Re: [Paddlewise] ded/dead etymology

No.  If you review again, the definition of dead reckoning cited in "The
American Practical Navigator," Ho. Pub. No. 9 (Defense Mapping Agency
Hydrographic/Topographic Center publication) the "Dead" Reckoning is the
advanced position based on course, time and speed, without considering
the influence of current, wind and other unknowns.  In common
terminology, if you are in "Dead Water" you are in water which is not
moving.  Thus, Dead Reckoning is a calculation based on the premise that
you are in water which is not moving.  

Definitino of Dead Reckoning.  Determining the position of a vessel by
adding to the last fix, the ship's course and speed for a given time. 
The position so obtained is called a Dead Reckoning Position. 
Comparison of the dead reckoning position with the fix for the same time
indicates the sum of currents, winds, an dother forcdes acting on the
vessel during the intervening period.

Ho. 9, "The American Practical Navigator" is an addition of Nathaniel
Bowditch's work on the thirtheenth (1798) edition of John Hamilton
Moore's (1738-1807) book, "The Practical Navigator."  In 1868 the newly
formed U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office bought the copyright from Bowditch
and has continually published the book since that time under the name
^SThe American Practical Navigator.^T  (H.O. Pub. No. 9).  Ho. Pub. No. 9
has become the oldest book published in the United States, still in
current publication.    

http://www.redlandsfortnightly.org/Taylor01.htm

Etymology:  http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Ded%20reckoning

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 09:47:00 -0400, "Steve Cramer"
<cramersec_at_charter.net> said:
> Michael Edelman wrote:
> 
> > However: The deduced->ded origin is by no means
> > accepted as definitive by scholars. The Oxford
> > Companion to Ships and the Sea calls this etymology
> > "... improbable; it has too much of a modern ring
> > about it." The spelling of "ded" is not seen in any
> > but a few very recent writings; in the 17th Century it
> > was always "dead reckoning". 
> > 
> > I suspect the "deduced" theory is a modern folk
> > etymology. The more likely origin is from the other
> > sense of "dead" as in exact, fixed, unmoving- as a
> > machinist would say of an exact alignment, it's "dead
> > nuts on".
> 
> The modern folk etymology notion is persuasive. But isn't the fact of 
> dead reckoning "Here's where I infer--based on current, paddling speed, 
> crosswind, etc--I am" rather the opposite of exact, fixed, and unmoving?
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************