Legal Writing

Interpreters and Commentators

By Maeve Maddox

Mike Feeney overheard a business owner

repeatedly [mention] that they would be using an ?interpretator?

and has asked for a post on

interpreter/interpretator and commenter and commentator

interpreter: one who interprets or explains; one who translates languages.

In current usage, “interpretator” is nonstandard, as is the obsolete verb formation “interpretate.” The OED has an entry for interpretator, but its the most recent documentation is from the 17th century and the word is labeled as “obsolete.” The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary has no entry for it. M-W does have an entry for “interpretate,” which redirects to interpret.

Here are some examples of nonstandard “interpretator”:

I know there is a secretary’s day…Is there an interpretator’s day?

Speaking in Malayalam, through an interpretator, Poulse and his other colleagues said…

 I bet I was the best… hand writing interpretator in the world.

…software, incorporating the only true award interpretator system for Australian conditions since 1991…

Chinese (mandarin) translator/interpretator service provider…

Nonstandard “interpretate” also abounds:

management will read the same contract as you but will interpretate it different[ly].

I’m pretty sure he misinterpretated the study,

Himmler thought that Germany was going to recover because he misinterpretated one of Nostradamus’s predictions.

In November 2005 she interpretated the role Dame at ?Dido and Enea? by Purcell

While “interpretator” has no meaning apart from that of the standard word interpreter, commentator and commenter have distinctive meanings.

commentator: A writer of expository comments or critical notes on a literary work; the writer of a commentary; One who reports or comments on current events, esp. on radio or television.

commenter: One who comments

Here are some examples of both words:

Sometimes sports commentators say the strangest things

Alan Watkins, doyen of political commentators, dies at 77

Political commentary has become an integral part of the media establishment and the U.S. political process in recent years.

Texas police take on blog commenters

Are Blog Commenters ?Real? Writers?

N.C. Judge Unmasks Pseudonymous Blog Commenters

The 6 Types of Blog Commentors–Do You Know Them? (NOTE: The OED gives commentor as an alternate speling of commenter.)

I see a useful distinction between commentator and commenter, especially in this “everybody’s a writer” culture of ours.

Commentators are qualified to write intelligently about a particular topic, approaching it and analyzing it in terms of a body of knowledge.

Commenters, on the other hand, express opinions on matters about which they may or may not be particularly informed. Many DWT readers bring professional expertise in language to their comments, resulting in useful commentary. In general, however, blog commenters tend to be stronger on opinion than information.

Bottom line: I’d reserve the word commentator for analysts operating from a professionally-informed perspective and writing or speaking in a formal setting. I’d use commenter for people who respond to blog posts.

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Full post as published by Daily Writing Tips on September 22, 2010 (boomark / email).