Wood in Different Languages
Discover 'Wood' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Wood, a natural material that has been used for centuries for various purposes, holds great significance and cultural importance around the world. From being a primary building material to serving as a source of fuel and a medium for art, wood has been an essential part of human life. Its versatility and abundance have made it a popular choice in many cultures, leading to its frequent mention in folklore, literature, and language.
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used wooden boats for transportation and fishing? Or that in Japan, wood is considered a sacred material and is used in the construction of temples and shrines? These are just a few examples of the historical contexts associated with the word 'wood'.
Understanding the translation of 'wood' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view and use this material. Here are a few sample translations: 'madera' in Spanish, 'bois' in French, 'Holz' in German, and 'kin' in Japanese.
Wood
Wood in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | hout | ||
| The word "hout" in Afrikaans can also refer to a forest, a thicket, or a bush. | |||
| Amharic | እንጨት | ||
| Hausa | itace | ||
| Hausa itace can also refer to the forest from which the wood was obtained, or collectively to the plants therein. | |||
| Igbo | osisi | ||
| The word | |||
| Malagasy | hazo | ||
| The Malagasy word 'HAZO' may also refer to a specific type of forest in which the dominant trees are 'TAMBAKA' (Dalbergia spp.). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nkhuni | ||
| The word "nkhuni" can also refer to a specific type of leguminous tree (Acacia species) found in Malawi. | |||
| Shona | huni | ||
| The Shona word 'huni' has a variant form 'muni' that can refer to a pestle used to pound grains in a mortar. | |||
| Somali | qoryo | ||
| "Qoryo" can also be used to describe any hard or stiff object, such as a rock or a horn. | |||
| Sesotho | patsi | ||
| Swahili | kuni | ||
| The word "kuni" can also refer to a "tree" or a "forest" in Swahili, highlighting its deep connection to the natural world. | |||
| Xhosa | iinkuni | ||
| “Inkunzi” also refers to the “warrior of the circumcision lodge.” | |||
| Yoruba | igi | ||
| "Igi" also means "tree" or "stick" in Yoruba, and is related to the word "igbo" which means "forest". | |||
| Zulu | ukhuni | ||
| The Zulu word "ukhuni" can also refer to a wooden object or tool. | |||
| Bambara | yiri | ||
| Ewe | ati | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inkwi | ||
| Lingala | libaya | ||
| Luganda | enku | ||
| Sepedi | kota | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dua | ||
Wood in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خشب | ||
| "خشبة خشبا، فهو خشيب: أي طاب، فهو طيب. و"الخشبية" القوة أو النشاط" | |||
| Hebrew | עץ | ||
| The word "עץ" has an extended meaning of "family tree", as in the phrase "עץ חיים" which translates to "tree of life". | |||
| Pashto | لرګي | ||
| The word "لرګي" can also refer to a small piece of wood or a stick. | |||
| Arabic | خشب | ||
| "خشبة خشبا، فهو خشيب: أي طاب، فهو طيب. و"الخشبية" القوة أو النشاط" | |||
Wood in Western European Languages
| Albanian | druri | ||
| The Albanian word "druri" for "wood" derives from the Proto-Albanian root *deru-, meaning "tree". | |||
| Basque | egurra | ||
| The Basque word "egurra" derives from the Proto-Basque word for "tree" and also means "wooden" and "wood-like". | |||
| Catalan | fusta | ||
| Croatian | drvo | ||
| The Croatian word "drvo" is a cognate of the English word "tree," both derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *derwo-, meaning "tree, wood, timber." | |||
| Danish | træ | ||
| The word 'træ' is also used to refer to a tree in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | hout | ||
| In Dutch, "hout" can also refer to a piece of wood, a forest, or a type of wood used for construction or furniture. | |||
| English | wood | ||
| The word "wood" can also refer to a set of golf clubs or the material from trees used to make paper. | |||
| French | bois | ||
| The French word "bois" derives from the Latin "boscus," also meaning "wood" but originally "meadow," hence the related word "bocage," meaning "grove." | |||
| Frisian | bosk | ||
| The Frisian word "bosk" can also refer to a "shrub" or "small bush" | |||
| Galician | madeira | ||
| The Galician word "madeira" also means "plank" and "stick". | |||
| German | holz | ||
| The word "Holz" shares the same origin as the English "holt", meaning a small wood or forest, and also "to hold" | |||
| Icelandic | tré | ||
| Icelandic tré is also the word for a tree and is related to English 'tree'. | |||
| Irish | adhmad | ||
| The word 'adhmad' derives from the Celtic root 'ad-med-', meaning 'firewood,' and shares a common origin with words like 'ignis' in Latin and 'ignite' in English. | |||
| Italian | legna | ||
| In Old Italian, "legna" could also refer to firewood, coal, or other fuel. | |||
| Luxembourgish | holz | ||
| Holz is the German spelling of the Luxembourgish word "Holz" but it is also the name of many towns in Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany. | |||
| Maltese | injam | ||
| "Injam" is derived from the Arabic word "najm" meaning "star" or "constellation", as wood was traditionally used in navigation to observe the stars. | |||
| Norwegian | tre | ||
| The word "tre" also has other related meanings in Norwegian, such as "a piece of timber" or "a log". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | madeira | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "madeira" (wood) also refers to the Portuguese archipelago and autonomous region of Madeira, named after its abundant forests. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | fiodh | ||
| Scots Gaelic "fiodh" derives from the Proto-Celtic "widus", meaning "forest" or "wild-land", a root also found in Irish "fíodh" and Welsh "gwydd". | |||
| Spanish | madera | ||
| Madera is also the name for a type of Spanish wine, as it was originally transported to England in wooden casks. | |||
| Swedish | trä | ||
| The word "trä" in Swedish means "wood", but it also comes from the Proto-Norse word "trai", meaning "beam" or "rafter". | |||
| Welsh | pren | ||
| The Celtic word "pren" for "wood" is related to "bren" for "branch" in Middle Irish. | |||
Wood in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дрэва | ||
| Bosnian | drvo | ||
| "Drvo" in Bosnian can also refer to the material used to make paper or even a building's framework. | |||
| Bulgarian | дърво | ||
| The word "дърво" (wood) in Bulgarian also refers to a tree or a log, and its root is likely related to the Proto-Indo-European word "*deru-/*dru-", meaning "tree" or "wood". | |||
| Czech | dřevo | ||
| In Old Czech, "dřevo" also meant "tree" or "forest". | |||
| Estonian | puit | ||
| Apuit is a plural form of the word puit, an old form that's still used in some dialects and compound words. | |||
| Finnish | puu | ||
| The word "puu" can also refer to a tree or a trunk. | |||
| Hungarian | faipari | ||
| Hungarian word "faipari" also refers to a wood-producing factory or enterprise. | |||
| Latvian | koks | ||
| In some contexts, 'koks' can also refer specifically to timber or firewood | |||
| Lithuanian | mediena | ||
| While the Lithuanian word "mediena" directly translates to "wood," its root "med-is" in Proto-Indo-European means "in the middle" or "between," possibly referring to trees growing between fields. | |||
| Macedonian | дрво | ||
| The word "дрво" in Macedonian also has the alternate meaning of "tree". | |||
| Polish | drewno | ||
| The word "drewno" also means "timber" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*dьrvъ". | |||
| Romanian | lemn | ||
| In Romanian, the word "lemn" has an ancient Indo-European root meaning "tree" or "timber" and is related to the English word "limb." | |||
| Russian | дерево | ||
| Дерево - род.п. мн.ч. от "древо" старослав. "дерево; деревянной изделие". Наряду с этимологическим значением "дерево" в совр. рус. яз. имеет и переносное значение: "представитель флоры (растение)" (ср. дуб, ель и т.п.). | |||
| Serbian | дрво | ||
| "Drvo", in addition to meaning "tree", can also mean "wood" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | drevo | ||
| The Slavic word drevo originally meant 'tree' and 'wood', but in modern Slovak it only means 'wood'. | |||
| Slovenian | les | ||
| The word "les" is also used to refer to a clearing in a forest. | |||
| Ukrainian | дерево | ||
| The root of "дерево" is the Proto-Slavic word *deru*, meaning "to split, to carve, | |||
Wood in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কাঠ | ||
| The word "কাঠ" (wood) can also refer to a small stool or a wooden frame. | |||
| Gujarati | લાકડું | ||
| Hindi | लकड़ी | ||
| The word "लकड़ी" can also be used figuratively to describe something that is stiff or rigid. | |||
| Kannada | ಮರ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಮರ' also refers to trees or a wooden plank, depending on the context. | |||
| Malayalam | മരം | ||
| Marathi | लाकूड | ||
| The word "लाकूड" (wood) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*leğh-", meaning "to cut down, break, or split". | |||
| Nepali | काठ | ||
| "Kaath" means wood but is also colloquially used to refer to a stick or pole. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੱਕੜ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දැව | ||
| දැව (wood) originates from the Indo-Aryan term davva via Prakrit dāru, denoting “wood, fuel, burning material”, ultimately from the PIE root dōr- (tree, wood). | |||
| Tamil | மரம் | ||
| The word "மரம்" can also refer to a tree or a plank of wood. | |||
| Telugu | చెక్క | ||
| The word చెక్క can also refer to a wooden statue or doll | |||
| Urdu | لکڑی | ||
| The word "lakri" is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "lakshmi," which means "wood" and "wealth," reflecting the importance of wood as a valuable resource. | |||
Wood in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 木 | ||
| In Chinese, the character for "wood" (木) is also a radical element, meaning it forms part of the structure of other Chinese characters, and can mean "tree" or "plant". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 木 | ||
| In Chinese, the character "木" can also refer to Jupiter, "木星 (Mùyǔxīng)" or a surname "穆 (Mù)" and "沐 (Mù)". | |||
| Japanese | 木材 | ||
| In addition to "wood," "木材" can also mean "timber," "lumber," or "building materials." | |||
| Korean | 목재 | ||
| "목재" (wood) originated from Middle Korean "목재이" (mokjai), which in turn derived from Old Korean "모ᄁ" (moks) meaning "tree." | |||
| Mongolian | мод | ||
| "Mod" in Mongolian can also refer to a type of tree or a unit of measurement for volume. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သစ်သား | ||
Wood in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kayu | ||
| In Javanese, "kayu" can also mean the "body" or "trunk" of a person or animal. | |||
| Javanese | kayu | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning as "wood," "kayu" in Javanese can also refer to a wooden puppet or a type of Javanese dance. | |||
| Khmer | ឈើ | ||
| Lao | ໄມ້ | ||
| The word "ໄມ້" also means "tree" or "plant" | |||
| Malay | kayu | ||
| "Kayu" can also mean "tree" or "plank" depending on context. | |||
| Thai | ไม้ | ||
| The word | |||
| Vietnamese | gỗ | ||
| Gỗ can also refer to a type of Vietnamese traditional musical instrument made from wood. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kahoy | ||
Wood in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ağac | ||
| The word "ağac" in Azerbaijani is derived from the Persian word "āghach" which also means "wood" but is also used in some contexts to refer to "trees". | |||
| Kazakh | ағаш | ||
| "Ағаш" (wood) may also refer to a "tree" or a "forest" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жыгач | ||
| The word "жыгач" in Kyrgyz language also means "a source of wood". | |||
| Tajik | чӯб | ||
| In addition to "wood," "чӯб" can mean "log," "stick" or "club" | |||
| Turkmen | agaç | ||
| Uzbek | yog'och | ||
| The word "yog'och" in Uzbek is derived from the Old Turkic word "oġuč", meaning "wood" or "forest." | |||
| Uyghur | ياغاچ | ||
Wood in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wahie | ||
| The word 'wahie' can also refer to a specific type of hardwood used in Hawaiian construction. | |||
| Maori | rakau | ||
| The Maori word 'rakau' not only means 'wood' but also refers to weapons, tools, and even plants with woody stems. | |||
| Samoan | fafie | ||
| In Samoan, "fafie" also refers to a tree branch or log. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kahoy | ||
| The Tagalog word 'kahoy' originates from the Proto-Austronesian word 'kayu', which also means 'wood'. | |||
Wood in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | lawa | ||
| Guarani | yvyra | ||
Wood in International Languages
| Esperanto | ligno | ||
| Latin | lignum | ||
| The Latin word **lignum**, meaning "wood," can also refer to a boat, ship's mast, or the wood used in a funeral pyre. | |||
Wood in Others Languages
| Greek | ξύλο | ||
| The Greek word 'ξύλο' (wood) is related to the Sanskrit word 'şilā' (stone), and can also mean 'club' or 'stick' in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | ntoo | ||
| "Ntoo" can also mean either a tree stump or firewood in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | text | ||
| The word "text" (text) in Kurdish is also used to refer to the "book" or "manuscript". | |||
| Turkish | odun | ||
| Xhosa | iinkuni | ||
| “Inkunzi” also refers to the “warrior of the circumcision lodge.” | |||
| Yiddish | האָלץ | ||
| Zulu | ukhuni | ||
| The Zulu word "ukhuni" can also refer to a wooden object or tool. | |||
| Assamese | কাঠ | ||
| Aymara | lawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | लकड़ी | ||
| Dhivehi | ވަކަރު | ||
| Dogri | लक्कड़ी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kahoy | ||
| Guarani | yvyra | ||
| Ilocano | kayo | ||
| Krio | wud | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | دار | ||
| Maithili | लकड़ी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎ | ||
| Mizo | thing | ||
| Oromo | muka | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କାଠ | ||
| Quechua | kullu | ||
| Sanskrit | काष्ठ | ||
| Tatar | агач | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕንጨይቲ | ||
| Tsonga | rihunyi | ||