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First printing. A monograph in the Washington University Studies, New Series, Language and Literature No. 12 - uncommon and both intrinsically interesting to read and rather essential for anyone seriously interested in research in this historical area. Although France, as a colonizer, was not able to maintain its early dominance on the Mississippi frontier of North America, the influence of the relatively few Frenchmen who remained there, was very significant- after the Treaty of 1763 when France ceded control to England and Spain, there were approximately 2000 civilians of French ancestry in the vast Illinois territory above New Orleans. As explorers, mountain men, trappers, merchants, many left their mark. In 1764 Chouteau founded what would become the city of St Louis; it was the French who established the trail to Santa Fe and who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expeditions. McDermott was one of relatively few historians who intentivesly studied this area of American history - "the old Mississippi before Mark Twain" as he referred to it in one of his titles - and his books remains as among the most significant works on the subject. As he explains in his introduction, in his readings he frequently encountered French words which were no longer being used in French, or which were clearly being used with a different meaning, or which were variants, borrowings or derivatives from Indian words, etc - this monograph is the result of 10 years of collecting these words. However, while this is invaluable as a glossary, it is far more than a dry list of definitions: for example, his explanation of the verb 'pleurer' (to wail, or cry out) is 2 pages long - and in it, he states that this was not used in the general sense of weeping or crying but was used by French travellers to describe the crying out by the Native Americans to the unseen gods around them, and he quotes some of the more interesting accounts - This particular copy is of interest because it is a presentation copy INSCRIBED by McDermott to fellow historian and author Dr Kate Gregg (best known as the editor/author of "The Road to Santa Fe") who collaborated with McDermott as editor or author on several books and journal articles. Finally, while the monograph was issued in the typical stiff gray wrappers, this copy has been attractively bound in dusty rose cloth and burgundy half leather, with gilt titling on the spine, with the original wrappers bound in. 161 pp. Fine condition. .

Book Listing #34104      375.00      BUY!      Shopping Cart

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