construe

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
construe/kənˈstruː/

▶verb (construes, construing, construed)

• 1 interpret in a particular way.

• 2 dated analyse the construction of (a text, sentence, or word).

  ■ translate word for word.

– derivatives
construable adjective,
construal noun.

– origin ME: from L. construere (see construct).