"Nor'easter" -- missing definition? and an antedating

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/19/2010 01:25 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Literary? Then how explain customary nautical pronunciations "nor'east,"
>"nor'west," "nor'nor'west," etc.?

The highly-educated seamen and fishermen of pre-colonial, colonial,
and early Republic New England?  :-)

Joel

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