gazetteer
/ˌɡæzəˈtɪəɹ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.43 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person who writes for a gazette or newspaper; a journalist; (specifically) a journalist engaged by a government.
Archaic
verb
Synonym of gazette (“to announce the status of (someone) in an official gazette”).
Transitive verb
noun
A similar descriptive list (often alphabetical) of information on other subjects.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "Mount novv to Gallo-belgicus: Appeare / As deepe as a States-man, as a Gazettier."
- "Did I tell you I have made Ford Gazetteer, with two hundred pounds a year salary, besides perquisites."
- "So—Satire is no more—I feel it die— / No Gazeteer more innocent than I!"
- "[Richard] Steele had been appointed Gazetteer by Sunderland [i.e., Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, Secretary of State for the Southern Department], at the request, it is said, of [Joseph] Addison; and thus had access to foreign intelligence earlier and more authentic than was in those times within the reach of an ordinary news-writer."
- "Within a week, the amazed Gazetteers (Newspaper Editors we now call them) can behold the actual advent of horse, foot and artillery regiments at Magdeburg; actual rendezvous begun, and with a frightful equable velocity going on day after day."
- "The Hoſt look'd ſtedfaſtly at Adams, and after a Minute's ſilence aſked him "if he vvas one of the VVriters of the Gazetteers? for I have heard," ſays he, "they are vvrit by Parſons." "Gazetteers!" anſvvered Adams. "What is that?" "It is a dirty Nevvs-Paper," replied the Hoſt, "vvhich hath been given avvay all over the Nation for theſe many Years to abuſe Trade and honeſt Men, vvhich I vvould not ſuffer to lie on my Table, tho' it hath been offered me for nothing.""
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from French gazettier (archaic), gazetier (“journalist, newspaperman”) + English -eer (suffix forming agent nouns denoting people associated with or engaged in a specified activities). Gazettier, gazetier are derived from gazette (“newspaper”) + -ier (suffix denoting a profession); and gazette from Italian gazzetta, from Venetan gazeta, from gazeta dele novità (literally “a gazeta of news”) (referring to the cost of the newspaper, a gazeta being a Venetian coin of little value, whence English gazet (obsolete)), possibly a diminutive of Latin gaza (“riches, treasure; treasury”), ultimately from Old Median *ganǰam (“treasure; wealth”). The English word is analysable as gazette + -eer. The verb is derived from the noun.
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌɡæzəˈtɪəɹ/
- British English: /ˌɡæzəˈtɪə/