"Soldier"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 3/1/2009 10:35 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>By "technical contexts" I meant contexts where it was felt necessary to
>distinguish carefully.

Fair enough, and I would say then that all my quotations are technical.

But I just noticed something in the following two:

>In 1706 Joseph Dudley, the governor of Massachusetts, issued "A
>PROCLAMATION, For the better Regulation of Seamen and
>Marines."  Boston News-Letter, 1706 Nov. 4, page 3.  [EAN]  This
>clearly originated in America, and distinguishes sailors from
>"soldiers" -- although it applies to the marines of the royal navy.

Thus in 1706, a marine was not a seaman.  Otherwise Dudley would not
have had to name them too as a class covered by a legal proclamation.

>On Nov. 15, 1739, the King said to Parliament "And as in the
>Prosecution of this War, a Number of Soldiers, to serve on board the
>Fleet, may be requisiste; I have judged it proper, that a Body of
>Marines should be raised."  Boston News-Letter, 1740 March 6, page 1.  [EAN]

Thus in 1739 (and I would bet earlier), a marine was a soldier.

Joel

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