[Ads-l] "gavel" antedatings

Fri Jan 13 04:40:03 UTC 2023

Here is a (hopefully non-paywalled) link to my WSJ column on "gavel," which
includes Stephen's 1842 cite among others (linking to this thread). Thanks
again to all for help with the research.

https://on.wsj.com/3WcOCAW

--bgz

On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 7:55 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> Excellent find, Stephen. Here a link to the clip:
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116204777/the-presidents-gavel/
>
> On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 7:34 PM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu>
> wrote:
>
>> 1842, Nov. 23, Wed,. Baltimore Sun 4/1 [proquest]
>> Washington City, Nov. 21st.
>> The Board of Common Council convened this afternoon, as usual, in their
>> Chamber at the City Hall, and, at four o'clock, a tap of the President's
>> gavel brought them to order.
>>
>> sg
>> ________________________________
>> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Ben
>> Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2023 6:18 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Subject: Re: "gavel" antedatings
>>
>> Thanks to Garson and Stephen for the cites from 1832 and 1837. Those cites
>> would appear to fit under OED's sense 1, which relates to the use of the
>> gavel in the ritual practices of the Freemasons and similar
>> fraternal groups like the Odd Fellows. See e.g. this OED3 cite:
>>
>> 1826   W. Morgan Illustr. Masonry 13   The Master..gives a rap with the
>> common gavel or mallet, which calls up both Deacons.
>>
>> So far the 1843 example is the earliest I've seen for "gavel"/"gavil" in a
>> legislative or other extended context, which antedates OED's sense 2.
>>
>> --Ben
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 4:38 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
>> adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Here are two citations in the March 1837 issues of a periodical. In
>> > the first citation, the gavil is struck three times to call an
>> > assemblage to order.
>> >
>> > In the second citation, the gavil is struck three times to initiate
>> > the next stage of a ceremony.
>> >
>> > These citations might be transitional between the ‘Masonic ritual’
>> > sense and the ‘call for order’ sense.
>> >
>> > I cannot access SG’s citation, so I do not know if the gavil makes a
>> > sound in SG’s citation. The link contains proxy.lib.duke; hence it may
>> > only work for computers with Duke library access.
>> >
>> > Date: March 1837
>> > Volume 1, Number 4
>> > Periodical: The Covenant: A Quarterly Periodical Devoted to the Cause
>> > of Odd-Fellowship
>> > Quote Page 199
>> >
>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://books.google.com/books?id=NHo4AQAAIAAJ&q=*22the*gavil*22*v=snippet__;JSslIw!!OToaGQ!qAM8gQLXiUUtdrGBnuEAZ5qiqFm3nPQBVRvWZ1NGrAQPKt3v_U1MVHicumjjjCA0x9ZoWTLdrrGbreuL$
>> >
>> > [Begin excerpt]
>> > The M.W.G. Master called the assemblage to order by three distinct
>> > sounds of the gavil, and the ceremonies of the day commenced by an
>> > interesting prayer offered up by the R.W. Grand Chaplain, P.G. Samuel
>> > Guest--after which a most beautiful anthem composed for the occasion
>> > by brother John H. Hewitt was exquisitely sung by a choir . . .
>> > [End excerpt]
>> >
>> > Quote Page 202
>> >
>> > [Begin excerpt]
>> > The procession will enter the Theatre covered; after they are all in
>> > and seated, the Grand Master will give three raps with the gavil, as a
>> > signal for them to uncover.
>> > [End excerpt]
>> >
>> > Garson
>> >
>> > On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 2:36 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > The OED3 entry for "gavel, n.3" has two senses, the first being "a
>> type
>> > of
>> > > stonemason's hammer" as used in Masonic rituals, with cites from 1760.
>> > > Sense 2 is "a small hammer or mallet, typically made from wood, with
>> > which
>> > > a judge, chairperson, (later) auctioneer, etc., hits a surface to call
>> > for
>> > > attention or order, or to confirm a decision," with cites from Aug.
>> 1848.
>> > > Here are a few antedatings for sense 2 -- note the variant spelling
>> > > "gavil," not given by the OED.
>> > >
>> > > ---
>> > >
>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116154015/the-gavil-of-the-chair/__;!!OToaGQ!qAM8gQLXiUUtdrGBnuEAZ5qiqFm3nPQBVRvWZ1NGrAQPKt3v_U1MVHicumjjjCA0x9ZoWTLdrnsdIO15$
>> > > Daily Madisonian (Washington, DC), Feb. 15, 1843, p. 3, col. 1
>> > > Mr. Arnold was induced to say that, unless order was restored, the
>> > > Committee might as well rise at once. [...] The voice and the gavil of
>> > the
>> > > Chair partially produced this desirable result.
>> > > Same article in: Indiana State Sentinel, Feb. 28, 1843, p. 2, col. 2
>> > >
>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116154090/the-gavil-of-the-chair/__;!!OToaGQ!qAM8gQLXiUUtdrGBnuEAZ5qiqFm3nPQBVRvWZ1NGrAQPKt3v_U1MVHicumjjjCA0x9ZoWTLdrqGE1huh$
>> > > ---
>> > >
>> >
>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116149640/the-sound-of-the-speakers-gavil/__;!!OToaGQ!qAM8gQLXiUUtdrGBnuEAZ5qiqFm3nPQBVRvWZ1NGrAQPKt3v_U1MVHicumjjjCA0x9ZoWTLdrjNQ5bU7$
>> > > New York Herald, May 13, 1846, p. 4, col. 2
>> > > What else he may have said, was lost in the thunder tones of "order,"
>> > > "order," and the sound of the speaker's gavil.
>> > > [re: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives]
>> > > ---
>> > >
>> >
>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116149000/the-sound-of-the-speakers-gavel/__;!!OToaGQ!qAM8gQLXiUUtdrGBnuEAZ5qiqFm3nPQBVRvWZ1NGrAQPKt3v_U1MVHicumjjjCA0x9ZoWTLdrtNkcLMG$
>> > > Baltimore Sun, Mar. 1, 1847, p. 4, col. 2
>> > > [T]he sentence was lost, from the sound of the Speaker's gavel, and
>> his
>> > > call to order.
>> > > [re: Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates]
>> > > ---
>> > >
>> > > This research is for my Wall Street Journal column this week -- can
>> > anyone
>> > > find earlier cites?
>> > >
>> > > --bgz
>> > >
>>
>

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