Football
Football, a sport cherished worldwide, appears to have a universal name across many languages. The prevalent use of the English term “football” underscores the game’s essence: the act of propelling a ball with the foot. Spanish’s “fútbol” and Portuguese’s “futebol” are direct adaptations of this term.
In contrast, German offers “Fußball,” a compound word breaking down to “Fuß” (foot) and “Ball” (ball), employing a calque approach. Similarly, Arabic’s “كرة القدم” (Kurat al-Qadam) and Greek’s “Ποδόσφαιρο” (Podosfero). Despite the difference, it is just “foot” and “ball” in the local language.
However, some languages diverge significantly, both in meaning and form. First, we have American English soccer, it originated from a shortening of “associated football”. Italian, for instance, opts for “calcio,” derived from the verb “calciare,” meaning “to kick.” In certain Italian dialects, it’s simply referred to as “ball”: “pallone” or “balon.” Other intriguing examples include Hungarian’s “labdarúgás” (ball+kick) and Slovenian’s “nogomet” (leg+throw).
National nicknames
