gazetteer
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌɡæzəˈtɪə/
ipa: /ˌɡæzəˈtɪəɹ/
rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
Forms: form: gazetteers
Etymology: The noun is borrowed from French gazettier (archaic), gazetier (“journalist, newspaperman”) + English -eer (suffix forming agent nouns denoting people associated with or engaged in a specified activities). Gazettier, gazetier are derived from gazette (“newspaper”) + -ier (suffix denoting a profession); and gazette from Italian gazzetta, from Venetan gazeta, from gazeta dele novità (literally “a gazeta of news”) (referring to the cost of the newspaper, a gazeta being a Venetian coin of little value, whence English gazet (obsolete)), possibly a diminutive of Latin gaza (“riches, treasure; treasury”), ultimately from Old Median *ganǰam (“treasure; wealth”). The English word is analysable as gazette + -eer.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Senses: examples: text: Mount novv to Gallo-belgicus: Appeare / As deepe as a States-man, as a Gazettier.
ref: 1611, Ioannes Donne [i.e., John Donne], “[Panegyricke Verse by John Donne]”, in Thomas Coryate [i.e., Thomas Coryat], Coryats Crudities Hastily Gobled Vp in Five Moneths Trauells […], London: […] W[illiam] S[tansby for the author], →OCLC, signature d3, recto:
text: Did I tell you I have made Ford Gazetteer, with two hundred pounds a year salary, besides perquisites.
ref: 1712 July 28 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter L.”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 314:
text: So—Satire is no more—I feel it die— / No Gazeteer more innocent than I!
ref: 1738, [Alexander] Pope, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight. A Dialogue Something Like Horace, London: […] T. Cooper […], →OCLC, page 6, lines 77–78:
text: [Richard] Steele had been appointed Gazetteer by Sunderland [i.e., Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, Secretary of State for the Southern Department], at the request, it is said, of [Joseph] Addison; and thus had access to foreign intelligence earlier and more authentic than was in those times within the reach of an ordinary news-writer.
ref: 1843 July, [Thomas Babington Macaulay], “Art. VII.—The Life of Joseph Addison. By Lucy Aikin. Two Volumes. 8vo. London: 1843 [book review].”, in The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal, volume LXXVIII, number CLVII, Edinburgh: […] Ballantyne and Hughes; for Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […]; Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, →OCLC, page 228:
text: Within a week, the amazed Gazetteers (Newspaper Editors we now call them) can behold the actual advent of horse, foot and artillery regiments at Magdeburg; actual rendezvous begun, and with a frightful equable velocity going on day after day.
ref: 1858, Thomas Carlyle, “Imminency of War or Duel, between the Britannic and Prussian Majesties”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book VI, page 96:
glosses: A person who writes for a gazette or newspaper; a journalist; (specifically) a journalist engaged by a government.
examples: text: The Hoſt look'd ſtedfaſtly at Adams, and after a Minute's ſilence aſked him "if he vvas one of the VVriters of the Gazetteers? for I have heard," ſays he, "they are vvrit by Parſons." "Gazetteers!" anſvvered Adams. "What is that?" "It is a dirty Nevvs-Paper," replied the Hoſt, "vvhich hath been given avvay all over the Nation for theſe many Years to abuſe Trade and honeſt Men, vvhich I vvould not ſuffer to lie on my Table, tho' it hath been offered me for nothing."
ref: 1742, Henry Fielding, “A Dialogue between Mr. Abraham Adams and His Host, which, by the Disagreement in Their Opinions Seemed to Threaten an Unlucky Catastrope, had It Not been Timely Prevented by the Return of the Lovers”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book II, pages 306–307:
text: Confus'd above, / Glaſſes and bottles, pipes and gazetteers, / As if the table even itſelf vvas drunk, / Lie a vvet broken ſcene; […]
ref: a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Autumn”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC, page 134, lines 557–560:
text: All the common-place lamentations upon the decay of trade, the encreaſe of taxes, and the high price of labour and proviſions, are here retailed again and again in the ſame tone vvith vvhich they have dravvled through columns of Gazetteers and Advertiſers for a century together.
ref: 1769, [Edmund Burke], Observations on a Late State of the Nation, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 3:
glosses: A gazette, a newspaper.
Derived terms: word: gazetteerage
word: gazetteering
word: gazetteerish
word: gazetteership