Meturgeman
/ˌmɛtərˈɡiːmən/noun
A translator or interpreter, especially one who rendered Hebrew scripture into the vernacular during Jewish worship.
Did you know?The word belongs to the same ancient translation vocabulary that eventually produced English dragoman, the historical title for an interpreter in the Middle East.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near East
Akkadian
targumannu
“Interpreter or translator; an early form associated with the wider Semitic translation vocabulary.”
Biblical and Rabbinic Aramaic
Aramaic
meturgemānā
“Interpreter or translator, particularly one who translated sacred Hebrew into Aramaic.”
Late Antiquity
Hebrew
meturgeman
“An interpreter who conveyed scriptural readings to listeners in their spoken language.”
Middle Ages
Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew
meturgeman
“A synagogue interpreter or translator; the term also referred more generally to a learned translator.”
17th–19th Century
English
meturgeman
“A scholarly English loanword for a Jewish interpreter or translator.”
Modern English
English
meturgeman
“A translator or interpreter, especially in the historical context of Jewish religious practice.”