English
interpreter
Interpreter comes from Late Latin interpretātōr ‘explainer, interpreter’, from Latin interpres ‘go-between, translator’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to sell, traffic in’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to sell, traffic in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpres‘go-between, translator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretārī‘to explain, to translate’next step skipped: Latin interpretor
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretātus‘explained, translated’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEinterpretātōr‘explainer, interpreter’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400interpreteur
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500interpreter
- Englishearliest quotation 1529same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to sell, traffic in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinter‘between’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpres‘go-between, translator’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretārī‘to explain, to translate’next step skipped: Latin interpretor
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinterpretātus‘explained, translated’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEinterpretātōr‘explainer, interpreter’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400interpreteur
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500interpreter
- Englishearliest quotation 1529same form
Earliest quotation: 1529, Thomas More, Dialogue of Diverse Matters: “... the holy fathers interpretours of holy scrypture ...”
The story
In reference to divine emissaries, a calque of Mercury's Latin epithet interpres divum (‘go-between of the gods’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to sell, traffic in’
first, before, support, far, per, further, report, price, fear, opportunity, practice, private, press, port, primary, prior, prime, afford, ford, pre, forth, prize, practical, appreciate, parade, par, praise, pregnant, privilege, precious, porch, ferry, pardon, pirate, fare, primitive, prix, afar, pragmatic, privy, 158 more
through Latin inter ‘between’
Today it means
noun A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / interpreter