The Darned Dictionary
Fact of the Day: American Dictionary
"The first dictionary of American English was published in April 1828. The two-volume dictionary was written solely by the American lexicographer Noah Webster. He began work on it in 1807 and finished in 1824-1825. It contained 12,000 words and 30,000-40,000 definitions that had not appeared in any earlier dictionary. The rights to the dictionary were sold in 1843 by the Webster estate to George and Charles Merriam."
We have all worn the strait-jacket of Webster's thinking since April 1828. And I wonder if anyone asked Noah where he got his authority to do it! Or is it nerve?
"The first dictionary of American English was published in April 1828. The two-volume dictionary was written solely by the American lexicographer Noah Webster. He began work on it in 1807 and finished in 1824-1825. It contained 12,000 words and 30,000-40,000 definitions that had not appeared in any earlier dictionary. The rights to the dictionary were sold in 1843 by the Webster estate to George and Charles Merriam."
We have all worn the strait-jacket of Webster's thinking since April 1828. And I wonder if anyone asked Noah where he got his authority to do it! Or is it nerve?
posted by Stephens at
1:06 PM
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