Lectern
/ˈlɛk.tɚn/noun
A stand used for holding a book or notes while reading or speaking.
Did you know?Its ancestor is Latin *lectus* (“read” / “chosen”), tied to the act of reading aloud in public, so the lectern began as a tool of spoken authority, not just furniture.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
legere
“to gather, choose, read”
Late Latin
Latin
lectus
“read; recited aloud”
Medieval Latin
Latin
lecternum
“reading desk or stand”
14th Century
English
lectourne
“a reading desk”
Modern English
English
lectern
“a stand for holding a book or notes while speaking”