Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-05
THE HISTORY OF DIALECT.
With Special Reference to "The Eng
lish Dialect Grammar"

Since the foundation of the English Da-
lect Society in 1873 the work OF dong JUS
ticc to the history of our dialects has
gone steadily forward through all its sue
ceSSive stages. First of all came the bib
biography of the books concerned with
the dialects and the publica ton of nllmer-
Gus dialect gloSSarieS, both new and Oil.
by the English Dialect Society from 1913
to 1885, in eighty volumes. Next the col
lection of additional words and illustrat-
tive quotations by Dr. Smythe Palmer
during the years 1856 to 1889. Thirdly, the
handing over of all the material collected
ND to that date to DIR. Wright, who soon
discovered that the collections were still
insufficient, and likely to remain so unless
much augmented. The next step was for
him to enlist the assistance of voluntary
helpers, the number of which gradually
increased till it exceeded six hundred.
In the whole history of the undertaking
nothing was more satisfactory than this.
A movement begun in complete and I'M
plicit trust in the power of the united
kingdom of Great Britain and ireland to
help itself ultimately met with response
which exceeded all anticipation, and has
proved to the complete confusion of all
pessimists that there still exist among lis
an unselfish and almost inexhaustible
supply Of unanimous patriotism which is
capable of steady devotion to any project
that is designed for the common good. A
nation that is capable of producing such
a thing as n dialect dictionary in addition
to a new historical dictionary, can hard
ly be tWitted with being in stage of de
cadence, but ought rather to be regarded
by discerning minds as IAN eagle muing
her mighty youth, and kidding her undaZ-
zled eyes at the full midday beam"
The time of preparation of the material
was in fact, extended till 1896 and later,
50 that the first volume of the English
dialect dictionary did not appear till 1893,
just quarter of a. century after the work
practically began. Since that date it has
advanced with great and cOmmendable
rapidity, the sixth and last volume ap-
pearing in October of the present year.
This last volume contained, as a sort of
appendix, dialect grammar. which is
now reprinted in a separate, smaller and
more handy form under the title given
above. 1t can be obtained independently
OF tie larger work.
To certain extent the scope of the
work necessarily includes the fifth volume
of DIR. Alexander John Ellis work on
early English pronunciation, which APP
prared in 1889. and was concerned with
the subject of Existing dialect as COM
pared with West Saxon pronuncia ton"
Rut Prof. Wright has by no means been
contented to annex the work of his pre-
decessor, or even to exhibit it in the
same form. He has gone all over the
ground again, with the assistance of his
numerous and devoted helpers, adding
largely to all previous researches and con-
Stantly consulting the word-forms al
ready given in the dictionary. The re-
suit Is practically an Independent work
arranged on a better plan
A man who has before him the task of
editing an extremely difficult text cor
faining many doubtful words has been
known IN rare instances to adopt the
courageous course of making a concord
ance of the words employed in tho text
before presuming to print the same. In