have neglected thofe in which our words are commonly to be fought. Thus Hammond writes fecibleness for feasibleness, because I fuppofe he imagined it derived immediately from the Latin; and fome words, fuch as dependant, dependent; dependance, dependence, vary their final fyllable, as one or other language is pre

fent to the writer.

In this part of the work, where caprice has long wantoned without controul, and vanity fought praife by petty reformation, I have endeavoured to proceed with a fcholar's reverence for antiquity, and a grammarian's regard to the genius of our tongue. I have attempted few alterations, and among thofe few, perhaps the greater part is from the modern to the ancient practice; and I hope I may be allowed to recommend to thofe, whofe thoughts have been, perhaps, employed too anxioutly on verbal fingularities, not to difturb, upon narrow views, or for minute propriety, the orthography of their fathers. It has been afferted, that for the law to be known, is of more importance than to be right. Change, fays Hesker, is not made without inconvenience, even from worle to better There is in conftancy and ftability a general and lafting advantage, which will always ove balance the flow improvements of gradual correction. Much lefs ought our written language to comply with the corruptions of oral utterance, or copy that which every variation of time or place makes different from itself, and imitate thofe changes, which will again be changed, while imitation is employed in obferving them.

This recommendation of fteadinefs and uniformity does not proceed from an opinion, that particular combinations of letters have much influence on human happiness; or that truth may not be fuccefsfully taught by modes of fpelling fanciful and erroneous: I am not yet fo loft in lexicography, as to forget that words are the daughters of earth, and that things are the fans of heaven. Language is only the inftrument of science, and words are but the figns of ideas: I with, however, that the inftrument might be lefs apt to decay, and that figns might be permanent, like the things which they denote.

In fettling the orthography, I have not wholly neglected the pronunciation, which I have directed, by printing an accent upon the acute or elevated fyllable. It will fometimes be found, that the accent is placed by the author quoted, on a cferent fyllable from that marked in the alphabetical series; it is then to be understood, that custom has varied, or that the author has, in my opinion, pronounced wrong. Short directions are fometimes given where the found of letters is irregular, and if they are fometimes omitted, defect in fuch minute observations will be more eafily excufed, than fuperfluity.

la the investigation both of the orthography and signification of words, their ETYMOLOGY was neceffarily to be confidered, and they were therefore to be divided into primitives and derivatives. A primitive word, is that which can be traced no further to any English root; thus circumfpect, circumvent, circumstance, delade, concave, and complicate, though compounds in the Latin, are to us pritives. Derivatives, are all thofe that can be referred to any word in English of greater fimplicity.

The derivatives I have referred to their primitives, with an accuracy fometimes needlefs; for who does not fee that remoteness comes from remote, lovely, from love, concavity from concave, and demonftrative from demonftrate? but this pammatical exuberance the fcheme of my work did not allow me to reprefs. It is of great importance in examining the general fabrick of a language, to trace one word from another, by noting the ufual modes of derivation and infection; and uniformity must be preferved in fyftematical works, though fometimes at the expence of particular propriety.

Among other derivatives I have been careful to infert and elucidate the ano

malous

malous plurals of nouns and preterites of verbs, which in the Teutonick dialects are very frequent, and though familiar to those who have always used them, interrupt and embarrass the learne 3 of our language.

The two languages from which our primitives have been derived are the Roman and Teutonick: under the Roman I comprehend the French and provincial tongues; and under the Teutonick range the Saxon, German, and all their kindred dialects. Most of our polyfyllables are Roman, and our words of one fyllable are very often Teutonick

In aligning the Roman original, it has perhaps fometimes happened that I have mentioned only the Latin, when the word was borrowed from the French ; and confidering myfelf as employed only in the illuftration of my own language, I have not been very careful to obferve whether the Latin word be pure or barbarous, or the French elegant or obfolete.

For the Teutonick etymologies I am commonly indebted to Junius and Skinner, the only names which I have forborn to quote when I copied their books; not that I might appropriate their labours or ufurp their honours, but that I might fpare a perpetual repetition by one general acknowledgment. Of thefe, whom I ought not to mention but with the reverence due to inftructers and benefactors, Junius appears to have excelled in extent of learning, and Skinner in rectitude of understanding. Junius was accurately fkilled in all the northern languages, Skinner probably examined the ancient and remoter dialects only by occafional inspection into dictionaries; but the learning of Junius is often of no other use than to fhow him a track by which he may deviate from his purpose, to which Skinner always preffes forward by the fhortest way Skinner is often ignorant, but never ridiculous: Junius is always full of knowledge; but his variety diflracts his judgment, and his learning is very frequently difgraced by his abfurdities.

The votaries of the northern mufes will not perhaps eafily reftrain their indignation, when they find the name of Junius thus degraded by a difadvantageous comparison but whatever reverence is due to his diligence, or his attainments, it can be no criminal degree of cenforioufnefs to charge that etymologist with want of judgment, who can feriously derive dream from drama, becaufe life is a drama, and a drama is a dream; and who declares with a tone of defiance, that no man can fail to derive moan from μ, monos, who confiders that grief naturally loves to be alone.

That I may not appear to have spoken too irreverently of Junius, I have here fubjoined a few Specimens of his etymological extravagance.

hanc non obfcure firmare codex Rush. Mat. xii. 22. ubi antique fcriptum invenimus gemoeted, hit emetig. "Invenit eam vacantem.

Ubi

BANISH, religare, ex banno vel territorio HILL, mons, collis. A. S. hyll. Quod videri exigere, in exilium agere, G. bannir. It. ban- poteft abfciffum ex nohám xolavos. Collis, tudire, bandeggiare. H. bannir. B. bannen vi mulus, locus in plano editior. Hom. 11. b. 811, medii fcriptores bannire dicebant. V. Spelm. in ἐς: δε τις προπάροιθε πόλεις» ἀιπεῖα, κολώνη. Banum & in Banleuga. Quoniam verò re- authori brevium fcholiorum xodáv, exp. voTOWELS gionum urbiumq; limites arduis plerumq; mon- Gavinar, geko¢✪ įžoxń. tibus, altis Auminibus, longis deniq; flexuofifq; anguftiffimarum viarum amfractibus includeban tur, fieri poteft id genus limites ban dici ab coquod Banaras & Bewalpo Tarentinis olim, ficuti tradit Hefychius, vocabantur ai oğà xel μà ¡9vTevis do," obliquæ ac minimè in rectum tendentes vix." Ac fortaffe quoque huc facit quod Bevés, eodem Hefychio tefte, dicebant 3ph payyuan, montes arduos.

EMPTY, emtie, vacuus, inanis. A. S. Æmtig. Nefcio an fint ab juín vel iuílás. Vomo, evoro, vomita evacuo. Videtur interim etymologian

NAP, to take a nap. Dormire, condormifcere. Cym. heppian. A. S. hnappan. Quod poftremum videri poteft defumptum ex xve pas, obfcuritas, tenebræ nihil enim æque folet conciliare fornnum, quàm caliginota profunda notis obfcuritas.

STAMMERER, Balbus, blafus Goth STAMMS. A. S. stamen, stamur. D. ftam. B. ftameler. Su. ftamma. I. ftami Sunt a che vel swμúka, nimiâ loquacitate alios offendere ; quod impedite loquentes libentiffimè garrire foleant; vel quod aiks nimii femper videantur, etiam parciffimè loquentes.

Our

Our knowledge of the northern literature is fo fcanty, that of words undoubtedly Teutonick the original is not always to be found in any ancient language, and I have therefore inferted Dutch or German fubititutes, which I confider not as radical but parallel, not as the parents, but fifters of the English.

The words which are reprefented as thus related by descent or cognation, do not always agree in sense; for it is incident to words, as to their authors, to degenerate from their ancestors, and to change their manners when they change their country. It is fufficient, in etymological enquiries, if the fenfes of kindred words be found fuch as may eafily país into each other, or such as may both be referred to one general idea.

The etymology, fo far as it is yet known, was eafily found in the volumes where it is particularly and profeffedly delivered; and, by proper attention to the rules of derivation, the orthography was soon adjusted. But to COLLECT the WORDS of our language was a task of greater difficulty: the deficiency of dictionaries was immediately apparent; and when they were exhausted, what was yet wanting must be fought by fortuitous and unguided excurfions into books, and gleaned as industry ihould find, or chance should offer it, in the boundless chaos of a living fpeech. My fearch, however, has been either skilful or lucky; for I have much augmented the vocabularly.

As my design was a dictionary, common or appellative, I have omitted all words which have relation to proper names; fuch as Arian, Socinian, Calvinist, Benedi&ine, Mabometan; but have retained thofe of more general nature, as Heathen, Pagan.

Of the terms of art I have received fuch as could be found either in books of fcience or technical dictionaries; and have often inferted, from philofophical writers, words which are fupported perhaps only by a fingle authority, and which being not admitted into general ufe, ftand yet as candidates or probationers, and muft depend for their adoption on the fuffrage of futurity.

The words which our authors have introduced by their knowledge of foreign languages, or ignorance of their own, by vanity or wantonnefs, by compliance with fashion, or luft of innovation, I have registered as they occurred, though commonly only to cenfure them, and warn others against the folly of naturalizing felets foreigners to the injury of the natives.

I have not rejected any by defign, merely because they were unneceffary of exuberant; but have received thofe which by different writers have been differently formed, as vifcid, and viscidity, viscous, and viscosity.

Compounded or double words I have feldom noted, except when they obtain a fignification different from that which the components have in their fimple state. Thus bighwayman, woodman, and horfecourfer, require an explication; but of thieflike or coachdriver no notice was needed, because the primitives contain the meaning of the compounds.

Words arbitrarily formed by a conftant and fettled analogy, like diminutive adjectives in isb, as greenifb, bluib, adverbs in ly, as dully, openly, fubitantives in nefs, as vileness, faultinefs, were lefs diligently fought, and many fometimes have been omitted, when I had no authority that invited me to infert them; not that they are not genuine and regular offsprings of Englifb roots, but because their relation to the primitive being always the fame, their fignification cannot be mittaken.

The verbal nouns in ing, fuch as the keeping of the caftle, the leading of the army, are always neglected, or placed only to illuftrate the fenfe of the verb, except when they fignify things as well as actions, and have therefore a plural number, as dwelling, living; or have an absolute and abstract fignification, as colouring, painting, learning.

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The

The participles are likewife omitted, unlefs, by fignifying rather qualities than action, they take the nature of adjectives: as a thinking man, a man of piudence; a pacing horfe, a horfe that can pace: thefe I have ventured to call participial adjectives. But neither are there always inferted, because they are commonly to be understood, without any danger of miflake, by confulting

the verb.

Obfolete words are admitted, when they are found in authors not obfolete, or when they have any force or beauty that may de ferve revival.

As compofition is one of the chief characteristicks of a language, I have endeavoured to make fome reparation for the univerfal negligence of my predeceffors, by inferting great numbers of compounded words, as may be found under after, fore, new, night, fair, and many more. Thefe, numerous as they are, might be multiplied, but that ufe and curiofity are here fatisfied, and the frame of our language and modes of our combination amply difcovered.

Of fome forms of compofition, fuch as that by which re is prefixed to note repetition, and un to fignify contrariety or privation, all the examples cannot be accumulated, becaufe the ufe of thefe particles, if not wholly arbitrary, is fo little limited, that they are hourly affixed to new words as occafion requires, or is imagined to require them.

There is another kind of compofition more frequent in our language than perhaps in any other, from which arifes to foreigncis the greatcit difficulty. We modify the fignification of many verbs by a particle fubjoined; as to come off, to efcape by a fetch; to fall on, to attack; to fall off, to apoftatize; to break off, to top abruptly; to bear out, to justify; to fall in, to comply; to give over, to ccafe, to fet off, to embellith; to fet in, to begin a continual tenour; to fet out, to begin a courfe or journey; to take off, to copy; with innumerable expreflions of the fame kind, of which fome appear wildly irregular, being fo far diftant from the fenfe of the fimple words, that no fagacity will be able to trace the steps by which they arrived at the prefent ufe. Thefe I have noted with great care; and though I cannot flatter myfelf that the collection is complete, I believe I have fo far aflifted the ftudents of our language, that this kind of phrafcology will be no longer infuperable; and the combinations of verbs and particles, by chance omitted, will be cafily explained by comparifon with thofe that may be found.

Many words yet fand fupported only by the name of Bailey, Ainsworth, Philips, or the contracted Did, for Dictionaries fubjoined of these I am not always certain that they are read in any book but the works of lexicographers. Of fuch I have omitted many, becaufe I had never read them; and many I have inferted, because they may perhaps exit, though they have efcaped my notice: they are, however, to be yet confidered as refting only upon the credit of former dictionaries. Others, which I confidered as useful, or know to be proper, though I could not at prefent fupport them by authorities, I have fuffered to stand upon my own atteftation, claiming the fame privilege with my predeceffors of Leing fometimes credited without proof.

The words, thus felected and difpofed, are grammatically confidered: they are referred to the different parts of fpeech; traced when they are irregularly inflected, through their various terminations; and illuftrated by obfervations, not indeed of great or ftriking importance, feparately confidered, but neceffaty to the elucidation of our language, and hitherto neglected or forgotten by English grammarians.

The part of my work on which I expect malignity most frequently to fasten, is the Explanation; in which I cannot hope to fatisfy thofe, who are perhaps not inclined to be pleafed, fince I have not always been able to fatisfy myfelf. To

interpret

interpret a language by itself is very difficult; many words cannot be explained by fynonimes, becaule the idea fignified by them has not more than one appellation; nor by paraphrafe, becaufe fimple ideas cannot be defcribed. When the nature of things is unknown, or the notion unfettled and indefinite, and various in various minds, the words by which fuch notions are conveyed, or fuch things denoted, will be ambiguous and perplexed And fuch is the fate of haplefs lexicography, that not only darkness, but light, impedes and diftreffes it; things may be not only too little, but too much known, to be happily illuftrated. To explain, requires the ufe of terms lefs abftrufe than that which is to be explained, and fuch terms cannot always be found; for as nothing can be proved but by fuppofing fomething intuitively known, and evident without proof, fo nothing can be defined but by the ufe of words too plain to admit a definition.

Other words there are, of which the fenfe is too fubtle and evanefcent to be fixed in a paraphrafe; fuch are all thofe which are by the grammarians termed expletives, and, in dead languages, are fuffered to pafs for empty founds, of no other ufe than to fill a verfe, or to modulate a period, but which are easily perceived in living tongues to have power and emphasis, though it be fometimes fuch as no other form of expreffion can convey.

My labour has likewife been much increased by a clafs of verbs too frequent in the English language, of which the fignification is fo loofe and general, the ufe fo vague and indeterminate, and the fenfes detorted fo widely from the firft idea, that it is hard to trace them through the maze of variation, to catch them on the brink of utter inanity, to circumfcribe them by any limitations, or interpret them by any words of diftinct and fettled meaning: fuch are bear, break, come, caft, full, get, give, do, put, fet, go, run, make, take, turn, throw. If of thefe the whole power is not accurately delivered, it must be remembered, that while our language is yet living, and variable by the caprice of every one that ipeaks it, thefe words are hourly fhifting their relations, and can no more be afcertained in a dictionary, than a grove, in the agitation of a form, can be accurately delineated from its picture in the water.

The particles are among all nations applied with fo great latitude, that they are not easily reducible under any regular fcheme of explication; this difficulty is not lefs, nor perhaps greater, in English, than in other languages. I have laboured them with diligence, I hope with fuccefs, fuch at lealt as can be expected in a task, which no man, however learned or fagacious, has yet been able to perform.

Some words there are which I cannot explain, because I do not understand them; thefe might have been omitted very often with little inconvenience, but I would not fo far indulge my vanity as to decline this confeflion: for when Tully owns himself ignorant whether leffus, in the twelve tables, means a funeral fong, Or mourning garment; and Ariftotle doubts whether, in the Iliad, fignifies a mule, or muleteer, I may freely, without fhame, leaye fome obfcurities to happier industry, or future information.

The rigour of interpretative lexicography requires that the explanation, and the word explained, fhould be always reciprocal; this I have always endeavoured, but could not always attain. Words are feldom exactly fynonimous; a new term was not introduced, but because the former was thought inadequate names, therefore, have often many ideas, but few ideas have many names. It was then neceffary to ufe the proximate word, for the deficiency of fingle terms can very feldom be fupplied by circumlocution; nor is the inconvenience great of fuch mutilated interpretations, because the fenfe may cafily be collected entire from the examples.

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In