New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

AN ETyMoLoGIcAL DICTIONARY Of THs Basis Basis
BY the Rev; WAITER skkAI M Az Yon in fho Uni
Macmillan n Co.
A CONCISE ETYMoLoGICAL DICTIONARY 9FT Irs
ENGLISH LANGUAGE By Ih @ol heV ua mnsrh 4
Brothers.
Dr. Johnson's was the first dictionary of the
English language which was at all HISTORICAL. It's
predecessors, fiom the |" Promptorium Parvulorunf
down to Baileys valuable aud not quite superseoeo
book, were mere compilations Of such words rs tns
makers of those dictionaries had observed. with
records very imperfect, of the various senses 10
which they were used at the time when the DOCKS
were made. johnson undertook to examine the
whole range of English literature and to show py
authoritative examples the history OF the use OF
The words which made up the body OF the Engiish
language. The plan was noble one; IL was
original; and it was executed with degreo VI
patience and ability and Of success. which gave It's
author full title sto all the reputation which he
acquired by it, Nothing more OF importance was
done in this department Of letters until the appear
npce of Richardson's dictionary which surpassed
Johnsons not only in the funess OF its vocabulary
but in the richness of its illustrations. The vast
number of passages quoted by Richardson, IN when
the words to be explained Appeared in every IN
fected FORM with very full context. made his work
Invaluable and gave it an historical interest which
IT can never lose. But neither of these great
works had any real chronological value. Johnson
was not philologist indeed, philology, IN the
modern sense of the term did not exist in his day
and Richardson was very poor one, even accord
ing TO the contemporary standard Inc vaiue Oh
both these dictionaries was rs records OF usage'
They did little nothing toward setting iorth the
origin and history of English words themselves
in
was made by Noah Webster; and although much
of mis- etymology was fanciful and grotesque even
to absurdity. he, deser yes honor as pioneer IN a
great study and he produced work which nad
enough of substantial merit TO be made tue basis OF
elaboration and perfection by more capable lin
guistc scholars. The book held its own against
much adverse criticism, some of which was JUST ana
sensible, but much of which was mere vague vftu-
marathon rs edition after edition appeared 1t was
corrected and improved according TO the discoveries
of the advancing science OF phlology until at lass
the Webster of to-day. known among scholars as
the Mohp Webster" from the great services rem
dered to it by the eminent German philologist, Dr.
Mahn). h come TO be recognized rs the most
useful existing word BOOK Oh the Ehgi'Sh iau-
euage all over the world.
Such dictionaries however, as Websters and
worccster's and Latham's johnson are mere useful
compilations for general reference as to the
otthograpby meaning and pronunciation OF an
words simple compound and derivative IN the
language. They hardly pretend to give the history
of the words forming their vast vocaDuiarles
which indeed even DR.. MAIN could not undertake to
do. and did not pretend to do in the compare
lively small space which in such WORKS can DC
afforded 10 etymology competent and thorough
chronological dictionary of the language still re-
manned n desideratum: and when it was announced
Uoita Slaat Professor Anglo
Saxon at Can bridge University, would soon publish
such dictionary the news awakened great interest
among scholars and aroused high expectations For
of all men who speak the English tongue, alter
Skeat wss the one generally recognized by those
who are competent to form an opinion on the SUD-
iect rs the ttest for the performance OF that great
task His labors in the Early English Text Society,"
including among much other notable WORK, Ills al
mrabe tbree-text edition of Piers Ploughmah" -
grand feat of.Engish scholarship and Of criticism
have given him SO high a reputation that his emi
nent postion as Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon
NJ Cambridge is but minor and very secondary
distinction His work is now before us; and we
cannot refrain from remarking at first upon 1t as
evidence of the superiority in efficiency and pro-
ductiveness of the unaded labors OF single strong,
competent earnest man to those of associations ana
academies and the like The French Academy I'M
dertook to produce great historical dictionary OF
the French language; and with all its means and
appliances the Academy after years OF fuss ana
struggle got as far as the letter-who knows or
cares which, But Emil Littre, working as SCOTS
Harry Cow fought for his own hand and with
his own hand produced the great historical French
dictionary which makes the work of the Academy,
Done or undone, superfiuous. so tho Blush
Pathological Society began twenty years ago the
preparaticn of a great dictionary which was TO
show the history of the English tongue IRON the
DAYS when it became distinct speech until the
present and in this they were to have the AID OF
an army Of scholars and students (andlas it proved
of some who were, neither, among allthe people OF
English blood and speech The preparations were
portentous and the labor painful but the very tlrst
sheet of that dictionary has yet to be printed i'
least so far as the world of letters knows and now
we have from Walter Skeat dictionary which
makes the one proposedby the Pathological Society
mere superGuity Mr.. Skeat has not done all that
the Pathological Society proposed DOING but he has
done so much of it, and that much Is so OF tile
essence of what was desired, and he mas d0ne u sc
we'll that what is left for Others is not worth inc
labor and the expense involved in the preparation
and publication of great book of this kind
Mr. Skeats work comes fully up to the high marx
TO which expectation had been raised. 1t is It's own
eulogy. No scholar even moderately advanced III
the historical study of English can fail to see it,
value and ITS authority lho pau uPo" nv" ~
Skeat has been able to present such an historical
and critical record of the indvdua elements of the
English vocabulary in one volume.not half the SIZE
of Webster's Dictionary, and in very considerably
larger type, is as follows: The vocabulary, or word
list, is made up of all the primary words observed
in modern literature and to these have been added
such compounds and derivatives usually OF French
Latin OF Greek origin occur In familiar passages
of standard authors The language to which eacf
word belongs is distinctly marked in every case by
q letter within marks of parenthess Immediately