ragtime 的詞源

也稱爲 rag-time，"節奏感強、爵士風格的鋼琴音樂"，1896年，可能源自 rag "舞蹈舞會"（1895年，美國英語方言），或者是 ragged 的縮寫，指的是節奏感強的旋律。Rag（名詞）"拉格泰姆舞曲"始於1897年。

If rag-time was called tempo di raga or rague-temps it might win honor more speedily. ... What the derivation of the word is[,] I have not the faintest idea. The negroes call their clog-dancing "ragging" and the dance a "rag." [Rupert Hughes, Boston Musical Record, April 1900]

如果將拉格泰姆稱爲 tempo di raga 或 rague-temps，它可能會更快地贏得榮譽。... 關於這個詞的起源，我一點也不知道。黑人稱他們的踢踏舞爲"ragging"，舞蹈稱爲"rag"。[魯珀特·休斯，《波士頓音樂記錄》，1900年4月]

Conceive the futility of trying to reduce the intangible ragness to a strict system of misbegotten grace notes and untimely rests! In attempting to perfect, and simplify, art is destroying the unhampered spirit in which consists the whole beauty of rag-time music. The very essence of rag-time is that it shall lack all art, depending for the spirit to be infused more upon the performer than upon the composer himself. [Yale Literary Magazine, June 1899]

試圖將無形的"ragness"歸結爲一套嚴格的錯誤優雅音符和不合時宜的休止符的系統，其無用之處可想而知！在試圖完善和簡化的過程中，藝術正在破壞那種無拘無束的精神，而這種精神正是拉格泰姆音樂的整個美麗所在。拉格泰姆的本質就在於它應該缺乏一切藝術，更多地依賴於演奏者而不是作曲家本人來注入精神。[《耶魯文學雜誌》，1899年6月]

Her first "rag-time" was "The Bully," in which she made great sport by bringing a little coloured boy on the stage with her. Miss [May] Irwin says the way to learn to sing "rag-time" is to catch a negro and study him. [Lewis C. Strang, "Famous Actresses of the Day in America," Boston, 1899]

她的第一首"拉格泰姆"是《惡霸》，她在舞臺上帶了一個小黑男孩，給大家帶來了很多樂趣。伊爾溫小姐說學唱"拉格泰姆"的方法是抓住一個黑人並研究他。[劉易斯·C·斯特朗，《當代美國著名女演員》，波士頓，1899年]