An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker. An orator may also be called an oratorian — literally, "one who orates".

Etymology

Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French oratour, Old French orateur (14th century), Latin orator ("speaker"), from orare ("speak before a court or assembly; plead"), derived from a Proto-Indo-European base *or- ("to pronounce a ritual formula").

The modern meaning of the word, "public speaker", is attested from c. 1430.

History

In ancient Rome, the art of speaking in public (Ars Oratoria) was a professional competence especially cultivated by politicians and lawyers. As the Greeks were still seen as the masters in this field, as in philosophy and most sciences, the leading Roman families often either sent their sons to study these things under a famous master in Greece (as was the case with the young Julius Caesar), or engaged a Greek teacher (under pay or as a slave).

In the young revolutionary French republic, Orateur (French for "orator", but compare the Anglo-Saxon parliamentary speaker) was the formal title for the delegated members of the Tribunat to the Corps législatif, to motivate their ruling on a presented bill.

An orator is a person who speaks in public.

Orator may also refer to:

People

Profession or role

Art, entertainment, and media

Fictional characters

Film

Literature

Visual art

See also

Orator (Victor Ludwig) was a minor fictional character from Marvel Comics.

Fictional character biography

He was a mutant who was recruited into the Acolytes by Exodus. He first appeared when the Acolytes were searching for their missing leader Magneto, who was also presumed dead at the time. Instead, they found Joseph, his clone, and attempted but failed to turn him into their new leader.

Powers and abilities

Emotion enhancement; heightened empathetic awareness.

References

External links