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démographique

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Etymology and origin of the French word démographique

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1861 Presse scientifique des Deux Mondes More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek δῆμος,γράφω
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French démographie
French démographique

Pronunciation

  • /de.mɔ.ɡʁa.fik/[1]

Forms

démographique (plural démographiques)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French démographie + -ique, from the stem of the noun.[2][1][3][4] Rey notes that the adjective and the noun démographe are both first recorded in 1861.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1861 in the Presse scientifique des Deux Mondes, cited by Littré, in the senses “relating to demography” and “relating to the quantitative development of populations”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The adjective first referred to démographie as a science, a use the TLFi now calls rare.[2][5] The usual sense today describes the population itself, seen mainly in terms of its numbers, as in poussée démographique and évolution démographique.[2][6] The TLFi also notes the adverb démographiquement, used by the economist Perroux.[2]

Timeline

  • 1861 – First recorded, in the Presse scientifique des Deux Mondes;[2][5] démographe appears the same year.[2][5]
  • 1873 – Littré defines it as “belonging to demography”.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to demography as a science.[2][6]
  2. Relating to the size and growth of a population: une hausse démographique rapide.[2][6][4]

Word family

  • démographiquement

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Démographique.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9mographique. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·