[PW] (no subject)

[SJVIS, Reference]

The usage "Great State of ..." is rhetorical, but the usage
"Commonwealth of .." is official and is used for the following states:
PENNSYLVANIA, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia, according to the
World Book Encyclopedia. 

As an example, here's an entry from the "Funk & Wagnalls New World
Encyclopedia": 
PENNSYLVANIA, in full, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one of the Middle
Atlantic states of the U.S. bounded on the N by Lake Erie and New York;
on the E by New York and New Jersey; on the S by Delaware, Maryland, and
West Virginia; and on the W by West Virginia and Ohio. The Delaware R.
forms the entire E boundary of the state.

Richard Mann, Librarian
San Joaquin Valley Information Service (SJVIS)
Fresno County Central Library
2420 Mariposa Street
Fresno, CA 93721

 						


-----Original Message-----
From: Sue Kamm [mailto:suekamm at mindspring.com] 
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 8:43 AM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: Re: [PW] (no subject)


I think it's a rhetorical affectation.  BTW, some states are not states
but commonwealths.  IIRC, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are two of
them.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Peter Underwood <Peter.Underwood at uct.ac.za>
>Sent: Dec 19, 2007 11:32 PM
>To: list at project-wombat.org
>Subject: [PW] "The Great State of . . ."
>
>>From time-to-time one hears of politicians in the United States 
>>referring to "The Great State of . . .", (Georgia, for example).  Is 
>>this a rhetorical flourish or part of the official name of the 
>>jurisdiction?  If the former, at what period did this affectation 
>>begin?
>
>
>
> 
>N.B. New e-mail address -- please update your address books! 
>Peter.Underwood at uct.ac.za
>*************************************************
>Peter G. Underwood
>4.03 Hoerikwaggo (Building 27)
>North Lane, Upper Campus
>University of Cape Town
>Private Bag X03      tel:   +27 (0)21 650 3091
>RONDEBOSCH       fax: +27 (0)21 650 4542
>7700                       e-mail: Peter.Underwood at uct.ac.za
>South Africa
>*************************************************
>
>
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