nepotism

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm/, /ˈniː.pə.tɪ.zəm/ (UK); /ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French népotisme,^[2][3][4][5] from Italian nepotismo,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from nepote “nephew”,^[2][3][4][5] from Latin nepos (“grandson, nephew”).^[2][3][4][5] It is related to English nephew.^[4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The privileges and opportunities for advancement enjoyed by a pope's nephew.^[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

A pope's “nephew” was often a euphemism for his natural son.^[4] The word widened to the practice of popes and other churchmen, and then of anyone, of favouring nephews and other relatives,^[7] especially in appointments to office,^[4][5] and it is now also used of favouritism towards friends and protégés.^[7][1]

Timeline

• 1650s – French népotisme.^[4]
• 1662 – the privileges of a pope's nephew;^[7][3] Etymonline gives the 1660s.^[4]
• 1670 – favouritism towards relatives.^[7][5]
• 1818 – fondness for one's nephews.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Favouritism shown to relatives, especially in giving jobs or positions.
2. Favouritism shown to friends or associates.

Word family

• nepotist
• nepotistic
• antinepotism

References

1. [1] [2] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. [1] [2] [3] [4] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. [1] [2] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press