A dictionary of the English language: intended to exhibit I. The origin and affinities of every English word... II. The orthography and the pronunciation of words... III. Accurate and discriminating definitions... To which are prefixed an introductory dissertation on the origin, history, and connection of the languages of western Asia and of Europe; and a concise grammar..
by Webster, Noah
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
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St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
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About This Item
London: published by Black, Young, and Young, foreign booksellers to the King, 1832. First English edition, used by Webster as a template for his 1841 octavo, "reprinted by E.H. Barker, Esq. of Thetford, Norfolk, from a copy communicated by the author, and containing many manuscript corrections and additions: with an appendix by the editor"; 2 volumes, 4to; pp. viii, [i]-civ, plus unpaginated lexicon in triple column; [2] and unpaginated lexicon; the publisher's advertisements noted by Skeel have not been preserved in this copy. A good, sound copy in mid-19th-century half calf over marbled boards, rubbed and scuffed, top of one spine with small chip; good and sound. One of the scarcest of the early editions of Webster. Of note is the inclusion of Joseph Worcester's "Synopsis of Words pronounced by different Orthoepists," extracted from the American edition of 1829 which was edited by Worcester, and published prior to the rift that developed between the two lexicographers. As to the text of the lexicon itself Skeel notes that it "was reworked by the English editor, and was not merely a reprinting." Vancil, p. 260; Skeel 589A.
Synopsis
Published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. There was dissatisfaction with the dictionaries of the period, so in June 1746 a group of London booksellers contracted Johnson to write a dictionary for the sum of 1,500 guineas (£1,575), equivalent to about £230,000 as of 2010.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Rulon-Miller Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 34082
- Title
- A dictionary of the English language: intended to exhibit I. The origin and affinities of every English word... II. The orthography and the pronunciation of words... III. Accurate and discriminating definitions... To which are prefixed an introductory dissertation on the origin, history, and connection of the languages of western Asia and of Europe; and a concise grammar..
- Author
- Webster, Noah
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- published by Black, Young, and Young, foreign booksellers to the King
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1832
- Keywords
- , , , English
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Marbled boards
- ...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...