"among elsewhere"

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

Victor Steinbok quotes this bit from the blog of Spencer Ackerman
(formerly of TPMMuckraker, soon to be at the WashingtonIndependent):

http://toohotfortnr.blogspot.com/2007/12/all-this-talk-made-no-contact-no-matter.html

The Nazi expropriations, as detailed in, among elsewhere, this volume,
were a means of social repression, which is why they centered on Jews
and other undesirables.
.....

this is "among elsewhere" 'among other places'.  264 raw google
webhits.  some of these have the "among elsewhere" after the modified
phrase, as in

  One of the military’s new weapons for Iraq among elsewhere is a ray
gun a non lethal directed energy weapon that shoots a beam that makes
people feels as if ...
http://unobsolete.com/index.php

  Of course, the folks at Dr. Brown's are probably aware of the fact
(reported here among elsewhere) that their nipples work with Evenflo's
glass bottles ...
http://baby411.typepad.com/babybargains/2007/08/index.html

in this position, both "among other places" and "and elsewhere" are
possible, so you could try to see "among elsewhere" as a combo of them.

but many of the occurrences, like the one from Ackerman, precede the
modified phrase, sometimes at some distance:

  Information on the structure of type XVI collagen and the gene
encoding type XVI can be found, among elsewhere, in Pan et al., Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. ...
http://www.patentdebate.com/PATAPP/20050164345

  The extent of the contemporary music scene is illustrated, among
elsewhere, in the proliferation of commercial radio stations, totaling
486 in 1971..
http://books.google.com/books?isbn=0195063341...

  Animals find sustenance, among elsewhere, near the floor of the sea
and ocean, underneath solid rock, below the earth, and in frozen
wastelands.
http://books.google.com/books?isbn=9960967875...

  Among elsewhere, I believe he spoke on this subject at an Agudah
National convention years ago; his description of the Rebbe’s
activities in this area ...
http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/ 2006/09/30/for-them-yom-kippur-
was-easy-as-pie/

in this position, "and elsewhere" is not possible.  so this might just
be an extension of "elsewhere" to serve in the place of the longer
"other places".

of course, "elsewhere" does occur as the object of prepositions, but
in the sense 'somewhere else, some other point/place':

  IN: ... have increased their debt load at a higher rate while the
increase in per capita debt of local governments in elsewhere in New
York State has slowed. ...
http://regional-institute.buffalo.edu/sotr/Indicator.cfm?Indicator=82c0242a-45ba-4af6-b7be-8f7184cdd1ed

   IN: Many other countries have ambassadors accredited to Burkina
Faso, with most being resident in elsewhere in western Africa. ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_
of_diplomatic_missions_in_Burkina_Faso

  AT: Tables from schools were moved from the compound of schools in
Beddawi Camp and stored at elsewhere in Baddawi.
http://www.unrwa-lebanon.org/nle/?m=200706

  AT: Pics are posted at elsewhere in this Bulletin board, but the
link two posts above also shows them.
http://www.maingearforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=348

  TO: If you have to change to a train for onward travel to elsewhere
in Europe and you have any choice as to where to make the change, do
NOT choose Brussels. ...
http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/belgium/brussels/tips/train

  TO: THE MATERNITY department at the Eastbourne DGH looks set to be
downgraded and women who have high-risk pregnancies will be forced to
travel to elsewhere.
http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/ Hospital-set-to-be-downgraded.
3605686.jp

in such examples, the prepositions ("in", "at", "to") are usually
dispensable, since "elsewhere" by itself can be used for 'in/at/to
some place'.  with other prepositions, like "from", the preposition is
necessary:

  FROM: Invaders from Elsewhere. Flying Saucers,. Weirdness,. and Pop
Culture.
http://www.strangemag.com/invadersfromelsewhere1.html

  FROM: Relocating to Shanghai from Elsewhere in China
http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=169

in many of these prepositional examples, the sense of "elsewhere" is
not so much 'some other place' (specifically singular), but rather
'some other place or places' (number unspecified) -- a sense that
would provide a basis for the extension of "elsewhere" to specifically
plural reference ('other places'), as in the "among elsewhere" cases i
started with.

arnold

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