DRAGOMAN, or DROGUEMAN, a term of general use throughout the East for an interpreter, whose office it is to facilitate intercourse between the orientals and occidentals. Dragomans are kept by the ambassadors of Christian nations residing at the Porte.
The word is formed from the Arabic targeman or targiman, of the verb taragem, he has interpreted. From dragoman the Italians formed dragomano, and, with a nearer relation to its Arabic etymology, turcimano; whence comes trucheman, as well as dragoman and drogueman.