[Ads-l] Antedating of "Aviator"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The first sense for "aviator" listed in the OED corresponds to the
flying machine itself and not the pilot. The citations begin in 1891.

Below is an 1867 citation for "aviator" that corresponds to a flying
machine. In addition, below is an 1873 citation which describes a
flying machine called an "aviator". I suspect that this is the same
machine mentioned in the 1867 citation.

The 1873 device is a balloon with wings. The wings can flap because
they are attached to a "one-horse power engine". The device is
supposed to be steerable via a rudder.

Since the 1873 flying machine was a balloon it was probably
lighter-than-air. This is important because the OED sense suggests
that the "aviator" machine was heavier-than-air. I think it would be
natural to enlarge the sense of "aviator" to encompass the early
flying machines that were labelled "aviator" and were
lighter-than-air.

[Begin information from OED]
aviator, n.
1. A heavier-than-air aircraft; a flying-machine (aeroplane n. 2).
Also attributive. Obsolete.

1891   Brooklyn Morning Jrnl. 22 July 1/6 (Funk)   Mr. Maxim's
invention is called an Aviator. It is in form like a huge kite of
silk, to which hangs a platform carrying the engines and the screw
propellers.
[End information from OED]

Date: January 12, 1867
Newspaper: The Montana Post
Newspaper Location: Virginia City, Montana
Article: Pen and Scissors: California
Quote Page 7, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
The San Francisco papers announce that the Aviator or Flying Machine
will be completed and make its trial trip shortly. Scientific men and
engineers are reported to have examined it, and pronounce the
principle correct and express the opinion that it will be a success.
[End excerpt]

Date: July 25, 1873
Newspaper: The Missouri Republican
Newspaper Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Article: The Flying Machine: Ballooning in San Francisco--Why an
Experiment Failed: The Locomotive of the Future--Interview With a
Resolute Balloonist
Quote Page 3, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
Yesterday afternoon an attempt was made at the city gardens to take an
aerial trip in a small model of Prof. J. C. K. Fairview's "Aviator," a
flying machine. Great pains and not a little expense had been incurred
to inflate the model and to demonstrate on a minor scale the
practicability of a long voyage in the full-sized balloon.
. . .
The motive power of the wings is vested in a small one-horse power
engine, which work them similarly to those of a bird in motion. The
steering apparatus consists of a rudder built to resemble a bird's
tail, sixteen feet wide and nine feet in length, and is of a similar
construction as the wings.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Sep 13, 2020 at 8:18 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> aviator (OED 1887)
>
> 1886 tr. Jules Verne in _The Boy's Own Paper_ 20 Nov. (19th Century U.K. Periodicals)  "Mr. Aviator," he said, "you who talk so much of the benefits of aviation, have you ever aviated?"
>
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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