praesidēns

Latin praesidēns comes from praesidēre: prae- (before, in front) + sedēre (to sit). A praesidēns was someone who sat at the front — the presiding officer of an assembly, the chairperson. The word carried no executive authority. A president presided. That was all. The word entered English through Old French president in the fourteenth century, still meaning 'one who presides.'

The American Constitutional Convention of 1787 chose the title 'President' for the head of the executive branch. The choice was deliberate — 'president' sounded less monarchical than 'king,' 'emperor,' or 'governor-general.' George Washington was keenly aware of the title's modesty. He rejected 'His Highness' and 'His Excellency' in favor of the simple 'Mr. President.' The chairperson's title was chosen specifically because it did not sound like a ruler's.

The title's modesty did not survive its power. By the twentieth century, 'President of the United States' was the most powerful political title on earth. The word acquired a gravity it was never designed to hold. Other countries adopted the title — France (1848), China (1912), India (1950) — and in each case, the word named a head of state with powers far beyond presiding over a meeting. The chairperson became the commander-in-chief.

Corporate presidents, university presidents, presidents of the PTA — the title proliferated downward as well as upward. In American English, every organization seems to need a president. The word has been so widely distributed that it carries almost no inherent authority — a president could be running the country or running a book club. The modesty that Washington chose has been diluted by ubiquity.