interpreter

A Japanese man who is tried before a German court is assisted by an interpreter in making oral statements.

... [[when you ſallie vpon him, ſpeake what terrible Language you will: though you vnderſtand it not your ſelues, no matter: for we must not ſeeme to vnderſtand him, vnleſſe ſome one among vs, whom wee must produce for an Interpreter.

1623, William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well, Act IV, Scene 1:

I had many Acquaintance among Persons of the best Fashion, and being always attended by my Interpreter, the Conversation we had was not disagreeable.

1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Leaves Luggnagg, and Sails to Japan. From thence He Returns in a Dutch Ship to Amsterdam, and from Amsterdam to England.”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan), page 137:

I can understand German as well as the maniac that invented it, but I talk it best through an interpreter.

1880, Mark Twain, chapter 14, in A Tramp Abroad, volume 1, London: Chatto & Windus, page 115:

Once in the classroom the interpreter might inform the deaf person of various auditory information occurring in the environment such as: The teacher has a strong accent. Your hearing aid is making a noise. The fire alarm has gone off!

1991, Jerome Daniel Schein et al., Postsecondary Education for Deaf Students:

So began my career as our family’s official interpreter. From then on, I would fill in our blanks, our silences, stutters, whenever I could. I code switched. I took off our language and wore my English, like a mask, so that others would see my face, and therefore yours.

2019, Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Penguin Random House, Part 1:

A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly:

A person or thing that translates direct speech or signing.

(obsolete) Synonym of translator, one who translates various forms of texts.

... the holy fathers interpretours of holy scrypture ...

1529, Thomas More, Dialogue of Diverse Matters, London: J. Rastell, Book 4, Chapter 6:

Then said Christian to the Interpreter,
 Expound this matter more fully to me.

1678, John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, section 23:

(obsolete) Synonym of commentator, one who explains laws or scripture.

(obsolete) Synonym of emissary, particularly in reference to Hermes or angels as messengers between humans and the divine.

At the historic site, there are a number of interpreters who demonstrate ancient crafts.

A severe interpreter might say that the mere facts of their relation to each other, the melancholy position of this woman who depended on his will, made a standing banquet for his delight in dominating.

1876, George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, Leipzig: B. Tauchnitz, Volume 2, Book 4, Chapter 30, p. 205:

(now uncommon) Synonym of guide, one who explains a thing, person, or group of people.

Leo. ... theſe thy offices
 (So rarely kind) are as Interpreters
 Of my behind-hand ſlackneſſe.

1623, William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale, Act V, Scene 1:

Flowers are the interpreters of love in India, painting in the most vivid but in the softest colours speaking in the sweetest sighs: while each blossom that fades is a mournful remembrancer either of blighted hopes or departed pleasures.

1823, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Forget Me Not 1824, The Indian Orphan, page 67:

... the modern drama—the strongest and most far-reaching interpreter of our deep-felt dissatisfaction ...

1910, Emma Goldman, “The Modern Drama”, in Anarchism and Other Essays, New York: Mother Earth Publishing Association, page 247:

(figurative) A thing that, figuratively speaking, performs a similar role explaining, revealing, or clarifying.

(rhetoric, obsolete) Synonym of synonymy, the use of one term to explain another.

(obsolete) Synonym of dictionary or glossary, a book that explains uncommon terms.

(computing, historical) A machine that reads the pattern of holes on a punch card and prints its meaning along the top of the card.

(historical) An analyst of reconnaissance photographs.

Programs written in BASIC are usually run through an interpreter rather than a compiler.

(computing) A program that converts commands into machine language in real time rather than compiling it in advance.

... one of the foremost interpreters of Beethoven's piano works ...

(music, theater) A performer who presents a piece of art in a distinct style, particularly so as to make older works relevant to their audience.

... an interpreter of dreams ...

[…] the Priest or Medicine-man […] early appeared on the plantation and found his function as the healer of the sick, the interpreter of the Unknown […] and the one who rudely but picturesquely expressed the longing, disappointment, and resentment of a stolen and oppressed people.

1903, W. E. B. Du Bois, chapter 10, in The Souls of Black Folk, Chicago: McClurg, page 196:

linguister

colonial contexts, particularly West & Central Africa

tolk

one who interprets a language — see also dragoman

/ɪnˈtɝpɹɪɾɚ/

/ɪnˈtɝpɹɪtɚ/

/ɪnˈtɜːpɹɪtə/

From Middle English interpreter, interpretour, etc., from Old French interpreteur, interpreteeur, etc., from Late Latin interpretātōr, from classical Latin interpretātus (“explained, translated”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from interpretārī (“to explain, to translate”), from interpres (“go-between, translator”) + -ārī (“to be ~ed”), q.v. In reference to divine emissaries, a calque of Mercury's Latin epithet interpres divum (“go-between of the gods”). In reference to the rhetorical device, a calque of Latin interpretatio. Equivalent to interpret + -er.
Displaced native Old English wealhstod.


interpreter

first-person singular present active subjunctive of interpretor


interpreter

to interpret; to find meaning in something

interpreter (infinitive)
avoir + past participle (infinitive multiword-construction)
interpretant (gerund participle present)
present participle (gerund multiword-construction participle present)
gerund of avoir + past participle (gerund multiword-construction participle present)
interpreté (participle past)
interprete (first-person indicative present singular)
interpretes (indicative present second-person singular)
interprete (indicative present singular third-person)
interpretons (first-person indicative plural present)
interpretez (indicative plural present second-person)
interpretent (indicative plural present third-person)
interpretois (first-person imperfect indicative singular)
interpretoys (first-person imperfect indicative singular)
interpretois (imperfect indicative second-person singular)
interpretoys (imperfect indicative second-person singular)
interpretoit (imperfect indicative singular third-person)
interpretoyt (imperfect indicative singular third-person)
interpretions (first-person imperfect indicative plural)
interpretyons (first-person imperfect indicative plural)
interpretiez (imperfect indicative plural second-person)
interpretyez (imperfect indicative plural second-person)
interpretoient (imperfect indicative plural third-person)
interpretoyent (imperfect indicative plural third-person)
interpreta (first-person historic indicative past singular)
interpretas (historic indicative past second-person singular)
interpreta (historic indicative past singular third-person)
interpretasmes (first-person historic indicative past plural)
interpretastes (historic indicative past plural second-person)
interpreterent (historic indicative past plural third-person)
interpreterai (first-person future indicative singular)
interpreteray (first-person future indicative singular)
interpreteras (future indicative second-person singular)
interpretera (future indicative singular third-person)
interpreterons (first-person future indicative plural)
interpreterez (future indicative plural second-person)
interpreteront (future indicative plural third-person)
interpreterois (conditional first-person singular)
interpreteroys (conditional first-person singular)
interpreterois (conditional second-person singular)
interpreteroys (conditional second-person singular)
interpreteroit (conditional singular third-person)
interpreteroyt (conditional singular third-person)
interpreterions (conditional first-person plural)
interpreteryons (conditional first-person plural)
interpreteriez (conditional plural second-person)
interpreteryez (conditional plural second-person)
interpreteroient (conditional plural third-person)
interpreteroyent (conditional plural third-person)
future of avoir + past participle (future indicative multiword-construction perfect)
conditional of avoir + past participle (conditional multiword-construction perfect)
interprete (first-person present singular subjunctive)
interpretes (present second-person singular subjunctive)
interprete (present singular subjunctive third-person)
interpretons (first-person plural present subjunctive)
interpretez (plural present second-person subjunctive)
interpretent (plural present subjunctive third-person)
interpretasse (first-person imperfect singular subjunctive)
interpretasses (imperfect second-person singular subjunctive)
interpretast (imperfect singular subjunctive third-person)
interpretassions (first-person imperfect plural subjunctive)
interpretassiez (imperfect plural second-person subjunctive)
interpretassent (imperfect plural subjunctive third-person)
interprete (imperative second-person singular)
interpretons (first-person imperative plural)
interpretez (imperative plural second-person)

French: interpréter


interpreter

interpreter (nominative singular)
interpretery (nominative plural)
interpretera (genitive singular)
interpreterów (genitive plural)
interpreterowi (dative singular)
interpreterom (dative plural)
interpreter (accusative singular)
interpretery (accusative plural)
interpreterem (instrumental singular)
interpreterami (instrumental plural)
interpreterze (locative singular)
interpreterach (locative plural)
interpreterze (singular vocative)
interpretery (plural vocative)


interpreter

sh-noun

intèrpreter m (Cyrillic spelling интѐрпретер)

intèrpreter (canonical masculine)
интѐрпретер (Cyrillic)
interpreter (nominative singular)
interpreteri (nominative plural)
interpretera (genitive singular)
interpretera (genitive plural)
interpreteru (dative singular)
interpreterima (dative plural)
interpreter (accusative singular)
interpretere (accusative plural)
interpreteru (singular vocative)
interpreteri (plural vocative)
interpreteru (locative singular)
interpreterima (locative plural)
interpreterom (instrumental singular)
interpreterima (instrumental plural)