nexus "to"

[Chris F Waigl]

James Knight wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       James Knight <jlk at INTERISLAND.NET>
> Subject:      nexus "to"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  From the BBC article "9/11 hijackers on US no-fly list"
>
>      http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5413462.stm
>
> is this:
>
> "They basically did a massive data dump and said: 'Okay, anybody
> that's got a _nexus to_ terrorism, let's make sure they get on the list.'"
>
> Is this in lieu of "connection to"? I don't see this sense in my
> version of OED. Nothing in ADS-L.
>
> There's a hint that this usage goes back a ways (I only have access
> to one newspaper archive with lousy OCR).
>
> "...nexus to terrorism..." comes up a lot in recent news articles.
>
> <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=318&pmid=7818&TS=1160151940&clientId=20582&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD>New
> York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.:
> <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=7818&pcid=33324421&SrchMode=3>Sep
> 4, 2006. pg. A.9
> "...cases like identity theft or immigration fraud that may have some
> nexus to terrorism..."
>
> <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=318&pmid=7559&TS=1160152006&clientId=20582&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD>The
> Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Mass.:
> <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=7559&pcid=33414031&SrchMode=3>Aug
> 17, 2006. pg. 02
> "...but there is no nexus to terrorism or a terrorist threat."
>
> <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=318&pmid=7653&TS=1160152034&clientId=20582&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD>The
> Washington Post. Washington, D.C.:
> <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=7653&pcid=33048921&SrchMode=3>Aug
> 15, 2006. pg. A.4
> "...individuals arrested have any direct nexus to terrorism,"
>
> Earlier, from July 1988, is an NYT article (from Proquest newspapers
> http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=960296901&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=20582&RQT=309&VName=PQD):
>
> "The definition of a related amenity was ''one which addresses a need
> directly arising from the project, i.e., which has a _nexus to_ the
> project, and which is identified during the environmental review
> process; or is otherwise specified by law.'' 'Disincentives to Development' "
>
> "nexus to" == "arising from" ??
>
De Quincey talks quite a bit about nexuses. First "nexus" in the
abstract. Then "any nexus between the different parts and successions of
our whole train of notices" . And in the next bit:

====
Indeed, let a man consider merely this one notion of causation; let him
reflect on its origin; let him remember that, agreeably to this origin,
it follows that we have no right to view anything in rerum naturâ as
objectively, or in itself a cause; that when, upon the fullest
philosophic proof, we call A the cause of B, we do in fact only subsume
A under the notion of a cause; we invest it with that function under
that relation, that the whole proceeding is merely with respect to a
human understanding, and by way of indispensable nexus to the several
parts of our experience; finally, that there is the greatest reason to
doubt, whether the idea of causation is at all applicable to any other
world than this, or any other than a human experience.

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey--Vol. 1, by Thomas de Quincey

http://ftp.it.net.au/gutenberg/1/8/8/6/18862/18862-h/18862-h.htm
====

Chris Waigl

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