Izdatel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A publication or printed work, particularly one that disseminates literature or information
2. A term referring to a publishing entity responsible for producing and distributing written content
3. An organization or individual engaged in the creation and release of books, periodicals, or other printed media

Etymology: Russian builds its word for publisher from a simple picture: someone who gives something out. The root is "дать" (dat'), "to give," and the prefix "из-" means "out" or "forth," as in "выйти" (to go out). Together they form "издать," to bring something out into the world, and the publisher is the person who does it. The same root gives Russian "дать" its everyday meaning of giving, and it links to Latin "dare" and English "date" through a shared ancient ancestor. English reached for a different image. "Publish" comes from Latin "publicare," to make public, so the English term describes making something known to people. The Russian term instead describes handing a text out into circulation, like distributing goods. Both words describe the same work from different angles, one focused on the audience and the other on the act of release.

Synonyms: publisher, editor, publishing house, press, publishing company