agence

Forms

agence f (plural agences)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably borrowed from Italian agenzia, from agente (“agent”).^[2][3][4][5] The TLFi and Rey also allow that it may be formed within the language from French agent, under the influence of the older verb agencer, which has a separate source, on the model of pairs such as résident and résidence or pénitent and pénitence.^[5][6] Bloch and Wartburg list it simply among the derivatives of that noun.^[7] Against the Italian origin, the first sure record of the Italian word is late: the TLFi notes that the DEI dates it to the 16th century but other Italian dictionaries only to the late 17th or early 18th, and Rey too calls its first sure record late.^[5][6]

That noun came from Italian in 1578, and goes back to Latin agō (“to act, do”) through its present participle.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Colbert's letters (1653) use it for a trading office or counter set up abroad.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Furetière (1690) defines it as the post of one who handles another's affairs, said only of agents of princes or of great bodies such as the clergy: l'Agence generale du Clergé est fort recherchée.^[5][3] In 1797 it named an establishment acting as a commercial intermediary, and agence d'affaires seems to come before agent d'affaires; in the 19th century it became a commercial company (the Agence Havas, 1840).^[5][6] The Académie (1835) records it for an administration run by one or more agents.^[5][3]

Usual phrases are agence matrimoniale (about 1870), agence théâtrale (1890), agence de voyage (1898) and agence de presse (20th century), which gave agencier, a journalist working for a press agency.^[6] In some African countries agence spéciale is an administrative office that handles funds.^[6]

Timeline

• 1653 – Colbert uses it for a trading office abroad.^[5][6]
• 1690 – Furetière defines it as the post of an agent.^[5][6]
• 1797 – It names an establishment acting as commercial intermediary.^[5][6]
• 1835 – The Académie records it for an administration run by agents.^[5][3]
• 1840 – The Agence Havas is founded.^[5][3]
• c. 1870 – Agence matrimoniale appears.^[6]
• 1898 – Agence de voyage appears.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (obsolete) The post or office of an agent, as in the former agence du clergé.^[3][5][4]
2. An administrative body that coordinates resources in a given field: l'agence régionale de l'eau.^[3]
3. A business that acts as an intermediary; an agency, bureau: agence matrimoniale, agence de voyages, agence immobilière, agence de publicité, agence de presse.^[3][4][1]

Word family

• agencier

Related words

• agent
• Italian agenzia

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France