The morning call., 1893-08-30
A COLOSSAL DICTIONARY.

An enthusiastic reviewer of the seventh
installment Of Murray's New English
Dictionary" pronounceS the undertaking 9
probably the most gigantic work of CO.
operation ever devised by the human in
tellect." This age has seen, he admits.
many great piojects-the Atlantic cable.
the Pacifc railway, the SueZ canal, the
Mont Gents tunDel-but he does not thin k
that any one of them ever engaged in its
production so many hands and heads as
this dictionary, and certainly not such
highly intelligent labor. This is very high
praise, which people not cogrizant Of the
facts NAV consider extravagant and rheto-
rical. But there remains the fact that
while DR.. Murray's staff is large and ad-
mirably organized, scholars in every part
of the world are contributors of quota
tlons, renderings, meanings and philologi-
cal researches. There must be hundred,
of the learned in the United States who
have given assistance. Everywhere in the
British colonies there are contributors.
Foreign countries have been laid under
tribute, and, in short, there is a systematic
research under wav for this huge philo-
logical standard of the English tongue
such as has never before been conceived.
Were there a hundred Jobnsons or Web
sters they could not do what this brigade
of scholars is achieving with monumental
thorougnness. 1t is not the work of one
man or few, but of many toilers follow
ing up the uses, roots and rootlets Of
words in the mass of literature, and prac-
tically all that exists is rausaeked and
digested. 1t is pre-eminentIy an age
suited to so colossal task. The philol-
ogy and knowledge of languages in John
sons day were as twilight compared with
noon when contrasted with advances TO-
day. The dictionaries already extant are
stupendous creations. especially the Gen.
tury and the new Webster, but all that
they contain will positively be swelled by
huge volumes when this internationa
Murray is completed. 1t is now In the
letter &C." but in the hands of the com.
pliers is far ahead in the other letters
Years must elapse-pos sibly the century
ere it is finished. and then it will be time
to insert thousands of additions, so rapid
is the growth of our tongue in fresh terms
and verbal richness.
In this installment DR.. Murray directs
special attention to the word "cross" as a
sturdy verbal tree. well branched and
deep rooted in history. The substantive
'crosses" extend to seven closely printed
columns. The very old English term was
'road." OF which there are a few examples.
But from the Latin "crux, crucis" the
word entered English from three drec-
tions and in four separate forms. Old
English was crouch" and Anglo-Saxon
''cruc," but the Morse form of "kross''
was in use in the north of England, and
the Morse borrowed it from the Irish
'cros." The Normans introduced "croiz''
or ''crois." and In the course of centuries
Doth old English aud Norman disappeared,
and the Celtic Morse form ''ernss" became
tablished. 1t is beautiful bit of ph;lo-
logical inquiry to trace all this out in
copious illustrations. and the historical
value is in ncontrovertible. 1t is strong
indication of the very great importance oi
Ireland and it's early mission aries in the
diffusion of Christianity and civilization
Under this term there are 284 separate
words, and altogether, reckoning the vari-
Gus parts of speech. the space required
extends to thirty-two closely Irinted
columns, or as much matter as a stout
magazine contains. The critic who falls
INTO ecstacy over such production of in
tellectual collaboration is therefore not
without warrant in the generosity of his
admiration