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social

Etymology and origin of the French word social

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1355, Bersuire
Borrowed from
Latin socialis
Ultimate origin
Latin (socius)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin socius
Latin societas
French société
Latin socialis
English social
French social
Latin socialiter
Latin socialitas

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɔ.sjal/[1]

Forms

social (feminine sociale, masculine plural sociaux, feminine plural sociales)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin sociālis (“of allies; made for society, sociable”), derived from socius (“companion, ally”).[2][3][4] It was borrowed several times with different senses of the Latin word.[3] The same Latin family gave société about two centuries earlier.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pierre Bersuire's translation of Livy (1355) has social in the Latin sense “militarily allied”; this survives in guerre sociale (1636), Rome's war against its Italian allies.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Raoul de Presles's vie socielle (1375), the life of a citizen, became Charron's vie sociale (1601).[3][5] About 1506 it was used of a person pleasant to others and fit for living in society (1530), senses later taken over by sociable.[3] From 1557 it meant “relating to society”, and vie sociale, life in society, is recorded in 1683, in Bayle according to Bloch and Wartburg.[3][4] It only became common in the 18th century, partly through Rousseau's Du contrat social (1762).[4][6][5] Auguste Comte speaks of phénomènes sociaux in 1830; in the 19th century it took the sense, opposed to political, of what concerns the condition of the working classes (question sociale, 1834), the source of socialisme (1831) and socialiste.[5][7][4] In company law siège social is a firm's registered office.[1]

Timeline

  • 1355 – “Allied”, in Bersuire's Livy.[2]
  • 1375 – Vie socielle, the life of a citizen.[5][3]
  • c. 1506 – “Pleasant to others”.[3]
  • 1557 – “Relating to society”.[3][6]
  • 1636 – Guerre sociale, in Monet.[2]
  • 1762 – Rousseau's Du contrat social.[5]
  • 1830 – Phénomènes sociaux, in Auguste Comte.[5]
  • 1831 – The derivative socialisme.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to a society and to the relations of its members: rapports sociaux, les sciences sociales, classe sociale.[8][9]
  2. Living in societies: animaux sociaux.[9][5]
  3. Relating to the living and working conditions of the population, especially of workers: la question sociale, sécurité sociale, logement social.[7][8][1]
  4. (law, commerce) Relating to a company: siège social.[1]
  5. (ancient history) Of allies: la guerre sociale.[2]

Noun

  1. Le social: social questions and the policies dealing with them.[10]

Word family

  • socialement
  • socialiser
  • socialisme
  • socialiste
  • socialité
  • social-démocrate

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

  • et · also from Latin
  • de · also from Latin
  • ne · also from Latin
  • je · also from Latin
  • avoir · also from Latin
  • être · also from Latin
  • tu · also from Latin
  • tout · also from Latin
Cite this entry

“Social.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/social. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·