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Origin and history of prompter

prompter(n.)

1540s, "one who or that which incites to action," agent noun from prompt (v.)). Earlier was promptator (mid-15c.), from Medieval Latin. Meaning "one who helps a speaker or reciter" is from 1590s; the specific theatrical sense is from c. 1600.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to prompter

prompt(v.)

mid-14c., prompten, "to incite to action, urge," from the adjective or from Latin promptus, past participle of promere "to bring forth," from pro "forward" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward") + emere "to take" (from PIE root *em- "to take, distribute").

The meaning "coach (someone), assist (a learner or speaker) by suggesting something forgotten or imperfectly learned or known" is from early 15c.; specifically in the theatrical sense of "to assist a speaker with lines" by 1670s. Related: Prompted; prompting.

teleprompter(n.)

"electric device displaying a speaker's script out of sight of cameras," 1951, originally a proprietary name in U.S., from tele- + prompter. The equivalent British proprietary name is Autocue.

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    late 14c., "open air place in ancient times for viewing spectacles and plays," from Old French theatre (12c., Modern French théâtre, improperly accented) and directly from Latin theatrum "play-house, theater; stage; spectators in a theater" (source also of Spanish, Italian teatro
    again
    late Old English agan, from earlier ongean (prep.) "toward; opposite, against, contrary to; in exchange for," as an adverb "in the opposite direction, back, to or toward a former place or position," from on "on" (see on (prep.) and compare a- (1)) + -gegn "against, toward." This
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