Ways to say it
| Latin | Note |
|---|---|
| prōditor | masculine |
| prōditrīx | feminine |
| trāditor | masculine |
| trāditrīx | feminine |
A traitor is one who betrays or is a betrayer. Depending on the context, you might use prōditor to describe someone who has committed a moral treachery or a betrayal of trust or trāditor to describe someone who physically hands over or delivers a person or a secret to an enemy.
What does it mean word for word?
The noun prōditor is derived from the verb prōdere, meaning 'to give forth' or 'to hand over'. This is composed of the prefix prō- ('forth') and dare ('to give').
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean betrayer, prōditor often implies a betrayal of trust or a moral treachery. In contrast, trāditor can also carry the sense of 'one who hands over' or 'delivers' something, such as a person or a secret, to an enemy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is prōditor or trāditor. If the traitor is the direct object of a sentence, the masculine form prōditor changes to the accusative case prōditōrem. To refer to a female traitor, use the feminine forms prōditrīx or trāditrīx, which utilize the third declension suffix -trīx.
Did you know?
- The word trāditor is the root of the English word 'tradition', but in Latin, it could describe someone who 'hands over' or even 'betrays' secrets.
- In early Christian history, trāditor became a specific technical term for people who handed over holy books to the Roman authorities during persecutions.
- The suffix in prōditrīx and trāditrīx is the direct ancestor of the English suffix '-trix' found in rare words like 'aviatrix' or 'executrix'.
Examples in context
- Nemo prōditor in urbe est.There is no traitor in the city.
- Prōditor patriam semper timet.A traitor always fears the fatherland.
Example conversation
Marcus and Claudia are discussing a disgraced general.
- MarcusVidistine illum virum?Did you see that man?
- ClaudiaIta, sed is prōditor est.Yes, but he is a traitor.
- MarcusCur eum prōditōrem appellās?Why do you call him a traitor?
- ClaudiaUrbem nostram prōdidit.He betrayed our city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traitor” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Thank you, Laura, for a clear explanation of the forms of “traitor” in the language history. I did study Latin in high school ( a Jesuit high school in NYC) while I was not the best student, it has served well in my life.