||
| The word "chuma" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "treasure," "riches," or "property." | |||
| Shona | upfumi | ||
| The word "upfumi" can also refer to the quality of being wealthy or prosperous. | |||
| Somali | hanti | ||
| The word 'hanti' also holds connotations of 'generosity' or 'abundance,' highlighting the interconnectedness of wealth and acts of giving within Somali culture. | |||
| Sesotho | leruo | ||
| In Zulu and Xhosa, "leruo" refers to a special herd of cattle acquired at marriage that is kept separate from other herds. | |||
| Swahili | utajiri | ||
| Despite its common use to connote "money", "utajiri" more fundamentally means "prosperity" or "well-being" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ubutyebi | ||
| Ubutyebi comes from 'butyebi', which means 'a large amount, an abundance'. | |||
| Yoruba | ọrọ | ||
| Zulu | ingcebo | ||
| The Zulu word "ingcebo" has the alternative meaning of "property" or "capital". | |||
| Bambara | nafolo | ||
| Ewe | hotsuikpᴐkpᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ubutunzi | ||
| Lingala | bozwi | ||
| Luganda | obugagga | ||
| Sepedi | lehumo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahonya | ||
Wealth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الثروة | ||
| ثروة can also mean "wealth, fortune, opulence" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | עוֹשֶׁר | ||
| The Hebrew word "עוֹשֶׁר" is cognate with the Akkadian word "ūšru" and the Arabic word "awsar". It also has a homonym in modern Hebrew which means "happiness". | |||
| Pashto | دولت | ||
| In Persian, the word "دولت" also means "government" | |||
| Arabic | الثروة | ||
| ثروة can also mean "wealth, fortune, opulence" in Arabic. | |||
Wealth in Western European Languages
| Albanian | pasuria | ||
| The Tosk term 'pasuria' derives from the Latin word 'pecus' meaning 'cattle', suggesting the importance of livestock in agricultural societies. | |||
| Basque | aberastasuna | ||
| The word "aberastasuna" in Basque comes from the Proto-Basque root "*aber-," meaning "abundance" or "wealth," and is related to the words "aberats" ("rich") and "aberastas" ("prosperity"). | |||
| Catalan | riquesa | ||
| In addition to 'wealth,' the Catalan 'riquesa' also denotes 'abundance,' 'plentitude,' and 'richness,' particularly in a natural or cultural context. | |||
| Croatian | bogatstvo | ||
| "Bogatstvo" can also refer to a | |||
| Danish | rigdom | ||
| The Danish word "rigdom" also means "realm", and is cognate with the English word "kingdom". | |||
| Dutch | rijkdom | ||
| "Rijkdom" is derived from the Old Dutch word "rīkidōm," meaning "power, authority," and is related to the word "rijk," meaning "realm, kingdom." | |||
| English | wealth | ||
| The word "wealth" is derived from the Old English word "wealð," which means "well-being, prosperity, or happiness." | |||
| French | richesse | ||
| The word 'richesse' originates from the Latin 'dives' and also signifies 'abundance' or 'plenty'. | |||
| Frisian | rykdom | ||
| The word "rykdom" comes from the Frisian word "rike," which originally meant "power" or "authority." | |||
| Galician | riqueza | ||
| The word 'riqueza' comes from the Latin 'ricchezza', meaning 'abundance' or 'copious' | |||
| German | reichtum | ||
| "Reichtum" comes from the Old German word "rīchi" meaning "power" and "dominion". | |||
| Icelandic | auður | ||
| Its etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly related to the words *óðr* "mind" and *auðinn* "uninhabited". | |||
| Irish | saibhreas | ||
| "Saibhreas" can also refer to livestock wealth. | |||
| Italian | ricchezza | ||
| The word 'ricchezza' in Italian is derived from the Latin 'dives', meaning 'rich', and 'facere', meaning 'to make' | |||
| Luxembourgish | räichtum | ||
| The word "Räichtum" originates from the Middle High German word "rîchtuom", meaning "kingdom". Therefore, "Räichtum" not only refers to material wealth but also to power and status. | |||
| Maltese | ġid | ||
| The word "ġid" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "جيد" (jayyid), meaning "good, excellent, or desirable | |||
| Norwegian | rikdom | ||
| The word “rikdom” originates from the Old Norse word “ríkr”, which means “powerful” or “ruler”. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | riqueza | ||
| The archaic meaning of "riqueza" in Portuguese is "abundance". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beairteas | ||
| The word beairteas also means 'beauty' or 'virtue' in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | riqueza | ||
| Spanish "riqueza" derives from Arabic "ar-rizq", meaning nourishment or abundance, and also referred to spiritual or material nourishment. | |||
| Swedish | rikedom | ||
| "Rikedom" also refers to a "kingdom" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | cyfoeth | ||
| The word "cyfoeth" also means "element" and is cognate with the Irish word "cóibhéis" meaning "equality" or "proportion". | |||
Wealth in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | багацце | ||
| The word "багацце" in Belarusian originates from the Polish word "bogactwo", meaning "wealth" or "riches". | |||
| Bosnian | bogatstvo | ||
| It is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *bogъ, meaning "god" or "wealth". | |||
| Bulgarian | богатство | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, the word "богатство" also refers to "abundant" and "copious". | |||
| Czech | bohatství | ||
| The word "bohatství" comes from the Proto-Slavic word "bogat", meaning "rich" or "powerful". | |||
| Estonian | rikkus | ||
| "rikkus" also means "ruin", a fact which many who are wealthy might consider | |||
| Finnish | rikkaus | ||
| The word "rikkaus" is derived from the Proto-Finnic "*rikki", meaning "abundance". | |||
| Hungarian | jólét | ||
| The word "jólét" derives from the Old Hungarian word "jószág", meaning "livestock" or "cattle". | |||
| Latvian | bagātība | ||
| Latvian “bagātība” (“wealth”) comes from “bagāts” (“rich”), itself cognate with Sanskrit “bhaga” (“wealth-distributor”)—ultimately from Proto-Indo-European “bhag-” (“to divide”). | |||
| Lithuanian | turtas | ||
| The word "turtas" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tewr-tós," meaning "herd" or "livestock." | |||
| Macedonian | богатство | ||
| богатство comes from the same root as богат (rich) and Бог (God), implying "divine riches". | |||
| Polish | bogactwo | ||
| The Polish word "bogactwo" not only means "wealth" but also "abundance" or "plenty" | |||
| Romanian | bogatie | ||
| The word "bogatie" also carries the connotation of "abundance", "prosperity", and "riches" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | богатство | ||
| Богатство (wealth) derives from богатый (rich) originating from the Proto-Slavic root *bogъ, which also means 'god' or 'luck'. | |||
| Serbian | богатство | ||
| The term "богатство" (wealth) in Serbian has its roots in the Proto-Slavic word "bogъ" (god), suggesting an association between divine favor and material prosperity. | |||
| Slovak | bohatstvo | ||
| The word "bohatstvo" is derived from the Slavic root "bog-" meaning "god" and originally meant "belonging to God" or "divine abundance" | |||
| Slovenian | bogastvo | ||
| The word "bogastvo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "bogь", meaning "god", and originally referred to material possessions that were considered divine or sacred. | |||
| Ukrainian | багатство | ||
| The Ukrainian word “багатство” derives from the Old Slavonic “богъ”, meaning “god” or “rich person” | |||
Wealth in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধন | ||
| Gujarati | સંપત્તિ | ||
| Hindi | पैसा | ||
| The word "पैसा" (paisa) is derived from the Sanskrit word "पादश" (padsha), meaning "fragment". It originally referred to a small coin of low value, but over time its meaning expanded to include larger sums of money. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಂಪತ್ತು | ||
| In classical usage, ಸಂಪತ್ತು can refer to the 18 accomplishments of a prince, as well as the 64 arts and skills in Bharatanāṭyam. | |||
| Malayalam | സമ്പത്ത് | ||
| The word 'സമ്പത്ത്' or sampath, derived from Sanskrit, denotes wealth, prosperity or any possession which can enhance one's life. | |||
| Marathi | संपत्ती | ||
| The word "संपत्ती" (wealth) in Marathi also means "success" or "prosperity". | |||
| Nepali | धन | ||
| In the Indian subcontinent, 'धन' can also refer to a 'bow'} | |||
| Punjabi | ਦੌਲਤ | ||
| The word "ਦੌਲਤ" (wealth) is derived from the Arabic word "dawlah" (state, government), and also refers to good fortune or prosperity. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ධනය | ||
| The word | |||
| Tamil | செல்வம் | ||
| செல்வம் can also refer to a prosperous or beautiful person, a good harvest, or the Tamil month of Aadi. | |||
| Telugu | సంపద | ||
| The word "సంపద" (sampada) is derived from the Sanskrit word "sampad", which also means "perfection, excellence, success, prosperity, happiness, or possession." | |||
| Urdu | دولت | ||
| The word “dŋwlat” can also refer to a "government" or "state", highlighting the interconnectedness of wealth and power. | |||
Wealth in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 财富 | ||
| The character "富" in "财富" originally depicts a granary, connoting abundance and sustenance. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 財富 | ||
| "財" originally referred to the valuable shells used in ancient China as money, while "富" referred to the abundance of livestock, with both characters coming to be used together to mean "wealth." | |||
| Japanese | 富 | ||
| The second character of | |||
| Korean | 부 | ||
| 부 can also mean 'a group of things tied together' or 'a tax, tribute, or levy' | |||
| Mongolian | эд баялаг | ||
| The term can also refer to possessions or financial resources. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ချမ်းသာကြွယ်ဝမှု | ||
Wealth in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kekayaan | ||
| The word "kekayaan" can also mean "fortune", "prosperity", or "affluence". | |||
| Javanese | bandha | ||
| In Javanese, | |||
| Khmer | ទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ | ||
| Lao | ຄວາມຮັ່ງມີ | ||
| Malay | kekayaan | ||
| The word comes from "kaya" and it also means "a rich person". | |||
| Thai | ความมั่งคั่ง | ||
| The Thai word "ความมั่งคั่ง" can also refer to richness or abundance in terms of resources, qualities, or experiences. | |||
| Vietnamese | sự giàu có | ||
| The word ''sự giàu có'' is derived from the Old Vietnamese word ''sự giàu sang'' which means "abundance" or "prosperity." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kayamanan | ||
Wealth in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sərvət | ||
| Kazakh | байлық | ||
| The word "байлық" in Kazakh, originally meaning "abundance of livestock", has extended its meaning to encompass general wealth and prosperity. | |||
| Kyrgyz | байлык | ||
| "Байлык" is the Kyrgyz form of a word that has evolved in many languages across Eurasia to signify not just wealth, but also the freedom and power that wealth provides. | |||
| Tajik | сарват | ||
| The word | |||
| Turkmen | baýlyk | ||
| Uzbek | boylik | ||
| The word "boylik" is also used to refer to a large amount of something, not necessarily money or property | |||
| Uyghur | بايلىق | ||
Wealth in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | waiwai | ||
| The term 'waiwai' can carry the abstract connotation of 'abundance,' or more concretely, 'excess,' 'overabundance,' or even 'waste.' | |||
| Maori | taonga | ||
| In Maori culture, 'taonga' refers not only to material possessions but also to treasures of cultural, spiritual, and emotional significance. | |||
| Samoan | tamaoaiga | ||
| Tamaoaiga can also mean a rich or influential person. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | yaman | ||
| "Yaman" is originally an Indonesian word meaning "sufficient" or "adequate." | |||
Wealth in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | utjiri | ||
| Guarani | viruhetáva | ||
Wealth in International Languages
| Esperanto | riĉeco | ||
| Latin | divitiae | ||
| Divitae primarily denotes "property" or "material possessions," not abstract wealth as the modern English "riches." | |||
Wealth in Others Languages
| Greek | πλούτος | ||
| Πλούτος (ploutos) also refers to the Greek god of wealth, Plutus, or to an abundance of something immaterial such as knowledge. | |||
| Hmong | kev muaj nyiaj | ||
| The word 'kev muaj nyiaj' can also refer to the value of something or the worth of a person. | |||
| Kurdish | dewlemendî | ||
| The word "dewlemendî" is derived from the Old Persian "daivamand," meaning "belonging to the gods" or "divine". | |||
| Turkish | servet | ||
| 'Servet' in Turkish originates from Arabic, and also refers to a woman's dowry. | |||
| Xhosa | ubutyebi | ||
| Ubutyebi comes from 'butyebi', which means 'a large amount, an abundance'. | |||
| Yiddish | עשירות | ||
| The word 'עשירות' ('wealth') in Yiddish can also mean 'riches', 'abundance', or 'affluence' | |||
| Zulu | ingcebo | ||
| The Zulu word "ingcebo" has the alternative meaning of "property" or "capital". | |||
| Assamese | সম্পত্তি | ||
| Aymara | utjiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | मालदार | ||
| Dhivehi | މުދާ | ||
| Dogri | संपत्ति | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kayamanan | ||
| Guarani | viruhetáva | ||
| Ilocano | baknang | ||
| Krio | jɛntri | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سامان | ||
| Maithili | संपत्ति | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯟ ꯊꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | hausakna | ||
| Oromo | qabeenya | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧନ | ||
| Quechua | atipay | ||
| Sanskrit | श्री | ||
| Tatar | байлык | ||
| Tigrinya | ሃፍቲ | ||
| Tsonga | rifumo | ||