Janis Beth--

I'm generally inclined to defer to the OED, but Webster's Third New
International Dictionary says docent (the noun) is derived from the German
dozent (then says "formerly spelled docent.").  Perhaps this is the source of
your european connection.  I have the same feeling.  The definition given in the
Webster's is then "a: a college or university teacher or lecturer holding a rank
inferior to that of a professor  b: a person who conducts guided groups through
a museum or art gallery and discusses and comments on the exhibits."   Docent is
also listed as an adjective.  Here Webster's points out that the word is derived
from the present participle of the latin verb docere, to teach, and means
"serving to teach."

It also points out that the word docile is derived from the same root, under
which heading the first definition is "teachable."  How many museums think of
their visitors as docile?  How many wish they were more so?

Gordon Murdock
Bell Museum of Natural History
and Museum Studies Minor Program
University of Minnesota
[log in to unmask]

In message  <[log in to unmask]> Museum discussion list writes:
> >          According to my OED (on CD-ROM), the usage is purely American:
> >"In some American universities and colleges, a recognized teacher or
> >lecturer not on the salaried staff; usually a post-graduate student who
> >is allowed to lecture in some special branch."
>
> That's funny--I've always been under the impression this was a *European*
> usage!
>
> Janis Beth Wilkens
> Curator of Collections
> Museum of York County
> 4621 Mt. Gallant Road
> Rock Hill, SC  29732
> 803-329-2121  Fax: 803-329-5249
> Email: [log in to unmask]  ("Janis" in subject line)