Home › Words › L › linguisterlinguister/ˈlɪŋɡwɪstə(ɹ)/linguister means synonym of interpreter, particularly; A native interpreter assisting Europeans in colonial contexts.linguister is pronounced /ˈlɪŋɡwɪstə(ɹ)/.EtymologyProbably from Portuguese lingüista (“linguist”) reinterpreted as linguist + -er.nounSynonym of interpreter, particularly; A native interpreter assisting Europeans in colonial contexts.Synonym of interpreter, particularly; A native agent facilitating European trade in East and Central Africa in colonial contexts.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).