'lector' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'lector', where the root 'legere' meant 'to read'.

'lector' passed from Ecclesiastical/Medieval Latin into English usage (via Middle English and church usage) retaining the form 'lector' in contexts such as church office and academic titles.

Initially it meant 'one who reads'; over time the core sense remained but specialized into roles such as a church reader, an academic rank, or a reader for workers.