tribune

noun

an official in ancient Rome chosen by the plebeians to protect their interests.

late Middle English: from Latin tribunus, literally ‘head of a tribe’, from tribus ‘tribe’.

1. an apse in a basilica.
2. a dais or rostrum, especially in a church.

mid 17th century (denoting the principal room in an Italian mansion): via French from Italian, from medieval Latin tribuna, alteration of Latin tribunal (see tribunal).