Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-06-30
WEBSTER'S
NEW DlCTlO.SAEX.

S. CONVERSE. proposes to publish by sub
scription an AMERICAN Die TIoNARY OF
OF the English language. By Moan WEBSTER,
l.. l.. ID.
Tins Dictionary will contain such parts of the
best Eng.lsh Dictionaries as are well executed,
with the following improvements
|. .3d.faonat 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 partcples and other
words added, wh augment the vocabulary
with early twenty Thousand words.
2 Precise and Technical Dsfmta0ns. The
Dictionaries hitherto published are almost ex-
ciusivey translating dictionaries, in which one
word is defined by another that is synony-
nous, or nearly so. OF this kind of dictiona-
RIGS and eNlcons, we have many of great ex-
cellence. But If there is any dictionary of
the English language, 1T a price which places
1t WITHIN the means of purchase which teach
ers in general possess, III which definitions are
sufficiently accurate, discriminating and tech
meal, 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, II is believed, supercede the necessity Of
a book OF synyms.
). .9dhtio,tat Specifications. The signifca-
tons and distinct applications of English
words, which are omitted by all the English
leXlcosr aphers, and are inserted in tins work,
amount to between thirty and ifty thousand.
Many OF these are among the most important
senses il winch the words are used.
a. .Ne7u Etymologicut Deductions and o6ini-
,,f,sc The nbscut1y which hue reuta1 a I,
subject, and which has brought II into discre-
dit, Will be, in good degree, dissipated by the
authors researches, and etymoogy will be
made subsersient 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 lans uages the Chaldee, Sl
rfac, Hebreze, .4radic. Samaritan, EthiopiC, aud
Persic, in Asia and Africa, and in Europe, the
Gaeac or HbernO- Celtic, .7Rglo- Saron, English,
German, Dutch, S1ceGtsh, Danish, Greek, Latin,
italian, Spanish French, R,tss, Gothic, Welsh,
and .iimot4c. 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 complied, and will be published. if suiii-
clent patronage can hereafter be obtained.
In the mean ume, the results Of this labor,
which will appear in the Dictionary, will pre-
sent, ON this subject, interesting views OF the
history and afiinities Of these languages, which
have escaped the observation Of European
photographers.
5. The peculiar scriptural uses of words,
most of which are o,nltted by English authors
OF dictionaries are explained and exempiified.
f. The words beginning with are separat-
ed from those which begin with J, as are those
which begin with U from those which begin
with y
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.
8. The different signhcatiens or applca-
tons OF Words when not obvious and well
known, are illustrated by some short passage
ironran author of reputation, or by brief ia
lniliat sentence. Exemplhcatons, however,
| are not multiplied under each definition, as
| the most .judicious scholars consider one ex-
| ample as sufficient, and numerous extracts
| from books serve only to swell the size and
price OF dictionary. American writer's of
reputation are placed on a footing with Eng
| lsh writers, and cited as authorities.
| g. Many errors. which have escaped the no.
tice OF all English photographers, are correct
ed.
10. Words of irregular photography are
given, not only in the customary spelling, but
in letters which express the true pronuncia-
ton. This will be sufficient guide to the
pronunciation, without the use of key.
| The publisher undertakes this work, with
full confidence that his efforts will be literally
encouraged by the literary and wealthy classes
of the community. It's work adapted to
the wants and capacity of the man of business
as well as OF the scholar. 1t is work of mag
nitude, and cannot be published without great
expense, and therefore it canno, be undertake
en- without liberal patronage. To its pages
Mr.. Webster has devoted from twenty to thlr-
ty years of almost exclusive and laborious ap-
plcaton. of the result OF this application,
the publisher submits the following opinions,
as expressed in letters addressed to himself,
from gentlemen whose names have long been
conspicuous to the American public. The
work is american, and is to confer honor on
the nation, as we'll as ON the learned and indie