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A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. In which Five Thousand Words are added to the number found in the BEST ENGLISH COMPENDS; The Orthography is, in some instances, corrected; The Pronunciation marked by an Accent or other suitable Direction; And the Definitions of many Words amended and improved. To which are Added for the Benefit of the Traveller, I. Tables of Moneys? II. Tables of Weights? III. The Divisions of Time? IV. An official List of the Post-Offices in the United States? V. The Number of Inhabitants in the United States? VI. New and Interesting Chronological Tables? By Noah Webster. From Sidney?s Press. For Hudson & Goodwin, and Increase Cooke & Co., New Haven, CT, 1806. First Edition. 408 p. Leather binding measures 7 x 4.5?, 8vo.
In good condition. FRONT BOARD DETACHED FROM BINDING! Boards scuffed at edges and worn/bumped at corners. Head of spine chipped with exposed binding; tail scuffed. Title label intact with a chip at bottom corner by rear hinge; gilt lettering legible. No preliminary leaves - text begins at title page. Pencil marginalia found on paste-downs and sporadically through text-block. Toning and age-staining through text-block. Leaf containing pages 61-2 exhibits large tear from fore-edge to gutter (text remains legible); leaf containing pages 181-2 exhibit chip at bottom edge with loss of text (five lines). Binding of text-block remains intact; FRONT BOARD DETACHED FROM BINDING! Please see photos and ask questions, if any, before purchasing.
Noah Webster (1758?1843), the author of the readers and spelling books which dominated the American market at the time, spent decades of research in compiling his dictionaries. His first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, appeared in 1806. In it, he popularized features which would become a hallmark of American English spelling (center rather than centre, honor rather than honour, program rather than programme, etc.) and included technical terms from the arts and sciences rather than confining his dictionary to literary words.
Webster was a proponent of English spelling reform for reasons both philological and nationalistic. Despite its significant place in the history of American English, Webster's first dictionary sold only 2,500 copies. He was forced to mortgage his home to develop a second edition, and for the rest of his life he had debt problems.
The first edition of Webster's first Dictionary, and the first truly American dictionary, notable for the inclusion of many words in common usage but omitted from earlier lexicons, and for its concise, effective definitions. A landmark in the history of lexicography and in the evolution of the American language, predating Webster's two-volume unabridged Dictionary by twenty-two years.
RAREA1806ITVX - 06/26 - HK3590.
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