Origin of “beat” as a census division?
In one sense, the word beat means an area regularly traversed by someone, such as a police officer. I'm wondering about the origin of this term as applied to an obsolete type of census division in some southern states, such as Mississippi. Specifically, were these simply existing police beats adopted for the purposes of enumeration? Or did the Census Bureau devise its own precincts based on the same sense of the word—i.e., an area that might be traversed or canvassed by a particular census-taker?
There's some evidence for the former, as genealogy web sites refer to subdivisions called "police districts" at around the same time; some even explicitly mention "police beats", but they may be applying the term conjecturally. And still today, police beats are used for certain types of record-keeping, such as crime statistics. But is there any history of the term beat being used for an enumeration district, separate from the context of a police beat?
etymology
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
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In one sense, the word beat means an area regularly traversed by someone, such as a police officer. I'm wondering about the origin of this term as applied to an obsolete type of census division in some southern states, such as Mississippi. Specifically, were these simply existing police beats adopted for the purposes of enumeration? Or did the Census Bureau devise its own precincts based on the same sense of the word—i.e., an area that might be traversed or canvassed by a particular census-taker?
There's some evidence for the former, as genealogy web sites refer to subdivisions called "police districts" at around the same time; some even explicitly mention "police beats", but they may be applying the term conjecturally. And still today, police beats are used for certain types of record-keeping, such as crime statistics. But is there any history of the term beat being used for an enumeration district, separate from the context of a police beat?
etymology
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
add a comment |
In one sense, the word beat means an area regularly traversed by someone, such as a police officer. I'm wondering about the origin of this term as applied to an obsolete type of census division in some southern states, such as Mississippi. Specifically, were these simply existing police beats adopted for the purposes of enumeration? Or did the Census Bureau devise its own precincts based on the same sense of the word—i.e., an area that might be traversed or canvassed by a particular census-taker?
There's some evidence for the former, as genealogy web sites refer to subdivisions called "police districts" at around the same time; some even explicitly mention "police beats", but they may be applying the term conjecturally. And still today, police beats are used for certain types of record-keeping, such as crime statistics. But is there any history of the term beat being used for an enumeration district, separate from the context of a police beat?
etymology
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
In one sense, the word beat means an area regularly traversed by someone, such as a police officer. I'm wondering about the origin of this term as applied to an obsolete type of census division in some southern states, such as Mississippi. Specifically, were these simply existing police beats adopted for the purposes of enumeration? Or did the Census Bureau devise its own precincts based on the same sense of the word—i.e., an area that might be traversed or canvassed by a particular census-taker?
There's some evidence for the former, as genealogy web sites refer to subdivisions called "police districts" at around the same time; some even explicitly mention "police beats", but they may be applying the term conjecturally. And still today, police beats are used for certain types of record-keeping, such as crime statistics. But is there any history of the term beat being used for an enumeration district, separate from the context of a police beat?
etymology
etymology
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
asked yesterday
NathanNathan
1243
1243
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add a comment |
2 Answers
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etymonline.com says the meaning of a "regular route travelled by someone" dates to 1731. I don't know if policemen of that time had regular routes like they do in more modern times. It seems like the use for police patrols and census taker coverage are just specific cases of this general use. A suggested origin is that it's related to the way their feet beat on the ground as they walk their route.
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
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I don't have evidence for this, but 'beat' applies to areas of responsibility other than police.
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job
In the past census taking was done by census takers visiting each house in the land and asking questions, rather than by getting households to write down their own answers. I think it very likely that each census taker was assigned a specific area which would be called a 'beat'.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
1
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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etymonline.com says the meaning of a "regular route travelled by someone" dates to 1731. I don't know if policemen of that time had regular routes like they do in more modern times. It seems like the use for police patrols and census taker coverage are just specific cases of this general use. A suggested origin is that it's related to the way their feet beat on the ground as they walk their route.
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
add a comment |
etymonline.com says the meaning of a "regular route travelled by someone" dates to 1731. I don't know if policemen of that time had regular routes like they do in more modern times. It seems like the use for police patrols and census taker coverage are just specific cases of this general use. A suggested origin is that it's related to the way their feet beat on the ground as they walk their route.
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
add a comment |
etymonline.com says the meaning of a "regular route travelled by someone" dates to 1731. I don't know if policemen of that time had regular routes like they do in more modern times. It seems like the use for police patrols and census taker coverage are just specific cases of this general use. A suggested origin is that it's related to the way their feet beat on the ground as they walk their route.
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
etymonline.com says the meaning of a "regular route travelled by someone" dates to 1731. I don't know if policemen of that time had regular routes like they do in more modern times. It seems like the use for police patrols and census taker coverage are just specific cases of this general use. A suggested origin is that it's related to the way their feet beat on the ground as they walk their route.
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
answered yesterday
BarmarBarmar
9,8681529
9,8681529
add a comment |
add a comment |
I don't have evidence for this, but 'beat' applies to areas of responsibility other than police.
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job
In the past census taking was done by census takers visiting each house in the land and asking questions, rather than by getting households to write down their own answers. I think it very likely that each census taker was assigned a specific area which would be called a 'beat'.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
1
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
add a comment |
I don't have evidence for this, but 'beat' applies to areas of responsibility other than police.
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job
In the past census taking was done by census takers visiting each house in the land and asking questions, rather than by getting households to write down their own answers. I think it very likely that each census taker was assigned a specific area which would be called a 'beat'.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
1
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
add a comment |
I don't have evidence for this, but 'beat' applies to areas of responsibility other than police.
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job
In the past census taking was done by census takers visiting each house in the land and asking questions, rather than by getting households to write down their own answers. I think it very likely that each census taker was assigned a specific area which would be called a 'beat'.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
I don't have evidence for this, but 'beat' applies to areas of responsibility other than police.
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job
In the past census taking was done by census takers visiting each house in the land and asking questions, rather than by getting households to write down their own answers. I think it very likely that each census taker was assigned a specific area which would be called a 'beat'.
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
answered yesterday
DJClayworthDJClayworth
11.3k12535
11.3k12535
1
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
add a comment |
1
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
1
1
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
The OP knows the definition; rather wants an etymology.
– Lordology
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
However, the reply does illustrate why I can also consider the latter possible origin. (Another example of a non-police context is the journalistic "beat".)
– Nathan
yesterday
add a comment |
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