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Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

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These maps of Asia, Europe, and Africa will change how you look at every creature and critter using their translated synonyms.

Through a set of beautifully illustrated maps, you can reimagine what the animal kingdom would look like if these animals lived up to their literally translated names.

More info: tails.com

Africa’s Literally Translated Animals

Using translations from Swahili, Zulu and Afrikaans, we have found the literal translations for insects, mammals, sea creatures and more!

For example, the translation from the Nigerian language Hausa refers to Donkeys as ambassadors. I don’t know who it flatters more, the donkey or the ambassador, but we like the idea of ‘ambassador’ Donkeys roaming the streets:

Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

Image credits: Tails.com

Reimagined African animal

Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

Image credits: Tails.com

Asia’s Literally Translated Animals

From languages such as Korean, Sindhi, and Vietnamese, we’ve reimagined what it would be like if these animals fit their translations.

The literal Vietnamese translation for a Shark is ‘Fat Fish’ and you can understand why, though we wouldn’t recommend calling the shark fat (he might get offended)

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Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

Image credits: Tails.com

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Reimagined Asian animal

Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

Image credits: Tails.com

Europe’s Literally Translated Animals

These spectacular images feature translations in languages such as German, Norwegian, and Serbian.

You can see why a Hamster would be described as ‘The Observer’, they are always watching You from their neat little corners…

Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

Image credits: Tails.com

Reimagined European animal

Literally-Translated Animal World Map Shows How Ridiculous Their Names Can Be

Image credits: Tails.com

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What do you think ?

Joannie Goulet 4 years ago

Native French speaker here. Guépard does not translate to "guard" in French. Where does this b******t come from?

14points

Night Owl 4 years ago (edited)

They only used Google Translate so...yeah... :(

7points

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Marcellus the Third 4 years ago

Indeed incredible rubbish. South-african (actually, just inherited Dutch) "kop" as part of "spinnekop" is the old English alternative name "cob" (as in, cobweb). The English verb "spin" exactly derives from this (dutch) name, the "spin" that is "spinning" its web. And then they bring up "butterfly" --- SERIOUSLY, "BUTTER FLY", TO NAME THE MOST GORGEOUS ANIMAL IN THE WORLD!? And then you're going to try to make fun of other languages?!?

3points

SCL 4 years ago

same, then the whole thing is questionable. :(

2points

Dynein 4 years ago

Some is right (like German Schildkröte), but, yeah, there's some really significant oversights. If the word for a specific animal is close to what it's called like in dozens of nations all across the world... any relation to other words from that language is probably accidental >.< Not difficult to figure out at all, if you ask me!

1point

Qui rogat, non errat 11 months ago

the heck you talk so uncivilized?! go back to your cave if you have no idea how to live in a society.

0points

Cesar Grossmann 4 years ago

Curiously, "Hippopotamus" means "river horse" in Greek...

9points

Christina Vallentin Nissen 4 years ago

And that is exactly what it is called in danish as well

2points

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Sunzilla 4 years ago

"Kipepeo" is not an Afrikaans word. A butterfly is a "vlinder" which doesn't really translate into anything. As if "butterfly" isn't strange enough : butter & fly.

5points

Titas Burinskas 4 years ago

Hello, I'm the co-author of this work. We have reacted to the fact that there was a mistake that it's translated from Swahili, and not Afrikaans, so we changed the graphic. We know the translations are off, but that's because Google Translate was used.

4points

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Panda Kicki 4 years ago (edited)

Hedgehog in Swedish= Leech Pine Cone :D (Igelkott)

4points

Ester Labuschagne 4 years ago (edited)

Actually... a butterfly is a 'Skoenlapper' in Afrikaans... :| directly translated: shoe patcher

3points

Sunzilla 4 years ago

Ah! Good catch! Forgot about that one.

0points

Load More Replies...

Nora Ask 4 years ago

wtf is a sea dragon? And anyway, "sjødrage" in Norwegian literally translates to "sea dragon". No sweet rage here. Is it a sea horse? We call them "sjøhest", which translates to "sea horse". Sorry.

2points

Jo Choto 4 years ago

Some of the translations are a bit off, but nevertheless, let's think about what we call some of these animals in English. I mean, a butterfly? Sea lion? Hamster? None of these make sense in English either.

2points

María Hermida 4 years ago

Sea lion does make sense

0points

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•_• 4 years ago

That’s funny but google translate is not the best translator

1point

Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago (edited)

Amen, you can never beat a human translator. While machine translation is improving by leaps and bonds for specific language pairs (primarily Romance languages), it still can’t capture clever word play and many cultural elements since the entire context of the document or text isn’t taken into account. I’ll shut up now...

0points

Load More Replies...

Tomorrow Girl 3 years ago

lol

0points

Mosheh Wolf 4 years ago

Sorry, but "hippopotamus" is a Greek word which translates to, you guessed it, "river horse". So why do they find in weird that the Norwegians don't use a Greek word? Hippos = horse (think "hippodrome" - a stadium for horse racing) Potamos = river (think of "Mesopotamia", or meso-potamia, "the land between the rivers")

0points

spirit wolf 4 years ago

It is a lizard through... sea lion is ridiculous.

0points

spirit wolf 4 years ago

Though***

0points

Load More Replies...

Joannie Goulet 4 years ago

Native French speaker here. Guépard does not translate to "guard" in French. Where does this b******t come from?

14points

Night Owl 4 years ago (edited)

They only used Google Translate so...yeah... :(

7points

Load More Replies...

Marcellus the Third 4 years ago

Indeed incredible rubbish. South-african (actually, just inherited Dutch) "kop" as part of "spinnekop" is the old English alternative name "cob" (as in, cobweb). The English verb "spin" exactly derives from this (dutch) name, the "spin" that is "spinning" its web. And then they bring up "butterfly" --- SERIOUSLY, "BUTTER FLY", TO NAME THE MOST GORGEOUS ANIMAL IN THE WORLD!? And then you're going to try to make fun of other languages?!?

3points

SCL 4 years ago

same, then the whole thing is questionable. :(

2points

Dynein 4 years ago

Some is right (like German Schildkröte), but, yeah, there's some really significant oversights. If the word for a specific animal is close to what it's called like in dozens of nations all across the world... any relation to other words from that language is probably accidental >.< Not difficult to figure out at all, if you ask me!

1point

Qui rogat, non errat 11 months ago

the heck you talk so uncivilized?! go back to your cave if you have no idea how to live in a society.

0points

Cesar Grossmann 4 years ago

Curiously, "Hippopotamus" means "river horse" in Greek...

9points

Christina Vallentin Nissen 4 years ago

And that is exactly what it is called in danish as well

2points

Load More Replies...

Sunzilla 4 years ago

"Kipepeo" is not an Afrikaans word. A butterfly is a "vlinder" which doesn't really translate into anything. As if "butterfly" isn't strange enough : butter & fly.

5points

Titas Burinskas 4 years ago

Hello, I'm the co-author of this work. We have reacted to the fact that there was a mistake that it's translated from Swahili, and not Afrikaans, so we changed the graphic. We know the translations are off, but that's because Google Translate was used.

4points

Load More Replies...

Panda Kicki 4 years ago (edited)

Hedgehog in Swedish= Leech Pine Cone :D (Igelkott)

4points

Ester Labuschagne 4 years ago (edited)

Actually... a butterfly is a 'Skoenlapper' in Afrikaans... :| directly translated: shoe patcher

3points

Sunzilla 4 years ago

Ah! Good catch! Forgot about that one.

0points

Load More Replies...

Nora Ask 4 years ago

wtf is a sea dragon? And anyway, "sjødrage" in Norwegian literally translates to "sea dragon". No sweet rage here. Is it a sea horse? We call them "sjøhest", which translates to "sea horse". Sorry.

2points

Jo Choto 4 years ago

Some of the translations are a bit off, but nevertheless, let's think about what we call some of these animals in English. I mean, a butterfly? Sea lion? Hamster? None of these make sense in English either.

2points

María Hermida 4 years ago

Sea lion does make sense

0points

Load More Replies...

•_• 4 years ago

That’s funny but google translate is not the best translator

1point

Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago (edited)

Amen, you can never beat a human translator. While machine translation is improving by leaps and bonds for specific language pairs (primarily Romance languages), it still can’t capture clever word play and many cultural elements since the entire context of the document or text isn’t taken into account. I’ll shut up now...

0points

Load More Replies...

Tomorrow Girl 3 years ago

lol

0points

Mosheh Wolf 4 years ago

Sorry, but "hippopotamus" is a Greek word which translates to, you guessed it, "river horse". So why do they find in weird that the Norwegians don't use a Greek word? Hippos = horse (think "hippodrome" - a stadium for horse racing) Potamos = river (think of "Mesopotamia", or meso-potamia, "the land between the rivers")

0points

spirit wolf 4 years ago

It is a lizard through... sea lion is ridiculous.

0points

spirit wolf 4 years ago

Though***

0points

Load More Replies...

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