dragoman
(ˈdrægəmən)
Pl. -mans, -men. Forms: 4, 7–8 drogman, 5–8 droge-, 6 drag-, druga-, 6–9 drogue-, 7 dragu-, droga-, droger-, drugga-, drug-, drugoman, 7–8 druggerman, drogoman, (9 dracoman), 6– dragoman. See also truchman.
[a. F. dragoman, drogman, in OF. drugemen = Sp. dragoman, It. dragomanno, med.L. dragumannus, late Gr. δραγούµανος, ad. OArab. targumān, now tarjumān, tarjamān, turjumān, interpreter, f. targama, tarjama to interpret = Chaldee targēm, (whence targum). From 14th c. commonly treated as a compound of Eng. man with pl. dragomen; in 19th c. more frequently dragomans.
The variants are due to the varying vocalization of the Arabic word, and the passage of Old Arabic g into j. Forms closer to the modern Arabic are Sp. trujaman, med.L. turchemannus, It. turcimanno, Fr. truchement, Eng. tourcheman, trudgeman, truchman, q.v.]
An interpreter; strictly applied to a man who acts as guide and interpreter in countries where Arabic, Turkish, or Persian is spoken.
| 13.. K. Alis. 3401 Alisaundre..is y-come to Arabye. So me saide a drogman. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas ii. xxvii. (1554) 63 a, Cirus..All vnpurueyed of drogeman or of guide. 1506 Sir R. Guylforde Pilgr. (Camden) 56 (Stanf.) Our drogemen and guydes. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xvi. 131 Oftentimes they serve for Dragomans, or interpretours. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. i. 305 The ambassador..himselfe last, with his Chause and Drugaman or Interpreter. 1606 Mildenhall in Purchas Pilgrims (1625) I. iii. 115 (Stanf.) For want of a Drugman. 1613 Haga at Const. in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) III. 214 Two druggermen, or interpreters. 1627 Sir T. Roe in Fennell tr. Michaelis' Anc. Marb. in Gt. Brit. (1882) 201 (Stanf.), I am this day sending a drogaman..to Brussia. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Drogoman (or Draguman), an Interpreter or Truchman. 1782 W. F. Martyn Geog. Mag. I. 106 Met..by the druggerman or interpreter. 1813 Byron Giaour 592 note, To the horror of all the dragomans. 1821 Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) I. 317/2 Our ostentatious drogueman will feel a pleasure in raising your astonishment. 1861 Mrs. Harvey Cruise Claymore viii. 153 Most travellers are entirely at the mercy of their dragomen. 1870 A. L. Adams Nile Valley & Malta 4 The best Maltese and Egyptian dragomans. |
b. transf.
| 1690 Dryden Don Sebast. iii. i. Wks. 1883 VII. 374 You druggerman of heaven, must I attend Your droning prayers? 1735 Pope Donne Sat. iv. 83 Pity, you was not Druggerman at Babel! 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. (1864) IX. xiv. iii. 117 Through the Jews of Andalusia &c (those Dragomen of Mediæval Science). |
Hence ˈdragomanate, the office of a dragoman; dragoˈmanic, ˈdragomanish adjs., of, pertaining to, or like a dragoman.
| 1860 All Year Round No. 45. 437 Grimani..looked rather grand and dragomanish. 1869 D. W. Freshfield Caucasus & Bashan ii. 62 The usual dragomanic expenses. 1881 Times 19 July 9/3 To inscribe themselves..as French subjects, at the Consular Dragomanate. |