premisser

Premisser is a coinage used to describe a person who presents the premises of an argument. In logic and critical thinking, premises are propositions that support a conclusion. The term is not widely attested in standard dictionaries and is considered informal or niche, but it appears in some theoretical discussions about argumentative roles or rhetoric.

Origin and form: Premisser is formed from the noun premiss (alternate spelling of premise) with the agentive suffix -er, creating a word that designates a doer of the action. Because 'premisser' is uncommon, writers may opt for alternatives such as 'proponent of the premises' or 'premise proposer'. The usage helps distinguish the act of presenting premises from the propositions themselves.

Usage and examples: When used, the term identifies the speaker responsible for providing the initial premises upon which an argument is built. A typical sentence might read: 'The premisser stated the two premises on which the argument rests.' Due to its rarity, many authors prefer more conventional terms like 'proponent' or 'premise proposer'.

Relation to related terms: The concept relates to 'premise' and 'premiss' and to broader notions in argumentation theory, such as the roles of speaker, claimant, or proponent. It is distinct from 'premise' as a proposition and from 'premises' as a building location in everyday usage. See also Premise; Premiss; Proponent; Argumentation theory.