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catégorisation

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Etymology and origin of the French word catégorisation

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1853 More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origins
Proto-Hellenic *kətá,*agorā́Ancient Greek -εύω,-έωFrench -iser,-ation
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek κατά (katá)
Latin cata
Spanish cada
Ancient Greek κατήγορος (katḗgoros)
Ancient Greek κατηγορέω (katēgoréō)
Ancient Greek κατηγορία (katēgoría)
Latin catēgoria
French catégorie
Romanian categorie
French catégoriser
French catégorisation
The word's journey
From the same root
Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédrā) ← κατά
Ancient Greek κάθοδος (káthodos) ← κατά
Ancient Greek καθόλου (kathólou) ← κατά
Ancient Greek καταλέγω (katalégō) ← κατά
Italian cadauno ← κατά
Ancient Greek κατηγορικός (katēgorikós) ← κατήγορος
English category ← catēgoria

Pronunciation

  • /ka.te.ɡɔ.ʁi.za.sjɔ̃/[1]

Forms

catégorisation f (plural catégorisations)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French catégoriser + -ation.[2][1][3][4] The verb, recorded from 1845 and formed from catégorie, meant to sort into categories, in logic and linguistics.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and Rey date it to 1853;[3][5][4] the TLFi's first record is in Larousse's 19th-century dictionary (1866), and the GLLF has 1867.[2][6][7]

Semantic evolution

It is a learned word for the act of classing things by categories and for the result of that act.[2][5] In the 20th century it became a technical term of linguistics, for sorting linguistic elements into grammatical or lexical categories, and of social psychology, for classing observations of behaviour by a system of categories.[2][5]

Timeline

  • 1845 – The verb catégoriser is recorded.[4][5]
  • 1853 – First record of catégorisation.[3][4]
  • 1866 – Larousse's 19th-century dictionary records it.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (formal) Classification by categories, or the result of it.[5][2][6]
  2. (linguistics) The sorting of linguistic elements into grammatical or lexical categories.[2]
  3. (social psychology) The classing of observations of a person's behaviour by a system of categories.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
Cite this entry

“Catégorisation.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/cat%C3%A9gorisation. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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