The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-29
MURRAY,S GREAT WORK.
A Survey Of His Contribution 20 Eng
llsh Lexicography.

point of view the occupation which he
followed for the last thirty-flve years OK
his life he described In his dictionary.
under the word "lexicographer," "a
writer or compiler OF a dictionary" How
different from that OF his great fore
runner Johnson, by whom the lexicog-
rapher was defined az "a writer of die
t%ionaries" and described as "a harm
less drudge that busies himself in tracing
the original, and detailing the slgnifica-
ton OF words"
When in 1857 the Pathological Society.
acting on the suggestion OF Archbishop
Trench, the eminent philologlst and au-
thor of study OF Words'' and English
Past and Present" determined to collect
material for a dictionary which, by the
completeness of Its vocabulary and by
the application OF the historical method
to the life and use OF words, might be
worthy OF the English language and Of
English scholarship, they set about to
hnd a man who had the necessary
ability. patience, endurance and dogged
perseverance to assume the editorial re-
sponsibility. The collecting OF material
began In 1853. and this was guided under
the general editorship OF Herbert Cols-
ridge, grandson OF the poet Coleridge.
But 81 years OF age when he was called
to his fathers. Coleridge had lived
long enough to prepare for the press
some specimens showing the lines which
he proposed to follow In dealing with
English words.
Coleridge was succeeded by Or. Fred
erick J. F%urnivall, who had held the
position OF assistant ed!to under him.
From 1857 to 1873 the work OF collect
ing the material for this sgnum opus
was continued. until nearly three mill
tAR -., TU.HA
years before n contract was signed with
the Oxford University Press, Harper
and Brothers, who were contemplating
the publication OF an international dc
tiorary which was to compete with
Webster's American Dictionary, then
styled Unabridged" sought n compe-
tent editor. and consulted Macmillan
and Company OF London, who asked the
late Richard Morris. author Of The
Etymology OF Local Names" GS50.
and better known as the editor Of twelve
volumes Of the Early English Text So
ciety." including those of Chaucer and
Spenser from the original manuscripts.
TO select one. Morris at once named
James A. II Murray. a Scottish scholar
and member Of the Pathological Society.
In the meantime Murray had written
and published various papers in the
transactions OF tho Pathological Society
and In addition a standard work on The
Dialect Of the Southern Counties OF
Scotland" Gs13), he had edited THE
Romance and Prophecies OF Thomas Of
Erceldoune" Gs75) and other works
for the Early English Text Society. The
mastery article on the English language
which appeared In the Encyclopedia
Britannica. ninth edition. and which has
been largely preserved In the eleventh
edition was also fro- hia nan NNhap
Murray was approached as to his will
ingness 20 undertake the task OF edit
ing sue n work as Harper and Broth
ers had In mind he replied willingly,
but on one condition only: that the
work In question should be on a bigger
and broader plan than Webster's.
Harpers inquired whether material was
available TO make such a work The
Macmillans approached Or. Murray with
the inquiry. and he told them all he
knew. BY request he wrote n few sam
pie definitions and specimens OF the man.
rer In which he proposed 10 treat words.
with the assistance OF the material which
had been collected by the English
Pathological Society that had been
placed at his disposal by pr. Furnivall.
Then came the suggestion that Harpers
and Macmillans Jointly should produce a
work upon the plans suggested by MUIR
ray. but Harpers wanted a book smaller
than the American Dictionary. and so
the plan fell through. Fourteen years
later the labor OF producing a larger
work fell on the shoulders OF Isaac
Kaufman Funk. whose career as an
editor and publisher had begun in 1876
with the issue OF standard works from
English CLASSIC authors.
The sample articles which Murray had
prepared were shown TO members Of the
Pathological Society and received their
approval. Murray approached various
publishers with a view TO interes tinG
them in the production OF an English
dictionary based upon historical prln-
ciples. but none seemed willing to en-.
bark In the enterprise. In the mean.
time. however. the late Professor Man
Mueller. Dean fiddell, pr, Furnivlll and
others became interested in the plan and
laid II before the Delegates OF the OK.
ford University Press. who, while Al
first opposed to the work because they
wanted an oxford mar to undertake T.
finally determined to publish the die,
tionary on the condition that pr Muir,
ray would assume the editorship. and
the work was offered to him with thes,
words nv Professor Price. secretary q,
the Delegates YOU had better consider
the matter carefully. for II you do the
editing. the work will be we'll done Il
not. II will not be done
In December. 1873, n contract with the
oxford University Press was made hy
which the Delegates agreed to bear the
expense OF printing and publishing thi,
great work. and in the spg nE Of 1875
Dr. Murray lief; Mil I'm School and
started working as editor Of the book o.
which he had devoted t~hirty-fve years
81 his life. BY a curious coincidence
IL was In this very year that there ap-
peared in England under the editorshiJ
of DR.. Robert Hunter the first volume
of the Encyclopedia Dictionary, "a new
and original work OF reference to all IN.
words In the English language with a
full account of their origin. meaniug
pronunciation and use" which aimed r.
cover almost the same ground. comh!n.
ing the ordinary features OF a dIction,
airy of English and the treatment Of Ger.
tain subjects with something Of tho
exhaust veness adopted I'm an encyclo-
pedia. DIR. Hunters work made n grea,
advance upon other English Dictionaries
In that he introduced a large number OF
words then obsolete or rarely I'm use. Tit
matter of dates or indication of periods
which this work lacked was, however, n
defect from which Il suffered, as IL lef
the reader in a state OF uncertainty n,
regards the value of the citations given
pr. Hunters name appeared only or
the title page Of the first volume of tn,
first edition. He had collected the ma,
terlal which served as the original basis
OF the work, which was carried TO com
~ple,ion, seven volumes, .lSSS, by Johr
NNiIIams paparal editnr az ravSniI onf