Antedating of "Gerrymander"

[Baker, John]

        Wouldn't the Boston Gazette drawing (entitled "The Gerry-mander") of March 26, 1812, be a further slight antedating?  See http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr113.html.

        Notwithstanding which, Fred's is really a very nice quote and shows how quickly the term was received.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Fred Shapiro
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 9:22 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Antedating of "Gerrymander"


This is an antedating of only a few days, but it is highly important in
view of the fact that this is one of the most celebrated Americanisms.


gerrymander (OED 1812 [23 May], DA 1912 [2 Apr.])

1812 _Salem Gazette_ 27 Mar. 2 (Early American Newspapers)  The
Gerrymander District.  The Legislature having left their
illegally-begotten child (our Senatorial district) without a name, people
have been puzzled how or what to call it; till at length a name is fixed
to it by the discovery in the county of Essex of a horrid monster, which
the learned Dr. Watergruel is of opinion belongs to the Salamander tribe;
... as it is not a perfect Salamander in all its members, he has decreed,
in compliment to his Excellency, that its name shall be the _Gerrymander_;
and this furnishes a name for our district, which will henceforth be known
as the _Gerrymander District_.  The Boston Gazette contains a drawing of
this hideous monster.

Fred Shapiro


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