Witness in Different Languages
Discover 'Witness' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'witness' carries significant weight in English, referring to someone who has personally observed an event or incident. It's a concept that transcends cultures and languages, playing a crucial role in legal, historical, and personal contexts. From courtroom testimonies to personal narratives, witnesses provide invaluable insights that shape our understanding of the world.
Interestingly, the word 'witness' has been adopted by various languages, often reflecting their unique cultural and linguistic perspectives. For instance, in Spanish, a witness is a 'testigo'; in French, they are a 'témoin'; in German, 'Zeuge'; and in Japanese, 'shōgen' (譲渡状).
Understanding the translation of 'witness' in different languages not only broadens your linguistic repertoire but also deepens your appreciation for the cultural nuances surrounding this universal concept. Delve deeper into the world of language and culture through the translations of 'witness' below.
Witness
Witness in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | getuie | ||
| The Afrikaans word "getuie" is derived from Middle Dutch "ghetughe" which also means "evidence". | |||
| Amharic | ምስክር | ||
| "ምስክር" can also mean "martyr" or "confessor". | |||
| Hausa | shaida | ||
| The Hausa word shaida can also mean 'evidence'. | |||
| Igbo | ịgba akaebe | ||
| "Ịgba akaebe" literally means "holding the sign of trust" in Igbo, suggesting that a witness bears the evidence or mark of truth or authenticity. | |||
| Malagasy | vavolombelona | ||
| "Vavolombelona" translates to "witness" but the word literally means "the bearer of good news". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mboni | ||
| The word "mboni" has been used for centuries and is derived from a root word meaning "sight". | |||
| Shona | chapupu | ||
| Shona word "chapupu" also means "to come face to face" or "to meet". | |||
| Somali | markhaati | ||
| The word "markhaati" in Somali can also mean "evidence" or "proof". | |||
| Sesotho | pakela | ||
| Swahili | shuhudia | ||
| "Shuhudia" in Swahili can also mean "attestation" or "proof", and its root is the Arabic word "shahid" (شاهد) meaning "witness" or "spectator". | |||
| Xhosa | ingqina | ||
| ingqina (Xhosa): also means "a place where people gather"} | |||
| Yoruba | ẹlẹri | ||
| Zulu | ufakazi | ||
| The word "ufakazi" in Nguni languages also means an eye-witness in a legal case or the testimony itself. | |||
| Bambara | seere | ||
| Ewe | gbɔdzɔgbɔdzɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umutangabuhamya | ||
| Lingala | motatoli | ||
| Luganda | omujulizi | ||
| Sepedi | hlatse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔdanseni | ||
Witness in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الشاهد | ||
| The word "الشاهد" in Arabic can also refer to a "monument" or a "proof" | |||
| Hebrew | עֵד | ||
| The noun עֵד can also mean "testimony" or "proof," as in the phrase עֵד שקר meaning "false testimony." | |||
| Pashto | شاهد | ||
| The Pashto word "شاهد" can also refer to a person who provides testimony in a court of law. | |||
| Arabic | الشاهد | ||
| The word "الشاهد" in Arabic can also refer to a "monument" or a "proof" | |||
Witness in Western European Languages
| Albanian | dëshmitar | ||
| The Albanian word "dëshmitar" also historically carries the meaning of "best man" at a wedding. | |||
| Basque | lekuko | ||
| The Basque word "lekuko" is derived from the Proto-Basque root *leku, meaning "place", and is related to the Spanish word "lugar" ("place"). | |||
| Catalan | testimoni | ||
| The Catalan word "testimoni" comes from the Latin "testimonium," meaning "evidence," and is related to the words "test" and "testify." | |||
| Croatian | svjedok | ||
| In Croatian, "svjedok" is also an informal term for "best man" or "groomsman" at a wedding, particularly in the context of a traditional Croatian wedding ceremony. | |||
| Danish | vidne | ||
| The noun "vidne" derives from the verb "vide", meaning "to know" | |||
| Dutch | getuige | ||
| The word "getuige" can also mean "evidence" or "proof" in Dutch. | |||
| English | witness | ||
| The word 'witness' derives from the Old English word 'witnes', which means 'knowledge' or 'testimony'. | |||
| French | témoin | ||
| "Témoin" also means "plug" or "stopper" in French, reflecting its original meaning as a piece of wood used to block a hole. | |||
| Frisian | tsjûge | ||
| The Frisian word “tsjûge” can also mean “to indicate” or “to show”. | |||
| Galician | testemuña | ||
| Testemuña shares its origin with "testimony" and "testify", all hailing from the Latin "testimonium," meaning "proof". | |||
| German | zeuge | ||
| The word "Zeuge" can also refer to a person present at a birth to confirm the child's identity and parentage. | |||
| Icelandic | vitni | ||
| It is the dative form of the word "vit", meaning "wise" or "understanding". | |||
| Irish | finné | ||
| The word "finné" is derived from the Old Irish word "fían," which means "tribe" or "band of warriors." | |||
| Italian | testimone | ||
| The word 'testimone' also means 'evidence' in Italian, derived from the Latin 'testis' meaning 'proof'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zeien | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Zeien" can also refer to the act of looking or seeing something. | |||
| Maltese | xhud | ||
| The word | |||
| Norwegian | vitne | ||
| The word "vitne" originates from the Old Norse word "vitni," which means "knowledge," and implies a person who has direct knowledge of an event. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | testemunha | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "testemunha" can also mean "proof" or "evidence" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fianais | ||
| The word fianais in Scots Gaelic also means 'evidence' and 'testimony'. | |||
| Spanish | testigo | ||
| In Spanish, the word "testigo" also means "a piece of evidence used in a trial". | |||
| Swedish | bevittna | ||
| "Bevittna" comes from the Old Norse word "vitni", meaning "knowledge" or "testimony". | |||
| Welsh | tyst | ||
| The Welsh word "tyst" can also mean "silent" or "quiet". | |||
Witness in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сведка | ||
| **Witness** comes from the French word **témoin** which means "one who sees" or "eye-witness."} | |||
| Bosnian | svedok | ||
| In Bosnian, 'svedok' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root 'svěd', meaning 'to know' or 'to testify'. | |||
| Bulgarian | свидетел | ||
| The Bulgarian word "свидетел" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *svědъ, which originally meant "one who knows something" and was associated with the concept of knowledge and testimony. | |||
| Czech | svědek | ||
| The word "svědek" originally meant "someone who knows" or "someone who can testify", derived from the verb "vědět" (to know). | |||
| Estonian | tunnistaja | ||
| 'Tunnistaja' is derived from the word 'tunnistus' meaning 'evidence', making 'tunnistaja' literally mean 'evidence-giver'. | |||
| Finnish | todistaja | ||
| The word "todistaja" also means "certifier" or "testifier". | |||
| Hungarian | tanú | ||
| "Tanú" can mean both "witness" and "hill" in Hungarian, and they originate from the same word in Proto-Uralic, *tuna. | |||
| Latvian | liecinieks | ||
| In Old Latvian, the word "liecinieks" referred not only to witnesses, but also to people testifying about their dreams, visions, or prophecies. | |||
| Lithuanian | liudytoju | ||
| The Lithuanian word "liudytoju" originates from the Old Prussian "liudeits" (people), reflecting the historical role of witnesses as representatives of the community. | |||
| Macedonian | сведок | ||
| Polish | świadek | ||
| Derived from the Old Church Slavonic word `svědъkъ`, meaning `one who knows` or `one who testifies`. | |||
| Romanian | martor | ||
| The Romanian word "martor" derives from the Latin "martyr", referring to its initial religious connotation as "one who testifies to their faith by bearing witness to it, often through suffering or death." | |||
| Russian | свидетель | ||
| The etymological connection between the Russian word "свидетель" (witness) and the Sanskrit root "-vid" (to know) may hint at the historical importance of personal testimonies.} | |||
| Serbian | сведок | ||
| In Serbian, "сведок" (witness) derives from the Proto-Slavic root "*věдѣti", meaning "to know" or "to see", and also relates to the words "веда" (knowledge) and "видети" (to see). | |||
| Slovak | svedok | ||
| The Slovak word "svedok" also means "a candle" in the context of a religious ceremony. | |||
| Slovenian | priča | ||
| The word "priča" in Slovenian also means "story" or "tale", reflecting its connection to the act of observing and recounting events. | |||
| Ukrainian | свідок | ||
| The Ukrainian word "свідок" derives from the Proto-Slavic verb *svěditi, meaning "to know" or "to be aware of". | |||
Witness in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সাক্ষী | ||
| সাক্ষী can also mean a person or thing that gives proof or evidence. | |||
| Gujarati | સાક્ષી | ||
| The word "સાક્ષી" (witness) in Gujarati has alternate meanings like "proof" and "evidence", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "साक्षी" (sākṣī), meaning "one who sees". | |||
| Hindi | गवाह | ||
| In Sanskrit, 'गवाह' also means 'protection'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ | ||
| The word "ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ" also denotes a mark on the forehead that is considered auspicious, and is often applied during religious ceremonies. | |||
| Malayalam | സാക്ഷ്യം | ||
| The word "സാക്ഷ്യം" originally meant "proof" or "evidence" in Malayalam. | |||
| Marathi | साक्षीदार | ||
| The Marathi word "साक्षीदार" not only means "witness" but also "evidence" and "proof." | |||
| Nepali | साक्षी | ||
| The word "साक्षी" comes from the Sanskrit root word "सह्" (to see), and carries the connotation of "one who observes or perceives something." | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਵਾਹ | ||
| The word "ਗਵਾਹ" also means a person who has been summoned to court to give evidence. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සාක්ෂිකරු | ||
| Tamil | சாட்சி | ||
| The word "சாட்சி" can also mean proof, evidence, or testimony. | |||
| Telugu | సాక్షి | ||
| The word "సాక్షి" not only means "witness" but also denotes "someone who knows the truth" or "knowledge" in general. | |||
| Urdu | گواہ | ||
Witness in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 见证人 | ||
| “见证人”在中文里还有“旁证人”的意思。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 見證人 | ||
| "見證人"（witness）源自拉丁語 "videre"（看見）和 "testis"（證人）的組合，意指「看見並作證的人」 | |||
| Japanese | 証人 | ||
| The word "証人" can also mean "evidence" or "proof". | |||
| Korean | 증거 | ||
| The Korean word "증거" also means "proof" or "evidence". | |||
| Mongolian | гэрч | ||
| "гэрч" also means "sign" or "trace" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်သေ | ||
Witness in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | saksi | ||
| The word "saksi" in Indonesian has been theorized to derive from either Sanskrit "saksi" or "saksika", meaning "observer" or "perceiver". | |||
| Javanese | saksi | ||
| The word saksi may also refer to the evidence used by the witness. | |||
| Khmer | សាក្សី | ||
| Lao | ພະຍານ | ||
| Malay | saksi | ||
| "Saksi" in Malay also means "friend" or "peer" as its root word is Sanskrit "sakshi", meaning "observer" or "one who is present". | |||
| Thai | พยาน | ||
| 'พยาน' comes from Sanskrit 'pra + jan', meaning 'fore-knower'. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhân chứng | ||
| The word 'nhân chứng' is also used in Vietnamese to refer to people who have witnessed or experienced an event, making it a broader term than 'witness' in English. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | saksi | ||
Witness in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şahid | ||
| The word "şahid" is derived from the Arabic word "shahid", meaning "one who sees" or "a witness". | |||
| Kazakh | куәгер | ||
| The term "куәгер" has Turkic roots, with similar forms in other Turkic languages, including "kügü," meaning "power" or "strength" in Old Turkic and "küç," meaning "strength" or "force" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
| Kyrgyz | күбө | ||
| The word "күбө" (pronounced "kübö") comes from the Proto-Turkic word "kub", meaning "to shout or proclaim." It is related to the Old Turkic word "kubun", meaning "proof" or "evidence." | |||
| Tajik | шоҳид | ||
| "Шоҳид" also means "proof" or "evidence" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | şaýat | ||
| Uzbek | guvoh | ||
| In Uzbek, "guvoh" can also refer to a person present at an event or a statement made in a court of law. | |||
| Uyghur | گۇۋاھچى | ||
Witness in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea hōʻike | ||
| The term "mea hōʻike" literally means "to present a thing" or "to point out something" | |||
| Maori | kaiwhakaatu | ||
| Samoan | molimau | ||
| The word 'molimau' is a Samoan noun that can refer to the act of observing or giving an account of something, or to a person who has firsthand knowledge of an event, a document that verifies a fact, or evidence given in court. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | saksi | ||
| The Tagalog word "saksi" derives from the Sanskrit term "sākṣin," which additionally translates to "eye". | |||
Witness in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñjiri | ||
| Guarani | hechapyréva | ||
Witness in International Languages
| Esperanto | atestanto | ||
| "Atestanto" also refers to a type of notary or sworn clerk. | |||
| Latin | testimonium | ||
| The word "testimonium" in Latin also refers to a formal statement or document providing evidence or proof. | |||
Witness in Others Languages
| Greek | μάρτυρας | ||
| The word "μάρτυρας" originally referred to a person who had witnessed or experienced something and could testify about it in court. | |||
| Hmong | pov thawj | ||
| The first part of the phrase, "pov," is an abbreviation of "poob xwb," which means "to see" or "to observe." | |||
| Kurdish | şahîd | ||
| The word "şahîd" also means "martyr" in Kurdish, reflecting the significance of witnessing as a virtue in many cultures. | |||
| Turkish | şahit | ||
| The Turkish word 'şahit' comes from the Persian 'šahēd' and originally meant 'present at the moment', but later acquired the legal sense of 'witness'. | |||
| Xhosa | ingqina | ||
| ingqina (Xhosa): also means "a place where people gather"} | |||
| Yiddish | עדות | ||
| In Yiddish, the word עדות can also mean 'testimony' or 'evidence', and its plural form עדות can mean 'community' or 'congregation' | |||
| Zulu | ufakazi | ||
| The word "ufakazi" in Nguni languages also means an eye-witness in a legal case or the testimony itself. | |||
| Assamese | সাক্ষী | ||
| Aymara | uñjiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | गवाह | ||
| Dhivehi | ހެކިވެރިޔާ | ||
| Dogri | गुआह् | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | saksi | ||
| Guarani | hechapyréva | ||
| Ilocano | saksi | ||
| Krio | witnɛs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شایەت | ||
| Maithili | गवाह | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥꯈꯤ | ||
| Mizo | thuhretu | ||
| Oromo | dhuga baatuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସାକ୍ଷୀ | ||
| Quechua | rikuq | ||
| Sanskrit | साक्षी | ||
| Tatar | шаһит | ||
| Tigrinya | ምስክር | ||
| Tsonga | mbhoni | ||