[ADS- L] Ev idence for DECIMATE ( 'one in ten')

[Douglas G. Wilson]

And a few more:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Q6axt1o1w4oC&pg=PA448&dq=decimated+esquimaux+date:1850-1870&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0

1865: <<At Hopedale, out of a population of some two hundred,
_twenty-four died in the month of March last!_ At Nain, where the
number of inhabitants is about the same, twenty-one died in the same
month; at Okkak, also twenty-one. More than decimated in a month!>>

http://books.google.com/books?id=XYsvAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA15&dq=%22exactly+decimate%22&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0

1875: <<The Browne family at that time consisted of Mrs. and Mr.
Browne, four sons, and four daughters; so that the removal of any one
member would exactly "decimate the Brownes of Pedlington.">>

http://books.google.com/books?id=J6LQ2XS68a4C&pg=PA233&dq=%22nearly+decimating%22&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0

1862: <<In 1793 the yellow fever made terrible ravages, nearly
decimating the population, ....>>

-- Doug Wilson


--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1213 - Release Date: 1/7/2008 9:14 AM

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org