Symposiarch

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who leads a formal gathering for discussions or academic exchanges
2. One who oversees a symposium, guiding participants through dialogue and debate
3. A person who presides over a symposium, managing the flow of ideas and discussions among attendees

Etymology: Ancient Greek drinking parties had a formal host, and the symposiarch was the man who ran one. The word combines "symposium" with "-arch," from "archein," to rule or lead, the same root found in "monarch" and "patriarch." At a symposium, the symposiarch decided how strong the wine would be, how much each guest drank, and when the entertainment began, so the title named a real office of command rather than a casual role. Because "-arch" means "ruler," the word sits in a family of terms for leaders, and the "symposium" half reveals what was being led. The Greek "symposion" literally meant "drinking together," from "sym-" (together) and "posis" (drinking). Our modern sense of "symposium" as a conference is a later extension, so the word has moved from a banquet of wine to a gathering of scholars.