Interpreter
/ɪnˈtɜːr.prə.tər/noun
A person who translates spoken language from one language to another.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *interpretārī*, which originally meant not just “translate,” but also “explain, expound, and act as an intermediary,” so the word has always carried the energy of mediation and revelation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to traffic, sell, or exchange”
Latin
Latin
interpres
“an intermediary, negotiator, or explainer”
Latin
Latin
interpretārī
“to explain, expound, translate, or act as an intermediary”
Old French
Old French
interprete
“one who explains or translates”
Middle English
English
interpreten
“to explain or translate”
Modern English
English
interpreter
“a person who translates speech between languages”