Q: "Leaguer" in Cooper's title?

[Joel S. Berson]

At 3/20/2010 05:50 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Doesn't the subtitle just "The Siege of Boston"?  That does seem to be the
>setting.

Yes, as I have myself in the meantime realized.  I see and confess my
error, and my inclination to avoid the simple for the complex or outre.

Joel


>JL
>
>On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 5:09 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
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> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Q:  "Leaguer" in Cooper's title?
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > James Fenimore Cooper's title is _Lionel Lincoln: or, The Leaguer of
> > Boston_.  I don't find an applicable sense in the OED for "leaguer,
> > n.1"  The OED has senses of "1. A military camp, esp. one engaged in
> > a siege; an investing force." and " 2. A military investment,
> > siege."  But nothing that applies to a person.  Does Cooper's title
> > require such a sense?
> >
> > I am also waiting until I reach the end of the novel to see whether
> > Cooper can fairly call Lincoln a "leaguer".  So far he has been only
> > a major in  the King's service, so he cannot be characterized as a
> > participant in a siege; rather, he is among the besieged in
> > Boston.  But Lincoln has now seemingly gone outside the British
> > lines, so perhaps he joins the besieging rebels later.
> >
> > Joel
> >
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