[Ads-l] Hella research inquiry

[Peter Reitan]

The formulation "hell of" appears numerous times in the 86-87 Berkeley High yearbook.

Hella appears in 88 once, and several times in 89 yearbook.


https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/topics/berkeley-history/personal-history
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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 11:42:47 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Hella research inquiry

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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
Subject:      Hella research inquiry
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For a student working at the Yale Grammatical Diversity Project, I=E2=80=99=
m wondering if anyone has any suggestions on early cites and history of =
=E2=80=9Chella=E2=80=9D.  OED and HDAS both have 1987 for the earliest =
cite, but I suspect that can now be antedated. At HDAS, Jon classifies =
it as a prefix but it=E2=80=99s clearly shed that restriction when used =
in frames like the attested =E2=80=9CThis chair reclines hella=E2=80=9D, =
and I=E2=80=99d be inclined to go with the OED=E2=80=99s entry listing =
it as an adverb (=E2=80=9Chella fast/smart/funny=E2=80=9D) and adjective =
(=E2=80=9Chella memory/pride/stairs=E2=80=9D).  Our survey results are =
generally consistent with the widespread view that it=E2=80=99s a =
Californianism (although while the shibboleth still associates it with =
Northern California, that appears to no longer be true), while also =
showing that it=E2=80=99s expanded well beyond that. (DARE doesn=E2=80=99t=
 have a separate entry, and just one cite, from Berkeley, within the =
entry for =E2=80=9Ctight=E2=80=9D. In terms of etymology, can we go =
beyond the OED=E2=80=99s disjunctive suggestion, "Probably shortened < =
either helluva adj. or hellacious adj.=E2=80=9D?  Is there any =
literature the student should check out?  We=E2=80=99d be hella =
grateful!

LH =20=

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