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sociologiste

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Etymology and origin of the French word sociologiste

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1839 Auguste Comte, Cours de philosophie positive More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
French socio-,-logie,-iste
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French sociologie
English sociology
French sociologiste
From the same root
English sociologist ← sociologie

Forms

sociologiste m or f by sense (plural sociologistes)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French sociologie + -iste.[2] The GLLF derives it from sociologie or sociologisme, or both.[3] Auguste Comte coined the base noun in 1839 and used the derivative in the same work.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Comte used it in 1839, in the fourth volume of his Cours de philosophie positive, for a person who studies sociology.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Comte's sense of a student of sociology the word gave way to sociologue, which is now the usual term.[2] The adjective is recorded in 1893 in the Dictionnaire général with the sense “sociological”.[5][3] Larousse used the noun in 1888 for an adherent of sociologism,[3] and in the mid-20th century the adjective came to mean “relating to sociologism”, the doctrine that explains facts by society;[5][3] Merleau-Ponty wrote in 1945 of an individualist or sociologiste philosophy.[2]

Timeline

  • 1839 – Auguste Comte uses it for a sociologist.[2][4]
  • 1888 – Larousse uses it for an adherent of sociologism.[3][4]
  • 1893 – The Dictionnaire général records the adjective “sociological”.[5][3]
  • 1945 – Merleau-Ponty uses the adjective of a philosophy.[2]
  • 1964 – Larousse records the modern adjective “relating to sociologism”.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to or claiming the authority of sociologisme.[2][3][5]

Noun

  1. An adherent of sociologism.[3]
  2. (dated) A sociologist; now sociologue.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Sociologiste.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/sociologiste. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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