DCHP-3

sovereignist

DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
sovereigntist, souverainiste

1adj. — Politics, French relations

supporting Quebec independence or self-government.

Type: 1. Origin — Sovereignist is used as an adjective attributively ("A sovereignist thinker") and predicatively ("She is sovereignist in her leanings"). Sovereignist is an anglicized version of the French adjective and was first used in English in Canada (see OED-3, s.v. "sovereignist"). Souverainiste, a direct borrowing from the French, is also used as a minority form (see, e.g. the 1979 quotation).
See also COD-2, s.v. "sovereignist", which is marked "Cdn", and OED-3, s.v. "sovereignist"(A), which is marked "orig. and chiefly Canad".
The term sovereignist denotes the same thing as separatist, but the connotations are radically different. For a Canadian from outside Quebec, a move for independence would separate a vital part of the country from the Rest of Canada, while for a sovereignist, the move would allow Quebec to free herself from a colonial relationship dating from the British Conquest of 1759. Given that most people in Canada have a strong opinions on the issue, which term is used conveys one's political position.

Quotations

1971
"I don't think any of these people are really sovereignist. They're trying to neutralize nationalism and put it into their corner. Their primary goals are social."
1979
Like the souverainiste movement as a whole, they are not against anything or anyone; they're thinking positively. Nationalism in Quebec "used to have negative aspects, but for the last 15 years or so the current of sovereignty-association has been positive. It has nothing against Canada."
1987
The PQ would become a party that is "clearly sovereignist and doesn't in any way try to hide it," says Parizeau, who has never shied away from describing himself as a separatist, relishing its shock quality before English-Canadian audiences.
1999
He also says sovereigntist forces would need to win more than a simple majority of 50 per cent plus one before Ottawa would agree to negotiate secession.
2006
Recognizing Quebecers as a nation could undermine national unity, fuel regional tensions and will likely be seized on by sovereigntist forces in a future referendum, he predicted. "In my opinion there is one nation and it is Canada."
2013
Nationalists have also been calling for "improved" teaching of Quebec history in the schools, scarcely bothering to conceal a connection with sovereignty. The "issue" keeps coming up in meetings of sovereignist parties - and only sovereignist parties. It is another expression of their belief that Quebecers reject sovereignty out of ignorance.
2016
Today's Quebec New Democrats are much closer to Quebec solidaire than to the provincial Liberals. The NDP's orange cousins in QS, despite their sovereignist tendencies, could offer some inspiration as the party desperately needs to reposition itself to the left of the federal Liberals.
2n. — Politics, French relations

a supporter of self-government for Quebec.

Type: 1. Origin — The historical record, both in the BCE and in the larger databases, suggests that the noun appears to have been derived from the adjectival uses, which is a somewhat unusual trajectory. Note that souverainiste remains a minority form (see, e.g. the 2012 quotation). Internet domain searches indicate that the term is most prevalent in Canada (see Chart 1).
See also COD-2, s.v. "sovereignist", which is marked "Cdn".

Quotations

1980
In yesterday's debate in the National Assembly on the referendum question, Claude Morin spoke on his 20 years of experience in federal, provincial and constitutional affairs. "I became a sovereignist because I could not accept that my nation should be more or less controlled and supervised by another," he said.
1991
At both his news conferences, Bourassa was asked if he is a sovereigntist or a federalist. He tried a lame joke, saying he was neither a sovereignist, nor a federalist, but a Liberal.
2001
As a sovereignist — a Québécois in favour of Quebec’s future independence from Canada — Goupil said she felt daycares offer a positive example of how people can work together.
2012
Then it was later revealed, once the aftershock had spread across the province, that the man behind the survey was Jean-Francois Lisee, long-time PQ adviser and staunch souverainiste.
2016
Sovereignists are invited to be pragmatic for now, but should the situation change, they can still cling to the notion that a staunch nationalist like Legault would be willing to rethink the Canadian compromise. Legault has never said "never" on a referendum after a decade of CAQ rule, and even the slightest bit of uncertainty is enough to dissuade federalists. So to grow and flourish, the CAQ believes it needs sovereignists; Legault's new strategist, Stephane Gobeil, is a staunch sovereignist who was recently an adviser to former PQ Premier Pauline Marois. In a blog post this week, Gobeil wrote rather bluntly about the "urgency" for francophones to take back control of their government, whatever that means.

References

  • OED-3
  • COD-2
  • BCE (2006--)

Images

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 15 Oct. 2012

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 15 Oct. 2012