"Africo-American", not in OED; from 1817

[Jonathan Lighter]

The use by some of "Africo-American" might conceivably suggest the use
of "African American" to others.

OTOH, the population using "Africo-" might have been small enough and
sophisticated enough to eschew "African-" as insufficiently erudite.

But if it took hold in speech, via mishearing, we might not have
evidence trill many years later.

Not that the existence of "Africo-" is a necessary or a sufficient
condition for "African-."

JL



On Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 2:02 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      "Africo-American", not in OED; from 1817
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> This is the first of 4 lists of terms used to refer to
> African-Americans.  I have picked up early citations, and generally
> stopped at about 1860.  Some of the terms did continue in use thereafter.
> ----------
>
> ["Africo-American" not in OED.  1817 to 1913 here.]
>
> 1817 -- "Then may the sable Africo-American, who shook his manacles
> at the conservators of the rights of man, while he was dragged
> through the city of Liberty, raise his unfettered hands, and again
> exclaim, 'Hail Columbia, happy land, / Hail ye heroes, heaven-born band.'"
>
> Jesse Torrey, A Portraiture of Domestic Slavery, in the United States
> ... (Philadelphia: The Author, 1817), p. 62.  Gbooks.
> -----
>
> 1826 -- "Monrovia ... Lott, Carey, Colston, M. Waring,
> Africo-American Missionaries."  [In "List of Missionary
> Stations".  Lott and Carey, at least, were African-Americans.]
>
> The Baptist Magazine for 1826.  Vol. 18. London: Wightman and Cramp,
> 1826.  Supplement, 1826.  p. 620.  GBooks.
> -----
>
> 1831 -- "The Hartford New-England Weekly Review, of Monday, contains
> the following paragraph: 'Just as our paper was made up for press, we
> received the Boston Liberator containing an account of an outrage
> said to have been committed on some of our Africo-American
> population, by two students of Washington College. ...'"
>
> The Liberator [Boston], Aug. 6, 1831, p. 127, col. C.  19th Century
> U.S. Newspapers.
> -----
>
> 1836 -- "Resolved, that his exertions to procure for the oppressed
> Africo-American, his proper rights, will stand as a monument of his
> justice and humanity, as long as men shall revere the one, or
> practice the other."
>
> The Liberator, Dec. 24, 1836, p. 208, col. 3.  19th Century U.S. Newspapers.
> -----
>
> 1839 -- "We have heretofore expressed our views on the above
> subjects, and it is well known that while we wage unceasing,
> uncompromising war against Colonization as it is understood among us,
> and promulgated by the great Africo-American Colonization Society, we
> are not so hostile to voluntary emigration."
>
> The Colored American, Nov. 16, 1839.  Accessible Archives/African
> American Newspapers.
> -----
>
> 1848 -- "Turn your faces in every direction, whithersoever you may,
> and where is there a parish, county, or single corporation, in which
> the Africo-American is entirely free ...?"
>
> The North Star, Aug. 11, 1848.  Accessible Archives/African American
> Newspapers.
> -----
>
> 1867 -- "I am convinced, as you are, that the Africo-American will
> vindicate by his action his claim to manhood and equality."
>
> The New Orleans Tribune (La Tribune de la Nouvelle-Orleans), July 25,
> 1867, p. 4, col. 3.  African-American Newspapers, 1827-1998.
> -----
>
> 1888 -- "Africo-Americans of the North to look to the interests of
> yourselves and brethren in the South."
>
> The Christian Recorder, Sep. 20, 1888.  Accessible Archives/African
> American Newspapers.
> -----
>
> 1913 -- "William T. Vernon, D. D., A. M., President Campbell, A. M.
> E. College, Jackson, Miss., and one of the Africo-American foremost
> speaker of matchless ability ... appeared at the Auditorium March 12,
> 1913, at 7:30 p. m."  [This is William Tecumseh Vernon, President of
> Campbell College in 1913.]
>
> The Freeman, April 5, 1913, p. 6, col. 5.  African-American
> Newspapers, 1827-1998.
> -----
>
> Joel
>
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