The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15
IN THE LITERARY FIELD.
THE MANY WORDS IN THE LEXICON
MINTED AT BOSTON.
the Meaning of WOrd-0ther
Books Than Fiction.

1t is a general and, doubtless, a correct
impression that Boston has larger word
circulation than any other city in the
United States, says the New York Sun.
Even Evanston. ILL.,. cannot be better than
bad second to the three hilled town.
The Bostonans love words. The other day
Mr.. c. w. Ernst read at the Massachusetts
Library Club a paper on Words Coined at
Boston" He produced a list of some sixty
words which he believes to be of Massa-
chusetts origin. He holds that most of
them were founded in Boston itself, and
Boston is Massachusetts. We leave it to
our unsurpassed corps of philologians to
decide If any of the words and phrases as
cribed TO Boston were found elsewhere at
an earlier date. 1t is useless TO be certain
about anything. and language and the die
tionaries are and must be full of myths and
errors. II there were 100000 scholars who
read much and made as many notes OF
their reading as the late Fitzedward Hall
did the pedigree of even the obscurest pie
beian word might be traced with some de-
gree Of accuracy. Meanwhile let us i'm
prove our minds.
Mr.. Ernst tells us that up to 1893, when
the Rev. Increase Mather invented the
word 'Bostonian," the Boston folks were
called "Bostoners." just as the London
folks are called Londoners. To that same
worshipful president of Harvard is attrib
uted "Episcopalian." issued by him in 1880
to define without impolteness the persons
who worshiped in Kings Chapel. Com
monwealth," afterward borrowed and made
famous by Cromwell, came from the New
England Puritans, and was first applied
to a civil government in the session of the
Board of Assistants May IA. 1884, advice
and consent" was first used Oct. 4, 1885, in
relation to the duties of selectmen, and
later adopted. through the influence of John
Adams. into the Massachusetts Constitu-
ton. and. presumably. through the same in
fiuence, into the national Constitution"
Boss" Is first found in John winthrop's
Journal in 1885. Help" distinguishing
free from slave or half-slave servants, was
first used in Boston May 15 164O Paper
money" appeared as "a term of rfdicule to
the first paper currency ever Issued in the
world. by the Boston fund in 1851. thirteen
years before the establishment o. the Bank
OF England.
Here are some more Boston words:
i panel; 1Ss coaster ter 1852 Gongregsa e
platform; 1649, dockage; 1861, doom; 1861
public spirit; 1860 fence viewer: 1861 lum-
Der; 1913, abutter; 1851, medium, bank bills;
1859. New Highlander; 1892, betterment; 1893,
field driver; 1885, Ebenezer. lend hand
1850, society of manifesto; 1702. statehouse.
foghouse, ring, Canadian, Virginian. Amer
lean, mind your business; 1705, settler; 170S,
L of house, Il of a wharf in 1723; TIA, le-
gal tender; 1720, maple sugar; 1727, curren-
cy: 1870. public schools; 1741-60. caucus; 1747
(Jan. 49,, brown bread; 1765, blizzard; 1863,
tar and feather; 1874. spirit of the times
1779., teamster; 1856, stage line: 1893, side
walk; 1910. bindery: 1850. elective studies;
1897. interlibrary; 1883, unemployment; 1902,
intercorporate.
The Massachusetts doom" mentioned is
the verb ito tax or estimate at discretion.