v. Obs. rare. A word app. erroneously altered by Puttenham from translate or *tralate, or the Latin equivalents. Used in one place in the sense ‘to transpose’; in another in the sense ‘to repeat a word in the shape of its various derivatives or cognates’: cf. TRADUCTION 4.
In the latter sense, Day, three years earlier, had used translate, which in the sequel is used also by Puttenham himself. Collins app. took the word from Puttenham. So Tranlacer: see quot.
[1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 86. By translating of one word into diuers formes, as thus: What manhood call you this, so vnmanly to deale in those actions that especially appertaineth to a man? Here is this word manhood translated into vnmanly and to man.]
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. (Arb.), 124 (End of cancelled pages). The same letters being by me tossed and tranlaced fiue hundreth times. Ibid., III. xix. 213. Then haue ye a figure which the Latines call Traductio, and I the tranlacer: which is when ye turne and tranlace a word into many sundry shapes as the Tailor doth his garment, and after that sort do play with him in your dittie … Ye see how … this word life is tranlaced into liue, liuing, liuely, liuelode: and in the latter rime this word wit is translated into weete, weene, wotte, witlesse, witty and wise: which come all from one originall.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, II. vii. 273. I cast mine eyes vpon Theodorets owne texte, not as you trenlace and translate it at pleasure.
