Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'yard' holds a special significance in many cultures, particularly in English-speaking countries where it is used as a unit of measurement. But its importance goes beyond that - a 'yard' can also refer to a courtyard or an outdoor area for recreational activities. In American football, the term 'yard' is used to measure the distance between two end zones. It's a versatile word that has made its way into everyday language.
Moreover, the word 'yard' has an interesting historical context. During the Middle Ages, a 'yard' was a unit of measurement used to measure cloth. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word 'gerd', which means 'stick' or 'rod'. This highlights the deep roots of the word in English language and culture.
For those interested in language and culture, knowing the translation of 'yard' in different languages can be fascinating. For instance, in Spanish, 'yard' is 'yarda', while in German, it is 'Yard'. In French, it is 'verge', and in Italian, it is 'verga'.
Afrikaans | erf | ||
The word "erf" in Afrikaans originates from the Dutch word "erf", meaning "inheritance" or "plot of land". | |||
Amharic | ግቢ | ||
The word "ግቢ" can also mean "the space between buildings" or "an open space surrounded by houses". | |||
Hausa | yadi | ||
The Hausa word 'yadi' also means 'arm' in some contexts, and can refer to a specific measurement of length ('kibiya') in others. | |||
Igbo | yad | ||
The Igbo word 'yad' is also used to refer to a type of traditional Igbo dance. | |||
Malagasy | tokontany | ||
The word "tokontany" also means "village" or "district" in Malagasy. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | bwalo | ||
The Nyanja word "bwalo" can also refer to a courtyard or compound, especially in a rural setting. | |||
Shona | yard | ||
The Shona word for "yard" is "pota", which can also mean "field" or "garden". | |||
Somali | dayrka | ||
The term "dayrka" can also refer to a courtyard or a place of assembly in Somali culture. | |||
Sesotho | jarete | ||
The Sesotho word for "yard" is also used to refer to a cattle enclosure or a fenced-in area for animals. | |||
Swahili | yadi | ||
The word "yadi" in Swahili can also mean "garden" or "yard" in English, but it does not have the same connotation of a backyard. | |||
Xhosa | iyadi | ||
The term "iyadi" also denotes a homestead or farmyard in Xhosa vernacular. | |||
Yoruba | àgbàlá | ||
Àgbàlá comes from the word `gbà`, meaning `to accept`, and `là`, meaning `to put down`, representing the traditional role of the yard as a place of acceptance and rest. | |||
Zulu | igceke | ||
Igceke, a Zulu word for 'yard,' may be derived from the Nguni word 'igceke,' meaning 'a patch of ground' or 'a place where something is grown'. | |||
Bambara | dukɛnɛ | ||
Ewe | dzidzenu | ||
Kinyarwanda | yard | ||
Lingala | lopango | ||
Luganda | yaadi | ||
Sepedi | jarata | ||
Twi (Akan) | basafa | ||
Arabic | حديقة منزل | ||
The Arabic word "حديقة منزل" can also refer to a small garden within a house or apartment. | |||
Hebrew | חָצֵר | ||
Historically, the word "חָצֵר" also referred to a fortified city or temple courtyard. | |||
Pashto | انګړ | ||
The word "انګړ" also means "hand"} | |||
Arabic | حديقة منزل | ||
The Arabic word "حديقة منزل" can also refer to a small garden within a house or apartment. |
Albanian | oborr | ||
The Albanian word "oborr" is of Proto-Indo-European origin, related to the Latin "area" and the Greek "αὐλή" (aulē). | |||
Basque | patioa | ||
In Basque, the word "patioa" means "courtyard" and it comes from the Latin "patia" | |||
Catalan | pati | ||
In Catalan, the word "pati" is derived from Latin "patere", meaning "to lie open", and can also refer to an inner courtyard or open space within a building. | |||
Croatian | dvorište | ||
"Dvorište" is a word that in certain Croatian regions also refers to the front door, i.e. the entryway into the house. | |||
Danish | gård | ||
The Danish word "gård" can also refer to a farmhouse or a cluster of buildings in a rural area. | |||
Dutch | werf | ||
The word "werf" in Dutch can also refer to a shipyard or wharf, and is cognate with the English word "wharf". | |||
English | yard | ||
"Yard" comes from Old English "gerd" meaning "enclosure"} | |||
French | cour | ||
"Cour," the French word for "yard," derives from the Latin word "cohors," which could refer to a cohort, an enclosed space, or a farmyard. | |||
Frisian | hiem | ||
The word "hiem" can also mean "home" and is related to the Dutch word "heem". | |||
Galician | iarda | ||
The Galician word "iarda" comes from the Germanic "gard" and ultimately from the Indo-European root "*gher-", meaning "to enclose." | |||
German | garten | ||
The German word "Garten" is derived from the Old High German "gart", meaning "enclosure". It has also been used to refer to a park or garden, particularly one attached to a castle or monastery. | |||
Icelandic | garður | ||
The word "garður" in Icelandic has a dual meaning, as it can also refer to a "fence" or "enclosure." | |||
Irish | clós | ||
In Old Irish, the word 'clós' also carried the meanings of 'womb' and 'enclosure' | |||
Italian | cortile | ||
The Italian word "cortile" comes from the Latin word "cohors", meaning "enclosure" or "courtyard". | |||
Luxembourgish | haff | ||
The word "Haff" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a piece of land surrounded by water, similar to a pond or small lake. | |||
Maltese | tarzna | ||
The word "tarzna" can also refer to a small garden, patio, or other enclosed outdoor area. | |||
Norwegian | hage | ||
The word "hage" originally referred to a fenced area, and is related to the words "hedge" and "hay". | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | jardim | ||
The word "Jardim" derives from the Arabic word "Jardin", meaning "garden" or "park". | |||
Scots Gaelic | gàrradh | ||
Spanish | yarda | ||
"Yarda" may be a corruption of the Old English word "gyrd" which means "stick" or "pole". | |||
Swedish | gård | ||
The Swedish word "gård" also refers to a farm, and ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic word *gardo meaning "enclosure". | |||
Welsh | iard | ||
'Iard' in Welsh can also mean 'garden' or 'home', as in 'y tŷ iard' ('the home house'). |
Belarusian | двор | ||
The word "двор" can also mean "court" or "courtyard" in Belarusian. | |||
Bosnian | dvorište | ||
"Dvorište" is a Slavic word meaning "court" or "courtyard". | |||
Bulgarian | двор | ||
The Bulgarian word "Двор" derives from the Proto-Slavic language meaning "court" and is used in Russian to mean "palace". | |||
Czech | yard | ||
In Czech, "yard" translates to "sad", though it also means "garden", "orchard", or even "park." | |||
Estonian | õue | ||
The word | |||
Finnish | piha | ||
The word | |||
Hungarian | udvar | ||
The word "udvar" is also used in Hungarian to refer to a feudal estate or manor. | |||
Latvian | pagalms | ||
The word "pagalms" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pagh-, meaning "to protect" or "to enclose". | |||
Lithuanian | kiemas | ||
Derived from the root "kiem" meaning "to gather", also refers to a place for gathering or holding livestock. | |||
Macedonian | двор | ||
The word "двор" can also refer to a courtyard or a palace. | |||
Polish | dziedziniec | ||
The word "dziedziniec" originally meant "inherited land" and was related to the words "dziedzic" (heir) and "dziedzictwo" (heritage). | |||
Romanian | curte | ||
In Romanian, "curte" can also refer to a group of buildings, enclosed by a wall or fence, forming a private or communal space. | |||
Russian | двор | ||
The Russian word "двор" can also refer to a courtyard or an estate. | |||
Serbian | двориште | ||
The term "двориште" (yard) derived from the word "двор" (court) and can refer to an area around a building, a courtyard, or a garden. | |||
Slovak | dvor | ||
The word "dvor" derives from the Proto-Slavic word `*dvorъ`, meaning "enclosed space", and is cognate with the English word "yard". | |||
Slovenian | dvorišče | ||
The word also means "garden" in Croatian and is used as a surname in Slovenia and Croatia. | |||
Ukrainian | двір | ||
The word "двір" in Ukrainian can also refer to a courtyard or a palace. |
Bengali | উঠোন | ||
"উঠোন" is also used to refer to the courtyard area of a traditional Bengali house. | |||
Gujarati | યાર્ડ | ||
The word "yard" comes from the Old English word "geard", which originally meant a stick or rod and was used as a unit of length as early as the 7th century. | |||
Hindi | यार्ड | ||
The word "यार्ड" (yard) in Hindi can also refer to a courtyard or an enclosed area, similar to the meanings of the English word "yard". | |||
Kannada | ಅಂಗಳ | ||
The word "ಅಂಗಳ" also refers to a courtyard, quadrangle, or open area in a temple or palace in Kannada. | |||
Malayalam | മുറ്റം | ||
The word "മുറ്റം" also means "court" or "courtyard". | |||
Marathi | यार्ड | ||
Nepali | आँगन | ||
Nepali "आँगन" is borrowed from Sanskrit and possibly means "courtyard" in some languages like Marathi but retains the meaning "yard" in Nepali. | |||
Punjabi | ਵਿਹੜਾ | ||
The word 'ਵਿਹੜਾ' also means a courtyard or a playground in Punjabi and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'विहार' meaning 'to wander or roam'. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අංගනය | ||
The Sinhala word "අංගනය" ("anganya") originally meant "an open space" or "a courtyard" and is related to the Sanskrit word "अंगण" ("aṅgaṇa") with the same meaning. | |||
Tamil | முற்றத்தில் | ||
முற்றத்தில் also refers to a place where the king or chieftain assembled his council of ministers. | |||
Telugu | యార్డ్ | ||
The word "యార్డ్" can also refer to a person's home or residence. | |||
Urdu | صحن | ||
"صحن" is a Farsi word that means 'a courtyard in front of a house or mosque' or 'a small garden surrounded by walls' |
Chinese (Simplified) | 码 | ||
码, a Chinese character also used in Japanese and Korean, shares the same origin with "yard" and means "enclosure" in its original meaning | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 碼 | ||
"碼" is also the Chinese character that stands for "code" (or programming code) due to its resemblance to a "bar code."} | |||
Japanese | ヤード | ||
The word "ヤード" can also mean "yard" in the sense of a garden or a courtyard. | |||
Korean | 마당 | ||
Mongolian | хашаанд | ||
The word "хашаанд" can also refer to a fenced-off area or an enclosed space. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | ခြံ | ||
"ခြံ" also means a stockade, fence, or enclosure for livestock or poultry. |
Indonesian | halaman | ||
The word "halaman" in Indonesian comes from the Sanskrit word "pālapāna" which means "shelter". | |||
Javanese | pekarangan | ||
"Pekarangan" in Javanese also refers to the area surrounding a house, including a garden, yard, or courtyard, and is related to the Old Javanese word "pekarah" meaning "to enclose". | |||
Khmer | ទីធ្លា | ||
The word "ទីធ្លា" can also mean "area" or "location" in Khmer. | |||
Lao | ເດີ່ນບ້ານ | ||
Malay | halaman rumah | ||
"Halaman rumah" comes from the Sanskrit word "halaman" meaning "courtyard" or "front yard". | |||
Thai | หลา | ||
The term "หลา" also refers to a unit of length equivalent to 90 centimetres in Thai traditional measurements. | |||
Vietnamese | sân | ||
The word | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | bakuran | ||
Azerbaijani | həyət | ||
Həyət shares its root with the word “hayat,” meaning “life.” It comes from the Arabic word “hayāt,” referring to a courtyard or enclosure. | |||
Kazakh | аула | ||
The Kazakh word "аула" (yard) has several meanings, including "village" and "camp of nomads". | |||
Kyrgyz | короо | ||
The word "короо" in Kyrgyz also means "a place of worship"} | |||
Tajik | ҳавлӣ | ||
In Tajik, the word “ҳавлӣ” (yard) can also refer to a courtyard or garden, and is related to the Persian word “حیاط” (hayat), meaning inner courtyard. | |||
Turkmen | howly | ||
Uzbek | hovli | ||
The word "hovli" also means "courtyard" or "compound" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | ھويلى | ||
Hawaiian | pā | ||
A second meaning of pā is an enclosure built around a residence or fortification, used to keep animals or prisoners out. | |||
Maori | iari | ||
The word 'iari' can also refer to an enclosure or a fenced-in area. | |||
Samoan | fanua | ||
The Samoan word "fanua" has a secondary meaning and comes from the Polynesian language group, meaning "land". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | bakuran | ||
"Bakuran" is also a place in the Philippines named after the Tagalog word for yard. |
Aymara | uta anqaxa | ||
Guarani | korapy | ||
Esperanto | korto | ||
Korto relates to the Latin word "cohors", meaning enclosed space or courtyard | |||
Latin | navale | ||
The Latin word 'navale' can also refer to a shipyard or dockyard, where ships are built and repaired. |
Greek | αυλή | ||
The Greek word "αυλή" can also refer to a palace or royal court. | |||
Hmong | mev | ||
The word 'mev' is also used in some Hmong dialects to denote a 'foot' as a unit of length. | |||
Kurdish | hewş | ||
"Hewş" which means "yard" in Kurdish also means "hope" or "expectation" in some dialects. | |||
Turkish | avlu | ||
The word "avlu" is derived from the Persian word "hayat" which means "life" or "living space". | |||
Xhosa | iyadi | ||
The term "iyadi" also denotes a homestead or farmyard in Xhosa vernacular. | |||
Yiddish | הויף | ||
In Yiddish, 'הויף' ('hof') can also refer to a courtyard, farmyard, or an aristocratic estate. | |||
Zulu | igceke | ||
Igceke, a Zulu word for 'yard,' may be derived from the Nguni word 'igceke,' meaning 'a patch of ground' or 'a place where something is grown'. | |||
Assamese | গজ | ||
Aymara | uta anqaxa | ||
Bhojpuri | बाड़ा | ||
Dhivehi | ޔާޑް | ||
Dogri | गज्ज | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | bakuran | ||
Guarani | korapy | ||
Ilocano | yarda | ||
Krio | gadin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | گۆڕەپان | ||
Maithili | अँगना | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯝꯄꯥꯛ | ||
Mizo | tual | ||
Oromo | mooraa keessa | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଅଗଣା | ||
Quechua | kancha | ||
Sanskrit | अङ्गण | ||
Tatar | ишегалды | ||
Tigrinya | ቐጽሪ | ||
Tsonga | rivala | ||