Etymology
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translate (v.)

early 14c., "to remove from one place to another," also "to turn from one language to another," from Old French translater and directly from Latin translatus "carried over," serving as past participle of transferre "to bring over, carry over" (see transfer), from trans "across, beyond" (see trans-) + lātus "borne, carried" (see oblate (n.)). Related: Translated; translating. A similar notion is behind the Old English word it replaced, awendan, from wendan "to turn, direct" (see wend).

Origin and meaning of translate

Entries linking to translate

transfer (v.)

late 14c., from Old French transferer or directly from Latin transferre "bear across, carry over, bring through; transfer, copy, translate," from trans "across, beyond" (see trans-) + ferre "to carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry"). Related: Transferred; transferring.

trans- 

word-forming element meaning "across, beyond, through, on the other side of, to go beyond," from Latin trans (prep.) "across, over, beyond," perhaps originally present participle of a verb *trare-, meaning "to cross," from PIE *tra-, variant of root *tere- (2) "cross over, pass through, overcome." In chemical use indicating "a compound in which two characteristic groups are situated on opposite sides of an axis of a molecule" [Flood].

updated on October 13, 2021

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Dictionary entries near translate

transit

transition

transitional

transitive

transitory

translate

translater

translation

translator

transliterate

transliteration

© 2001-2023 Douglas Harper