The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-10-10
A Standard Dictionary Of the English
Language.
THE BEsT YET PUBLISHED

W.
its publication right on the heels of the is
suance OF the celebrated Century Diction-
ary, indicates an unlimited field for enter.
prise in this department OF bookmaking. BY
general but somewhat unconsidered, assent
the Century was believed to have ex-
hausted, for generation at least, all the
resources and opportunities Of successful
photography. So when The STANDARD was
advertised, and the first of its two volumes
appeared last spring, it was the object Of
much increduity. There was also not a
little skeptical curiosity TO see work that
had the audaoity to claim the attention Of
the world in competition with the preten-
tlous Century and that work of solid merit,
Weoster's International This feeling yielded
10 one OF real and enthusiastic admiration
when the examination was begun and the
claims OF the STANDARD upon the approba-
ton OF the public were known and UNDER
stood. Acquaintance with the STANDARD
dispelled skepticisn and ripened curiosity
! into the perception of merits that have
placed this dictionary first among the die
| tiOnares in our estimation. We ask atten.
ton to brief review of some of the STAND.
ARDS prominent features.
/. In spelling and pronunciation, in law
! in all its departments, in economies and
statistics, in every department of literature,
art and science, in all the professions, in
the terms OF practical and business life,
in music, electricity and all the new de-
partments of science and industry, the very
best and most experienced talent Of the en-
tire country has been employed. In the
work preceding the publication OF the first
volume 100000 has been expended, sum
that will grow to 81, 900, 900 before the pre-
paratory work is completed. These facts
show that the STANDARD is not "A superficial
work, not cheap publication or a CATCH
penny affair.
2: The vocabulary is extraordinarily rich
and full. The entire number of words and
terms in the STANDARD is nearly 300, 900;
in WebSter's International, 1875 ,000 in the Gem
tury (siX vOlumes), 225, 600. The STANDARD
thus contains 1900 more words and terms
than its ponde -ous predece .sor, but at the
same time great care has been exercised to
exclude needless new terms and words that
are obsolete or rarely used as to be COM
paratively valueless. The reie 3tion or in
clusion of doubtful words has been deter
mined by a committee of representative
scholars and scientific specialists The
great increase in the number OF words in
these two volumes of some 1000 pages has
been made possible by eliminating con-
fusng mass of genealogical information that
has numbered the older dictionaries with
out add ng TO their value or usefulness
The STANDARD has reversed the usual or
der of dictionary makers in defining words
by placing first the living, vital definition,
which the great mass of dictionary users are
seeking, and putting last the unusual mean
ings, with brief etymology. Many thousand
new words evolved by progress in the arts
and sciences appear for the first time in the
STANDARD.
3. If word has two or more meanings,
| the most common has been given first,
preference being given to the order of usage
; over the historic order.
4. In the spelling OF names in geography
| the decisions of the United States Board of
| Geographic Names have been followed.
| Disputed spellings and RECOMMENDATIONS of
words have been referred to committee of
| fifty philologists in the universities of the
various English speaking nations. The
drift toward the simpler forms of spelling
! has been recognized throughout the work.
5. The author, title of work, volume
chapter and page, name of publishers and
! date of publication are given of quotations
used to verify or illustrate the meanings of
words. Stock quotations which have done
| duty so long in dictionaries are for the most
| part discarded, because other quotations
that serve the purpose as well or better
/ have been found. In the herculean task of
selecting, locating and verifying the tens of
thousands OF quotations nsed in the STAND
ARD nearly 100000 have been read by
nearly 500 readers who have participated in
the work.
6. In the definitions, special pains have
| been taken to make the work as thorough
as possible by presenting exact and recent
meanings and distinctions, and by making
the general definitions com prehensive and
exhaustive. The people to whom term
more especially belongs have the right to
say what they mean when they use that
term Observing this rule, each set of
words has been defined or passed upon
by representative of the science, art
handicraft, party, class, or religious denom-
ination to which the terms respectively be-
long. Trained specialists have been en-
ployed to define each class of words men
of the stamp for example, of ex-Minister f.
j. Phelps, in his department of scholar
ship.
T. The treatment of synonyms and an
tonyms is new and useful feature of the
STANDARD. The purpose has been to bring
out sharply the finer, nicer distinctions of
words, especially with reference to correct,
established usage at the present time. 1t is
the first work of the kind in which the
antonyms of words have been given. This
part OF the work, while of interest to all +,
will be of especial value to young writers,
who find difficulty in finding the word that
exactly expresses their thoughts. An
tonyms have the advantage OF definition by
contrast, and are often helpful to the clear
and vigorous expression of contrasted or
conflicting ideas which it is desired to state
alphabetically.
s. Examples showing the proper use of
propositions are freely given.
9. Grouped under the names of fruit,
cattle consultations, coins, stars, etc, the
facts concerning this class of words have
been very fully given. Under the word zap
pie" are given the names of some 800 varie'
ties; under constellation" the names of all
the consultations; under star " the names
OF all the stars down TO the third or fourth
magnitude; under Cattle" illustrations and
names of the various Breeds under gems, -
the names and brilliantly colored page OF
precious stones And so on through long
list with the essential facts pertaining to
each. The pictorial illustrations are many
and all OF the highest order
10. In the appendix, grouped under one
alphabetical arrangement, are Geographic,
historical, and geographic names, cele-
brated characters in fiction, mythology,
etc. This one alphabetical order will he
found to be great advantage over the
usual separate lists.
Space will not suffice for the adequate
enumeration of all the excellencies of this
dictionary. In our Judgment, il greatly ex-
GELS any dictionary of the English language
ever before published. To the student, the
general reader, the editor, the man OF
science and letters, to the laborer, the ar
tisan, the lawyer, doctor or business man,
to any and all classes, the STANDARD Is an
( ever ready and helpful assistant and III
structor. Any one in search OF compre,
J hensive dictionary and eycopedis should
J buy the STANDARD. Publishers, FUNK ~
: Wagnalls Company, New York; Or; DANIEL
S. Gregory, managing editor; Dr. Isaac IA;
Eunk aditor in ahiaf, with editorial