New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
woRcEsTER's DICTIONARY.

Svan. & Brewer
IN bringing to close the Photographic Iabors, to
(which DR.. Worcester has devoted 80 many years of
his life il has been bis aim 10 furnish the reading
public with practical work of general reference,
but not to advance the science of English philOogy
by the fruits of original speculation and research,
or 10 introduce any radical innovations into the re-
ceived traditions and usages Of our language. Dr.
Worcester possesses many important qualifications
for the laboriOus task, which has been completed
with the publication Of the present volume a
wide experience in various departments OF letters
the long habit Of accurate investigation ana COM
parisOp,-a sngularly inqusitive, but cautious ana
deliberate tone of mind "a high degree OF intellect
nal recttude--a dispassionste love of truth, with
scarcely percsphble bias from preludice or mag
ipation, store of sound and various Learning not
limited TO single field of inqury,-and persistent
diligence in literary toll, which has few parallels
.mouQ scholars in this country, have enaGed him
10 produce a work, which, If not entirely satsfao
tory in all its details, or free from the natural i'm
projections which inevitably cling to performance
of such scope and magnitude, is still noble monu'
nent Of enterprise and industry, and valuable ac
cessOn to the resources of every reader for gaining
a comprehension and mastery of the rich sgni6-
canoe Of the English tongue.
The plan Of the dictionary is similar to that Of
the Universal and Critical Dictionary" published
by DR.. Worcester about fifteen years ago; but its
vocabulary hes been greatly enlarged; selection
of authorities given for the use of the principal
words, especially Of such as are technical, Obso-
lete local. of recent introduction, orotherwisepecu
liar in their character; attempting, in fact to pre-
sent full and accurate glossary of all the English
books that are read at the present day. In the ad
mission Of words into the vocabulary, great judg-
mept is requisite; how far terms Of familiar cur
rency, but not sustained by general analogy,-ex-
pressions that are common in the market, but not
employed in formal discourses, words that have
sprung up amid the exgencies Of social and business
Efe but which have not been recognized by the
authority of standard writer's, should be intro
dueed is question Of not easy decision, aud one
that can never be settled to universal satisfaction
DR.. Worcester, we think is inclined to err on the
side of fberality; he is certainly not bigOted
sticker for puism; and although for the most
mart. he explains the position and character of
doubtful words he is often too lenient to usages
which have no support but in the habit of careless
speakers or, sometimes perhaps in the caprices Of
fashion Thus he gives place to the wholly super
fuous word reliable which has well nigh superseded
the oldfashioned idiomstc term trustworthy and
which in American parance and writing ia used
with frequency altogether out of proportion to
the prevalence of the quality which it is meant to
indicate. He quotes for this anomalous and de-
L. nal NJ nix Wahstax Cir
Robert Peel the North British Review, the Eclectic
Review, and BackwoOd's Magazine, each of which
Is of too recent date TO sustain such palpable
infringement on the regular construction of the Ian
vusge His own remarks, however, on the word are
iudciOus, combining the "bane with wholesome
"antidote." "ReIiabIe," says he, "(together with
its derivatives reliability and rcliGbLeness is very
modern word, recently often met with; and it has
the sanction of highly respectable authorities;
but it is i'll formed and it cannot properly have the
signifcstior in which it is always used Potential
passive adectives in allie are derived from active
verbs, as allOp, allowable, but adjectiyes derived
from neuter verbs do not admit of this passivesense
as perish, ptrishGJls. In order to form passive
adjective from rely, we must annex on or upon, and
give il the ludcrOus form reliOn-aJIe or TsliupOn
able, which would properly signify that may be re-
Lied on orupon.' The adjective uncomfortable, found
in the Tatter and inserted by johnson in his Die
hOnary, is formed on the same principle, and John
son properly styles ii % low, corrupt word, but
ancomeabIe, if there were such word, would not
admit Of the sense, not to be come at. ,"
The verb progress used in the sense Of to adrdnce,
though it has been severely challenged as an Amsri-
can innovation, is admitted by DR.. Worcester
without hesitation, and is shown to be supported
by formidable array of authorities. 1t was used
by Southey (by no means a model of pure Englsh)
in 1893, and has since been adopted by COleridge,
Hood, Dickens, Bulwer, and many other popular
writer's and is inserted in the late English Dcton-
aries Of Maunder, Knowles Smart Reid, Ogilvie,
Bosg, Clarke, and Wright. DR.. Worcester cor
recty remarks that the word in this sense, is of
modern origin or revival" and sit often occurs
both in conversation AMI in published writings,
though great part of our best writers orbear the
use of it."
Baggage, used for the prevailing English express
sion luggage, is hardly sustained by the authority
quoted by Dr. Worcester balance in the Ameri-
can sense of remainder, as the Z" balance Of an
evening of an edition." &c, is condemned as cor
rupt though not uncommon in the commercial and
colIoqual language of this country; cteOsr is prop
erIy defined, according TO English usage as DEXTER
Oas, skilal, while its incorrect sense IN frequent
use in the United States, as gOOd-natured, ~ea
disposed, is pointed OUT and notify, as meaning to
mir, ~ot;,, 10 il Justly censured as commonly used