I often use the Making of America sites to look up early usages of
words in the way Terry did and want to recommend them to anyone
who isn't familiar with them.  There are two sites, one at Cornell and
one at the University of Michigan:

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/

http://moa.umdl.umich.edu/

They have put complete texts of many 19th century journals and
books online, and the journals are an especially valuable source for
Twain materials.  Among the journals are the Overland Monthly,
Harpers, Century, Atlantic Monthly, and the North American Review,
and other tid bits about Twain can be found in Appleton's Journal,
Catholic World, and Punchinello.  For anyone who wants to get
more than a reactive familiarity with Artemus Ward, his writings in
Vanity Fair are online in the Univ. of Michigan site.  One interesting
bit there is an 1861 use of "Mark Twain" as the name for a
character in a piece called "The North Star":

http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/m/moajrnl/moajrnl-
idx?notisid=ACG4267-1523VANI-63

(you might have to cut and paste that into one line)

Anyone care to speculate about the possibility that Artemus Ward
gave Sam Clemens his nom de plume?

Jim Zwick
[log in to unmask]
http://www.boondocksnet.com/


On 7 Sep 2001, at 12:47, Ballard, Terry Prof. wrote:

Date sent:              Fri, 7 Sep 2001 12:47:15 -0400
Send reply to:          Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From:                   "Ballard, Terry Prof." <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:                Re: The word "perturbate"
To:                     [log in to unmask]

>    Sorry to burst any bubbles, but the word perturbate was in print when
> little Sam Clemens was just a child (1844). Here is the proof at a wonderful
> free site named "Making of America,":
> http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?root=%2Fmoa%2Flivn%2Fl
> ivn0003%2F&tif=00082.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin
> %2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DABR0102-0003-38&coll=moa&frames=1&view=50 You
> will find the word in Question in the second column, in the paragraph that
> begins with "In conclusion."
>
>
>
> Terry (librarian on patrol)
>
> Terry Ballard, Automation Librarian
> Quinnipiac University, Bernhard Library
> 275 Mt. Carmel Ave.
> Hamden, CT, 06518
> 203-582-8945         FAX:203-582-3451
> http://faculty.quinnipiac.edu/libraries/tballard
>
> "My memory has a mind of its own."
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Slotta [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 11:59 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: The word "perturbate"
>
>
> I am afraid there has been a misunderstanding about one word. I was just
> talking about the use of one word, "perturbate."
>
> I was not talking about the word perturb, or perturbed, or perturbating, or
> perturbs, or perturben, or perturber, or even the latin perturbare (per
> [intensive] + turbare [to throw in disorder]). I wasn't talking about second
> cousins of the word either. Nor am I interested in the Chinese equivalent of
> any form of the word.
>
> I am simply interested in the word "perturbate" as being attributable to
> Twain for its first use in print or not. That's all. Those who lack a
> capacity of concern in this matter need not reply.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob
>