Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-03-03
woRcEsrERs auARro DICTIONARY.

W0RCESTERS QUART0 DICTIONARY.
The library edition of DR.. j. E. Worcester's
quarto dictionary has been published, and a
copy of it lies on our table 1T is a magnifi-
cent volume in appearance. The pages are
large, the margjjE1sis full the type is clear anu
attractiyess,-and every way, the mechanical eA. :.
ecuti on is in the highest style OF the arr Vi
hoot-makinc. There are 6S pages OF intro
dnctorv matter. and 17S6 pages OF the vocabu-
49,, ond definitions. Scattered all through
the book are small wood cuts, used to illustrate
the meaning of words. 1t is stated in the
preface that 104, 600 words will be found in
this dictionary, 10000 more than there were
in Todd's edition of johnson. 1t is re-
markablv rich in the technical terms of sci
ence and art, and has many other ex-
cellepces peculiarly its own. 1t is very
complete collection, and the reader of
old books will here find most if not ALL of
the Anticipated and nearly obsolete words
which occur in the early English authors
DR.. Worcester gives authorities in most in
stances. In each page, which is divided into
three columns, the first and last word is given
Mt the top, which we find convenient for
reference.
The Introductory matter, which is very in
teresting as well as instructive, treats of the
principles of pronunciation; photography ;
English grammar; origin, formation, and ETY.
moogy of the English language Archaisms,
provncialisms, and Americanisms; history
of English photography catalogue OF
English dictionaries, glossaries, encyclope
dias, &C.; list of the principal scientific works
used in the preparation of this Dictionary,
and authorizations and signs used in it. The
appendix treats of the pronunciation of
Greek and Latin proper names, Of modern
geographical names, and of the names OF dis
tinguished men of modern times also abbrev-
iations and signs used in writing and printing,
and collection of words, phrases, and quota
tons from the Greek, Latin, French, Italian,
and Spanish languages There are some
other valuable points, including five thousand
synonyms.
There is no other English dictionary in ex-
istence to be worthy to be mentioned in conf
parison with this, save the great work of Dr.
Webster. There is no such work in England
nor is there any man there qualified to pro-
duce such a dictionary. 1t is a remarkable
fact that the two great works of this kind
which so far excel all others as to put compe-
tition out of the question, have been produced
by Americans and when we meet English
pretense to superiority in knowledge of the
language, it should be treated with the ridi-
cule it deserves. There is a " dictionary war;
between the publishers of Worcester and
and Webster, which we shall not discuss
here. We suppose that every well furnished
private library will have both dictionaries, and
that the two will dwell together under such
circumstances in great harmony, and with
much bene fit to their owner. AT any rate, we
are not afraid to try the experiment.
Dr. Worcester's work is great addition to
English literature, and it will have the atten-
ton it deserves. In one favorable notice of it
some of its peculiar excellencies are summed
up as follows :-"Obsolete and technical terms,
provincialisms, compound words, foreign terms,
scientific ones, synonyms, are given to re-
markable extent those which other compilers
have rejected because they were obsolete OF
too new, or technical, or provincial, are fol
that very reason accepted by Worcester; and
it seems to us rightly. 1t is the uncommon
words that are most looked for; it is the obso
lete ones we chance to. meet in Chaucer or
Spenser, we are sure to search for; it is the
technical ones that bother the general reader
it is just such as these that dictionary is
wanted for"
1t is published in Boston by Hickling, Swan,
and Brewer, and is for sale, we presume, at
the bookstores.