English
interpretation
Interpretation comes from Latin interpretātiō ‘explanation, exposition, interpretation’, from interpres ‘agent, translator’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpres‘agent, translator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretor‘to explain, expound, interpret, understand, conclude, infer, comprehend’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretātiō‘explanation, exposition, interpretation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400interpretacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500interpretacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1978interpretation
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpres‘agent, translator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretor‘to explain, expound, interpret, understand, conclude, infer, comprehend’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretātiō‘explanation, exposition, interpretation’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400interpretacion
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500interpretacioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1978interpretation
Earliest quotation: 1978, 1976, Leszek Kołakowski: “Putting the matter in this way implies a situation…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per-
first, before, support, far, per, report, further, price, fear, opportunity, press, practice, private, primary, port, prime, pre, afford, prior, ford, prize, forth, appreciate, practical, pregnant, praise, parade, par, privilege, precious, ferry, porch, fare, pirate, pardon, prix, primitive, afar, privy, prism, 158 more
through Latin inter ‘between’
Today it means
noun An act of interpreting or explaining something unclear; a translation; a version.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / interpretation