Etymologically
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népotisme

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 18:27. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ne.pɔ.tism/[1]
  • IPA: /ne.pɔ.tizm/[1]

Forms

népotisme m (plural népotismes)[1] Written nepotisme by the Académie in 1694 and 1718, népotisme from 1740.[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian nepotismo, recorded in Italian only from 1672,[2][3][4][1][5] derived from nepote (“nephew”) (Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF write “nipotismo”, “nipote”),[2][3][6][7] from Latin nepōs (“grandson; nephew”), the source of neveu.[4][8][9] English “nepotism” (17th century) was taken from French.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Guez de Balzac, in a letter to Conrart of 28 April 1653, says he would not exchange a friendship pour le Népotisme du Cardinal Pamphilio: the favour shown by popes to their nephews.[10][2][3]

Semantic evolution

A 1669 translation from Italian was titled Le népotisme de Rome, on the reasons that lead popes to enrich their nephews, and Bayle (1697) compares nepotism to a dying beast that bites hardest at the end.[10] Furetière (1690) records it as a term used in Italy of a living pope's nephews.[10]

By extension, from 1800, it is the favour shown by a person in office to relatives, friends and connections, now the usual sense.[2][3][11]

Timeline

  • 1653 – Papal favour to nephews (Guez de Balzac).[10][2]
  • 1669 – Le népotisme de Rome, a translation.[10]
  • 1672 – Italian nepotismo recorded.[2][3]
  • 1690 – First recorded in a dictionary (Furetière).[10]
  • 1800 – Favouritism towards relatives and friends.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Nepotism, the use of one's position to obtain jobs and favours for relatives and friends; favouritism.[11][12]
  2. (history) The favour shown by some popes to their nephews and relatives.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 95b
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b c d e f Steinfeld, Nadine; Buchi, Éva, eds. (2005–), TLF-Étym: révision des notices étymologiques du Trésor de la langue française informatisé, Nancy: ATILF
  11. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  12. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)