ethnographie

Forms

ethnographie f (plural ethnographies)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French ethno- + -graphie.^[2][1][3][4] The element ethno- is from Ancient Greek ἔθνος (éthnos, “people, nation”),^[2][1] and -graphie is from Ancient Greek -γραφία (-graphía).^[1] The DHLF thinks it was probably borrowed from German, where Niebuhr used it in 1810.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1819 in Boiste's dictionary, at first for the classification of peoples by their languages.^[2][3][5][4]

Semantic evolution

The dictionaries of the first half of the 19th century give the word as rare or unused.^[3][5] During the 19th century, especially after 1870, its sense was set off against the older ethnologie: ethnographie became the descriptive study of human groups.^[5][4] Its derivatives ethnographique (1823) and ethnographe (1827) are older than ethnologue.^[5][4]

In current use it means above all the descriptive field study of the customs of particular peoples, by direct observation.^[2]

Timeline

• 1810 – Niebuhr uses the word in German.^[5]
• 1819 – First recorded in Boiste's dictionary.^[2][3][5]
• 1823 – Ethnographique is recorded.^[5][4]
• 1827 – Ethnographe is recorded.^[5]
• After 1870 – Its sense is set off against ethnologie.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. ethnography, the descriptive and analytical study of human groups, their ways of life and customs, based on fieldwork.^[2][4][6]
2. (obsolete) The classification of peoples by their languages.^[4][5]

Word family

• ethnographique
• ethnographe

Related words

• ethnologie
• ethnie
• ethnique

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse