Interpreting is normally regarded as a translational activity, as a
special form of ‘Translation’.
Interpreting is an ancient human practice which clearly predates
the invention of writing- and (written ) translation.
The activity of interpreting could be traced back to Akkadian, the
ancient Semitic Language of Assyria and Babylonia around 1900BC.
The Akkadian root targumanu, via an etymological sideline from
Arabic, also gave rise to the ‘autonomous’ English term for
interpreter, dragoman.