publiciste

Forms

publiciste m or f by sense (plural publicistes)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French public + -iste.^{[2][1][3][4][5]} The sense “advertising agent” was taken (1906) from the American English word publicist.^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1748, in the Nouvelle Bibliothèque germanique, for a writer on public law.^[2][7][3]

Semantic evolution

From 1789 it also meant a journalist: Marat called his newspaper Le Publiciste parisien.^[2][3][4] From 1845 it was used of a writer on politics or economics.^[7][4] The legal sense and the journalistic ones have since aged,^[4][6] partly because the word was borrowed again in 1906 from American English, where publicist meant a publicity agent;^[4][2] Rey sees in this a wish to give the profession a less transparent name than publicitaire.^[4][2] English had publicist for a writer on current affairs from 1795, from the French word.^[8]

Timeline

• 1748 – First recorded for a writer on public law.^[2][7]
• 1789 – Marat's newspaper Le Publiciste parisien.^[2]
• 1795 – English publicist “writer on current topics” is taken from French.^[8]
• 1845 – Bescherelle records it for a political writer.^[7]
• 1906 – P. Adam uses it for an advertising agent.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (dated) Someone who writes for newspapers, a journalist.^[6][9][10]
2. (law) A legal expert, a jurist, specializing in public law.^[6][10][11]
3. (dated) A writer on politics or economics.^[7][12]
4. (improper) An advertising agent, a publicitaire.^[6][9]

Related words

• publicité
• publicitaire
• publicisme

Usage notes

Larousse warns against confusing publiciste (from public) with publicitaire (from publicité), the usual word for someone working in advertising.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b 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 Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
12. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette