Forms: 5 tourcheman, (6 trooche-, truce-, trowch-, trounch-, trush-, treush-man, Sc. trwcheman, trunsche-), 6–7 truche-, trouch(e)-, (trunch-), treuch-, 7 trudgeman, 6– truchman. [ad. med.L. turchemannus, F. trucheman (Cotgr., 1611), truchement = It. turcimanno, Sp. trujaman, ad. Arab. turjamān (also tarjumān, tarjamān), interpreter, the same word which through Gr. and med.L. appears as DRAGOMAN. The Arabic letter jim which is now generally j, was orig. g, like Heb. gimel, the early form of the word being targumān, f. targama to translate: cf. TARGUM.] An interpreter.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V. (1868), 77. Thenne sayd parys vnderstondeth he mouryshe and they sayd nay but … yf he wold speke to hym they should find tourchemen ynough.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. clxxi. [clxvii.] 503. They … toke a truchman that coulde speke Italyan, and commanded hym to go to the crysten host.
1575. Gascoigne, Flowers, Maske Visct. Mountacute, Wks. 1907, I. 85. He may your Trounchman bee, Your herald and ambassador.
1577. Stanyhurst, Descr. Irel., in Holinshed (1808), VI. 4. If a traveller of the Irish had … spoken Irish, they would command him … to … speake English, or els bring his trouchman with him.
1578. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 287. Torche bearers with the troocheman.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, V. xvii. (1614), 543. Suborning his Trudge-man … to poyson or murder him by the way.
1679. Blount, Anc. Tenures, 17. Beneath Whittington in Shropshire, one Wrenoc … held Lands by the service of being Latimer, that is, Trucheman or Interpreter, between the English and the Welshmen.
1888. Doughty, Arabia Deserta, I. 175. Their truch-man in entering Moses’ valley had paid out presents to the Howeytât sheykhs.
b. fig.
1585. Jas. I., Vranie, 124. Poets … Dame Naturs trunchmen, heauens interprets trewe.
1637. Suckling, Aglaura, II. i. Our soules … will not need that duller truch-man Flesh.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Cypress Grove, Wks. (1711), 126. Formed … to be the interpreter and trunchman of His creation.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), II. 405. He is a Truch-Man, that interprets between learned Writers and gentle Readers.
Hence † Truchmanry Obs., the office or function of an interpreter; so † Truch sprite nonce-wd., a spirit acting as interpreter or messenger; † Truchwoman Obs. [cf. Mussulwoman], a female interpreter.
1573. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 217. For the Tronchwoman’s Heade and for vii Hatbandes for the men Maskers.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, IV. (Arb.), 107. Latelye toe mee posted from Ioue thee truch sprit, or herrald Of Gods.
1663. Sir G. Mackenzie, Religio Stoici, 97. To teach that sensual croud, by the trunchmanrie of sense.
