# interpreter
## English
### Alternative forms

* interpretour, enterpretour, enterpretor (obsolete)

### Etymology

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.

### Pronunciation

* (General American) IPA: /ɪnˈtɝpɹɪɾɚ/, /ɪnˈtɝpɹɪtɚ/
* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ɪnˈtɜːpɹɪtə/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Hyphenation: in‧ter‧pret‧er

### Noun

interpreter (plural interpreters)
* A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly:
    ... an interpreter of dreams ...
** 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois, chapter 10, in The Souls of Black Folk‎, Chicago: McClurg, page 196:[…] 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.
** A person or thing that translates direct speech or signing. [1384]
    A Japanese man who is tried before a German court is assisted by an interpreter in making oral statements.
*** {{quote-text |en |year=1623 |author=w:William Shakespeare |title=All's Well That Ends Well |section=Act IV, Scene 1 |url=https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/doc/AWW_F1/scene/4.1/index.html |passage= ... [[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.}}
*** 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 had many Acquaintance among Persons of the best Fashion, and being always attended by my Interpreter, the Conversation we had was not disagreeable.
*** 1880, Mark Twain, chapter 14, in A Tramp Abroad‎, volume 1, London: Chatto & Windus, page 115:I can understand German as well as the maniac that invented it, but I talk it best through an interpreter.
*** 1991, Jerome Daniel Schein et al., Postsecondary Education for Deaf Students: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!
*** 2019, Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Penguin Random House, Part 1: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.
** (obsolete) Synonym of translator, one who translates various forms of texts. [1400]
** (obsolete) Synonym of commentator, one who explains laws or scripture. [1440]
*** 1529, Thomas More, Dialogue of Diverse Matters‎, London: J. Rastell, Book 4, Chapter 6:... the holy fathers interpretours of holy scrypture ...
*** 1678, John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, section 23:Then said Christian to the Interpreter, Expound this matter more fully to me.
** (obsolete) Synonym of emissary, particularly in reference to Hermes or angels as messengers between humans and the divine. [1490]
** (now uncommon) Synonym of guide, one who explains a thing, person, or group of people. [1531]
    At the historic site, there are a number of interpreters who demonstrate ancient crafts.
*** 1876, George Eliot, Daniel Deronda‎, Leipzig: B. Tauchnitz, Volume 2, Book 4, Chapter 30, p. 205: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.
** (figurative) A thing that, figuratively speaking, performs a similar role explaining, revealing, or clarifying.
*** 1623, William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale‎, Act V, Scene 1:Leo. ... theſe thy offices (So rarely kind) are as Interpreters Of my behind-hand ſlackneſſe.
*** 1823, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Forget Me Not 1824, The Indian Orphan, page 67: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.
*** 1910, Emma Goldman, “The Modern Drama”, in Anarchism and Other Essays‎, New York: Mother Earth Publishing Association, page 247:... the modern drama—the strongest and most far-reaching interpreter of our deep-felt dissatisfaction ...
** (rhetoric, obsolete) Synonym of synonymy, the use of one term to explain another. [1589]
** (obsolete) Synonym of dictionary or glossary, a book that explains uncommon terms. [1607]
** (computing, historical) A machine that reads the pattern of holes on a punch card and prints its meaning along the top of the card. [1936]
** (historical) An analyst of reconnaissance photographs. [1950]
** (computing) A program that converts commands into machine language in real time rather than compiling it in advance. [1954]
    Programs written in BASIC are usually run through an interpreter rather than a compiler.
** (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.
    ... one of the foremost interpreters of Beethoven's piano works ...

#### Usage notes

In modern professional contexts, a translator specifically deals with text input in contrast to an interpreter who deals with speech or signing input, generally under greater time constraints. Subtitles for videos, games, performances, etc. are generally handled by translators working from transcripts.

#### Synonyms

* (general): decoder, elucidator, explainer, explicator, expounder
* (translation): translator (sometimes proscribed); Latiner, latimer (archaic or medieval contexts); truchman (archaic or Middle Eastern contexts); dragoman (Middle East, chiefly historical); dubash (India, chiefly historical); linguister (colonial contexts, particularly West & Central Africa)
* (guide): cicerone, docent, tour guide
* (computing): terp (slang)

#### Hypernyms

* (computing): computer program

#### Hyponyms

* (translation studies): court interpreter, simultaneous interpreter
* (computing): parts interpreter, command-line interpreter
* (guide): first-person interpreter, science interpreter, museum interpreter, parks interpreter, historical interpreter

#### Coordinate terms

* (in computing): compiler

#### Derived terms

* conference interpreter
* self-interpreter

#### Related terms

* interpret
* interpretation
* interpretive
* interpretorial

#### Translations
### References

* “interpreter, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

### Anagrams

* reinterpret

## Latin
### Verb

interpreter
* first-person singular present active subjunctive of interpretor

## Middle French
### Verb

interpreter
* to interpret; to find meaning in something

#### Conjugation

* Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

#### Descendants

* French: interpréter

## Polish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English interpreter.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /in.tɛrˈprɛ.tɛr/
* Rhymes: -ɛtɛr
* Syllabification: in‧ter‧pre‧ter

### Noun

interpreter m inan
* (computing) interpreter

#### Declension
### Further reading

* interpreter in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* interpreter in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English interpreter.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /intěrpreter/
* Hyphenation: in‧ter‧pre‧ter

### Noun

intèrpreter m (Cyrillic spelling интѐрпретер)
* interpreter

#### Synonyms

* (person): tùmāč, interprètant, interprètātor, intèrprēt
* (computer program): interprètātor