humanisme

Forms

humanisme m (plural humanismes)^[1]

Etymology

The sources differ on its base: the Grand Robert, the Petit Robert, the GLLF and Rey's DHLF derive it from French humaniste (“humanist”), with the suffix -isme, under the influence of Humanismus;^[2][3][4][5] the TLFi forms it from French humanité + -isme.^[6] Bloch and Wartburg also note the German influence.^[7] The German word is derived from German human (“humane”).^[5] Both French words go back to Latin hūmānus (“human”).^[7][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found once in 1765, in the Éphémérides du Citoyen, meaning “love of mankind”, philanthropy, in line with humain and humanité in the Latin sense of “kindly”.^[6][5][7]

Semantic evolution

The isolated 1765 use left no trace.^[6][5] The word was taken up again about 1840, probably under the influence of German Humanismus, and Proudhon used it in 1846 for a doctrine that takes the human person and its fulfilment as its end.^[5][2][6] In 1877 the Revue des Deux Mondes applied it to the European intellectual movement of the 15th and 16th centuries that went back to the ancient sources against scholasticism.^[6][5] Both values, the general one (Sartre's title L'existentialisme est un humanisme) and the historical one, live on together.^[5][3] The TLFi also records it for a culture founded on the Greek and Latin classics.^[6]

Timeline

• 1765 – Isolated use for “philanthropy” in the Éphémérides du Citoyen.^[6][2]
• 1846 – Proudhon uses it for a doctrine centred on the human person.^[6][5]
• 1877 – The Revue des Deux Mondes uses it for the Renaissance movement.^[6][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (history) The Renaissance intellectual movement in Europe that returned to Greek and Latin sources and sought to raise the dignity of the human mind.^[3][6]
2. (philosophy) Any doctrine that takes the human person and its fulfilment as its highest end.^[3][4]
3. A culture or education founded on the classics.^[6][8]

Related words

• humaniste
• humanité
• humain
• humanitaire
• Latin hūmānus
• German Humanismus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
7. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette