Interlocutor
Latin inter, between + loquī, to speak
Interlocutor refers to a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation. The term specifically refers to someone who asks questions or participates in a formal discussion, interview, or interrogation. In theatrical contexts, it can refer to the middle person in a minstrel show who conducts dialogue with end performers.
First principles
An interlocutor is one who speaks between.
It names a position, not a performance: the person inside a dialogue, speaking and being answered, rather than speaking at an audience or listening from outside. An interlocutor is defined not by what they say but by where they stand in the exchange, in the space between silence and monologue.
At its core, it asks:
- Who is speaking?An interlocutor has a voice in the exchange, not just a seat near it.
- Who answers back?There must be at least one other voice; without one, speech is monologue.
- Where do they stand?Inside the dialogue, between the others, shaping it as it shapes them.
Etymology
- inter
- between, among
- loquī
- to speak
The word interlocutor comes from the Latin inter meaning "between" or "among" and loquī meaning "to speak." Joined in the verb interloquī, "to speak between," they form the Medieval Latin interlocūtor: "one who speaks between." The term entered English in the 16th century.