Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-10-07

fourteen thousand more imam were given IN
DR.. Johnson's Arrangement. The whole,
forms the most extensive vocabulary ever
published, and, in consequence of the addi-
ton introduced by Mr.. Todd, it becomes a
complete glossary of the early English wri-
ters.' Mr.. Chalmers's work was formed from
Mr.. Todd's first edition. His second edition,
which was published in February, 1897,
contains nearly thousand additional words,
and was received in season to be inserted in
the Appendix of this Dictionary. These,
together with the other words newly added,
increase the excess above the number of
words in DIR. Johnson's Arrangement to up
wards of fifteen thousand"
"The Dictionary, properly so called, COM
prising the vocabulary of words with their
definitions, &c. is formed chiefly by union
of Mr. Chalmers's Arrangement and Wal
ker's Pronouncing Dictionary; but with the
omission of Walkers definitions, except
with regard to those words in his Dictionary
mot much exceeding one hundred in num-
ber,) which are not found in Mr.. Todd's edi-
ton of Johnson. In many instances, in
which the Editor has observed the omission
by Mr.. Chalmers of something particularly
important, he has extracted from Dr. Johnson
or Mr.. Todd additional matter or remarks
genealogical, explanatory, or critical.
"To the words contained in this Dictiona-
ry, which are not found in Walkers, the
pronunciation has been added, according to
Walkers Principles, SO far as those Princi-
pies could be applied and this was easily
done, with respect to most of them. A con-
siderable number, however, some of them
words now out of use, others local or pro-
vincial, and rarely found in books, and 9TH
ers from foreign languages, and not angli-
cised, presented more or less difficulty"
"With respect to many words of doubtful
pronunciation, or conc rning which, orthoe-
pists differ, and particularly those respecting
which Walker has omitted to exhibit his diff
ference, the Editor introduced the pronun-
Citations of others, with the names of the
authorities, enclosed in brackets; yet, in all
cases, making use of Walkers method of
notation. By this means, the Dictionary
has been rendered more satisfactory as, in
all doubtful cases, it must be agreeable to
those who consult it, to see the different
modes of different orthoepists."
The. Appendix contains all the words
newly added by Mr.. Todd in his second
edition; number of words, that are found
in the body of the Dictionary, here repeat
ed for the sake of some correction or re-
mark a few words of unquestionable au-
thority, which were omitted by DR.. Johnson
and Mr.. Todd and some words which are
more or less used in America"
In preparing the Appendix, the Editor
has made a free use of the Vocabulary of
Americanisms, by his learned and respected
friend, Mr.. Pickering, who furnished him
with his interleaved copy of the same Vo-
n a ltilIarxr holonorinoc 70 ha H.,
OF Andover from which he obtained some
valuable materials"
Scare has been taken to present cor
rected edition of Walkers Key. Many err
rours and inconsistencies have been detected
tons which have been examined and in
some instances, it has been difficult to as
certain what was the real pronunciation in
tended by the author. The Key has been
improved by exhibiting the variations of
Perry, and of Fulton and Knight, with re-
gard to the Scripture Proper Names
" The List of Authors, with the reigns in
which they hourished, without benefit to
many who may make use of the Dictionary,
as it will, in various cases, afford assistance !;
determining the authority of words, and
whether they are of long standing, or of re-
cent introduction into the language"
"The first edition of Walkers Critical
Pronouncing Dictionary was published in
1871 /; and the fourth edition (which was the
last that was printed under his superintend-
ence) was published in 1906. This IS 81
garded as the best, and it has been made
the standard, in editing the present work.
Since the death of Walker, which took
place in 1907, his Dictionary has passed
through numerous editions in England and
1t has also been stereotyped both in that
country and this.
Walker, in preparing his Dictionary,
made pronunciation his principal object and
Tor this his work is chiefly valued. His ex-
plantations of words are professedly copied
almost wholly from Johnson; but on the
pronunciation of the English language, no
other person, probably, ever bestowed so
much attention. He studied the analogy of
the language with care, and took great pains
to ascertain the prevailing usage. His de-
sign was, as he expresses it, principally to
give a kind of history of pronunciation, and
a register of its present state.'"
But though Walker holds the first rank
as an orthoepist, yet he ought not to be i'm
pllcltly followed. The ultimate standard of
pronunciation is not his mere authority, nor
that of any other individual; but it is the
usage of literary and well-bred society; and
SO far, and SO far only, as his Dictionary is an
accurate register of such usage, is it proper,
according to his own principles, that it
should be relied upon as guide"
With what fidelity the editor of this
volume has performed his task, the publick
will Judge. Entire accuracy in such a work
is not to be attained; yet he hopes, that, in
this respect, this work will bear a favoura-
Bile comparison with most others of the kind