Plural of doyen; the most respected or prominent members of a particular group or profession based on age and experience.
From French 'doyen,' derived from Latin 'decanus' (leader of ten), which itself comes from 'decem' (ten). The term evolved to mean the senior or most experienced member of a group rather than literally someone leading ten people.
The word 'doyen' comes from the same Latin root as 'dean'—both originally meant leading a group of ten! It's a perfect example of how a specific number-based job title became a fancy way to say 'the most senior person in the room.'
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