Monologist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who presents a solo speech, typically in a theatrical setting, expressing in-depth ideas or stories without interaction from others
2. An individual who articulates thoughts or narratives in long-form discourse, commonly found in plays or performances, showcasing their viewpoint
3. Someone who performs an extended speech alone, expressing personal views or telling a story before an audience

Etymology: "Monologist" is a plain formation: the noun "monolog," a speech delivered by one person alone, with the suffix "-ist," which denotes a person who practises or performs something. The suffix has a long route into English. It descends from ancient Greek "-istēs," an agent ending attached to verbs and nouns, passed into Latin as "-ista" and then into Old French as "-iste," before arriving in Middle English as "-ist." Because it came in through several languages, English speakers have been able to attach it to almost any noun or verb, which is how a performer of solo monologues came to be named from a word for a solo speech. The base word "monolog" itself is built from Greek elements meaning "alone" and "speech," so the whole term literally describes someone who speaks alone. "Monolog" is the American spelling; "monologue" is the British one, and "monologist" follows the same pattern regardless of spelling.

Synonyms: speaker, narrator, orator