Date: Sun, 15 Sep 1996 18:06:12 -0400

From: Margaret Ronkin ronkinm[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]GUSUN.GEORGETOWN.EDU

Subject: Corn in the USA



Lynne made my point, I think. The OED notes that in the USA the word

"corn" [OE corn; ME korne, korn; Scottish corn, corne, korne, cornne,

coirn] refers in a restricted sense to "Indian corn" or "maize". This

isn't so elsewhere, and a *very brief* glance at the relevant pages

(936-37), suggests that it happened here during the colonial era. (Not

surprisingly, since the term very often seems to refer to the grain

that the local folks grow.) I also recall that maize is indigenous to

the Americas, tho someone who's really interested might want to check

the chapter on the domestication of plants in an introductory archeology

text.



Maggie



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Maggie Ronkin

ronkinm[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]gusun.acc.georgetown.edu

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