Pardon our French

January 9th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

“Chauvinism” is not a good thing to be accused of. The formal definition is “unreasoning devotion to one’s race, sex, etc. with contempt for other races, the opposite sex, etc.” There was a time not too long ago when the term “male chauvinist pig” was encountered fairly frequently.

The older definition of “chauvinism” is “militant, unreasoning, and boastful devotion to one’s country” or “jingoism.” This is more in line with its inspiration, one Nicolas Chauvin, a soldier in the service of Napoleon I.

Among all the imperial fanatics of his time, he apparently was the most fanatical. His unwavering allegiance to Napoleon and his cause earned him a place in the dictionary.

As for Napoleon, his name is synonymous with three things: a former gold coin of France; a card game similar to euchre; and a type of puff pastry. Compared with Chauvin, he got off easy.

Entry Filed under: word origins