Etymologically
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situation

Etymology and origin of the French word situation

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1375, Raoul de Presles
Ultimate origin
Latin (situs)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /si.tɥa.sjɔ̃/[1]

Forms

situation f (plural situations)[1]

Etymology

It is from French situer + -ation.[2][3][4][5][1] situer was borrowed in 1313 from Medieval Latin situō (“to place”), derived from Latin situs (“position, site”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Raoul de Presles uses it about 1375 for the position of the stars; the TLFi's first dated record is Jean Wauquelin's Girard de Roussillon (1447), for the site of a building.[3][4][6][2]

Semantic evolution

The concrete sense “site, location” was followed in the 17th century by the abstract sense: the circumstances of a country (Bouhours, 1676), of things (La Rochefoucauld, before 1680) and of a person (Boisguilbert, 1695).[2][6] In drama it named a critical moment of the action (1718), whence comique de situation (1876).[2][4] Être en situation de “to be in a position to” dates from 1714.[2] A situation became a job, a steady paid position, in Zola (1873), and être dans une situation intéressante “to be expecting a child” (1872) is a calque of English to be in an interesting condition.[2][7] The situationnistes (1958) gave the word a political sense.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1375 – The position of the stars, Raoul de Presles.[3]
  • 1447 – The site of a building.[2]
  • 1676 – The circumstances of a country, Bouhours.[2]
  • 1695 – The circumstances of a person, Boisguilbert.[2]
  • 1714 – Être en situation de.[2]
  • 1718 – A dramatic situation, Académie.[2]
  • 1872 – Situation intéressante.[2]
  • 1873 – A job, Zola.[7]
  • 1958 – Situationniste.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Position, location of a place or building: la situation d'une maison.[6][8]
  2. A situation, the circumstances one is in: une situation délicate, être maître de la situation.[6][9]
  3. Position, state of affairs: la situation politique, situation financière.[8][2]
  4. A job, steady position: avoir une belle situation.[8][7]
  5. (theatre) A dramatic moment in the action: comique de situation.[2][4]
  6. Être en situation de: to be in a position to, (dated) situation intéressante, pregnancy.[2]

Word family

  • situationnisme
  • situationniste

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  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 c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Situation.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/situation. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·