journaliste

Forms

journaliste m or f by sense (plural journalistes)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French journal + -iste.^[2][1][3][4] The TLFi and the Grand Robert date it from the “Dictionnaire de Trévoux” of 1704; the DHLF and the Petit Robert give 1684, and Quemada's datings record it in a lexicon of 1703.^{[2][3][5][6][7]}

Earliest recorded meaning

The Dictionnaire de Trévoux (1704) defines it as a person “qui fait un journal ou qui y travaille”, who makes a journal or works on one.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

The word replaced the classical nouvelliste.^[5] In the 18th century it meant both the person who ran a periodical and one who worked for it, and especially what is now called a critic, who reviewed books as they came out.^[5] The Académie defined it from 1835 to 1935 as the one who makes or edits a newspaper, a sense now dated.^[2]

Littré also records it as a printers' term for a compositor working on a newspaper.^[8] Today it covers all the intellectual professions of the press, written, spoken or televised: editor, reporter, columnist and so on.^[5][4] The word and its derivative journalisme changed with the history of the press.^[5] A regional use for a newspaper seller is also recorded.^[7]

Timeline

• 1684 – First date given by the DHLF and the Petit Robert.^[5][6]
• 1703 – Recorded in a lexicon.^[7]
• 1704 – Entered in the Dictionnaire de Trévoux.^[2][3]
• 1705 – The derivative journalisme appears, first for “the newspapers as a whole”.^[5]
• 1814 – The adjective journalistique is recorded.^[5]
• 1835 – The Académie defines it as the maker or editor of a newspaper.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A journalist, a person who writes for or works on a newspaper, a press agency, or a radio or television news service: journaliste sportif, journaliste parlementaire.^[6][4][1]
2. (dated) The person who runs or publishes a newspaper.^[2][6][4]
3. (printing, obsolete) A compositor who works on a newspaper.^[8]

Word family

• journalisme
• journalistique
• photojournaliste

Related words

• journal
• jour

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette