[Ads-l] Etymology of ragtime; article by Fred Hoeptner

[Brett Bydairk]

This is interesting, but not at all the origin I learned some decades ago. I don't remember exactly where, who, or when, but the origin (as this person explained it) was because of the 'raggéd time' of the music; i.e. the melody (in some cases the bass line) was not constrained by a strict tempo, but occurred slightly ahead or behind the main beat, as if it floated around the beat.
Probably a 'folk etymology', but it's the one I heard.

Brett

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
George Bernard Shaw
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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at MST.EDU>
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2020 11:11 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Etymology of ragtime; article by Fred Hoeptner

For those who might be interested in the etymology of the term

ragtime, here is the link to a recently published item:

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/artlan_phil_facwork/155/



The 48-page article is by Fred Hoeptner, a retired engineer

with a longtime passionate interest in ragtime, and

appears in the latest issue of Comments on Etymology,

which I edit.



Gerald Cohen

Department of Arts, Languages, & Philosophy

Missouri University of Science & Technology

Rolla, MO 65409



cc. Fred Hoeptner


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