interlokutor

Interlokutor is a variant spelling of the English word interlocutor. The standard English form is interlocutor, used to denote a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation. The form interlokutor may appear in some historical texts, transliterations, or in non-English contexts where orthographic conventions favor a ‘k’ spelling. In formal English writing, the variant is generally regarded as nonstandard.

Meaning and usage: An interlocutor is a participant in a dialogue—the speaking partner with whom one exchanges remarks. In conversation analysis, diplomacy, literature, and everyday speech, the term refers to the person on the other end of the communication, or simply to any participant in a dialogue alongside the speaker. In a two-person exchange, both participants can be described as interlocutors.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin interloquor, meaning “to speak between,” formed from inter- (between) and loquor (to speak). The English noun interlocutor dates from the 16th century, with interlocutor as the standard spelling evolving over time.

Notes: While interlokutor may be encountered in some texts or languages that adopt a different orthography, most English-language references use interlocutor. The concept remains the same: an interlocutor is a conversational partner in dialogue, discourse, or negotiation.