----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The latest OED does a surprisingly good job, with modern American examples and how they've deflected/focused meaning. the first English usage dates from ca. 1575-1620, long before the Frence adopt contours on nautical charts in 1725 (Josef Konvitz, "Cartography in France, 1660-1848," p. 67). The Greek prefix remains important, as well, being Top- or Topo and referring to a "place." question: did they always locate cities/places at the highest elevation consistant with other considertions (i.e. on a hilltop)? LC ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am sure that others will check their favorite dictionary about this, as I did check Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (c1986). This has as definition 1a "the art or practice of graphic delineation in detail usu. on maps or charts of natural or man-made features of a place or region esp. in a way to show their relative positions and elevations" and 1b is "topographical surveying". Its 2a definition states "the configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features" while 2b is "the physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships." It has no additional definitions. Though some street maps show a lot of detail, it is true, I would not normally call them topographic maps. |===========================================================================| |Alberta Auringer Wood, Map Librarian, Memorial University of Newfoundland, | |St. John's, Newfoundland, CANADA A1B 3Y1. phone: 709-737-8892; | | fax: 709-737-2153; Internet: [log in to unmask] | |===========================================================================| >-- Saved internet headers (useful for debugging) >Received: from sdsc.edu by mail.ucsd.edu; id JAA18728 sendmail 8.6.12/UCSD-2.2- >Received: from uga.cc.uga.edu by sdsc.edu (8.6.11/4.21) id JAA13533; Thu, 6 Ju >Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]> >Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP >Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UGA) by UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (LMai >Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 12:14:16 EDT >Reply-To: Maps and Air Photo Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]> >Sender: Maps and Air Photo Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]> >From: Alberta Wood <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: topography and topographic maps >To: Multiple recipients of list MAPS-L <[log in to unmask]> >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>