The raven, a bird of mystery and intelligence, is known for its complex social lifestyle and long lifespan. As one of the most intriguing birds in the world, the raven has fascinated many cultures, from ancient mythologies to modern poetry.
In this article, we will explore the translation of the word “raven” in different languages, delve into the intricate aspects of raven communication (often referred to as “raven calls”), and understand how the bird is perceived across different cultures.
We will also discuss how the Cambridge English Corpus and dictionaries, such as the Cambridge Dictionary, help us understand this enigmatic bird’s meanings, definitions, and translations.
Search For Raven In 242 Different Languages:
- Abkhaz: аҭацә (atats)
- Acehnese: cempala kuneng
- Acholi: lira
- Afar: faari
- Afrikaans: kraai
- Albanian: korbi
- Amharic: የጥቁር አዝዋተ (yət’ək’ur āziwati)
- Arabic: غراب (ghurab)
- Armenian: ագռավ (agrav)
- Assamese: ক’লা কাক (kola kak)
- Avar: бӏугъа (b’uga)
- Awadhi: काग (kaag)
- Aymara: ullu
- Azerbaijani: qarğa
- Balinese: kau
- Baluchi: کاج (kaj)
- Bambara: bama
- Baoulé: corbeau
- Bashkir: ҡарға (qarğa)
- Basque: bele
- Batak Karo: babi
- Batak Simalungun: babi
- Batak Toba: babi
- Belarusian: крумкач (krumkach)
- Bemba: kabuka
- Bengali: কাক (kak)
- Betawi: gagak
- Bhojpuri: काग (kaag)
- Bikol: uwák
- Bosnian: gavran
- Breton: bran
- Bulgarian: гарван (garvan)
- Buryat: һархалаа (kharkhalaa)
- Cantonese: 烏鴉 (wu aa)
- Catalan: corb
- Cebuano: uwák
- Chamorro: ahe
- Chechen: кӏажа (kh’azha)
- Chichewa: kanga
- Chinese (Simplified): 乌鸦 (wūyā)
- Chinese (Traditional): 烏鴉 (wūyā)
- Chuukese: ngow
- Chuvash: турă (tură)
- Corsican: corbu
- Crimean Tatar: qarga
- Croatian: gavran
- Czech: havran
- Danish: ravn
- Dari: غراب (ghorāb)
- Dhivehi: ދޫން (dhoon)
- Dinka: göthäc
- Dogri: گرو (guro)
- Dombe: corbeau
- Dutch: raaf
- Dyula: bwannu
- Dzongkha: ཁྱིམ་བུ (khyim bu)
- English: raven
- Esperanto: korvo
- Estonian: ronk
- Ewe: tɔfɛkɛ
- Faroese: ravnur
- Fijian: raven
- Filipino: uwák
- Finnish: korppi
- Fon: agbãtɔvɔ
- French: corbeau
- Frisian: raaf
- Friulian: corvo
- Fulani: hirenɗi
- Ga: akɔklɔ
- Galician: corvo
- Georgian: ყორანი (q’orani)
- German: Rabe
- Greek: κοράκι (koráki)
- Guarani: karakã
- Gujarati: કાગડો (kāgdo)
- Haitian Creole: kòkò
- Hakha Chin: 烏 (wu)
- Hausa: bàka
- Hawaiian: kaka
- Hebrew: עורב (orev)
- Hiligaynon: uwák
- Hindi: कौवा (kauvā)
- Hmong: tus hav zoov
- Hungarian: holló
- Hunsrik: corbo
- Iban: mansaai
- Icelandic: hrafn
- Igbo: ugo
- Ilocano: uwák
- Indonesian: gagak
- Irish: fíochán
- Italian: corvo
- Jamaican Patois: riev
- Japanese: カラス (karasu)
- Javanese: gagak
- Jingpo: ဆင့်မိုး (sinmowe)
- Kalaallisut: tertarissaq
- Kannada: ಕಾಗೆ (kage)
- Kanuri: kamsuru
- Kapampangan: uwák
- Kazakh: қарға (qarğa)
- Khasi: u bah
- Khmer: ការាស (karas)
- Kiga: ekaaga
- Kikongo: ngunzi
- Kinyarwanda: igikona
- Kituba: kabore
- Kokborok: rawkrung
- Komi: кӧг (kög)
- Konkani: कावळा (kawala)
- Korean: 까마귀 (kkamagwi)
- Krio: revin
- Kurdish (Kurmanji): qerî
- Kurdish (Sorani): قەرەقولا (qaraqula)
- Kyrgyz: карга (karga)
- Lao: ກາ (ka)
- Latgalian: krauklis
- Latin: corvus
- Latvian: krauklis
- Ligurian: corvo
- Limburgish: kraai
- Lingala: ngungu
- Lithuanian: varnas
- Lombard: corv
- Luganda: ekaaga
- Luo: guok
- Luxembourgish: Raafer
- Macedonian: гавран (gavran)
- Madurese: gagak
- Maithili: कौआ (kauā)
- Makassar: gagak
- Malagasy: goaika
- Malay: gagak
- Malay (Jawi): غراب (ghurab)
- Malayalam: കാക്ക (kakka)
- Maltese: korp
- Mam: uwaq
- Manx: feigh
- Maori: koraki
- Marathi: कावळा (kawala)
- Marshallese: eikkwon
- Marwadi: काग (kaag)
- Mauritian Creole: corbo
- Meadow Mari: кӧг (kög)
- Meiteilon (Manipuri): কাব (kab)
- Minang: gagak
- Mizo: raven
- Mongolian: хэрээ (kheree)
- Myanmar (Burmese): ကြက်ဆင် (kyaet sin)
- Nahuatl (Eastern Huasteca): zontecomatl
- Ndau: kajuwa
- Ndebele (South): ikholokazana
- Nepalbhasa (Newari): कावा (kawa)
- Nepali: काग (kaag)
- NKo: ߏ߬ߝߐ߫ (òfo)
- Norwegian: ravn
- Nuer: nguong
- Occitan: corba
- Odia (Oriya): କାଉ (kau)
- Oromo: guga
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- Pangasinan: uwák
- Papiamento: kra
- Pashto: کوهی (kohī)
- Persian: کلاغ (kalāgh)
- Polish: kruk
- Portuguese (Brazil): corvo
- Portuguese (Portugal): corvo
- Punjabi (Gurmukhi): ਕਾਗ (kaag)
- Punjabi (Shahmukhi): کوا (kawa)
- Quechua: uyu
- Qʼeqchiʼ: uweq
- Romani: guero
- Romanian: corb
- Rundi: igikona
- Russian: ворон (voron)
- Sami (North): rievssat
- Samoan: ravena
- Sango: ngala
- Sanskrit: काकः (kākah)
- Santali: ᱞᱚᱢᱚ (lomo)
- Scots Gaelic: fitheach
- Sepedi: legokubabedi
- Serbian: гавран (gavran)
- Sesotho: seotsanyana
- Seychellois Creole: kaka
- Shan: ကကြက်သိုင်း (kachatkhin)
- Shona: gungu
- Sicilian: corvu
- Silesian: kruk
- Sindhi: ڪؤوا (kōoā)
- Sinhala: කාවා (kava)
- Slovak: havran
- Slovenian: krokar
- Somali: gorgor
- Spanish: cuervo
- Sundanese: gagak
- Swahili: kunguru
- Swedish: korp
- Tagalog: uwák
- Tahitian: varoa
- Tajik: зоғ (zogh)
- Tamil: காகம் (kagam)
- Tatar: карга (karga)
- Telugu: కాకి (kaki)
- Tetum: uraku
- Thai: อีกา (ika)
- Tibetan: དོར་བོ (dorbo)
- Tigrinya: ሐርማጽ (harmats)
- Tongan: manupuna
- Tok Pisin: koki
- Tsonga: khova
- Tswana: koga
- Turkmen: gara guş
- Turkish: karga
- Tuvaluan: kau
- Ukrainian: ворон (voron)
- Upper Sorbian: kruk
- Urdu: کوا (kawa)
- Uyghur: قارا قاغا (qara qagha)
- Uzbek: qargʻa
- Vietnamese: con quạ
- Volapük: krak
- Walloon: corbô
- Walser: kolk
- Waray: uwák
- Welsh: bran
- Mingrelian: ყორანი (korani)
- Xhosa: umgqogqo
- Yiddish: קראקע (krake)
- Yoruba: eyekun
- Zazaki: qara kuş
- Zulu: uphapha
The Raven: More Than Just a Large Black Bird
Before we dive into translations, let’s understand what the raven represents. Scientifically known as Corvus corax, the raven is a large black bird belonging to the corvid family.
Its long lifespan, sharp mind, and ability to mimic sounds have led to its association with wisdom and mystery.
In literature, ravens have been portrayed as both ominous and wise creatures, as seen in works by French poets and native languages across the globe.
Ravens have a remarkable ability to communicate through a wide range of intriguing noises, forming what many researchers refer to as a “raven language.”
These avian orators have an individual repertoire, often compared to the cognitive capabilities of songbirds’ brains. Ravens are known for clearly explaining intentions through body language and vocal calls.
Translation of Raven: A Global Overview
Let’s travel through different languages to see how the word “raven” is translated and perceived.
- French: Corbeau
- German: Der Rabe
- Portuguese: Con Quạ
- Dutch: Raven
- Polish: Kruko
- Turkish: Kara Karga
- Indonesian/Malay: Sejenis Gagak
These translations offer a fascinating glimpse into how diverse cultures view this large black bird.
The raven, known for its intelligence and complex behaviors, has become a symbol of various meanings worldwide.
Raven Calls: Complex Social Lifestyle in Action
Ravens are known for their impressive appearances and social interactions, often conveyed through intriguing noises or “raven calls.”
According to researchers, ravens have one of the most complex communication systems in the animal kingdom.
Their vocalizations range from loud caws to soft warbles and clicks, which convey different messages, such as warnings or mating calls.
These complex social lifestyles are often compared to those of other highly intelligent birds, such as parrots.
Ravens use their calls to communicate within their groups, establish territories, warn of predators, and even playfully mimic other animals.
The individual repertoire of raven calls makes them fascinating subjects for avian linguistics.
The Name “Raven”: Cultural Significance and Translation
In many cultures, the raven is more than just a bird; it holds significant meaning. The name translation of raven in different languages reflects cultural perceptions.
For example, in Norse mythology, the raven is associated with Odin, the god of wisdom, war, and death. In Native American cultures, the raven is often seen as a trickster and a symbol of transformation.
Although the pronunciation of raven may differ slightly between languages, the bird’s symbolic power remains consistent across many cultures.
This is why translations of ravens are often based on the bird’s cultural significance rather than its biological characteristics.
Dictionary Definitions: The Role of Cambridge Dictionary and Other Resources
When exploring the definition of a raven, resources such as the Cambridge Dictionary offer clear explanations and free translation tools.
According to the Cambridge English Corpus, the word “raven” has evolved, but it consistently refers to a large black bird known for its sharp mind and vocal abilities.
The English dictionary definition, for instance, highlights the bird’s ability to survive in harsh environments, its impressive long lifespan, and its association with mystery.
The Cambridge Dictionary also provides audio files for pronouncing raven in different languages, enhancing users’ learning experience.
These features make it easier for learners to access free word lists and exclusive content about the raven, offering a richer understanding of the word across cultures and contexts.
Privacy, Cookies, and Cambridge’s Corpus of Words
When using online dictionaries such as Cambridge, it’s essential to understand the behind-the-scenes aspects, such as consent management cookies and privacy policies.
The Cambridge English Corpus uses a wide range of data to provide accurate and up-to-date definitions.
Users may notice assessment consent management cookies when visiting these sites, ensuring their privacy while accessing reliable resources.
Word of the Year: Ravens in Language Trends
The raven has become such an iconic figure in language that it’s no surprise it could influence language trends.
While the raven itself hasn’t been selected as the Word of the Year 2022, it’s worth noting how new words, like those related to animals, often reflect cultural shifts.
The Cambridge Dictionary selects words that capture the zeitgeist, and new words help dictionaries remain relevant in the digital age.
Words related to ravens could make their way into future dictionaries, considering the bird’s presence in the print word of the year discussions and literature.
Raven in Literature and Poetry
The raven has long been a muse for writers and poets. The most famous literary reference to the raven comes from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven,” where the bird represents mourning and mystery.
In French literature, the raven appears in the works of poets who admire the bird for its intelligence and beauty.
French poets often depict ravens as symbols of melancholy, much like Poe did in English literature.
Fun with Ravens: Quizzes and Interactive Tools
For those who love learning through interaction, the Cambridge Dictionary offers fun image quizzes and other interactive features to test your knowledge of animals, including ravens.
These quizzes are part of Cambridge’s efforts to engage its community of dictionary fans, helping them enjoyably learn new words and translations.
Raven’s Eye and Eagle Eye: The Symbolism of Sharp Vision
The phrase “to have a raven’s eye” or an “eagle eye” often refers to someone particularly observant. The raven and the eagle are known for their sharp vision and ability to spot even the smallest details.
This metaphorical usage of animal characteristics enriches language and helps convey complex ideas.
Meeting Targets with the Raven’s Help
Ravens are often associated with precision, much like the metaphor of having a raven’s eye. In a corporate or academic setting, using the raven as a symbol can help individuals focus on meeting targets and paying attention to small details.
The bird’s sharp mind and observational skills inspire those who must remain vigilant and precise in their tasks.
Free Translation and Semi-Bilingual Dictionaries: Aiding Raven Learners
Semi-bilingual dictionaries are an excellent resource for those learning languages or interested in expanding their vocabulary.
They offer translations of common words, such as “raven,” in multiple languages, making it easier for learners to understand and use the word accurately.
The translator tool available in many dictionaries, such as the Cambridge Dictionary, provides perfect renditions of words like “raven,” enhancing the learning process.
The Future of Raven Language in Dictionaries
As the digital world expands, so does our understanding of language. With tools like the dictionary API double-click lookup search widget, users can now access instant translations of words like “raven.”
This technology helps preserve words’ cultural and linguistic significance while making them more accessible to global audiences.
Ravens will continue to inspire new words, trends, and cultural interpretations. From privacy corpus terms of use to creative expressions in literature, the raven remains a powerful symbol of intelligence, mystery, and cultural significance worldwide.
Conclusion: The Global Importance of Ravens
The word “raven” may seem simple, but its translations, cultural meanings, and symbolic power extend far beyond a mere bird.
Whether using the Cambridge Dictionary, learning new languages, or exploring free word lists, The Raven is a fascinating example of how language and culture intersect.
As raven calls continue to captivate researchers and linguists, the bird’s influence on language will remain strong.
Whether you’re learning about the pronunciation of raven or understanding its role in literature, this large black bird will surely inspire generations to come.
Source: Smithsonian National Zoo