intelligentsia

Forms

intelligentsia f (plural intelligentsias)^[1] Also spelled intelligentzia; first found as intelligentia (1902), written intelligentsia from 1920.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Russian интеллигенция (intelligencija) (1901), the name of the class of reforming intellectuals in tsarist Russia at the end of the 19th century, which in turn comes from Latin intelligentia (“understanding”) (see intelligence).^[4][2][5] The wider sense “the intellectuals of a country or group” was taken from the English word intelligentsia (1914), of the same origin.^[2][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ossip-Lourié used it in 1902, as intelligentia, for the class of intellectuals in Russia.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

At first a term of history, it named the intellectual vanguard of tsarist Russia, many of whom joined the nihilist movement.^[2][4] Outside the Russian context it came to mean, from 1930, the intellectuals of a given milieu or group, a sense taken over from English.^[2][4] Quemada's datings note a still earlier mention, perhaps from 1895, in a Larousse dictionary.^[6]

Timeline

• 1902 – First found, as intelligentia, in Ossip-Lourié.^[2][6]
• 1920 – The spelling intelligentsia appears.^[2][5][3]
• 1930 – Maurois uses it for intellectuals in general, in his preface to a translation of Huxley.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (history) The class of intellectuals in tsarist Russia, a reforming vanguard.^[3][4]
2. The intelligentsia, the intellectuals of a country, milieu or group.^[3][4]

Related words

• intelligence
• intellectuel
• Latin intelligentia
• English intelligentsia

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
5. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF