I came across "interlocutor" twice in an article this morning.
"Someone who takes part in a conversation, often formally or officially. The performer in a minstrel show who is placed midway."
Still not sure why I need this word, or what I would do with it. Not quite a "moderator". And seemingly something different than just a guy talking to another guy. Maybe a "dialogue partner", but it seems to have a "man-in-the-middle" etymology.
If there's a practicing interlocutor out there, please enlighten me.
5 comments:
Sinn Féin is an interlocutor to the IRA.
"To", or "with"?
Does it have the sense of "middle-man", or "go-between"?
Yeah, its like a middle man that isn't necessarily a friend or enemy, but could be varying degrees of either. It doesn't have a nice friendly feel and sounds formal.
You could imagine a situation where say Obama wanted to talk to Bin Laden. They couldn't exactly have a summit. They would need an interlocutor.
Its one of those words that is used almost poetically. It carries more impression than literal meaning.
An English teacher once told me that if you face a word you aren't sure how to use, try another word.
Plus, it reminds me of interloper.
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