[Ads-l] Additional Citation for Further Antedating of "Banjo"

[Shapiro, Fred]

banjo (OED 1764)

1736 _New York Weekly Journal_ 7 Mar. in Laurent Dubois _The Banjo_ (2016) 73

It was no small Amusement to me, to see the Plain partly covered with Booths, and well crowded with Whites, the Negroes divided into Companies according to their different Nations, some dancing to the hollow sound of a Drum, made of the trunk of a hollow Tree, others to the grating rattling Noise of Pebbles or Shells in a small Basket, others plied the Banger, and some knew how to joyn the Voice to it.

Fred Shapiro


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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2024 8:10 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Further Antedating of "Banjo"

banjo (OED 1764)

1736 _New York Weekly Journal_ 7 Mar. in Laurent Dubois _The Banjo_ (2016) 73

This morning I heard my Landlord's black Fellow very busy at tuning of his Banger, as he call'd it, and playing some of his Tunes; I, who am always delighted with Music, be it never so rustic, under a Pretence of Washing came into the Kitchen, and at last asked, what the Meaning was of his being so merry?  He started up and with a blithsom Countenance answered, _Massa, to day Holiday; Backerah no work; Ningar no work; me no savy play Banger; go yander, you see Ningar play Banger for true, dance too; you see Sport to day for true._

Fred Shapiro

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