[Ads-l] Antedating of Jamboree

Thu Mar 14 18:48:28 UTC 2019

I don't remember whether I've posted this here before, but there is at least one earlier example of "Jam bo ree" that is consistent with early African-American usage.

An advertisement for "White's New Ethiopian Song Book" in 1850 lists the contents of the book, including an entry for a song, "Whoop! Jam-bo-ree."

The Pittsburgh Daily Post, July 3, 1850, page 2.

HathiTrust has a collection of Minstrel songbooks published in 1854 that appears to include the "White's New Ethiopian Song Book" in its entirety.

HathiTrust has another undated minstrel songbook with a different title, but which includes the lyrics of a song by the same title.

Both books have the same lyrics.

[Excerpt]
"Whoop, Jam-Bo-Ree, - Jig.  As sung by the original Dan Emmett, (in imitation of the western boatmen,) at White's Melodeon.

I went down to New orleans, I tink myself a man,
De first place I fotched up was on board de Tallyrann.
Chorus- Whoop, jam-bo-ree! Whoop, jam-bo-ree!
Vinegar shoes and paper stockings, Git up! ole hoss!"
. . .
[End Excerpt]

White's New Ethiopian Song Book, page 16, included as part of the collection, Christy's and White's Ethiopian Melodies comprising The Melodeon Song Book; Plantation Melodies; Ethiopian Song Book, Serenader's Song Book, and Christy and Wood's New Song Book,  Philadelphia, T. B. Peterson & Brothers,  1854.

Also, Christy's Panorama Songster, New York, William H. Murphy, undated, page 135.

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To: ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu
Sent: 3/14/2019 2:44:55 AM
Subject: Antedating of Jamboree

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Subject: Antedating of Jamboree
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Etymonline now lists the following for "jamboree": "1866, "carousal, noisy
drinking bout; any merrymaking," represented in England as a typical
American English word, perhaps from jam (n.) on pattern of shivaree
[Barnhart]. For the second element, Weekley suggests French bourree, a kind
of rustic dance. Century Dictionary calls the whole thing "probably
arbitrary." Klein thinks the word of Hindu origin (but he credits its
introduction into English, mistakenly, to Kipling). Boy Scouts use is from
1920. It is noted earlier as a term in cribbage."

The above theories seem quite arbitrary and the "Hindu origin" theory does
not explain why or how the term would come to be so strongly associated
with the native Black American population of the US. I maintain in my
research that the term jamboree [d=CA=92=C3=A6mb=C9=99=C9=B9i=CB=90 / d=CA=
=92=C9=91mb=C9=99=C9=B9i=CB=90] "celebration, f=C3=AAte,
inauguration" is of African origin, from the Mandinka jomboroo
[d=CA=92omboro=CB=90] "celebration, f=C3=AAte, inauguration."

The Mandinka term is derived from the Mandinka jombo "to celebrate" + -roo
"a Mandinka suffix (that transforms an active verb to a noun).

The Mandinka/African origin would explain the strong association of the
term jamboree with the native Black American population of the US, its
status as an "Americanism," and its early, 1854 usage as "celebration,
f=C3=AAte" in the 1854 article that Reitan referenced in the following
passage(s):

*"The word was in use in Cleveland in 1854 to refer to a party hosted by a
firehose company. It appears in a collection of Cleveland newspaper
abstracts compiled in the 1930s.*

*The Annals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland W.P.A. Project;
distributed by the Cleveland Public Library, 1936, page 119:*

*"FCD [Forest City Democrat (original name of the Cleveland Leader)] Jan.
7, 1854: 3/1 =E2=80=93 The boys of the Hope fire company No. 8 are going to=
have a
big time at their jamboree on Jan. 12, and national hall will be crowded to
overflowing. They expect to realize enough from this festival to make a
substantial payment toward the purchase of a new engine which will cost
about $2,500.""*

-- Zola Sohna

__________________________________________
"[Ads-l] Antedating of Jamboree
Peter Reitan pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM
Wed Feb 14 15:26:15 EST 2018

*Etymonline.com lists 1866, Merriam Webster online lists 1861,
Oxforedictinoaries.com lists mid-19th Century. All sources refer to it as
an Americanism. Etymonline suggests possible derivation from jam (crowd)
influenced by shivaree, a variant of Charivari, a noisy post-wedding party
frequently involving tin-horns and banging tin-plates, a precursor to the
tin-cans on the back of the get-away car.*

*1850: Pittsburgh Daily Post, July 3, 1850, page 2. Song title in a
listing of songs in an advertisement for White's New Ethiopian Song Book,
"Whoop! Jam-bo-ree!".*

*A copy of that songbook, apparently unchanged (with original pagination),
is wholly found within a later published collection songbooks. The
collection is on HathiTrust, and entitled Christy's and White's Ethiopian
Melodies, comprising the Melodeon Song Book, Plantation Melodies, Ethiopian
Song Book, Serenader's Song Book and Christy and Wood's New Song Book,
Philadelphia, T. B. Peterson & Brothers, 1854.*

*The song title in the book suggests a western origin, and possible
African-American origin:*

*"Whoop, Jam-bo-ree. - Jig. As sung by the original Dan Emmett, (in
imitation of the western boatmen,) at White's Melodoen."*

*The lyrics do not give much insight into its intended meaning. The first
verse and chorus are, "I went down to New Orleans, I tink myself a man, De
first place I fotched up was on board de Talleyrann. Chorus: Whoop,
jam-bo-ree! Whoop, jam-bo-ree! Vinegar shoes and paper stockings, Git up!
ole hoss!"*

*The word was in use in Cleveland in 1854 to refer to a party hosted by a
firehose company. It appears in a collection of Cleveland newspaper
abstracts compiled in the 1930s.*

*The Annals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland W.P.A. Project;
distributed by the Cleveland Public Library, 1936, page 119:*

*"FCD [Forest City Democrat (original name of the Cleveland Leader)] Jan.
7, 1854: 3/1 =E2=80=93 The boys of the Hope fire company No. 8 are going to=
have a
big time at their jamboree on Jan. 12, and national hall will be crowded to
overflowing. They expect to realize enough from this festival to make a
substantial payment toward the purchase of a new engine which will cost
about $2,500."*

*[END]*

*By 1861, the word could be used to refer to a fist-fight or scuffle.*

*Vanity Fair, December 28, 1861:*

*=E2=80=9C'What ails my Love?=E2=80=99 asked Glorianna, regarding his face =
for the first
time; 'whence come these bruised cheeks, those bloody nose, this puffy lip
and ensanguined mug? Blow me if I don=E2=80=99t think you=E2=80=99ve been o=
n a jamboree!'=E2=80=9D*
*[END]"*

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