[Ads-l] Early Citation for "U.S.A."

Wed Jan 13 12:51:58 UTC 2021

1797, Oct. 17, Connecticut journal [New Haven; AmHistN] 2/3

Joshua Johnson, Esq.
Consul to the U. S. A.

Stephen G.

Johnson (1744-1802) consul in London
________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 7:26 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Early Citation for "U.S.A."

Here's an earlier citation for "U.S.A.":

1809 Rutland Vermont Herald 28 Jan. 3 (America's Historical Newspapers)  The Hon. JAMES MADISON is elected PRESIDENT of the U. S. A.

Fred Shapiro

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 10:11 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Antedating "U.S."

I
Here's another good one:

1792  The House, by message, had informed the Senate, that THE PRESIDENT of
the U.S. had signed the Post-Office Act.

II
This is undoubtedly for "United States Army":

1814 _Baltimore Telegraph_ (Dec. 23) 1: AMOS WOODWARD / Lieut. 14th Reg.
U.S.A.

But this isn't:

1817 _Franklin Herald_ (Greenfield, Mass.) (Sept. 16) 1: John Adams, Esq. /
Late President, U.S.A.

JL

On Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 4:54 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
wrote:

> Wondering if either of you, or anyone else to hand, has antedates for
> U.S.A., which the OED conflates with U.S. but provides no instances of.
> Presumably they have no cites prior to 1834 or they’d have listed them.
> Just curious what the time lag was between U.S. and U.S.A., I’m guessing
> with the former at least somewhat earlier (especially since military
> contexts might be absent).
>
> LH (please excuse duplicate messages--having mailer problems)
> LH
>
> On Jan 12, 2021, at 3:22 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:
>
> Great work, Jon !  Here's a slightly earlier citation:
>
> 1787 _Pittsburgh Gazette_ 3 Mar. 4/1 (America's Historical Newspapers)  W.
> FINNEY, Capt. first U. S. Reg.
> NOTE:  This occurs in a notice dated 1786.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 2:21 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Antedating "U.S."
>
> OED: 1834
>
> 1788 _Kentucky Gazette_ (Lexington) (Oct. 11) 1: Capt. 1st U.S. Reg.
>
> 1790 _Pennsylvania Packet_ (Phila.) (Apr. 26) 3: The bill for regulating
> the military establishment of the U.S.
>
> 1791 _Aurora General Advertiser_ (Phila.) (Dec. 6) 4: Constitution of the
> U.States....Laws of the U.S.
>
> 1797 _Hartford Courant_ (Sept. 11) 1: The part...will be lost by a division
> of the U.S.
>
> 1798  _Spooner's Vermont Journal_ (Windsor, Vt.) (July 17) 2: It will be
> proper to take into view the public audiance [sic] given to the late
> Minister of the U.S. on his taking leave of the executive directory.
>
> 1807 _Public Advertiser_ (NYC) (Jan. 20) 2:  In the House of
> Representatives of the U. States, on Thursday, Jan. 15, the bill providing
> for the punishment of certain crimes against the U.S. was read the third
> time and passed without a division.
>
> JL
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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