The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-16

president Patton, Rene Holland. Minot
j. Savage. Edward Everett Hale and
list or other eminent clergymen each
high In authority in his particular de-
nomination.; Frances h. Willard, the
great apostle of womans cause, and
others apparently covering every ave.
nue. of human learning the eye passes In
amazement at the aggregate ability en-
listed In the preparation of the book
before us. 1t seems almost incredible
that one work of only two volumes
should have drawn literally upon SO
varied u fund Of scholarship and au-
thority; yet this II has done, and to the
wise end that II may, In its definitions,
inciusions and reflections, have higher
sanction than that of mere scissorers of
other Vocabularies: or in other words.
that 1t may, in every direction OF learn
ing. reinforce the ipse dixit of its Office
editors and compilers with the author
ity or renowned specialists abundantly
qualified TO render ex cathedra pro-
nouncements within their respective
fields OF scholarship.
H.
There Is on record. in this dictlonary's
oehalf. the assertion OF one of the fore
most trade journals that with respect
10 the technical terms used in that trade
the Standard has an ampler. q more
authoritative and more thoroughly
revised vocabulary than any special
dictionary dealing with trade terms
exclusively. A similar remark might be
made concerning its treatment of elec.
trical subjects, which is more modern,
by 1000 words, than that of any other
general dictionary of the English lam
guage, and fully UP to the special die
tionaries which occupy this field exclu-
sively. 1t was TO be feared that this
diffusion of scholarship might result In
a lack of uniformity in the dlctionary's
vocabulary definitions. spellings and
forms. This danger how
ever was ingeniously overcome by the
selection of committee of reference,
including fifty noted philologists in
English. Canadian. Austria.
Ian, East-lndian universities. and rep
resentative professional writer's and
speakers of English. Whenever a diff
ference arose between the consulting
editor, DR.. March, and contributing
specialist concerning the pronunciation
or spelling of any word it was referred
TO this unique commission of arbitra-
ton; and the consensus of its judg-
ments then prevailed. In an appendix
the forms preferred by each member of
this committee have been indicated,
thus admitting into the various discus
sions, those users of the dictionary who
may wish to pursue the subject fur
ther.
Another feature deserving mention is
the adoption by this dictionary of sim
plitied forms of spelling. In all fully
AngliciZed words, such as "fetus,"
''esthetics." the useless
"ae" and zoe" have been
discarded. A scholarly Frenchman. not
long ago, after a study of English,
wrote a monograph in which he proved,
by convincing array of statistics, that
the retention, in English dictionaries.
OF cumbrous forms of spelling, includ-
Ing needless silent letters, involved an
annual cash waste, to printers, pub
fishers and readers, of large number
we forget how many--of millions of
dollars. No prominent philologist to-
day stands out for these expensive old
forms. Indeed, every representative
body Of students of our language has
at some time or another indorsed SPELL
ing reform. But we have here, in this
dictionary the first general attempt to
carry the good work forward; and out
)f difference to the inertia of the masses
this attempt is extremely moderate and
Whenever the changes
Jointly recommended by the American
Pathological and the American Spelling i
Reform associations appear somewhat
radical, both the new and the old forms
are given, leaving the reader to take his
choice. A more aggressive stand Is
taken in the dictionary upon the SPELL |
ng of many words In chemistry. In
compliance with the wishes of the |
chemical section of the American Asso- |
'iation for the Advancement of Science |
words such as "bromn," "morphin."
quinn" and "sulfur" are boldly sim
Dlified: altogether, while the editors
we're at that work we see no reason
Why they should not have gone a step
'urther, and spelled morphine "morfin."
In general language we have already 1
,alled attention to the superior ilustra-
Ions in colors in this book. A plate /
n volume ] showing the colors OF the !
precious stones has been pronounced by |
many experts the finest known speci- |
men Of artistic lithography. Another, |
n the same volume, showing the colors |
" famous decorative medals Is exceed |
ngly fine. But in the second volume |
he Prangs have surpassed both these .
'lates by an Illustration of the solar
pectrum and typical colors. To COM |
'lete this plate so separate Impressions |
we're necessary. There are 4S separate
'olors in small parallelograms, no two |
like, and none revealing the slightest
race Of imperfect printing. In this
ame connection 1t Is proper to direct
lotice to the vocabulary's treatment of
he word spectrum" Following n
,5OO-word definition Of the word, In its
'arious uses, Is a table of colors which
$ alone worth more than Is charged for
ne entire dictionary. This table names.
indicates the pronunciation and ex-
'lains the composition of T75 colors
ommon In commerce and the arts.
ringing the whole subject of the com
'osition OF colors within the space of
title more than one page We know
f no other book in the English Ian
'uage which attempts to equal this per-
ormance.
III. ...
We had hoped to include, within the
limits Of this notice, a short considera-
Ion OF the appendix chapter on faulty
|iction, which, to the general reader, Is
u once one of the most interesting and
.aiuable features OF the whole work.
'ut this task must be reluctantly post
'oned. We can. today, devote only n
ew more sentences to this monumental
YORK, and 1t Is fair that these should be
oniined to the three features OF defni-
Ions synonyms and antonyms.
The definitions OF the Standard die