dating phrases

[Fred Shapiro]

On Sun, 4 Feb 2001, Laurence Horn wrote:

> The Yale library put on an exhibit connected with the release of
> Spielberg's Amistad movie several years ago, and among the large
> number of documents on display was a letter thanking someone (maybe
> John Quincy Adams) for their role on behalf of "persons of color".
> This must have been written in 1842 or 1843.  I did transcribe the
> relevant information--date, identity of writer and recipient,
> etc.--but the relevant slip is in one my post-office-renovation boxes.
>
> Depending on what others turn up here, "person/people of color" may
> well be another candidate for the "dead-words-resuscitated" list.

The OED has citations for "of colour" going back to 1796, although the
early quotations may have a slightly different meaning from the
contemporary one.

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Public Services     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
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Yale Law School                             forthcoming
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