végétarien

Forms

végétarien (feminine végétarienne, masculine plural végétariens, feminine plural végétariennes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English vegetarian, first as an adjective (1873) and then as a noun (1875).^[2][3][4] The English word, recorded as a noun from 1839 and as an adjective from 1849 according to the TLFi (1842 according to the Robert dictionaries), was made from vegetable (“plant, vegetable”) by replacing its ending with ⟨-arian⟩, the ending of names of sects and schools of thought such as Unitarian.^[2][4][5] That noun itself goes back to Old French vegetable.^[4][3] Rey adds that the English word owed its success to the Vegetarian Society, founded in 1847.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective is first found in 1873, in the title of a cookery book by Hahn on vegetarian cooking from beyond the Rhine, probably the German pharmacist Theodor Hahn, who promoted a vegetarian diet.^[2][4] The noun, “a person who eats no meat”, follows in 1875.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Before the borrowing, French had used légumiste in this sense (1867).^[3] Végétarien was applied both to a person who eats only plant foods and to one who simply eats no animal flesh,^[3][2] and as an adjective to the diet and its principles: a régime végétarien, a restaurant végétarien.^[5][6] The Académie also notes an occasional use for animals, meaning “herbivorous”.^[7]

The derived végétarisme appears in 1878, modelled on English, and replaced the earlier végétarianisme (1877).^[3]

Timeline

• 1873 – The adjective appears in the title of Hahn's book on vegetarian cooking.^[2][4]
• 1875 – First recorded as a noun, in a Swiss review, according to Littré's Supplement.^[2][6]
• 1877 – Littré's Supplement enters the noun.^[2]
• 1878 – The Larousse supplement records the adjective.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Eating no meat or other animal flesh, in line with vegetarianism, as in Ma sœur est végétarienne depuis dix ans.^[5][1][7]
2. Relating to vegetarianism, containing no animal flesh: a régime végétarien, a restaurant végétarien.^[5][1][7]
3. Occasionally, of animals: herbivorous.^[7]

Noun

1. A vegetarian.^[5][1][8]

Related words

• végétarisme
• végétal
• végéter
• English vegetarian

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette