syndicat

Forms

syndicat m (plural syndicats)^[1] Middle French scindicat (1409) and sindicat (1477–1483).^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French syndic + -at.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Until the 16th century it followed the history of its base and was found mostly in the towns of the south of France.^[2] In Old Occitan sindegat (14th century) also meant the body of syndics.^[5] Littré compares Old Occitan sindicat, Spanish sindicado and Italian sindicato.^[6]

The base, first recorded in 1385 as sindiz, is from Ecclesiastical Latin syndicus (“representative and advocate of a town”), from Ancient Greek σύνδικος (súndikos, “one who assists another in court”).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded as scindicat in 1409, in the ceremonial of the consuls of Montpellier, in the sense “criticism, judgment”.^[2] Littré quotes a 16th-century example of this sense of censure from Claude de Seyssel: j'en seroie volontiers à syndicat “I would willingly submit to censure for it”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

From the late 15th century the word meant the office of a syndic (1477–1483) and the exercise or term of that office (1549, Estienne).^[2][5] The phrase faire syndicat “to join together to defend common interests” (1514) led to its use for an association of that kind,^[5] found as scindicat in 1649 for a body of officials;^[5][8] this legal sense developed fully only in the 19th century.^[5] About 1793 it was used once for a political assembly in a draft constitution.^[5]

It named an association for the defence of corporate interests in 1730,^[2][5] and a secret association of workers in police reports of 1807 and 1819.^[8] Bloch and Wartburg note that in the 19th century it was at first a stock-exchange term;^[7] Littré records it for capitalists pooling their shares in one enterprise.^[6] The current sense, an association defending the professional interests of wage earners, dates from 1839;^[7][5] it became the dominant one after 1871, so that the other senses now need a qualifier.^[5] Such phrases include syndicat financier (1870) and syndicat d'initiative, dated 1880 by Rey and 1890 by the TLFi.^[5][2]

English took syndicate from the French word in the 1620s, first for a council of representatives.^[9]

Timeline

• 1409 – Scindicat “criticism, judgment” is recorded at Montpellier.^[2]
• 1477–1483 – Sindicat means the office of a syndic, in the history of Gaston IV, count of Foix.^[2][10]
• 1514 – Faire syndicat “to associate in defence of common interests” is recorded.^[5][2]
• 1549 – Robert Estienne records the sense “exercise of the office of syndic”.^[2]
• 1620s – English borrows the word as syndicate.^[9]
• 1649 – Scindicat names an association of officials.^[8][5]
• 1730 – It is used of an association defending professional interests.^[2][5]
• 1839 – First record of the sense “workers' trade union”.^[7][5]
• 1870 – Syndicat financier is recorded.^[5]
• 1872 – Littré records the maritime sense, a district under a syndic.^[2][6]
• 1890 – Syndicat d'initiative “tourist office” appears in a letter of the prefecture of Isère.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (historical) The office of a syndic, or its term.^[4][11][2]
2. (historical) Under the old monarchy, the administrative system of rural parishes represented by syndics.^[4][10]
3. (maritime) A subdivision of a maritime district, administered by a syndic.^[4][12]
4. An association for the defence of common interests: syndicat de copropriétaires, syndicat de communes.^[11][4]
5. An association defending professional interests, especially a trade union of wage earners: syndicat patronal “employers' association”.^[11][12]
6. (finance) Syndicat financier, syndicat d'émission: a group of banks formed to place securities when they are issued, a syndicate.^[4][12]
7. Syndicat d'initiative: a local tourist office.^[11][12]
8. (figurative, often derogatory) A faction or lobby: syndicat du crime.^[1]

Word family

• syndicataire

Related words

• syndic
• syndical
• syndiquer
• Latin syndicus
• English syndicate

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
11. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
12. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)