chairman

The word 'chairman' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. The first part, 'chair', evolved from Latin 'cathedra' through French, coming to denote not just a physical seat but the position of authority associated with it, as in 'to chair a meeting'. The second part, 'man', from Old English, simply means a person. The term originally and literally referred to the person occupying the chair of authority at a gathering. Over time, its meaning specialized to its current sense of the person who presides over a meeting or organization, reflecting a logical metonymy where the object (the chair) comes to stand for the role of the person who uses it.

Structure: chair (seat of authority) + man (person) - chair: From Middle English 'chaiere', from Old French, from Latin 'cathedra' (seat, chair). In this compound, it signifies the seat of authority or the presiding officer. - man: From Old English 'mann' (human being, person). In this compound, it denotes the person holding the position.