An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Dolmetsch

by Friedrich Kluge

Dolmetsch, masculine, ‘interpreter,’ from the equivalent Middle High German tolmetsche, tolmetze, tulmetsche; a Turk. word (North Turk. tilmač) which found its way into Middle High German through Magyar (tolmács) or Slavonic (Old Slovenian tlǔmačĭ, Polish tlumacz, Bohemian tlumač); also in Middle High German tolc, tolke (compare further Dutch tolk), ‘interpreter,’ from Old Slovenian tlŭkŭ (whence also Lithuanian tulkas, Lettic tulks, ‘interpreter’).