[Ads-l] Antedating of "Disinformation"

Sun May 14 19:59:26 UTC 2023

FWIW, when I first read the word "disinformation" forty-odd years ago, it
was explained as a translation or adaptation from Russian.

JL

On Sun, May 14, 2023 at 11:47 AM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:

> In addition to the 1939/1940 use I posted here today:
>
> Image Source: www.telegraph.co.uk<
> https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9184293/Russian-schools-to-keep-exercise-books-with-portrait-of-Joseph-Stalin.html
> >
> Joseph Stalin
> In 1923 Russian revolutionary and poliician Joseph Stalin[Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin>, who had previously served
> as the first editor of Pravda[Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pravda> when it was the official newspaper
> of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, coined the term
> desinformatsiya[Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F>
> as the name of a KGB black propaganda[Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_propaganda> department. Stalin gave
> the department what he thought was French-sounding name in order to claim
> the name had a Western origin. "Russian use began with a "special
> disinformation office" in 1923.[5][Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation#cite_note-manningromerstein-5>
> Disinformation was defined in Great Soviet Encyclopedia[Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Soviet_Encyclopedia> (1952) as "false
> information with the intention to deceive public opinion".[1][Offsite Link]<
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation#cite_note-pacepa-1>[2][Offsite
> Link]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation#cite_note-bittman1985-2
> >
>
> https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=5069
>
> stephen
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2023 9:52 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Disinformation"
>
> FDR used the word "disinformation" in 1940. I suspect FDR used
> "disinformation" with the sense: deliberate misinformation spread by
> political opponents.
>
> Date: May 1, 1940
> Newspaper: The Bellingham Herald
> Newspaper Location: Bellingham, Washington
> Article: President Defends Transfer of CAA
> Author: Associated Press
> Quote Page 10, Column 5
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
>
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bellingham-herald-disinformation/124644117/__;!!OToaGQ!oDfjrZ3qYRTnw0xdiwsrGKxS2Hs3-p6wN_Q5-YtFq_cDu6lR5b1roEVEUGV4QmyGc48QtIQYC4K5-JMuY-fMqrvJFQ$
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> President Roosevelt in a formal statement yesterday declared a "flood
> of disinformation" had been circulated in opposition to his order
> placing the Civil Aeronautics Authority, now an independent agency, in
> the commerce department.
> The chief executive said much of the "misinformation" had "fallen of
> its own absurdity and needs no comment."
> [End excerpt]
>
> Here is the OED definition for disinformation (sense a)
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The dissemination of deliberately false information, esp. when
> supplied by a government or its agent to a foreign power or to the
> media, with the intention of influencing the policies or opinions of
> those who receive it; false information so supplied.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Sun, May 14, 2023 at 9:16 AM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> wrote:
> >
> > Is there any evidence that the current sense of “disinformation"
> referring to a proper category (“deliberately….”) of misinformation—
> >
> > The dissemination of deliberately false information, esp. when supplied
> by a government or its agent to a foreign power or to the media, with the
> intention of influencing the policies or opinions of those who receive it;
> false information so supplied.
> > [OED]
> >
> > —predates 1955, the first OED cite?  A google ngram search reveals a
> sudden palpable rise in usage around 1980 and another spike currently
> ongoing.
> >
> > LH
> >
> > > On May 14, 2023, at 8:22 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > Yes, I think Jon's suggestion of a simple synonym for ordinary
> "misinformation" is likely.
> > >
> > > Fred
> > >
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <mailto:
> ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <
> wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM <mailto:wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>>
> > > Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2023 5:30 PM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> <
> ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
> > > Subject: Re: Antedating of "Disinformation"
> > >
> > > I wonder if this is either a typo influenced by "disseminated" or a
> simple
> > > synonym for ordinary "misinformation."
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > > On Sat, May 13, 2023 at 5:06 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> wrote:
> > >
> > >> disinformation (OED 1955)
> > >>
> > >> 1887 _Medicine Lodge_ (Kansas) _Cresset_ 17 Feb. 3/1 (Newspapers.com)
> The
> > >> amount of disinformation disseminated by the Sun City delegation is
> immense.
> > >>
> > >> Fred Shapiro
> > >>
> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
> > >>
> > >
> > >
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> truth."
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-- 
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