Date:    Wed, 29 Apr 1998 02:34:54 EDT
<br>From:    Bapopik <Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>
<br>Subject: Hello (1848!?)
<br>
<br>      The citations for "hello" in 1852 (by a fireman) and in 1853 (by Mose,
<br>fireman of the Bowery) led me to believe that the first "hello" would be from
<br>Bowery slang, in the 1848 play by Benjamin A. Baker, A GLANCE AT NEW YORK.
<br>Mose the fireman was the play's main character.
<br>      I read the play today.  Was "hello" in this 1848 play?
<br>      Twice.
<br>
<br>Pg. 21 LIZE:  Hello!  Mose, what's the matter?
<br>Pg. 22 MIKE:  Hallo! Major; where have you been?
<br>Pg. 25 HARRY:  Hello! Mose.  Where are you going?
<br>
<br>      The only caveat I have is that I did NOT read the 1848 play.  I read
<br>Samuel French's Standard Drama, The Acting Edition, No. CCXVI, published about
<br>1890.  The original 1848 play was also published by French.  There is no
<br>reason to suppose that the two editions would be different, but you never
<br>know.  Neither the NYPL nor the Library of Congress have the original; copies
<br>are at Brown and Yale Universities, however.
<br>      The RHHDAS quotes this play for "foo foo" (as does the DA) and "knock
<br>down drag out."  Page 21 has "there's goin' to be a first-rate shindig."  I
<br>don't know how you can find some items and not find others.  The play's only
<br>about 30 pages long!  "Hello" is so common, however, that you forget to look
<br>for it!   Again, the 1848 original may be different, but I don't think so.
<br>      "Hello" is probably an Americanism in its 150th year!
<br>