Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-10-14

| SuCn WOIuS DIS nave COluc llltO use oluCS Tic
first publication of the work. BY turning
over the pages of this volume, and observing
the words which are marked as added by
Mr.. Todd, one will readily perceive that a
dictionary, which was destitute of all such,
would be extremely defective. But on the
labours of Mr.. Todd, which idnicate very
extensive reading, especially as it regards
the early English writers, it is unnecessary
. to enlarge, as his own account OF them is
presented to the reader.
"The following notice is perfxed to Mr..
Chalmers's Abridgement:--s This volume
contains every word in Mr.. Todd's edition
of DR.. Johnson's Dictionary and above
fourteen thousand more than were given in
DIR. Johnson's Abridgement. 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
| II.
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 Abridgement 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-
| 6o~ \ ,o1 ~, I'D 81, III
ton of Johnson. In many instances, in
which the Editor has observed the omission
by Mr.. Chalmers of something particularly
important, he has extracted fiom DR.. Johnson
or Mr. Todd additional matter or remarks
chronological, 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 concerning 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 san.a-c direction or ra-
mark few words of unquestlonaDle au-
thority, which were omitted by DR.. Johnson
and Mr.. Todd and some words which are
more or less used in America"
SIN preparing the Appendix, the Editor
has made free use of the Vocabulary of
friend, Mr.. Pickering, who furnished him
cabulary, belonging to the Rev. DIR. Porter
of Andover from which he obtained some
valuable materials"
Care has been taken to present a COR
rected edition of Walkers Key. Many er-
iOulS anu lHCUuSlSt6lCleS nave Ueeu uStGCLeu
in the different English and American edi-
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 fourished, 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 re-
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
it has also been stereotyped both in that
country and this.
Walker, in preparing his Dictionary,
made pronunciation his principal object; and
for 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
fn rfa,,, h. Il