Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-06-09
WEBSTER'S
NEW DNCYlONANY.

S. CONVERSE proposes to publish by SUBJ
scription an AMERICAN DICTIONARY of
of the English language. BYNoAH WEBSTER,
l.. L. d.
This Dictionary will contain such parts of the
best English Dictionaries as are well executed,
with the following Improvements:
l. additional Words. The new words which
the great advances in the physical sciences,
within the last forty or fifty years, have enrich
ed the language, and which are not inserted
in Johnson's Dictionary, nor the late improved
edition by Todd, amount to five or six thou
sand. These, with the participles and other
words added, will augment the vocabulary
with nearly twenty thousand words.
2. Precise and Technical Definitions. The
Dictionaries hitherto published are almost ex-
clusyely translating dictionaries, in which one
word is defined by another that is synony-
nous, or nearly so. OF this kind of dictiona-
ries and lexicons, we have many of great ex-
| cellence. But if there is any dictionary of
the English language, Of a price which places
it within the means of purchase which teach
ers in general possess, in which definitions are
sufficiently accurate, discriminating and tech
| nical, that work has not come to the knowl.
edge of the author of the proposed Dictiona-
ry. The precision of definitions in this work
will, it is believed, supercede the necessity of
book of synyms.
g. additional Sgnfcations. The signifca-
tons and distinct applications of English
words which are omitted by all the English
photographers, and are inserted in this work,
amount to between thirty and fifty thousand.
Many of these are among the most important
senses in which the words are used.
4. .Ne7U Chronological Deductions and a6fni-
mites. The obscurity which has rested on this
subject, and which has brought it into discre-
dit, will be, in good degree, dissipated by the
authors researches, and etymology will be
made subservent to the illustration not only
of words, but of history. This part Of the
work is the result of ten years. examination,
and comparison of the principal radical words
in the following languages the Chatdee, So
riac Hebrerp, arabic, Samaritan, Ethiobic, and
Persic, in Asia and Africa, and in Europe, the
Gaelic or Hbemo- Celtic, .4ngio- Saxon, English,
German, Dutch, Spedish, Danish, Greek, Latin,
Italian, Spanish, French, Russ, Gothic, Welsh,
and .Armoric. 1t is found that all these Ian
guages serve to illustrate each other and are
useful in calculating the English. A synopsis
of the principal words in the languages has
been compiled, and will be published. if sufii-
cient patronage can hereafter be obtained.
In the mean time, the results of this labor,
winch VIII appear In the dictionary, VIII pre-
sent. on this subject, interesting views of the
history and affinities of these languages, which
have escaped the observation of European
photographers.
S. The peculiar scriptural uses Of words,
most of which are omitted by English authors
of dictionaries are explained and exemplifed.
6. The words beginning with are separat-
ed from those which begin with }, as are those
which begin with U from those which begin
with Y. .e
7. Obsolete words, and words of local use,
are noted as such, and the different applica-
tons Of words in England and in the United
States, are specified as far as they are known.
The obsolete words include all that have been
found in books from the age of Cover, and
the law terms from the Norman French.
g. The different Specifications or applica-
tons Of words, when not obvious and well
known, are illustrated by some short passage
from anauthor Of REPUTATION, or by brief IA
miliar sentence. Exemplifcations, however,
are not multiplied under each definition, as
the most judicious scholars consider one ex-
ample as sufficient and numerous extracts