société French · revision 17000

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1165, Gautier d'Arras|origins=la socius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɔ.sje.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''société''' ''f'' (plural sociétés)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Académie wrote ''societé'' in 1694 and 1718, ''société'' from 1740.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|societās|t=association, community; partnership; alliance]], from [[m|la|socius|t=companion, partner, ally]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|12, 20a)^(Wiktionary) Rey traces the Latin noun, like [[sa|सखा|tr=sákhā|t=companion]], to an Indo-European word for a companion in arms.^(DHLF 1992) The inherited Old French form was [[m|fro|soisté|t=company]], used mainly in law for sharecropping, which survives in western dialects in a verb meaning “to lend each other animals”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Compare [[pro|societad]] (1103), [[es|sociedad]] and [[it|società]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Gautier d'Arras's ''Eracle'' (1176–84; about 1165 according to Rey and the Grand Robert) uses it for company, relations between people.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant an alliance (1355, Bersuire's Livy), a feeling of friendship (1560) and someone's company (''la société de quelqu'un'', 1580, Montaigne).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) A trade association is recorded in 1467, the Jesuits as ''la Société'' in Pascal (1656), a business partnership in La Fontaine (1668) and a learned society in the Académie (1740).^(TLFi)

+

+ From the 17th century it is people who meet for conversation or games, whence ''la société'' “polite society” (1756, Voltaire) and ''la haute société'' (1832).^(TLFi)^(BHVF) Bossuet (1670) uses it for the community of human beings united by the laws of collective life, and Buffon (1753) for animal societies.^(TLFi) In the 20th century came ''société de consommation'' (1968) and ''société postindustrielle'' (1971).^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1165 – “Company”, Gautier d'Arras.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1467 – A trade association.^(TLFi)

+ * 1580 – ''La société de quelqu'un'', Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1656 – ''La Société'', the Jesuits, Pascal.^(TLFi)

+ * 1668 – A business partnership, La Fontaine.^(TLFi)

+ * 1670 – Human society, Bossuet.^(TLFi)

+ * 1756 – ''La société'' “polite society”, Voltaire.^(TLFi)

+ * 1968 – ''Société de consommation''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|society]], the community of people living under common institutions: ''la société française'', ''vivre en société''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An organized group of animals: ''les sociétés d'abeilles''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # A [[m|en|company]], firm: ''société anonyme'', ''société à responsabilité limitée''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # An association, club: ''société savante'', ''société de chasse''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(dated)'' Company, companionship: ''rechercher la société de quelqu'un''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # High society; the people of a social circle: ''la haute société'', ''la bonne société''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sociétaire]]

+ * [[sociétal]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[social]]

+ * [[sociable]]

+ * [[associer]]

+ * [[sociologie]]

+ * [[la|societās]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}