Wire in Different Languages
Discover 'Wire' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Wire: a simple word, yet it holds immense significance in our daily lives. From the wires that power our devices to the telephone wires that connect us across vast distances, wires are an integral part of modern communication and technology. But did you know that the word 'wire' has been translated into various languages, reflecting its global importance?
The cultural significance of wire extends beyond technology. In jewelry making, for instance, wire has been used for centuries to create intricate and beautiful pieces. And let's not forget the iconic 'Western' genre, where barbed wire fences often feature prominently, symbolizing the taming of the wild frontier.
Given wire's global importance and cultural significance, it's no wonder that people might want to know its translation in different languages. Here are a few examples: 'wire' translates to 'fil' in French, 'Draht' in German, and 'kablo' in Turkish.
Wire
Wire in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | draad | ||
| The Afrikaans word "draad" is cognate with the Dutch word "draad", which has the additional meaning of "thread". | |||
| Amharic | ሽቦ | ||
| Hausa | waya | ||
| In Hausa, the word "waya" can also be used to describe a path or road. | |||
| Igbo | waya | ||
| "Waya" also refers to a form of traditional communication using drums. | |||
| Malagasy | tariby | ||
| The etymology of the Malagasy word 'tariby' remains uncertain; some theories suggest an origin in Arabic, while others propose a Bantu source. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | waya | ||
| The word "waya" can also mean "path" or "road" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | waya | ||
| "Waya" can also refer to a message sent using traditional methods like a letter. | |||
| Somali | silig | ||
| The Somali word "silig" (wire) also refers to a type of thin, flexible metal rod used in jewelry making and other crafts. | |||
| Sesotho | terata | ||
| The word "terata" can also refer to something that is long and slender, like a snake or a vine. | |||
| Swahili | waya | ||
| This word may also refer to a type of musical instrument similar to a xylophone. | |||
| Xhosa | ucingo | ||
| In the Cape Flats dialect of Afrikaans, "ucingo" is used to refer to a person who is thin and tall. | |||
| Yoruba | waya | ||
| The Yoruba word 'waya' also means 'rope' or 'cord'. | |||
| Zulu | ucingo | ||
| The word 'ucingo' also refers to the strings of a musical instrument, or to a string of beads or stones that are worn as jewelry. | |||
| Bambara | filijuru | ||
| Ewe | galɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | wire | ||
| Lingala | nsinga ya courant | ||
| Luganda | waaya | ||
| Sepedi | lethale | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wɔya | ||
Wire in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الأسلاك | ||
| Hebrew | חוּט | ||
| The word "חוּט" can also mean "thread" or "string" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | تار | ||
| The Pashto word "تار" also means "string" when referring to a musical instrument's string. | |||
| Arabic | الأسلاك | ||
Wire in Western European Languages
| Albanian | tela | ||
| The word "tela" is of Slavic origin, meaning "thin metal plate" or "ribbon." | |||
| Basque | alanbrea | ||
| In Basque, "alanbrea" comes from the Spanish "alambre". It is also used figuratively to describe the strings of a musical instrument. | |||
| Catalan | filferro | ||
| In the Catalan dialect from Maó (Menorca), | |||
| Croatian | žica | ||
| "Žica" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "žica", meaning "thread" or "sinew", and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷih₃-/", meaning "to bind, wind, or plait". | |||
| Danish | tråd | ||
| "Tråd" is a cognate of "thread" and has the alternate meaning of "thread". | |||
| Dutch | draad | ||
| In Dutch, 'draad' also means "thread" or "strand", and is related to the English word "thread". | |||
| English | wire | ||
| The word "wire" can also refer to a tethered communication system, as in "telegraph wire" or "telephone wire". | |||
| French | câble | ||
| "Câble" can also refer to a nautical rope used for mooring or towing. | |||
| Frisian | tried | ||
| The word “tried” also means “rope” in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | arame | ||
| Arame in Galician can also mean a metal chain or cord used for hanging something | |||
| German | draht | ||
| The German word **Draht** (wire) originates from the Old High German verb **drahen** (to turn), referring to the twisting motion involved in wire drawing. | |||
| Icelandic | vír | ||
| The Icelandic word "vír" is cognate with the English word "wire", and both words derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *wiHro-,"to bind". | |||
| Irish | sreang | ||
| In Old, Middle and Modern Irish the word "sreang" has been used to mean "thread, string, cord, filament, vein, lineage, stream, river". | |||
| Italian | filo | ||
| The word "filo" in Italian, besides meaning "wire", is also the root of the word "filo-d'Arianna" (Ariadne's thread), an allegory for a path or clue that leads to a solution or a goal. | |||
| Luxembourgish | drot | ||
| "Drot" can refer to wire used in fences or to the wire in an electrical cable. | |||
| Maltese | wajer | ||
| The Maltese word "wajer" derives from the Arabic word "wajr" (pronounced similarly), which also means "wire" in modern Standard Arabic. | |||
| Norwegian | metalltråd | ||
| The word "metalltråd" in Norwegian comes from the Old Norse word "mǫtullr", a term for wire made of gold or silver. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fio | ||
| The term "fio" can also refer to a musical note or a type of thread used in embroidery or sewing. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uèir | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "uèir" can also refer to a rod or a stick, hinting at its original use for stringing fence lines. | |||
| Spanish | cable | ||
| In Spanish, "cable" can also refer to a nautical rope or a steel hawser. | |||
| Swedish | tråd | ||
| "Tråd" can also mean "thread", "filament", or "strand". | |||
| Welsh | weiren | ||
| The word 'weiren' also has the alternate meanings 'shaft' and 'spear'. | |||
Wire in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | провад | ||
| The word "провад" is likely derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*provъdъ", meaning "guide" or "conductor", also related to the Latin word "prōdīcere" (to lead forth). | |||
| Bosnian | žica | ||
| In Slavic, 'žica' meant 'sinew', and its modern meaning is thought to have originated from the use of sinews as strings. | |||
| Bulgarian | тел | ||
| In Bulgarian, "тел" is also a unit of volume equal to 0.61 liters. | |||
| Czech | drát | ||
| "Drát" also refers to a wire or rope used to pull a boat along a waterway. | |||
| Estonian | traat | ||
| In Estonian, "traat" originally meant a thread and is related to the German "Draht" or Polish "drut." | |||
| Finnish | lanka | ||
| "Lanka" originally meant "thread," as in yarn for clothing or weaving. | |||
| Hungarian | huzal | ||
| The Hungarian word "huzal" is derived from the Slovak "húzol", meaning to pull or draw; it can also refer to a type of pastry or a type of dance. | |||
| Latvian | vads | ||
| In Latvian, "vads" also means "fishing line" or "thread", and is related to the German word "Wade" meaning "ford". | |||
| Lithuanian | viela | ||
| "Viela" is derived from the Proto-Baltic stem *viel- meaning "to turn, spin, twist" and is related to the Latvian "viela" (string, cord, wire). | |||
| Macedonian | жица | ||
| The word "жица" can also refer to "sinew", "nerve" or "thread" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | drut | ||
| In Polish, the word "drut" can also refer to a person who is quick-witted or resourceful. | |||
| Romanian | sârmă | ||
| The word "sârmă" may also refer to a type of stuffed cabbage roll in Romanian cuisine. | |||
| Russian | провод | ||
| The word "провод" (wire) in Russian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "provǫdъ", meaning "to lead, to conduct." | |||
| Serbian | жица | ||
| The word "жица" in Serbian can refer to "wire", or figuratively to "a string or line", or to "a source of information", or to "a source of energy or force". | |||
| Slovak | drôt | ||
| The word "drôt" is a Germanism derived from the German word "Draht". | |||
| Slovenian | žica | ||
| "Žica" also means "vein" or "nerve" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | дріт | ||
| "Дріт" can also mean "wire rod" or "electric wire" in Ukrainian | |||
Wire in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তার | ||
| In classical Sanskrit, 'tar' signifies 'to cross over', implying that 'tar' (wire) allows for a connection to be established across a distance | |||
| Gujarati | વાયર | ||
| Hindi | वायर | ||
| "वायर" (wire) is derived from the Middle English word "wiren," which means "to twist" or "to wind." | |||
| Kannada | ತಂತಿ | ||
| The word "ತಂತಿ" (wire) in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word "तन्ति" (thread), indicating its flexibility and thinness. | |||
| Malayalam | വയർ | ||
| The word "വയർ" (wire) originates from the Proto-Dravidian word "*wār" and shares a common root with the words "thread" and "rope" in other Dravidian languages. | |||
| Marathi | वायर | ||
| Nepali | तार | ||
| The Nepali word "तार" is also used in the sense of "a telegram". | |||
| Punjabi | ਤਾਰ | ||
| "ਤਾਰ" can also mean "melody" or "tune" in Punjabi music. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වයර් | ||
| The word "වයර්" can also refer to a telegraph or telephone line. | |||
| Tamil | கம்பி | ||
| Telugu | వైర్ | ||
| The Telugu word "వైర్" can also be used to refer to a telegraph pole. | |||
| Urdu | تار | ||
| In Urdu, the word 'تار' (wire) also refers to a musical string, as in 'تار بجانا' (to play the sitar). | |||
Wire in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 线 | ||
| "线" also refers to a route, thread, or line in a diagram. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 線 | ||
| "線" can mean 'thread', 'line', 'trace', 'clue', 'wire', 'cable', 'cord', 'vein (in the body)', 'lineage or ancestry' | |||
| Japanese | ワイヤー | ||
| The word "ワイヤー" in Japanese can refer to either a physical wire or to the act of wiring something. | |||
| Korean | 철사 | ||
| "철사" originally meant "a device for making a sound" or "an arrow tip". | |||
| Mongolian | утас | ||
| The word "утас" can also mean "line" or "string" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဝါယာကြိုး | ||
Wire in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kawat | ||
| "Kawat" is also a word from the Sanskrit language, which means "a string or thread". | |||
| Javanese | kawat | ||
| The Javanese word "kawat" can also refer to a type of traditional musical instrument, made of bamboo and played using a bow. | |||
| Khmer | លួស | ||
| The word លួស also means “electric pole” in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ສາຍ | ||
| The word "ສາຍ" can also refer to a line, a path, or a connection. | |||
| Malay | wayar | ||
| Malay 'wayar' is derived from Tamil 'vāyar' or Sanskrit 'vīra' or Proto-Dravidian *var- 'to draw out'. In archaic Malay, 'wayar' was used to refer to a thread or string as well. | |||
| Thai | ลวด | ||
| "ลวด" is thought to have originated from "หลวด" (a type of vine used for tying), and can also refer to a snake's tongue. | |||
| Vietnamese | dây điện | ||
| While | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alambre | ||
Wire in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tel | ||
| The word "tel", meaning "wire" in Azerbaijani, also has the alternate meaning of "thread" in some contexts. | |||
| Kazakh | сым | ||
| Kyrgyz | зым | ||
| The word «зым» can also mean a «ray» or a «thread» | |||
| Tajik | сим | ||
| The word "сим" also means "nerve" or "sinew" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | sim | ||
| Uzbek | sim | ||
| The word "sim" also means "copper" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | سىم | ||
Wire in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | uea | ||
| "Uea" also means "to twist" or "to plait" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | waea | ||
| In Maori, the word "waea" was originally used to describe the threads of a woven flax garment, and later came to refer to metal wires. | |||
| Samoan | uaea | ||
| In Hawaiian, “uaea” means “thread” or “string” but in Samoan, it means “wire,” and refers to the wire used for stringing fences. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kawad | ||
| In Filipino, "kawad" can also refer to a fence, lattice, or grating, and is derived from the Malay word "kawat" which holds the same meaning. | |||
Wire in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kawli | ||
| Guarani | itaembo | ||
Wire in International Languages
| Esperanto | drato | ||
| Latin | filum | ||
| In anatomy, filum is the name of the nerve fibers of the spinal cord, from Latin filum "thread" | |||
Wire in Others Languages
| Greek | σύρμα | ||
| The word "σύρμα" originated from the word "συρώ", which means "to drag" or "to pull". It can also refer to a metallic thread used in embroidery or to a type of traditional Greek cheese. | |||
| Hmong | hlau | ||
| "Hlau" is also the term for "lightning", which some scholars think refers to the shape and speed that wire appears to move. | |||
| Kurdish | têlik | ||
| The word "têlik" is derived from the Persian word "tār", meaning "string" or "thread". | |||
| Turkish | tel | ||
| The word "tel" also refers to the thin string or cord used to weave or sew fabrics or to the metal or plastic tip on the end of a shoe lace. | |||
| Xhosa | ucingo | ||
| In the Cape Flats dialect of Afrikaans, "ucingo" is used to refer to a person who is thin and tall. | |||
| Yiddish | דראָט | ||
| "דראָט" (drot) is cognate with the German "Draht" and the English "thread". It can also refer to a long, thin object like a whip or a rod. | |||
| Zulu | ucingo | ||
| The word 'ucingo' also refers to the strings of a musical instrument, or to a string of beads or stones that are worn as jewelry. | |||
| Assamese | তাঁৰ | ||
| Aymara | kawli | ||
| Bhojpuri | तार | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަޔަރު | ||
| Dogri | तार | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | alambre | ||
| Guarani | itaembo | ||
| Ilocano | banteng | ||
| Krio | kebul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | وایەر | ||
| Maithili | तार | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯔꯥ | ||
| Mizo | hrui | ||
| Oromo | shiboo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତାର | ||
| Quechua | cable | ||
| Sanskrit | तन्तुः | ||
| Tatar | чыбык | ||
| Tigrinya | ገመድ | ||
| Tsonga | nsimbhi | ||