A New Universal Etymological English Dictionary [Scott-Bailey Dictionary]

Nathaniel Bailey; Joseph Nicol Scott

Published by T. Osborne and J. Shipton; J. Hodges; R. Baldwin; W. Johnston and J. Ward, London, 1755

About this Item

London: T. Osborne and J. Shipton; J. Hodges; R. Baldwin; W. Johnston and J. Ward, 1755. Folio (16.25" x 10"); [xviii, 1080]. Engraved frontis and 11 plates, all present. Modern full leather with blind and gilt tooling; red leather title card to spine. Boards are sturdy, clean, and square, with some rubbing / scuffing at bottom front corner and a few very faint surface scratches. Paper repair along edges of preliminaries and terminal pages; dampstaining in bottom and top margins of first few pages; a few marginal chips and closed tears with one page near end showing clear tape repair along margin and one strip over still-legible text; thin inkstain from fourth definition of "tartar" down to page end, obscuring some text; pages toning with some showing mild to moderate foxing and offsetting. Stamp of the Mercantile Library Association of New York on full title, with ownership inscription (Robert Morris Halfey?) along top. Updated and expanded edition of the late Nathaniel Bailey's An Universal Etymological English Dictionary (first published in 1721). Gertrude E. Noyes notes in her survey The English Dictionary from Cawdrey to Johnson, 1604-1755 that "both the circumstances of publication and the make-up of the work indicate.that this dictionary was designed as a booksellers' measure to hold the market against that redoubtable newcomer in lexicography, Samuel Johnson" (Noyes p. 179), whose own Dictionary of the English Language appeared in its first edition the same year. Alston writes that "The revisions and additions are extensive enough to warrant this being regarded as a new work," though Noyes mentions that Scott's role beyond the Preface and a few specific revisions was largely to lend name recognition to the publication. [Alston V-173]. Seller Inventory # 12461

Bibliographic Details

Title: A New Universal Etymological English ...

Publisher: T. Osborne and J. Shipton; J. Hodges; R. Baldwin; W. Johnston and J. Ward, London

Publication Date: 1755

Condition: Very Good