"fellow" = "A black man"
Jonathan Lighter
wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Wed Apr 6 18:53:45 UTC 2011
My SWAG is that an early OED editor was unduly impressed with the definition
of "fellow" in Bartlett's _Americanisms_ and mesmerized himself into seeing
it in the 18th C. ex. given.
JL
On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 2:43 PM, George Thompson <george.thompson at nyu.edu>wrote:
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> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> Subject: Re: "fellow" = "A black man"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> My impression is that "fellow" had negative implications in the 16th/17th
> C; implied low social status. This impression is probably derived from a
> footnote to a Shakespearean or other Elizabethan play.
> I also don't see that a description of a runaway slave as "a black fellow"
> indicates that "fellow" was reserved for blacks. The default condition for
> human beings in the 17th C was white -- as it is now, come to think of it --
> and so I wouldn't expect to find a notice for a runaway apprentice or
> indentured servant to specify "white fellow".
>
> I see from my notes, notices for:
> an Indian Man, about Eighteen Years old, and speaks good English: Had on
> when he went away, a grey Cloth Jacket, an old Pair of Trowsers, and an Iron
> Ring about his Neck, and one about his Leg, with a Chain from one to the
> other;
> A Negro Man, lately imported from Africa, his Hair or Wool is curled in
> Locks, in a very remarkable Manner;
> a Negro Man, Scipio, "Who had his Hands pinioned behind him", runs away;
> described: "his Buttocks pretty well marked with the Lash, speaks pretty
> good English, though somewhat thick";
> A Negro Man named Sam, well Limn’d, round faced, about 30 years of age, but
> looks younger; French born, but speaks pretty good English; is a good Cook,
> and was lately bought of Capt. James Delancey;
> a Negro Man named JACOB, belonging to Henry Brasier, and formerly known in
> this City, by the Name of the FU-FU Negro, or MONEY-DIGGER. He is between
> 40 and 50 Years of Age. . . . He speaks both English and Dutch, and was
> born and brought up in the Jersies;
> but:
> Jerry, "a negro fellow", "can talk good English, is a sly cunning fellow,
> and can play well on the violin";
> a very valuable Negro Fellow, getting too much Liquor, got into a Canoe in
> the Harbour, and after paddling about a little, tumbled over, and was
> drowned;
> a very likely lusty Fellow, and cannot speak a Word of English or Dutch, or
> any other Language but that of his own Country
> another Fellow who also address’d the Wench, not being received well, and
> jealous of Caesar, and having several Negro Friends, it is thought poor
> Caesar was Way-laid, and Murdered in that manner;
> two negro fellows who understand the leather dressing business [for sale]
>
> As for "fellow" by itself, applied to white rascals:
> the word is applied to Harry Burch "a sad Fellow" and "a fellow of Little
> Stature, tho' of great Roguery, and of a Young Aspect, But in a fair way
> never to be Old" in the Boston News-Letter of 1705;
> and several times in different newspapers to "the noted Vagrant Tom Bell",
> in the 1740s;
> also to
> "a Gang of Fellows of no good Aspect";
> James Rice, hanged for robbery & murder, "a thick well-set, well-limb'd
> Fellow, . . . with a Lock behind, which curls handsomely under his Cap" ;
> "a Parcel of Fellows" involved in a mugging;
> a fellow for Stealing was branded in the only Hand he had;
> a stout resolute Fellow with but one Hand, and ‘tis thought to be the same
> Fellow that was Branded in New-York about 4 Weeks ago;
> [and to other rogues].
>
> I have no instances of "fellow" applied to a respectable person. When
> John Pell, nephew of Mr. Pell, Esq., of Pelham Manor, was arrested for
> robbing his uncle, he wasn't labelled "fellow", but his accomplice, "a Negro
> fellow", was.
>
> Notices of runaways were often harmful to one's self esteem: [Mary Brown,
> runaway indentured servant] She is a so so-sort of a looking Woman,
> inclinable to Clumsiness, much Pockpitted, which gives her a hard Favour and
> a frosty Look, wants several of her Teeth, yet speaks good English and
> Dutch, about 26 or 28 Years old, perhaps 30.
>
> Harry Burch came to Bostpn from Philadelphia and told the editor of the the
> Boston News-Letter a very sad story, which the editor fell for; he was
> beside himself when he wised up. very entertaining.
>
> These are all from the 1760s or before. Exact references upon request.
>
> GAT
>
> George A. Thompson
> Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
> Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately. Working on a new edition, though.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2011 8:07 pm
> Subject: Re: "fellow" = "A black man"
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> > Frankly I'm unpersuaded that this was ever an actual "meaning" of
> "fellow."
> >
> > It seems to me that the word may have been used frequently following
> > "Negro," etc., but to my way of thinking, "fellow" would not have
> > *meant* a
> > "black men" unless people were saying such things as,
> >
> > "I came around the corner and I met a fellow."
> > "Really? What would a black man be doing here at Harvard in 1750?"
> >
> > At best, the connotations of "fellow" in the appropriate era may have
> > been a
> > little more heavily weighted toward black men than, say, those of "chap,"
> > but I'd be hard put to defend *defining* "fellow" as a black man. OED
> > offers
> > only two citations. Neither of them compels the definition.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 1:46 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster: Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject: Re: "fellow" = "A black man"
> > >
> > >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Might your analysis of advertisements merely reflect the fact that
> black
> > > men
> > > were being advertised for sale, and white men weren't?
> > >
> > > DanG
> > >
> > > On Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 1:11 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > > > Subject: Re: "fellow" = "A black man"
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > At 4/4/2011 05:33 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> > > > >Why would "fellow" in these examples be defined as anything more
> > than a
> > > > >euphemism for "man" or "person", especially when it is taking
> modifiers
> > > > such
> > > > >as "Mulatto" or "Negro"?
> > > >
> > > > I think my previous message also answers Dan's question. In EAN,
> > > > there is just one advertisement (over its 130-plus-year time span)
> > > > where "fellow" takes the modifier "white". There are thousands where
> > > > it takes the modifier "Negro", "mulatto", or "black". (Admittedly,
> > > > when no modifier/description was present, the presumption was
> > > > "white", so "fellow" without a modifier would refer to a white --
> > but
> > > > necessarily of the unesteemed lower classes (see OED, 10 a, b, c):
> > a
> > > > white of the middling classes was a "man" or a "woman".)
> > > >
> > > > (For "white fellow", I have -- I think properly -- excluded
> > > > quotations where "fellow" is itself a modifier, as in "white fellow
> > > > citizens". These are instances (as the OED says) of "attrib. and
> > > > Comb. C1. appositively (quasi-adj.)", specifically "c. (with n. of
> > > > relative signification.) Denoting a person or thing that stands in
> > > > the designated relation to the same object as another; Also
> > > > <fellow-citizen n.".)
> > > >
> > > > A little more research in EAN -- advertisements with:
> > > > British fellow -- 0
> > > > English fellow -- 0 (eliminating the 1 false positive)
> > > > Irish fellow -- 1 (eliminating the 2 false positives;
> > > > more frequent is "Irishman" -- 1,340 hits)
> > > > yellow fellow -- I did not attempt to count among the 278
> > > > hits. Some persons are called a "Negro" and then physically
> > > > described as a "yellow fellow". "Brown fellow" also appears (but
> > in
> > > > only one ad, 5 appearances) to describe skin color.
> > > >
> > > > Joel
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >DanG
> > > > >
> > > > >On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 5:13 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>
> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > > > Poster: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > > > > > Subject: "fellow" = "A black man"; also "secesh' noun & adj.
> > > 1862;
> > > > and
> > > > > > "nub" 1728
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The 1989 OED's earliest citation for "fellow" = "A black man.
> > U.S.
> > > > > > Obs." (sense 10.d) is from a 1753 advertisement: "Run away a
> > Mulatto
> > > > > > Fellow named Anthony. Whoever takes up said Fellow shall have
> > Three
> > > > > > Pounds Reward."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > There are many citations in Early American Newspapers, both
> earlier
> > > > > > than 1753 and near the 1860 date of the OED's only other
> quotation,
> > > > > > from Bartlett's Dictionary of Americanisms.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1) The earliest (EAN Search finds) is:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1716 -- Boston News-Letter; Date: From Monday November 12, to
> > Monday
> > > > > > November 19, 1716; Issue: 657; Page: [2]; Col. 2.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > A Likely young Negro Fellow, who has been Five Years in the
> Country,
> > > > > > to be Sold ... and to be seen at Mr. Robert Howard Merchant, his
> > > > > > House in Clark's Square Boston.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 2) The following, like the OED quotation, uses both "Negro
> fellow"
> > > > > > and "fellow" unqualified:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1728 -- New-England Weekly Journal [Boston]; Date: 12-09-1728;
> > Issue:
> > > > > > XC; Page: [4]; Col. 2.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ran-away ... a Negro Fellow named Primus, about 25 years of
> > Age, a
> > > > > > tall likely Fellow, speaks good English, & can read well, has
> > a Scar
> > > > > > on his right Cheek & a nub on the second joynt of his Thumbs.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Scar on right cheek and nub (OED 2.a. "A small knob or lump"?
> > Or
> > > > > > perhaps more likely 2.b. "A stump, stub, or remnant; something
> > cut
> > > > > > off short or imperfectly grown", although this sense is dated
> > from
> > > > > > a1834?) on both thumbs -- perhaps signs of mutilation for past
> > > > > > transgressions?]
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 3) "Mulatto Fellow" appears earliest in:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1733 -- American Weekly Mercury [Philadelphia]; Date: From
> Thursday,
> > > > > > July 5, to Thursday July 12, 1733; Issue: 706; Page: [4].
> > > > > >
> > > > > > RUN away ... from the Plantation of William Byrd, Esq; at the
> > Falls
> > > > > > of James River, in Virginia, a Mulatto Fellow ... Whoever shall
> > > > > > return him ether to the said William Byrd, Esq; at Westover
> aforesaid
> > > > > > or to his Overseer, Mr. George Booker, at the Falls of James
> River,
> > > > > > shall have Ten Pounds Reward, and reasonable Charges.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 4) "negro fellow" appears latest in:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > New-Hampshire Patriot [Concord]; Date: 12-09-1839; Volume: VI;
> > Issue:
> > > > > > 271; Page: [2].
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Horrid Murder.---As one of our citizens, Mr. Fullenwider, on
> Tuesday,
> > > > > > was at his plantation, at the High Shoals of the Catawba, he
> noticed
> > > > > > a negro fellow on a horse, fording the river. ... Loncolnton N.C.
> > > > Banner.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > {Our "citizen" is a Mister; our "negro" is a fellow, later in
> > the
> > > > > > article referred to only as "Abner".]
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 5) "mulatto fellow" appears latest in:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Barre [Massachusetts] Gazette; Date: 05-09-1862; Volume: 28;
> Issue:
> > > > > > 42; Page: [1];
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Let me kiss him for his mother---A secesh anecdote.---As the
> > last of
> > > > > > the rebel prisoners were entering the jail on Tuesday, a big
> mulatto
> > > > > > fellow from a neighboring slaughter house, who was making his
> > way
> > > > > > through the crowd of spectators, was somewhat jostled in the
> > > > undertaking.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [This fellow is later in the article referred to only as a
> > > > > > "darkey". For those curious, "secesh" (here A.b, "Secession",
> > > > > > equidates the OED's earliest quotation. Later the article
> > refers to
> > > > > > "The secesh dame", which is one year later than the OED's
> earliest
> > > > > > quote for "secesh" as an adj.]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Joel
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
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