étatiser versus nationaliser

Is there a difference? For example, in English, you would say that a corporation (or bank) that the government took over has been "nationalized." But you only use it regarding a big enterprise. Otherwise, you speak of something being "state-run" or "government-run." Maybe "nationaliser" is also used for corporations and "etatiser" is not?

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EducatorPermalink Reply by George Hunt on February 10, 2013 at 12:30am

I don't have first hand experience of those words but logic would say that "nationaliser" would be a more normal way of saying it than "étatiser" since the nation is a more accessible notion (yes ,notion not nation!) than the state.

Both those words (nation+state) exist in equivalent form in English and so I suppose they have identical meanings to those in French (la nation and l'état).

I would hazard that "étatiser" has a more limited sense in the same way that the State is a limited (subordinate) part of the Nation. It also ,to my sense, has a more technical feel to it.

But,as I say , I can't be sure how the 2 words are actually used in French.( although a quick glance through Google returns seems to indicate that "nationaliser" may indeed be the more common usage.

I am sure there are nuances that I wouldn't know of.

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on February 10, 2013 at 8:55am

In fact, in reality, in France, we never use "étatiser", but we used to hear "nationaliser", in the same way and in the same meaning you said "a corporation has been nationalized".

I look for, but it seems that "étatiser" is a synonym, and I didn't find where it's used. Maybe in books, not to repeat "nationaliser".