Prolocutor

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pɹə(ʊ)ˈlɒkjətə/

Definitions

1. Someone who acts as a spokesperson, especially in religious or official gatherings
2. An individual appointed to express the opinions or decisions of a group during formal meetings or ceremonies
3. A person designated to speak on behalf of a group in formal or religious settings

Etymology: Medieval Latin "prōlocūtor" was built from "prō" meaning "for" or "on behalf of" and "locūtor," a speaker, which comes from "loquī," to speak. Put together, it describes someone who speaks for others. Church councils and university assemblies used the title for the member chosen to present the group's views, and the role carried real weight: in the English Convocations, the prolocutor presided over the lower house of clergy. English took the word in the Middle Ages as a learned borrowing, so it arrived with its Latin shape intact rather than being worn down through everyday speech. That is why it still sounds so formal today, and why it stays tied to official meetings rather than casual conversation.

Synonyms: spokesperson, representative