The word "turtle" in different languages

чарапаха
Language Language (in English) turtle genderpronounced as:
AfrikaansAfrikaans
(South Africa, Namibia)
skilpad
Bahasa Indonesia Indonesian kura-kura & penju
Bahasa MelayuMalaysian penyu (sea-turtle)
labi-labi (softshell)
kura-kura (other turtles)
Bambara Bambara
(Mali)
koorakaara
Bangla Bengali Kachhim & Kochchhop
Bosansko-hercegovačkiBosnianKornjača
Brezhoneg Breton
(France)
baot-vorf
Bundjalung Bundjalung
(New South Wales, Australia)
bingihyn
Català Catalan
(Spain)
tortugaf
Cesky Czech želvaf
Cymraeg Welsh môr-grwbanm
dansk Danish skildpadde
Datiwuy Datiwuy
(Western Australia)
dhalwartpu (green turtle)
garriwa (flatback turtle)
Deutsch German Schildkrötef
Eesti Estonian kilpkonn
English English turtle
Español Spanish tortugaf
Esperanto Esperanto testudo
Euskara Basque dortoka
Français French tortue f une tortue
Frysk Frisian skýldpod
Gaeilge Irish turtarm
Gaelg Manx turtylm
Gooniyandi Gooniyandi
(Western Australia)
wilirrabi (long-necked turtle)
Gullah Gullah
(South-Carolina, Georgia,
United States)
cootah
Guaraní Guarani
(Paraguayan)
karumbe
Hawai'i Hawaiian honu
HindiHindikachua
HrvatskiCroatianKornjača
IgboIgbo
(Western Africa)
mbé
ìslenska Icelandic skjaldbakaf
Italiano Italian tartarugaf
jezyk polski Polish zółw
Kuna Kuna
(Panama)
ya-oo
Lacandón Lacandón
(a Maya language)
aak
Ladino Ladino
(Israel, Turkey)
tartugaf
Lakota Lakota Sioux
(United States, Canada)
keha
lea fakatongaTonganfonu
lingua Latina Latin 1) testudo (classical Latin)
2) tartarucha, tortuca, tartuca
(late classical and medieval Latin)
f
Magyar Hungarian teknősbéka
Maori Maori
(New Zealand)
honu / nguturoa
Meryam Mir Meryam Mir
(Torres Strait Area, Australia)
bawg (hawksbill turtle)
nam (turtle (generic))
uriz (flatback turtle)
zegnaypul (a type of turtle)
Murrinh-Patha Murrinh-Patha
(Northern Territory Australia)
ngupu (loggerhead turtle)
Nahuatl Nahuatl (Aztec) áyotl
Nederlands Dutch schildpadf(m)
Norsk Norwegian skilpadde
Nukuoro Nukuoro
(Micronesia)
honu tolo/honu ssele
Nyungar Nyungar
(Western Australia)
kilang (turtle)
buyi (turtle)
yakany (freshwater turtle)
OccitanProvençal
(Southern France)
tartugaf
Paakantyi Paakantyi
(New South Wales, Australia)
pumarla-puka
Papiamentu Papiamento
(Surinam)
morkoi,tortuga,karèt
português Portuguese tartaruga/cágadof
Quechua Quechua
(South America)
charapa?
acharapa?
Romîn Romanian broascâ ţestoasâ f
SamoanSamoanlaumei
SesothoSesotho
(South Africa)
kgudu
ShqipeAlbanian breshkëf
sicilianu Sicilian tartucaf
SlovenskoSlovak korytnačkaf
SlovenčinaSlovenian želvaf
af-SomaligaSomali diin-kam
SrpskiSerbianKornjača / Корњача
Suomi Finnish kilpikonna
Svenska Swedish sköldpadda
SwahiliSwahilikobe
Tagalog/Filipino Tagalog (regional language)
Filipino (national language)
(The Philippines)
pagong
tiêng Viêt Vietnamese con-rùa
Tok Pisin Papuan Pidgin torasel
TswanaTswana
(South Africa)
khudu
Türkçe Turkish kaplumbağa
Wembawemba Wembawemba
(Victoria Australia)
nyim (short-necked turtle)
pil-wil lernget (broad-shelled turtle)
Wik-Mungkan Wik-Mungkan
(Torres Strait Area, Australia)
minh miintim (sea turtle)
nhengk tung-tung (long-necked turtle)
Wiradjuri Wiradjuri
(New South Wales Australia)
gandhalwaa (long-necked turtle)
guudhamang (striped turtle)
Wolof Wolof
(western Africa)
nduumaar
Xhosa Xhosa
(South Africa)
i-sikolopati
ufudo
Ye' Iswa Catawba
(South-Carolina,
United States
)
Kayäk
Yindjibarndi Yindjibarndi
(Western Australia)
thatharruga (sea turtle)
Yumplatok Torres Strait Creole
(Torres Strait Area, Australia)
biged (loggerhead turtle)
platplat (flatback turtle)
totol (turtle (generic from English))
ZuluZulu
(South Africa)
ufudu
Thai 1: ta pab nam/plapha
(softshells)
2: tao (all other species)
日本語Japaneseumigame, kame
ΕλληνικάGreek fchelona
русский язык Russian черепаха fchiripakha
белару́ская мо́ва Belarussian чарапаха f
Farsi (Persian)
(Iran, central and
western Asia)
laakposht
Arabic 1:
2:
f1: soulhoufat (standard Arabic)
2: kashf (Iraqi dialect)
3: ragga (Iraqi dialect)
4: fakrun (North-African dialect)
Hebrew tsav (zav)
Bulgarian Костенурка
kostenurka
Chinese
(traditional)
(Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau)
1:
2:
1: pie (only softshells)
2: uguei (all other species)
Chinese
(simplified)
1: pie (only softshells)
2: uguei (all other species)
Marathi
(India)
कासवkasav

N.B.: this is a collection of general words for 'turtle'. As a rule, more specific words like 'tortoise' and 'terrapin' are not listed because they don't refer to all turtle species. An exception is made if a language does not have an all-inclusive word for 'turtle'.
Please inform me if your language is missing, or if you want to make a correction. If your language uses non-standard characters please send me an image of the written word for 'turtle', and a transcription of this word. My email address:
This list is my intellectual property. The first version of it went online in May 2000. Do not copy this list to other sites. You are welcome to link to it though.
I would like to thank Nasir Heydari, Mila Rosa, Arthur van Neck, Titia Hoogeveen, Josep Palet, Marijan Tunjic, Sondra Red Eagle Kehalacante, Eena Bravo, Guneet Singh, Franz Fischer, Martin, Zahra PourMorady, Barak Gull, Kei, Anna (Elbereth), Rawad Massoud, Mohd Uzairi Zailani, Yehuda Hatsvi, Mindy Chapman, Matt Lund, Imaam Chowdhury, Nikhil Umale, Ania Dachowska, Andreas Dietzel, and especially Patrick E. Kennon, for their contributions to this page.

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