Etymologically
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identifier

Etymology and origin of the French word identifier

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1610, Pierre Coton
Ultimate origin
Medieval Latin (identificō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French identifier
English identify

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /i.dɑ̃.ti.fje/[1]

Forms

identifier[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from scholastic Latin Medieval Latin identificāre (“to make alike”),[2][3][4][5] recorded about 1300 in England, from Latin idem (“the same”) and Latin facere (“to make”) (see identique, identité).[2][3] Littré explains it as “identique” + “-fier”.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Jesuit Pierre Coton (1610) used it for understanding two things under one idea: Tous y seront égaux, identifiez avec leur premier principe.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Rousseau's Confessions (written 1764–1766) have the reflexive s'identifier “to merge, become one” (mon cœur... s'identifie à ceux qui le flattent).[2][3] Mme de Staël (1784) used it for recognising who someone is (un destinataire non identifié), and Montalembert, rarely, for “to make identical” (1836).[2][3]

From 1864 (Renouvier) it meant recognising the nature of something, at the end of the 19th century establishing someone's civil identity (identifier un cadavre), and in 1935 assigning something to a class (identifier un accent).[3][7] The verb and its derivatives later specialised for the recognition of a person by a technical system (s'identifier “to log in”, identifiant).[3][1] Identification was borrowed in 1610, and identifiable is used from 1905.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1300 – Scholastic Latin identificare in England.[2]
  • 1610 – In Pierre Coton, identification.[2][3]
  • 1766 – S'identifier in Rousseau.[2]
  • 1784 – “To recognise”, in Mme de Staël.[2]
  • 1864 – “To recognise the nature of”, in Renouvier.[2]
  • 1905 – Identifiable.[3]
  • 1935 – Of a class, in the Académie.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To identify (with), to equate: identifier une chose à une autre.[8][7]
  2. To identify, recognise: identifier un malfaiteur, un cadavre, objet volant non identifié.[8][9]
  3. To identify as belonging to a class: identifier des plantes.[8][7]
  4. (reflexive) S'identifier à: to identify with.[8][2]
  5. (computing, reflexive) To log in.[1][3]

Word family

  • identification
  • identification
  • identifiable
  • identifiant
  • identificateur
  • identificatoire
  • identique
  • identiquement
  • identitaire
  • identité
  • Latin idem

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Identifier.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/identifier. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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