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statisticien

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Etymology and origin of the French word statisticien

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1805 J. G. D. Arnold, Magasin encyclopédique More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Latin status
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French statistique
French statisticien

Pronunciation

  • /sta.tis.ti.sjɛ̃/[1]

Forms

statisticien m (plural statisticiens, feminine statisticienne)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French statistique + -ien.[2][1][3][4] The base word was borrowed in 1771 from German Statistik, a modern coinage on Latin status (“state”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1805, in an article by J. G. D. Arnold in the Magasin encyclopédique, meaning a specialist in statistics.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The noun has kept its first sense, a specialist who draws up and analyses statistics.[4][7] Bloch and Wartburg and the GLLF date it only from 1834 (Landais); the 1805 record is the earlier find of the Datations et documents lexicographiques.[5][8][6] An adjectival use is found in Colette in 1932.[2]

Timeline

  • 1771 – The base noun statistique is borrowed from German.[5]
  • 1805 – First recorded, in J. G. D. Arnold's article in the Magasin encyclopédique.[2][6]
  • 1834 – Recorded in Landais's dictionary, the date long given for the word.[8][5]
  • 1932 – Colette uses it as an adjective.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A statistician, a specialist in statistique who compiles and analyses statistics: Les statisticiens de l'institut ont révisé leurs prévisions.[2][4][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Statisticien.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/statisticien. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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