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Posted by Clay Mcshane <c.mcshane@neu.edu> Here are the _Oxford English Dictionary_ definitions of swamp and marsh. Clay McShane H-Urban WebLinks Editor "SWAMP 1. a. A tract of low-lying ground in which water collects; a piece of wet spongy ground; a marsh or bog. Orig. and in early use only in the N. American colonies, where it denoted a tract of rich soil having a growth of trees and other vegetation, but too moist for cultivation (see quots. 1741, 1766, 1875). 1624 CAPT. J. SMITH Virginia IV. 163 Some small Marshes and Swamps there are, but more profitable than hurtfull. 1685 PENN Further Acc. Pennsylv. 7 Our Swamps or Marshes yeeld us course Hay for the Winter. 1688 CLAYTON Virginia in Phil. Trans. XVIII. 124 [Musk-rats] build Houses as Beavers do, in the Marshes, and Swamps (as they there call them) by the Water-sides. 1741 P. TAILFER, etc. Narr. Georgia 96 A Swamp is any low watery Place, which is covered with Trees or Canes: They are here of three Sorts, Cypress, River, and Cane Swamps. 1766 STORK Acc. E. Florida 26 note, The word swamp is peculiar to America; it there signifies a tract of land that is sound and good, but by lying low is covered by water. All the forest trees (pine excepted) thrive best in the swamps, where the soil is always rich. 1875 TEMPLE & SHELDON Hist. Northfield, Mass. 21 Swamps.As used by our fathers in the earliest times, this term did not necessarily denote marshy ground; but flat land which from its peculiar location had escaped the ravages of the annual fires set by the Indians, and was covered with an old growth of wood. MARSH I. 1. a. A tract of low lying land, flooded in winter and usually more or less watery throughout the year. c725 Corpus Gloss. (Hessels) C 140 Calmetum, mersc. 971 Blickl. Gloss. 261/1 On s[a]ltne mersc, in salsilaginem. a1250 Owl & Night. 304 Wenestu that haveck bo the worse, Tho crowe bi-grede him bi the mershe? 1382 WYCLIF Gen. xli. 18 Seuen oxen..the which in the pasture of mershe [1388 marreis] the grene leswis cheseden. c1475 Pict. Voc. in Wr.-W=FClcker 796/17 Hoc marescum, a merche. 1523 LD. BERNERS Froiss. I. xviii, There were meruaylouse great marshes and daungerous passages. 1594 SHAKES. Rich. III, V. iii. 345 My Lord, the Enemy is past the Marsh. 1673 TEMPLE Obs. United Prov. Wks. 1731 I. 8 By..the Course of Waters from the higher into lower Grounds..the flat Land grows to be a Mixture of Earth and Water,..which is call'd a Marsh. "
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