Dragoman
[DRAG-ə-mən]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Old Arabic
1.
An interpreter or guide, especially in countries speaking Arabic, Turkish, or Persian.
Examples of Dragoman in a sentence
"They were met at the railway station by a dragoman who helped them find a place to stay."
"The dragoman at the embassy spoke English with a British accent."
About Dragoman
“Dragoman” entered English through French, where the term appeared as a modification of the Old Arabic “targumān,” meaning “interpreter.”
Did you Know?
“Dragoman” originally referred to a guide or interpreter who translated Middle Eastern languages and cultures for Europeans. Over time, however, the term grew more formal and became strongly associated with the government of the Ottoman empire. For nearly 200 years, the Ottoman government was represented by the Dragoman of the Sublime Porte, who acted as both an interpreter and an assistant foreign minister. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, the tradition of the official dragoman disappeared and the term fell out of use.
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