The humble beginning of the word "president"
Mark Forsyth speaks at the TEDxHousesofParliament in 2012
Paul Clarke / TED
Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode The History Behind Three Words
When George Washington took power, the U.S. House and Senate debated tirelessly how to address him. Writer Mark Forsyth explains how and why the U.S. leader is called "president."
About Mark Forsyth
Mark Forsyth is the author of The Elements of Eloquence, The Etymologicon and A Short History of Drunkenness. He is the creator of The Inky Fool, a blog about words, phrases, grammar, rhetoric, and prose.
This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHourand email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.
