Welfare in different languages

Welfare in Different Languages

Discover 'Welfare' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The term 'welfare' transcends mere policy or economic frameworks; it embodies the essence of well-being, safety, and prosperity within societies around the globe. Its significance is deeply rooted in cultures worldwide, reflecting how communities value the health, happiness, and fortunes of their members. The desire to understand 'welfare' in different languages stems not just from scholarly or linguistic curiosity but from a profound appreciation of its universal importance. Interesting fact: the word 'welfare' finds varied expressions across cultures, each embodying unique historical contexts and values. For instance, in Spanish, 'bienestar' intricately combines ‘well-being’ with ‘being,’ while in German, 'Wohlfahrt' emphasizes the journey to prosperity. Knowing the translation of welfare in different languages enriches our understanding of global perspectives on social well-being and community care. Below is a list of translations of 'welfare,' offering a linguistic voyage into the heart of societies worldwide.

Welfare


Welfare in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanswelsyn
The Afrikaans word "welsyn" ultimately derives from the Old English word "weal�th," meaning "wealth" or "prosperity."
Amharicደህንነት
The word “ደህንነት” also translates to health and safety in English
Hausajindadin rayuwa
The term "jindadin rayuwa" in Hausa can also refer to a person's state of well-being or their overall quality of life.
Igboọdịmma
The Igbo word "ọdịmma" can also mean "goodness," "prosperity," or "well-being."
Malagasyfifanampiana
The Malagasy word "fifanampiana" (welfare) is derived from the root word "fiana" (family) and "ampiana" (help), connoting a sense of collective support within communities.
Nyanja (Chichewa)ubwino
The word "ubwino" can also mean "goodness" or "beauty" in Nyanja.
Shonakugara zvakanaka
Somalisamafalka
The Somali word "samafalka" can also refer to a system of communal support and assistance within a community.
Sesothoboiketlo
In Sesotho, "boiketlo" also refers to the state of being protected, fortunate, or having well-being.
Swahiliustawi
The word "ustawi" in Swahili comes from the Arabic word "isti’már" meaning "stability" or "well-being".
Xhosaintlalontle
The word 'intlalontle' is derived from the Xhosa phrase 'ntlalontle ingene,' meaning 'the beauty that begets beauty' or 'the kindness that begets kindness.'
Yorubairanlọwọ
Zuluinhlalakahle
The word "inhlalakahle" is also used colloquially to refer to "being comfortable" or "feeling good".
Bambarakɛnɛya
Ewededienɔnɔ
Kinyarwandaimibereho myiza
Lingalabolamu
Lugandaembeera
Sepedibobotlana
Twi (Akan)yiedie

Welfare in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicخير
The Arabic word "خير" (khair) shares a root with the Hebrew word "טוב" (tov), meaning "good".
Hebrewסעד
The word "סעד" can also mean "supporting" or "assisting".
Pashtoولسي
The Pashto word "ولسي" can also refer to the national assembly in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Arabicخير
The Arabic word "خير" (khair) shares a root with the Hebrew word "טוב" (tov), meaning "good".

Welfare in Western European Languages

Albanianmirëqenia
"Mirëqenia" originally meant "good luck" and has retained that meaning in addition to its modern meaning of "welfare."
Basqueongizatea
Derived from the word
Catalanbenestar
The Catalan word "benestar" also means "well-being"
Croatiandobrobiti
The term "dobrobiti" can also refer to "assets" or "goods" in a legal or economic context.
Danishvelfærd
In Danish, "velfærd" has a similar meaning to "well-being" in English, and can refer to various aspects of human happiness, such as health, education and social security.
Dutchwelzijn
The word "welzijn" originally meant "well-being" or "good fortune" in Dutch.
Englishwelfare
Etymology: From Middle English welfare, from Old English wela ('well') + fǣre ('journey, way'), hence 'well-being' or 'prosperity'
Frenchaide sociale
In French, "aide sociale" can also refer to government assistance for people with disabilities or the elderly.
Frisianwolfeart
From Old English wulf (wolf) + āre (honour), meaning 'wolf honour' or 'wolf price', used as a tax imposed on those who did not produce a sufficient number of wolves' heads as proof of having killed them according to the law.
Galicianbenestar
`Benestar` in Galician comes from `ben` (good) and `estar` (to be), meaning a good state of being.
Germanwohlergehen
The word "Wohlergehen" in German comes from the Old High German word "wola", meaning "well-being".
Icelandicvelferð
The word "velferð" initially meant "prosperity" or "well-being"
Irishleasa
The Irish word for "welfare," leasa, is cognate with the Old Irish word *les, meaning "sufficiency, competence, ability."
Italianbenessere
In Italian,
Luxembourgishwuelergoen
Maltesebenesseri
The word "benesseri" likely derives from the Italian "ben essere," meaning "well being" or "comfort."
Norwegianvelferd
The Norwegian word "velferd" comes from the Old Norse word "velferð", meaning "well-being"}
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)bem-estar
The Portuguese word "bem-estar" can also mean "well-being" or "happiness".
Scots Gaelicsochair
The Gaelic word for "welfare," sochair, originates from the Latin term "societas," meaning "society."
Spanishbienestar
The Spanish word "bienestar" comes from the Latin "bene" (well) and "stare" (to stand) and thus means "living well" or "well-being".
Swedishvälfärd
The word "välfärd" originally meant "good fortune" or "well-being", and is related to the German word "Wohlfahrt". In Swedish, it is used to refer specifically to social welfare programs and benefits.
Welshlles
The word 'lles' can also refer to 'benefit' or 'advantage'.

Welfare in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianдабрабыт
The word 'дабрабыт' (welfare) also carries the meanings of 'property' and 'prosperity'.
Bosnianblagostanja
The word "blagostanja" in Bosnian is derived from the Slavic root "blago" meaning "good" and "stanje" meaning "condition".
Bulgarianблагосъстояние
"Благосъстояние" derives from the Slavic "blago" (good) and "sostoianie" (condition), referring to a state of well-being beyond material needs.
Czechblahobyt
The word "blahobyt" derives from Old Church Slavonic "blago" (good) and "byti" (to be).
Estonianheaolu
The word 'heaolu' is derived from the Estonian words 'hea' (good) and 'olu' (state), and can also mean 'well-being' or 'prosperity'.
Finnishhyvinvointi
The Finnish word "hyvinvointi" (welfare) derives from "hyvä" (good) and "vointi" (feeling, well-being), and encompasses both material well-being and subjective flourishing.
Hungarianjólét
The Hungarian word "jólét" is derived from the Hungarian words "jó" (good) and "lét" (being), and can also mean "well-being" or "prosperity".
Latvianlabklājību
The word "labklājība" is derived from the Latvian word "labklājs", which originally means "good fortune" or "luck".
Lithuaniangerovė
The word "gerovė" also means "wellness" or "well-being" in Lithuanian, in addition to its meaning of "welfare".
Macedonianблагосостојба
Благосостојба can also refer to "well-being" or "happiness" in a more general sense.
Polishdobrobyt
The word "dobrobyt" is derived from the Polish words "dobry" (good) and "byt" (being), and can also refer to prosperity or well-being.
Romanianbunăstare
In Romanian, "bunăstare" means "welfare" but also "well-being" and "prosperity."
Russianблагосостояние
The Russian word благосостояние can also mean 'well-being,' 'prosperity,' or 'good fortune'.
Serbianблагостање
The word "благостање" is derived from the Slavic word "blago" meaning "good" and "stanje" meaning "state" or "condition". It can also refer to prosperity, happiness, or well-being.
Slovakblahobyt
The Slovak word "blahobyt" is derived from the Czech word "blahobyt", which in turn comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "blago" meaning "good," and "byti" meaning "being."
Slovenianblaginja
The word 'blaginja' originates from the Proto-Slavic root *blagь, meaning 'good' or 'auspicious'.
Ukrainianдобробут
The word "добробут" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic root "добро", meaning "good" or "well-being", and the suffix "-бут", meaning "state" or "condition."

Welfare in South Asian Languages

Bengaliকল্যাণ
The word "কল্যাণ" derives from the Sanskrit word "कल्याण" meaning "well-being, prosperity, or auspiciousness."
Gujaratiકલ્યાણ
The word "कल्याण" in Gujarati originally meant "happiness" and "prosperity," but over time came to be used exclusively in the sense of "welfare" or "well-being."
Hindiकल्याण
The word "कल्याण" is derived from the Sanskrit root "कल्य" meaning "good" or "auspicious" and denotes a state of well-being, prosperity, and happiness.
Kannadaಕಲ್ಯಾಣ
The term 'ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ' (Kalyana) in Kannada, derived from Sanskrit, denotes a state of happiness, prosperity, and well-being, encompassing various aspects of life including health, education, and social progress.
Malayalamക്ഷേമം
"ക്ഷേമം" (kṣēmam) is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṣema" meaning "well-being" or "prosperity."
Marathiकल्याण
The word कल्याण (kalyāṇ) in Marathi can also refer to a place, especially the city of Kalyan in Maharashtra, India.
Nepaliकल्याण
The Sanskrit word "कल्याण" (kalyāṇa) also means "auspiciousness" and relates to the concepts of "good" and "beautiful" in Sanskrit and Pali.
Punjabiਕਲਿਆਣ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සුබසාධන
In astrology, it refers to the planet Venus and to the 6th astrological house, also known as the sukha-bhāva, which governs comforts, pleasures, and luxuries.
Tamilநலன்புரி
நலன்புரி (nalampuri) likely derives from the Tamil words நலம் (nalam, 'goodness' or 'wellbeing') and புரி (puri, 'town' or 'place'), thus indicating a 'place of wellbeing' or 'town of welfare'.
Teluguసంక్షేమ
The word 'సంక్షేమ' ('welfare') in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word 'संक्षेम' ('saṃkṣema'), which also means 'well-being', 'prosperity', and 'happiness'.
Urduفلاح و بہبود

Welfare in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)福利
"福利" in Chinese can also mean fringe benefits or social benefits.
Chinese (Traditional)福利
The character "福利" (fú lì) can also mean "good luck" or "happiness"
Japanese福祉
福祉 literally translates to “happiness” or “well-being,” but it is often used to mean “welfare.”
Korean복지
The literal meaning of the word "복지" is "복: luck" and "지: place," meaning a "place of good fortune."
Mongolianхаламж
"Халамж" (welfare) is the Mongolian adaptation of the Sanskrit word "kalyāṇa" meaning "good, happy, favorable," and is also used to refer to "luck, fortune, or destiny."
Myanmar (Burmese)သက်သာချောင်ချိရေး

Welfare in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiankesejahteraan
The term "kesejahteraan" is borrowed from Sanskrit, meaning "well-being" or "happiness".
Javanesekaraharjan
The word "karaharjan" in Javanese also means "to live in prosperity" or "to be well-off".
Khmerសុខុមាលភាព
Though the word "សុខុមាលភាព" primarily translates to "welfare," it also implies "happiness" or "well-being" in Khmer.
Laoສະຫວັດດີການ
Malaykebajikan
While "kebajikan" usually means "welfare," it can also refer to "goodness" or "virtue".
Thaiสวัสดิการ
The word "สวัสดิการ" (welfare) derives from the Sanskrit word "svasti" meaning "well-being" or "good fortune".
Vietnamesephúc lợi
The word "phúc lợi" in Vietnamese has its roots in the Chinese language, where it means "happiness and benefit".
Filipino (Tagalog)kapakanan

Welfare in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanirifah
The Azerbaijani word
Kazakhәл-ауқат
The word "әл-ауқат" can also mean "time" or "opportunity" in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzжыргалчылык
The word "жыргалчылык" in Kyrgyz also refers to the well-being and happiness of a community.
Tajikнекӯаҳволӣ
The word "
Turkmenabadançylygy
Uzbekfarovonlik
Farovonlik also denotes well-being, good fortune, and prosperity.
Uyghurپاراۋانلىق

Welfare in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianpono
"Pono" in Hawaiian also means "righteousness, goodness, morality, and well-being."
Maoritoko i te ora
The Maori word "toko i te ora" (welfare) literally translates to "stand in the life" or "support for life."
Samoanmanuia
"Manuia" also means "to raise" or "to lift up" in Samoan.
Tagalog (Filipino)kapakanan

Welfare in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarawalikiña
Guaranitekoporã

Welfare in International Languages

Esperantobonfarto
In the language of Lojban, the word "bonfarto" is a cognate of the Esperanto word "malriĉo" (poverty)
Latinwelfare
The Latin origin of the word "welfare," "vale," refers to health and strength, particularly the physical prosperity of someone who is cared for.

Welfare in Others Languages

Greekευημερία
ευημερία derives from εὖ and ἡμέρα, meaning "good day"
Hmongsaib xyuas kev noj qab haus huv
Kurdishrefah
The word "refah" can also refer to "comfort" or "well-being" in Kurdish.
Turkishrefah
The word "refah" in Turkish also has the alternate meaning of "prosperity" or "abundance".
Xhosaintlalontle
The word 'intlalontle' is derived from the Xhosa phrase 'ntlalontle ingene,' meaning 'the beauty that begets beauty' or 'the kindness that begets kindness.'
Yiddishוווילשטאנד
The Yiddish word "וווילשטאנד" also refers to a person's sense of well-being or prosperity.
Zuluinhlalakahle
The word "inhlalakahle" is also used colloquially to refer to "being comfortable" or "feeling good".
Assameseকল্যাণ
Aymarawalikiña
Bhojpuriकल्याण
Dhivehiވެލްފެއަރ
Dogriबेहतरी
Filipino (Tagalog)kapakanan
Guaranitekoporã
Ilocanokinakaradkad
Kriotin dɛn we fɔ mek wi gladi
Kurdish (Sorani)خۆشگوزەرانی
Maithiliकल्यान
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯌꯥꯏꯐ ꯊꯧꯔꯥꯡ
Mizohamthatna
Oromofayyummaa
Odia (Oriya)କଲ୍ୟାଣ
Quechuaallin kay
Sanskritकल्याणं
Tatarиминлек
Tigrinyaድሕንነት
Tsonganhlayiso

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