Foucault wrote surveiller as an impersonal imperative with no true English equivalent.

Evidence

Any closer translation of the French title of this book, Surveiller et punir, has proved unsatisfactory on various counts. To begin with, Foucault uses the infinitive, which, as here, may have the effect of an ‘impersonal imperative’. Such a nuance is denied us in English. More seriously the verb ‘surveiller’ has no adequate English equivalent. Our noun ‘surveillance’ has an altogether too restricted and technical use. Jeremy Bentham used the term ‘inspect’ – which Foucault translates as ‘surveiller’ – but the range of connotations does not correspond. ‘Supervise’ is perhaps closest of all, but again the word has different associations. ‘Observe’ is rather too neutral, though Foucault is aware of the aggression involved in any one-sided observation. In the end Foucault himself suggested Discipline and Punish, which relates closely to the book’s structure. — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 14

Categorization

• XREF: Directly supports the reader’s project of bridging Bentham’s ‘inspect’ to Foucault’s ‘surveiller’ and then to Orwell’s telescreens.