Still Further Antedating of "Finalize"

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Fri Feb 8 14:23:03 UTC 2013


I have found the following still earlier antedating of "finalize" (OED 1922):

1813 _Memoirs of the Columbian Chemical Society of Philadelphia_ vol. 1 [article beginning on page 145] (American Periodical Series)  If we abstract oxygen from an animal, and feed the system upon nitrogen, one of the ingredients in our atmosphere, death will be the immediate consequence, or if we reverse the practice and give oxygen alone, death will finalize the scene.

It still seems that "finalize" is an Australianism in the sense of a word that was popularized in Australia, but it does not after all appear to be an Australianism in the sense of a word originating in Australia.

Fred Shapiro

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