jazz

[Jan Ivarsson TransEdit]

The French dictionary "Le Nouveau Petit Robert" (my ed. from 1993) gives under the word "jazz":
 - - - 1918; jazz-band 1908 "orchestre"- - -
They do not cite sources, and I do not have the big, 6 volume, Robert accessible, but it might be worth looking into.
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Gerald Cohen" <gcohen at UMR.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2001 7:23 PM
Subject: Re: JAZZ <-- JASS

- - - -
>     But just to make things interesting, I will write a check of $100
> to the first person who can provide me clear evidence that "jazz" (or
> any variant spelling) was used prior to 1913 in a musical or sexual
> sense. (The 1909 attestation in OED2 doesn't count; it has been
> proven to be a mistake.) My offer is a serious one, but unless
> something extraordinary happens, my money is perfectly safe.
>
> ---Gerald Cohen