Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-09-30

eulllOn; NUMBER OF words, tnaC are found
in the body of the Dictionary, here repeat
ed for the sake of some correction OF re-
mark few words of unquestionable au-
thority, which were omitted by DIR. Johnson
and Mr.. Todd and some words which are
more or less used in America"
g In preparing the Appendix, the Editor
has made 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-
cabulary, belonging to the Rev. DIR. Porter
of Andover from which he obtained some
valuable materials"
"Care has been taken to present cor
rected edition of Walkers Key. Many err
rours and Inconsistencies have been detected
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 fiourished, 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
to ascertain the prevailing usage. His de-
sign was, as ne expresses it, principally to
give 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
plicitly 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 work
is not to be attained; yet he hopes, that, in
this respect, this work will bear favoura-
! Bile comparison with most others of the kind
as ne IS confident it will with the volumes
from which it was Immediately formed.
Many errours may have escaped detection,
but many haye been corrected; those in
than two thousand"
BOSTON Sent 10 3yu