généalogie

Forms

généalogie f (plural généalogies)^[1] 13th century genelogye.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin genealogia, itself from Ancient Greek γενεαλογία (genealogía) with the same meaning.^[3][4][5][6] The Greek noun is derived from γενεαλόγος (genealógos, “one who studies genealogy”), a compound of γενεά (geneá, “race, family, generation”) and λέγω (légō, “to say”).^[5][7][8]

Littré compares Old Occitan genologia, Spanish genealogía and Italian genealogia.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found at the end of the 12th century in Evrat's verse Genèse, for the line of a person's ancestors.^[3][8][5]

Semantic evolution

From the line of ancestors that shows descent, the word came to name the table that sets it out (15th century).^[5][8] From 1674, in Malebranche, it was used figuratively for the history of a development in successive stages,^[8][5] and in 1713 it became the name of the science of family origins.^[5][8]

By analogy it was applied in 1731, in Voltaire, to the descent of thoroughbred animals, compare pedigree,^[5][8] and in the 20th century, in biology, to the descent of living species.^[5] The adjective généalogique is older than most of these senses (1480), and généalogiste is found in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1654.^[5]

Timeline

• late 12th century – Evrat's Genèse has the first record.^[3]
• 13th century – The Saint Graal has the form genelogyes.^[2]
• 15th century – It names a genealogical table.^[5][8]
• 1480 – The adjective généalogique appears.^[5][4]
• 1654 – Cyrano de Bergerac uses généalogiste.^[5]
• 1674 – Malebranche uses it of the history of a development.^[8]
• 1713 – It names the science of family origins.^[5][8]
• 1731 – Voltaire applies it to animals of a breed.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. The line of ancestors from which a person or family descends, a pedigree or lineage.^[9][3][10]
2. A table or work setting out this filiation.^[3][8]
3. genealogy, the science of the origin and composition of families.^[9][10][11]
4. The descent of thoroughbred animals, or in biology of living species.^[9][5]
5. (figurative) The successive stages in the history of something.^[9][8]

Word family

• généalogique
• généalogiste
• généalogiquement

Related words

• Latin genealogia
• English genealogy

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
3. ^ a b c d e 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
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 96a
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)