translator

English

Alternative forms

• tr., trans., transl. (abbreviations)
• translater (now generally proscribed)
• translatour, translatoure, traunslatour, translacttor, translature, translatar, translatare (obsolete)

Etymology

Directly from Latin trānslātor and French translator, and also from Middle English translatour, from Old French translatour, translateur, etc., from Latin trānslātor, from trānslātus (“carried across”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from trānsferō (“carry across”), from trans (“across”) + ferō (“bear, carry”), q.v. Equivalent to translate +‎ -or.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹænzleɪtɚ/, /ˈtɹænsleɪtɚ/, /ˌtɹænzˈleɪtɚ/, [ˌtʰɹænzˈleɪtʰɚ], [ˌtʰɹænzˈleɪɾɚ], /ˌtɹænsˈleɪtɚ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹanzleɪtə/, /ˈtɹɑːnzleɪtə/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtə(ɹ)

Noun

translator (plural translators)

1. A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly
   1. A person or thing that translates various forms of text. [1382]
   2. (inexact, sometimes proscribed) Synonym of interpreter, a person or thing that immediately interprets direct speech. [1850]
      • 1980, Gerald Ford, “Boyhood—and Beyond”, in A Time to Heal‎^[1], New York: Berkley Books, →ISBN, page 95:

        "You don't believe the Soviet Union is going to reduce its defense budget, do you?" Boggs asked.
        Premier Chou didn't wait for the translator to finish. "Never, never, never," he replied in perfect English.

   3. (figuratively) A person or thing that expresses an idea or style in a new form or medium. [1855]
      • 1855 June, Gentleman's Magazine, number 657, page 1:

        Mr. C. Blair Leighton... lithographer... was one of the earliest translators of water and oil pictures by the chromatic process.

   4. (computing, chiefly historical) A machine that converts inputs into a pattern of holes on a punch card. [1952]
   5. (chiefly US) A relay station that retransmits incoming television signals after automatically adjusting their frequency to avoid interference. [1956]
   6. (computing) A program that converts commands from one computer language into another. [1957]
2. (chiefly obsolete) Synonym of carrier, a person who transports something, now particularly (Roman Catholicism, rare) holy relics. [1535]
   • 2019, Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski, Images of Sainthood in Medieval Europe, page 100:

     ... the translator of the life and miracles of the saints, like the translator of the relics, need not have been "literate"; nor did he have to be a clerk.

3. (historical) Synonym of repairer, particularly of leather or cloth goods. [1594]
   • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, page 33:

     Boots and Shoes are not to be had, I am told, in sufficient quantity for the demand from the slop-shops, the "translators," and the second-hand dealers. Great quantities of second-hand boots and shoes are sent to Ireland to be "translated" there.

4. (historical, slang) A used and repaired shoe, boot, or other item of clothing. [1851]
5. (obsolete) Synonym of repeater, a thing that automatically retransmits an incoming message along a telegraph line. [1855]
6. (obsolete) A thing that converts energy from one form to another. [1884]

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

• dubash (India, chiefly historical); interpreter (inexact)

Hyponyms

• machine translator

Derived terms

• machine translator

Related terms

• transfer
• translate
• translation
• translatory

Translations

someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another

• Afrikaans: vertaler, vertaalster
• Albanian: përkthyes (sq) m, përkthyese (sq) f
• Arabic: مُتَرْجِم m (mutarjim), مُتَرْجِمَة f (mutarjima), تُرْجُمَان m (turjumān)
• Armenian: թարգմանիչ (hy) (tʻargmaničʻ)
• Assamese: ভাঙনি কৰোঁতা (bhaṅoni korü̃ta), অনুবাদক (onubadok)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܬܲܪܓܡܵܢܵܐ m (tārgmana), ܬܲܪܓܡܵܢܬܵܐ f (tārgmanta)
• Asturian: traductor
• Azerbaijani: tərcüməçi (az), mütərcim
• Bashkir: тәржемәсе (tərjeməse)
• Basque: itzultzaile
• Belarusian: перакла́дчык (be) m (pjerakládčyk), перакла́дчыца f (pjerakládčyca)
• Bengali: অনুবাদক (bn) (onubadok)
• Breton: troour
• Bulgarian: превода́ч (bg) m (prevodáč), превода́чка (bg) f (prevodáčka)
• Burmese: ဘာသာပြန် (my) (bhasa-pran), ဘာသာပြန်သူ (bhasa-pransu)
• Catalan: traductor (ca) m, traductora (ca) f
• Chechen: гочдархо (gočdarxo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 譯者 / 译者 (zh) (yìzhě), 譯員 / 译员 (zh) (yìyuán), 翻譯 / 翻译 (zh) (fānyì), 翻譯員 / 翻译员 (zh) (fānyìyuán), 翻譯者 / 翻译者 (zh) (fānyìzhě), 翻譯家 / 翻译家 (zh) (fānyìjiā), 翻譯官 / 翻译官 (zh) (fānyìguān)

• Czech: překladatel (cs) m, překladatelka f
• Danish: oversætter c, tolk (da) c (interpreter)
• Dutch: vertaler (nl) m, vertaalster (nl) f
• Elfdalian: yvyrsetter m
• Esperanto: (♂♀, professional) tradukisto, (♂) virtradukisto, (♀) tradukistino, (♂♀) tradukanto, (♂) virtradukanto, (♀) tradukantino, (neut.) tradukilo (eo)
• Estonian: tõlk
• Faroese: týðari m, tolkur m, umsetari m
• Finnish: kääntäjä (fi)
• French: traducteur (fr) m, traductrice (fr) f
• Galician: tradutor (gl) m, tradutora f
• Georgian: მთარგმნელი (mtargmneli), თარჯიმანი (tarǯimani)
• German: Übersetzer (de) m, Übersetzerin (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: μεταφραστής m (metaphrastḗs)

  Modern: μεταφραστής (el) m (metafrastís), μεταφράστρια (el) f (metafrástria); (machine) μηχανικός μεταφραστής m (michanikós metafrastís)

• Greenlandic: nutserisoq
• Gujarati: અનુવાદક (anuvādak)
• Hawaiian: mea unuhi
• Hebrew: מְתַרְגֵּם (he) m (metargém), מְתַרְגֶּמֶת f (metargémet)
• Hindi: अनुवादक (hi) m (anuvādak), भाषांतरकार m (bhāṣāntarkār)
• Hungarian: fordító (hu)
• Icelandic: þýðandi (is) m
• Ido: (♂♀, professional) tradukisto (io), (♂) tradukistulo, (♀) tradukistino, (♂♀) tradukanto (io), (♂) tradukantulo, (♀) tradukantino
• Indonesian: penerjemah (id)
• Irish: aistritheoir m
• Italian: traduttore (it) m, traduttrice (it) f
• Japanese: 翻訳者 (ほんやくしゃ, hon'yakusha)
• Kannada: ಅನುವಾದಕ (kn) (anuvādaka)
• Kazakh: аударушы (audaruşy), аудармашы (audarmaşy)
• Khmer: អ្នកបកប្រែ (nĕək bɑɑk prae)
• Korean: 번역자(飜譯者) (beonyeokja), 번역가(飜譯家) (ko) (beonyeokga)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: وەرگێڕ (ckb) (wergêrr)

  Northern Kurdish: wergêr (ku), terciman (ku)

• Kyrgyz: котормочу (ky) (kotormocu)
• Ladino: terdjuman m
• Lao: ຜູ້ແປ (phū pǣ), ນາຍພາສາ (nāi phā sā)
• Latin: interpres m or f, trānslātor (la) m
• Latvian: tulkotājs m, tulkotāja f
• Lithuanian: vertėjas m
• Luxembourgish: Iwwersetzer m
• Macedonian: преведувач m (preveduvač), преведувачка f (preveduvačka)
• Malay: penterjemah (ms)
• Malayalam: വിവര്ത്തകന് (vivarttakanŭ)
• Maltese: traduttur m
• Manchu: ᡨᡠᠩᠰᡝ (tungse)
• Mansi:

  Northern Mansi: толмась (tolmasʹ)

• Maori: kaiwhiringa reo, kaiwhakamāori
• Marathi: अनुवादक (mr) (anuvādak)
• Middle English: translatour
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: орчуулагч (mn) (orčuulagč), хөрвүүлэгч (xörvüülegč)

• Ngazidja Comorian: mtafsiri class 1/2
• Norman: traducteux m
• Northern Sami: jorgaleaddji
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: oversetter m

  Nynorsk: omsetjar m, omsettar m

• Occitan: traductor (oc)
• Odia: ଅନୁବାଦକ (anubādaka)
• Old English: wealhstod m
• Pashto: ترجمان (ps) m (tarǰomãn), مترجم m (motaraǰém), ژباړن (ps) m (žbāṛán), ژباړونکی (ps) m (žbāṛúnkay)
• Pennsylvania German: Iwwersetzer m
• Persian: ترگمان (targomân), مترجم (fa) (motarjem), ترجمنده; (machine) ترجمال
• Plautdietsch: Äwasata m
• Polish: tłumacz (pl) m, tłumaczka (pl) f, translator (pl) m, translatorka f
• Portuguese: tradutor (pt) m, tradutora f
• Romanian: traducător (ro) m, traducătoare (ro) f, translator (ro) m, translatoare (ro) f
• Romansch: translatur m, translatura f
• Russian: перево́дчик (ru) m (perevódčik), перево́дчица (ru) f (perevódčica)
• Scottish Gaelic: eadar-theangair m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: прево̀дилац m, прево̀дитељ m

  Roman: prevòdilac (sh) m, prevòditelj (sh) m

• Sinhalese: පරිවර්තක (pariwartaka)
• Skolt Sami: ǩiõlljåårǥlõʹtti
• Slovak: prekladateľ m, prekladateľka f
• Slovene: prevajalec (sl) m, prevajalka f
• Somali: turjume
• Sorbian:

  Lower: pśełožowaŕ m

  Upper: přełožowar m, přełožer m

• Sotho: mofetoledi
• Spanish: traductor (es) m, traductora (es) f
• Swahili: mfasiri (nc 1/2), mfumbua (nc 1/2), mtapta (nc 1/2)
• Swedish: översättare (sv) c
• Tajik: тарҷумон (tarjumon), мутарҷим (mutarjim)
• Tamil: மொழிபெயர்ப்பாளர் (moḻipeyarppāḷar)
• Tatar: тәрҗемәче (tt) (tärcemäçe)
• Telugu: అనువాదకుడు (te) (anuvādakuḍu)
• Thai: ผู้แปล (pûu-bplɛɛ), นักแปล (nák-bplɛɛ), ล่าม (th) (lâam)
• Tibetan: སྐད་སྒྱུར (skad sgyur)
• Tigrinya: ተርጓሚ (ti) m (tärgʷami), ተርጓሚት f (tärgʷamit)
• Turkish: çevirmen (tr), tercüman (tr)
• Turkmen: terjimeçi
• Ukrainian: переклада́ч (uk) m (perekladáč), переклада́чка f (perekladáčka)
• Urdu: مترجم m (mutarjim), ترجمان m (tarjumān), انوادک m (anuvādak)
• Uyghur: تەرجىمان (terjiman)
• Uzbek: tarjimon (uz)
• Vietnamese: thông dịch viên (vi), dịch gỉa
• Volapük: (♂♀) tradutan (vo), (♂) hitradutan, (♀) jitradutan
• Walloon: ratourneu (wa) m, tradujheu m, ratourneuse (wa) f, tradujheuse f
• Welsh: cyfieithydd (cy)
• West Frisian: oersetter m
• Yiddish: איבערזעצער m (iberzetser), איבערזעצערין f (iberzetserin)

(inexact) interpreter

• Bulgarian: преводач (bg) m (prevodač)
• Catalan: traductor (ca) m, traductora (ca) f (proscribed)
• Galician: tradutor (gl) m, tradutora f (proscribed)
• Greek: μεταφραστής (el) m (metafrastís)
• Italian: interprete (it) m or f
• Latin: interpres m or f, trānslātor (la) m
• Macedonian: толкувач m (tolkuvač)
• Maori: kaiwhakawhiti reo
• Persian: ترجمال
• Portuguese: tradutor (pt) m, tradutora f (proscribed)
• Romanian: interpret (ro) m
• Spanish: traductor (es) m, traductora (es) f (proscribed)
• Tigrinya: ተርጓሚ (ti) m (tärgʷami), ተርጓሚት f (tärgʷamit)

References

• “translator, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English translator, from Middle English translatour, from Old French translator, translatour, translateur, from Latin trānslātor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /transˈla.tɔr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -atɔr
• Syllabification: trans‧la‧tor

Noun

translator m pers (female equivalent translatorka)

1. (literary, translation studies) translator (someone who translates)

   Synonym: tłumacz

Declension

Declension of translator

	singular	plural
nominative	translator	translatorzy/translatory (deprecative)
genitive	translatora	translatorów
dative	translatorowi	translatorom
accusative	translatora	translatorów
instrumental	translatorem	translatorami
locative	translatorze	translatorach
vocative	translatorze	translatorzy

Noun

translator m inan

1. (computing) translator (computer program that translates something from one language to another using machine translation)

Declension

Declension of translator

	singular	plural
nominative	translator	translatory
genitive	translatora	translatorów
dative	translatorowi	translatorom
accusative	translator	translatory
instrumental	translatorem	translatorami
locative	translatorze	translatorach
vocative	translatorze	translatory

Derived terms

adjective

• translatorski

Related terms

adjective

• translacyjny

nouns

• translacja
• translatorium

Further reading

• translator in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• translator in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French translateur, from Latin translator, translatoris.

Noun

translator m (plural translatori, feminine equivalent translatoare)

1. translator (someone who translates)