Was there self-censorship in private correspondence in the early 19th Century?
Upvote:1
Your example text is private correspondence showing several abbreviations to the initial (radical apocopes). These are so short that they all look alike. However, some had different motivations. In the 1800s as today, there are at least three reasons texts might abbreviate like this: politeness, cost savings, and the reduction of liability. These apply in varying degree to public and private texts.
First, to preserve formality, writers might seek to avoid shocking their audience with crude language. The presence or absence of slang is a major factor in establishing linguistic register. Eliding all but the first initial can leave curious readers a means of reconstructing the forbidden term, especially if the number of blanks is apparent. The example "d____" shows such an elision. Did the author see this first in published text? It's possible, but I doubt very much low-register speech was republished in high-register outlets in the 1700s.
Second, abbreviation and shorthands are attractive when the handwriting act is a bottleneck to composition. By comparison, editorial style guides and composition advice tend to avoid bespoke abbreviations, so that the published product appears clear and complete. Describing the Deputy Paymaster-General of Malliarda de Sorda as "H_____" does little to obscure his identity, so it was probably used to save time. "E_____" was also someone who needed no further introduction; writing out the name wouldn't have paid off. This style wouldn't have been copied from published works since published works have no need of it.
Third, and similarly, discretion is advised when a text might be widely read. Newspapers get sued for defamation after publishing information that might have gone unnoticed in a personal letter. Similarly, court filings may mention an Individual 1 or a John Doe when someone's identity would be counterproductive to disambiguate. Since noone here is being criticized and the letters were not meant for publication, I don't see any evidence of this case in your examples.
More post
- 📝 Where is Édouard Lucas' grave?
- 📝 What was the Soviet response to accusations surrounding the Lin Biao incident?
- 📝 Did Napoleon ever visit Modern Israel?
- 📝 Was Reagan Disliked By Establishment Republicans?
- 📝 What was the population within the Aurelian Walls of Rome during its peak?
- 📝 Inter-ethnic conflicts in Switzerland in the 16th century
- 📝 Did Army Group Center have easier going up to Smolensk than between Smolensk and Moscow?
- 📝 What regiment is this (~1826-1861) French cuirass cavalry uniform?
- 📝 Why did Virginia let Kentucky become a separate state?
- 📝 Why were bloody religious wars so incredibly frequent in Europe in the century following the Reformation?
- 📝 What's the birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth, assuming he existed?
- 📝 Why were terminal train stations built in Germany?
- 📝 Why did some Enlightenment thinkers despise democracy?
- 📝 What cult images are likely to be found in a Second Punic war era Roman field camp?
- 📝 What is the story behind the Education of Alexander the Great by Aristotle - Jose Armet Portanell
- 📝 Racism Amongst People of Germanic Ancestry in NAZI Germany
- 📝 How were the Roman Triarii trained?
- 📝 What was the experience level of officers during the American Civil war?
- 📝 When were both minuscule and majuscule letters used for the first time in the same Latin manuscript?
- 📝 What uniform are these gentlemen wearing?
- 📝 What was the relation of Barons to Counts/Dukes/Earls in England during the medieval ages?
- 📝 What does "Depot Battalion" mean in Hart's Annual Army List?
- 📝 Why were the some "New Deal" programs cancelled in the beginning of WWII?
- 📝 Catholic vs Protestant Support for Nazism in Germany
- 📝 Usability of fingerprints on ancient objects
- 📝 When did Harvard give its last entrance exam?
- 📝 How did the accounting and capital organization system work in communist countries like the USSR? Did ideology justify or undermine the system?
- 📝 What education path had to be followed to study law in 17th century Europe?
- 📝 What lands have been called by names chosen to disassociate those lands from its inhabitants
- 📝 In the Soviet Union, how was payment enforced for public transportation?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Was there self-censorship in private correspondence in the early 19th Century?
- 📝 What was the typical range of travel of a Pennsylvanian resident for everyday life in the late 18th early 19th Century Pennsylvania?
- 📝 Was the Tsar's property separated from state property in Russian Empire in early 19th century (regarding land)?
- 📝 Why did quill pens persist until the early 19th century despite the capacity to make metal dip pens?
- 📝 Why was there little nonwhite migration to Europe in the 19th century?
- 📝 Was the enclosure responsible for the supply of factory workers in 18th and 19th Century England?
- 📝 What is the meaning of "£10 per cent" in the early 19th century in relation to a wage (30/- fortnight)
- 📝 Identifying a military uniform from the early 19th century
- 📝 Was there a military practice of reloading while marching/running, in Europe or America during the 18th and 19th centuries?
- 📝 Were there efforts made in the 19th century to inoculate the natives against smallpox?
- 📝 Percentage of Christians (Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians) in Asia Minor/Anatolia in the early 19th century
- 📝 Was the Times of London available for sale in 19th century Singapore?
- 📝 The history of rivalry between US and Britain in late 19th Century and early 20th Century
- 📝 What was the difference between Hussars and Chasseurs à Cheval in the 19th Century French army?
- 📝 English society in the early 19th century: Was aristocracy including royal members?
- 📝 Was there a period in history predating the 15th century where being bald was not looked upon negatively?
- 📝 Is there any evidence to support the claim that the United States was "suckered into WW1" by Zionists, made by Benjamin Freedman in his 1961 speech?
- 📝 Was there ever a treaty between 2 entities with significantly different translations to the detriment of one party?
- 📝 What led some people to (correctly) believe that there was no land under the ice cap at the North Pole?
- 📝 Why was there a surge in the US incarceration rate during the 1990s?
- 📝 Is there evidence to suggest the "war on drugs" was a cover for class warfare?
- 📝 Was there a tax in the fifties for British citizens traveling abroad?
- 📝 Was there an assassination attempt against Xerxes in the battle of Thermopylae?
- 📝 Was there a King of England, or an heir to the throne, in 1831 who idolized Michael Faraday?
- 📝 Was there a European response to the trail of tears?
- 📝 Was there really a navy officer named Picard at the Battle of Trafalgar?
- 📝 Was there a priest on the Titanic who stayed on the ship giving confession to as many as he could?
- 📝 Was the concept of religious freedom in the early United States applied to native American faiths?
- 📝 Why was the Red Army successful against the Japanese in 1939 but perform poorly against Finland 1939-40 and early part of WW2?
- 📝 Did Antarctica remain entirely unvisited by humans until the early 19th century?