gazetteer

Definition

A person who writes for a gazette or newspaper; a journalist; (specifically) a journalist engaged by a government.

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.

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!"