A History of the Term "Translation" in the Western Context

The present research undertakes a historical and semantic exploration of the term translation, tracing its conceptual and linguistic evolution from antiquity to modernity. Rooted in a comparative approach, it examines the development of the term in both French and English, while contextualising its cultural and ideological underpinnings across key historical epochs. From the Greek metaphrasis and Roman interpretatio to the medieval and Renaissance reconfigurations of textual transfer, this study traces the shifting meanings and practices associated with the concept of "to translate." Special attention is given to the French linguistic transition from translater to traduire, revealing deeper insights into how language reflects epistemological change. Moreover, the research explores the emergence and transformation of the figure of the dragoman, a term of Eastern origin, and its reception within the Western tradition. By charting the evolution of translation as both a term and a practice, this study illuminates the rise of two central agents—the translator and the interpreter—and frames the conceptual tension between Content Translation and Quality Translation, a dichotomy born from centuries of cultural negotiation and linguistic innovation.