Wind in Different Languages
Discover 'Wind' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Wind - a natural phenomenon that has fascinated humans for centuries. It's an essential element of life, yet we can't see it. We can only feel its power and observe its effects. From a gentle breeze to a raging storm, wind has been a source of inspiration for poets, artists, and scientists alike. Its significance extends beyond the physical world, playing a crucial role in various cultural and religious beliefs.
Throughout history, wind has been associated with deities and spirits in many cultures. In Greek mythology, the gods controlled the winds, while in Hinduism, the god Vayu is the deity of wind and air. Moreover, wind has been used as a symbol of change and renewal, representing the constant movement and transformation of life.
Understanding the translation of wind in different languages can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive and interact with this natural phenomenon. Here are a few examples:
- Wind (English)
- Vent (French)
- Wind (German)
- Viento (Spanish)
- Vento (Italian)
Stay tuned for more translations of wind in different languages and the fascinating stories behind them.
Wind
Wind in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wind | ||
| In Afrikaans, "wind" can also refer to a lie or an exaggeration. | |||
| Amharic | ነፋስ | ||
| In some dialects, the word "ነፋስ" can also refer to a type of demon or evil spirit. | |||
| Hausa | iska | ||
| The etymology of "iska" is unknown, and it can also refer to an animal's fur or hair. | |||
| Igbo | ifufe | ||
| The Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | rivotra | ||
| The word "rivotra" can also mean "breath" or "air". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphepo | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Bantu root */pepa/*, 'wind', it also has the additional meaning of 'spirit'. | |||
| Shona | mhepo | ||
| 'Mhepo' derives from the Proto-Bantu word *pepo, meaning 'breath' or 'soul'. In modern Shona, it can also refer to a 'spirit' or a 'ghost'. | |||
| Somali | dabayl | ||
| One of the alternate meanings of "dabayl" in Somali is a "strong wind with heavy rain or hail occurring in the afternoon or at night during the hot season". | |||
| Sesotho | moea | ||
| Swahili | upepo | ||
| In Swahili, | |||
| Xhosa | umoya | ||
| "Umoya" can also refer to the breath of someone or something, such as "umoya wabantu" (the breath of people). | |||
| Yoruba | afẹfẹ | ||
| In the Egun dialect of Yoruba, the word "àfẹfẹ" also has the metaphorical meaning of "news", likely due to the way that news spreads quickly like the wind. | |||
| Zulu | umoya | ||
| The Zulu word "umoya" (wind) is also used to refer to the breath of life, the spirit, or the soul. | |||
| Bambara | fiɲɛ | ||
| Ewe | ya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umuyaga | ||
| Lingala | mopepe | ||
| Luganda | empewo | ||
| Sepedi | phefo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mframabum | ||
Wind in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ريح | ||
| The Arabic word "ريح" can also refer to one's character, nature, or scent. | |||
| Hebrew | רוּחַ | ||
| The Hebrew word "רוּחַ" (ruach) can also mean "spirit" or "breath", reflecting its ancient association with the immaterial and unseen forces of the natural world. | |||
| Pashto | باد | ||
| The name of the Pashto language, "Pashto", is also sometimes called "Bad" from the word "Badakhshan", a geographical area historically inhabited by Pashto people. | |||
| Arabic | ريح | ||
| The Arabic word "ريح" can also refer to one's character, nature, or scent. | |||
Wind in Western European Languages
| Albanian | era | ||
| Albanian "era" (wind) ultimately derives from Vulgar Latin *aura, *ora (probably related to Latin *aer "air") via Proto-Romance *aura. | |||
| Basque | haizea | ||
| Haizea, in Basque, can refer either to the wind (haize) or the direction from which the wind is coming (haizealdea). | |||
| Catalan | vent | ||
| In Catalan, the word "vent" can also refer to the opening or aperture in a wall or roof that allows air or smoke to escape. | |||
| Croatian | vjetar | ||
| The Croatian word 'vjetar' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'větrъ', which also means 'weather' or 'storm'. | |||
| Danish | vind | ||
| In Old Norse, vindr referred to the act of winding up a thread. | |||
| Dutch | wind | ||
| In Dutch, "wind" can also refer to the act of wrapping or winding something up. | |||
| English | wind | ||
| In the 1580s, | |||
| French | vent | ||
| The word "vent" in French, meaning "wind", derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*we-," which also gave rise to the English word "wind." | |||
| Frisian | wyn | ||
| Frisian has a word 'wyn' meaning 'meadow' and 'hay', etymologically unrelated to that meaning 'wind'. | |||
| Galician | vento | ||
| The Galician word "vento" also means "noise" or "boast". | |||
| German | wind | ||
| In German, "Wind" not only means "wind" but also "direction" and "side of a mountain facing the sun." | |||
| Icelandic | vindur | ||
| The Icelandic word "vindur" (wind) is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "windaz," which also means "to travel," suggesting a connection between wind and movement. | |||
| Irish | gaoth | ||
| The word "gaoth" in Irish is cognate with the Welsh "gwynt" and the Breton "gwalc'h", all meaning wind, and can refer to a gentle breeze or a storm. | |||
| Italian | vento | ||
| "Vento" can also refer to a place exposed to a lot of wind, an opening that lets air in, a fan or bellows. | |||
| Luxembourgish | wand | ||
| The word "Wand" also means "wall" in Luxembourgish, derived from the Old High German "want". | |||
| Maltese | riħ | ||
| In Maltese, "riħ" originates from Arabic "riḥ" and also refers to a cold or a smell. | |||
| Norwegian | vind | ||
| Norwegian 'vind' comes from the Old Norse 'vindr' meaning 'wind' or 'to blow' and is related to the English word 'wind'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | vento | ||
| "Vento" also means "a lot" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gaoth | ||
| Derived from Old Irish "gaíth", cognate with Latin "ventus" from Proto-Indo-European "*weh₂-" (to blow). | |||
| Spanish | viento | ||
| "Viento" can mean "wind" or, figuratively, "flatulence". | |||
| Swedish | vind | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "vind" can also refer to "direction" or "way" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | gwynt | ||
| The Welsh word "gwynt" is also used figuratively to mean "spirit" or "inspiration". | |||
Wind in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вецер | ||
| The Belarusian word “вецер” (“wind”) originates from the Proto-Slavic word “větъrъ,” also meaning “wind.” | |||
| Bosnian | vjetar | ||
| The word "vjetar" in Bosnian shares the same root with the Latin word "ventus", meaning "a current of air". | |||
| Bulgarian | вятър | ||
| Вятър, означаващ вятър на български, може също да означава въздушно течение, газова струя и течение на флуид. | |||
| Czech | vítr | ||
| "Vítr" is an ancient term also meaning "lord" or "master" in Proto-Indo-European and is the source of the Slavic term "king." | |||
| Estonian | tuul | ||
| The word "tuul" in Estonian also has meanings of "frame of mind" or "mood". | |||
| Finnish | tuuli | ||
| "Tuuli" has the same root as the word "tuulee" which means "to blow". | |||
| Hungarian | szél | ||
| The Hungarian word "szél" originally referred to a sharp edge, and can still be used in this sense in certain contexts. | |||
| Latvian | vējš | ||
| The Latvian word "vējš" (wind) is cognate with the Lithuanian "vėjas" and the Old Prussian "weyse", all meaning "wind" or "air". | |||
| Lithuanian | vėjas | ||
| The word "vėjas" shares a root with the Latvian word "vējš", meaning "breeze", and the Old Prussian word "weyse". | |||
| Macedonian | ветер | ||
| "Ветар" comes from an ancient Proto-Slavic root *vĕtrъ, meaning "to blow" or "to fan." | |||
| Polish | wiatr | ||
| The word "wiatr" also means "scent" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | vânt | ||
| The Romanian word "vânt" is cognate with the Latin word "ventus" and the English word "wind." | |||
| Russian | ветер | ||
| The word “ветер” also refers to a type of Russian folk music and a card game. | |||
| Serbian | ветар | ||
| The word "ветар" in Serbian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "вѣтръ" meaning "breeze" or "wind". | |||
| Slovak | vietor | ||
| The word "vietor" in Slovak can also refer to a whirlwind or tornado. | |||
| Slovenian | veter | ||
| "Veter" in Slovenian is a homonym that refers to both "wind" and a type of "heather". | |||
| Ukrainian | вітер | ||
| "Вітер" is a cognate with "wind" in English and "ветер" in Russian. | |||
Wind in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বায়ু | ||
| The Bengali word for "wind", "বায়ু", originally meant "that which flows" (from Sanskrit "vāyu"). | |||
| Gujarati | પવન | ||
| The word "પવન" can also mean "breath" or "spirit" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | हवा | ||
| Hindi "हवा" is also the feminine gender of "हुआ" (occured) | |||
| Kannada | ಗಾಳಿ | ||
| The word "ಗಾಳಿ" (gāḷi) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "वायु" (vāyu), which also means "wind" or "air". | |||
| Malayalam | കാറ്റ് | ||
| "കാറ്റ്" (wind) also means "car" in Malayalam, likely due to the shared sound of the English word "car" and the Malayalam word "കാറ്റ്". | |||
| Marathi | वारा | ||
| "वारा" is also used as a synonym for "turn" or "occasion" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | हावा | ||
| In Sanskrit, "वा" (vā) means "to blow", while "हा" (hā) is an intensifier, thus "हावा" means "strong wind". | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਵਾ | ||
| The word 'ਹਵਾ' (hawa) can also refer to a woman's veil, possibly influenced by the Arabic word 'حجاب' (hijab) with a similar meaning. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුළඟ | ||
| The word "සුළඟ" (wind) is also used to mean "breath" and "soul" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | காற்று | ||
| The word "காற்று" in Tamil is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*kaːr-, *kaːṟ-," meaning "to blow, to move swiftly". | |||
| Telugu | గాలి | ||
| The Telugu word "గాలి" is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "वाति" (vAti), meaning "to blow", "to move". | |||
| Urdu | ہوا | ||
| The word "ہوا" can also refer to "weather" or an "atmosphere." | |||
Wind in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 风 | ||
| 风 is also a homonym for "custom" or "fashion" in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 風 | ||
| The character "風" (wind) in Chinese is also used as a radical (component) in other characters indicating movement, such as "飛" (fly) or "動" (move). | |||
| Japanese | 風 | ||
| The character 風 also means 'custom' or 'style' and is often used in compound words such as 'atmosphere'. | |||
| Korean | 바람 | ||
| "바람(baram)" also means 'direction' or 'course,' as in '진로(jinro), meaning 'path' or 'career'. | |||
| Mongolian | салхи | ||
| The word "салхи" (wind) in Mongolian also means "breath" and "soul". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လေ | ||
| The word | |||
Wind in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | angin | ||
| "Angin" can also mean "desire" or "longing" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | angin | ||
| The Javanese word "angin" can also refer to the breath of life, spirit, soul, or mind. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្យល់ | ||
| The word “ខ្យល់” also means breeze, air, spirit, soul, life, passion, or mood. | |||
| Lao | ລົມ | ||
| The word "ລົມ" can also refer to a pleasant breeze or a cool breeze. | |||
| Malay | angin | ||
| The word | |||
| Thai | ลม | ||
| ลม can also mean "spirit" or "energy" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | gió | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hangin | ||
Wind in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | külək | ||
| In Turkish, the word "külək" also means "ashes". This alternate meaning is likely due to the shared sound of "kül" and "külək". "Kül" means "ashes" in both Turkish and Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жел | ||
| The word "жел" can also mean "breeze" or "air current" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | шамал | ||
| The word "шамал" in Kyrgyz also refers to a type of strong, cold wind that originates in Siberia and blows across the steppes. | |||
| Tajik | шамол | ||
| The word "шамол" can also refer to a mythological creature that breathes wind. | |||
| Turkmen | ýel | ||
| Uzbek | shamol | ||
| The word "shamol" can also refer to a particular type of strong westerly wind that blows in the Ferghana Valley of Uzbekistan. | |||
| Uyghur | شامال | ||
Wind in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makani | ||
| The word 'makani' can also refer to a spirit, breath, air, breeze, hurricane, and gale in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | hau | ||
| Hau also refers to the life force, or spirit, present in all things. | |||
| Samoan | matagi | ||
| The word 'matagi' can also mean 'breeze' or 'air' in the Samoan language. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hangin | ||
| Hangin also means "breathe" in Tagalog; it's a related concept, since one needs wind to breathe. | |||
Wind in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | thaya | ||
| Guarani | yvytu | ||
Wind in International Languages
| Esperanto | vento | ||
| The word "vento" is related to the Latin word "ventus" and the Italian word "vento". | |||
| Latin | ventus | ||
| In Latin, "ventus" not only refers to wind but also to sails, breaths, or even the direction from which the wind blows. | |||
Wind in Others Languages
| Greek | άνεμος | ||
| "Άνεμος" in Greek also means "breath" or "spirit." | |||
| Hmong | cua | ||
| 'Cua' is also used to describe a person who has a lot of energy and a big appetite. | |||
| Kurdish | ba | ||
| The word "ba" in Kurdish also means "breeze" and "air." | |||
| Turkish | rüzgar | ||
| The word "rüzgar" is derived from the Persian word "rüz". It also means "desire" in Turkish and "spirit" in Persian. | |||
| Xhosa | umoya | ||
| "Umoya" can also refer to the breath of someone or something, such as "umoya wabantu" (the breath of people). | |||
| Yiddish | ווינט | ||
| Derives from German 'Wind', which is cognate with English 'wind', meaning air movement | |||
| Zulu | umoya | ||
| The Zulu word "umoya" (wind) is also used to refer to the breath of life, the spirit, or the soul. | |||
| Assamese | বায়ু | ||
| Aymara | thaya | ||
| Bhojpuri | हवा | ||
| Dhivehi | ވައި | ||
| Dogri | ब्हाऽ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hangin | ||
| Guarani | yvytu | ||
| Ilocano | angin | ||
| Krio | briz | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | با | ||
| Maithili | हवा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯨꯡꯁꯤꯠ | ||
| Mizo | thli | ||
| Oromo | bubbee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପବନ | ||
| Quechua | wayra | ||
| Sanskrit | वायुः | ||
| Tatar | җил | ||
| Tigrinya | ንፋስ | ||
| Tsonga | moya | ||