cultural historical activity theory

[Joanne M. Despres]

Your query about the origin of cultural-historical activity theory
didn't seem inappropriate to me at all!  However, I wasn't able to
find any information about the word in our databases or files.  You
say you've found the phrase used in Marx -- would this be in the
German text or in an English translation from the German?  Is it
possible the English term was coined as a calque on a German
locution?  Or is it possible that the term was coined very recently
(and is being used in restricted circles) to name an intellectual
movement that originated in Marx?  It's important to distinguish
between the origin of a WORD and the origin of the THING that
word represents -- they're completely different entities.

In any case, sorry for the lack of information.

Joanne Despres
Merriam-Webster

Joanne Despres
Merriam-Webster, Inc.