géographie

Forms

géographie f (plural géographies)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin geōgraphia, first recorded in 1513,^[2][3][4] which is from Ancient Greek γεωγραφία (geōgraphía, “description of the Earth”).^[2][3][1] The Greek word is made of γῆ (gê, “earth”) and γράφω (gráphō, “to write”).^[3]

It is related to géographe (1532), borrowed from Late Latin geōgraphus, and géographique (1532), from geōgraphicus.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Lemaire de Belges writes Geographie in his Illustrations de Gaule (1513), for the description of the Earth.^[2][3] Rey notes that the word at first matched the medieval, largely descriptive and anecdotal picture of the world.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word kept its etymological sense while the science changed: it grew more scientific from the late 16th century with modern map-making, and in the 18th century its branches began to be named.^[3] Géographie physique was taken by the Trévoux dictionary (1740) as a calque of English, and the Encyclopédie (1757) has géographie historique, civile and politique.^[3] The 19th century added botanical and zoological geography, and in the early 20th century Vidal de la Blache spoke of géographie humaine.^[3] Géographie linguistique, the study of the areas covered by linguistic features, dates from 1912.^[5]

By metonymy the word came to name the physical reality that the science studies, the layout of a country or region (1835), and then a book on geography (1866).^[3][5] In familiar speech it is shortened to géo.^[6]

Timeline

• 1513 – Geographie appears in Jean Lemaire de Belges' Illustrations de Gaule.^[2]
• 1544 – The derivative géographien is recorded; it later gave way to géographe.^[3]
• 1740 – The Trévoux dictionary records géographie physique.^[3]
• 1757 – The Encyclopédie lists géographie historique, civile and politique.^[3]
• 1833 – The short-lived verb géographier appears.^[3][2]
• 1835 – The word is used for the physical layout of a place.^[3][5]
• 1866 – First recorded for a book on geography.^[3][5]
• 1912 – Géographie linguistique is used by Gilliéron.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Geography, the science that describes the Earth's surface and studies the physical, biological and human features found on it; also the school subject, often taught together with history as l'histoire-géographie.^[6][2][1]
2. The physical layout and features of a country or region: la géographie de cette vallée.^[3][5]
3. A book or treatise on geography.^[3][5]

Word family

• géographier

Related words

• géographe
• géographique
• Latin geōgraphia

Usage notes

The familiar clipping géo is common in school language.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert