pseudonyme

Forms

pseudonyme (plural pseudonymes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos, “bearing a false name”),^[2][3][4][1] a compound of the element seen in ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false”) and in French pseudo-, and of ὄνυμα (ónuma), a dialect form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”), the source of French -onyme.^[2][1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1690 in Furetière's dictionary, as an adjective describing an author who publishes under a borrowed name.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The adjective was also applied to a work written or published under a borrowed name (1762, Académie).^[2][6] As a noun it named the author (1800, Boiste) and the work (1813).^[2][3] The modern sense, the name a person adopts to hide his or her identity, appears in Balzac in 1834, and is now used above all for artists, writers and people in business.^[2][3] The adjectival uses are now dated.^[2][7]

The familiar clipping pseudo is dated to 1935 by the Petit Robert and to 1961 by Rey.^[7][3] Etymonline traces English pseudonym (1828) partly to the French adjective and to German.^[8]

Timeline

• 1690 – Furetière records the adjective, of an author.^[2]
• 1762 – The Académie applies it to a work.^[2][6]
• 1800 – Boiste records the noun for an author.^[2][3]
• 1813 – Used as a noun for a work.^[2]
• 1818 – Nodier uses the derivative pseudonymie.^[2][3]
• 1834 – Balzac uses it for an assumed name.^[2][3]
• 1935 – The clipping pseudo appears, according to the Petit Robert.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A pseudonym, a name chosen to hide one's identity, especially by a writer or artist: nom de plume, nom de guerre.^[7][9][10]

Adjective

1. (dated) Of an author: writing under an assumed name.^[2][7][6]
2. (dated) Of a work: published under an assumed name.^[2][6]

Word family

• pseudonymie
• pseudonymat
• pseudo

Related words

• anonyme
• pseudo-
• -onyme
• Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos)
• English pseudonym

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 l m n o 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)