Symposium

Symposium, being a Latin word ending in -um, forms its plural, at least in academic circles, as symposia. Informal English may refer to 'symposiums': students are recommended not to use this.

A symposium is essentially a gathering of scholars to discuss a particular subject, and sometimes a book arising out of, or substituting for, such a gathering. It is derived from the Greek συμπόσιον (sumposion), 'a drinking party'. The association of academics with drink, which may strike some students as satirical, can be traced back to one of Plato's dialogues, the Symposium. This is one of the Platonic dialogues: it deals with love, being a conversation between friends after a banquet on the subject.