Gaston Méry uses term “racisme” in French political writing

Gaston Méry (10 31 1866 – 6 17 1909), a French journalist and playwright, is among the first documented figures to use the term “racisme” in French nationalist and antisemitic political writings from January 1, 1890 to December 31, 1900. Méry’s usage helped popularize the noun form in political discourse, providing the linguistic bridge from 19th-century racial theories, such as those of Gobineau, to the English term “racism” first recorded in 1902.