Refugee Was Coined for French Protestants
A refuge is a place of safety. The word refugee entered English for Huguenots fleeing France in 1685.
A refuge is a place providing shelter from danger. The related *refugee* entered English for a specific group: French Protestants fleeing after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The word generalised over the following centuries, and the 1951 Refugee Convention gave it a definition in international law.
- A place of safety. *A mountain refuge.*
- Shelter. *Take refuge.*
- Refugee — one who has fled. *A refugee family.*
- Traffic refuge — an island in a road. *A pedestrian refuge.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | refuge | A safe refuge. |
| Plural | refuges | Mountain refuges. |
| Person | refugee | A registered refugee. |
| Related | fugitive | An escaped fugitive. |
| Related | asylum | Seeking asylum. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The word was coined for Huguenots.After 1685.
- Refuge and fugitive share a root.Latin *fugere*, to flee.
- Asylum seeker and refugee differ in law.See below.
Terms in international law
- Refugee — recognised as having a well-founded fear of persecution
- Asylum seeker — someone whose claim has not yet been decided
- Migrant — a broader term covering all movement
- Internally displaced person — forced from home but still within their country
- Stateless person — not recognised as a national by any state
From Old French *refuge*, from Latin *refugium*, from *re*, back, and *fugere*, to flee.
Refugee or asylum seeker?
An asylum seeker has applied for protection and awaits a decision. A refugee has been recognised as needing it.
Why were Huguenots called refugees?
Because they fled France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, and the French word for those taking refuge came into English with them.