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interpreter

B2 Topic:People & Society
US /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/ UK /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/
Freq #12462

Meanings

  1. 1
  2. 2

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a person who translates... translator
2 noun · in computing, a program... interpretive program
More decoderelucidatorexplainerexplicatorexpounderterp
Word family
Forms interpreters
Derived forms interpretershipinterpretessinterpretressphotointerpreterself-interpreter
Related forms interpretinterpretationinterpretiveinterpretorial

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 weal…

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