[Ads-l] Second Oldest Occurrence of "Scientist"

[Shapiro, Fred]

For very important terms, the second oldest occurrence may be of interest.  The earliest known use of the word scientist appears in an article by William Whewell in the March 1834 issue of the Quarterly Review.  I have found what I believe is the second oldest occurrence of scientist:

1834 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal August 402 (Google Books)  It would be made the object of a special expedition of scientists (as they are called at Cambridge).

The specific association of the word with Cambridge University is not surprising, since Whewell taught at Cambridge, but it may be of some interest to historians of science, as may the dissemination to India.

Fred Shapiro

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