receptionist 的词源

“受雇于办公室接待客户的人”，这个词在1900年出现，来源于 reception（接待） + -ist（表示职业或身份的后缀）。

最初多见于摄影工作室。

Let me not forget the receptionist — generally and preferably, a woman of refined and gentle manners, well informed and specially gifted in handling people of varied dispositions. A woman especially who knows how to handle other women, and who can make herself beloved by the children who may visit the studio. A woman, also, who in a thoroughly suave and dignified way, knows just how to handle the young man of the period so that the photographer may be glad to have his business. What a power the receptionist is when properly chosen and trained. It is not too much to say that she can both make and destroy a business, if she has the amount of discretionary power given to her in some galleries. [John A. Tennant, "Business Methods Applied in Photography," Wilson's Photographic Magazine, October 1900]

让我不要忘记接待员——通常是一个举止优雅、温文尔雅的女性，知识渊博，特别擅长应对各种性格的人。尤其是，她要懂得如何与其他女性打交道，并能赢得来访儿童的喜爱。同时，她还应该以一种非常圆滑而又庄重的方式，懂得如何与年轻男性相处，这样摄影师才能乐于与她合作。选择和培训得当的接待员是多么重要啊！可以说，她在某些画廊中拥有的自由裁量权，足以成就或毁掉一个业务。[约翰·A·泰南特，《摄影中的商业方法》，《威尔逊摄影杂志》，1900年10月]

早期在神学和法律中作为形容词使用（1867年）。