[Ads-l] Slight Antedating of "Communism"

[Shapiro, Fred]

This is a very slight antedating, but I think it worthy of preserving in view of the importance of the word.


communism (OED 1840 [22 Aug.])

1840 _New-York Commercial Advertiser_ 21 Aug. 2/1 (America's Historical Newspapers)

A man called Dufraisse ... brutally attacked his successors, the present editors of the _National_, and concluded with an exposition of the doctrines of _Communism_.


I am not sure what the policies of the OED are regarding dating letters in newspapers by the date on the letter, but this citation is an extract from a letter from Paris dated July 27th, 1840.

Fred Shapiro

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