forespeaker

English

Etymology

From Middle English forspeker, vorspekere, from Old English forespreca (“one who speaks on behalf of another; advocate; defender”), equivalent to forespeak +‎ -er or fore- +‎ speaker.

Noun

forespeaker (plural forespeakers)

1. (obsolete or historical) One who speaks on behalf of another; an advocate.
   • 2000, David Lemmings, Professors of the Law, →ISBN:

     When professional lawyers attending the royal courts first become visible to historians in the thirteenth century, it is clear that they were already divided into two groups with distinct functions: the pleaders or 'forespeakers' who spoke for litigants (subject to disavowal) in court; and the attorneys, who acted as ministers or agents with power to bind their clients in the formal process of litigation.

   • 2009, Andrew Mark Godfrey, Civil Justice in Renaissance Scotland: The Origins of a Central Court:

     On 8 and 10 May his forespeaker had been protesting against the relevancy of the error summons. However, at the next hearing on 11 May Lord Lovat's forespeaker suddenly declared to the Lords that “quhat thai pleis to deliver thirin owther be way of composition or uther wayis he suld stand contentit thirwith”.