Etymologically
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social

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:46. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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)