the derivatives of comparatively few words, in opposition to multitudes of instances in which the general rule prevails.

As a guide to pronunciation, the words have been carefully divided into syllables. This, in the great majority of instances, decides at once the regular sound of the vowels in the respective syllables; and wherever the vowels depart from this regular sound, a pointed letter is used, denoting the sound which they receive in such cases. When under the accent, the regular long sound of the vowels is also indicated by a pointed letter. Thus, by means of pointed letters, the necessity of respelling the words, as a guide to pronunciation, is chiefly obviated. In cases of disputed pronunciation, the different forms are frequently given. But the SYNOPSIS of Mr. Worcester exhibits these diversities much more fully, and gives, in one view, the decisions of the most approved Pronouncing Dictionaries respecting about eight hundred primitive words, which, of course, decide the pronunciation of a great number of derivatives. Those who are interested in such inquiries are thus presented, at a single glance, with nearly all the important points of difference in English orthoëpy, and are enabled to decide for themselves, without the expense or trouble of examining the several authorities.

In some instances, vowels have a fluctuating or intermediate sound; and hence there is a great diversity among orthoëpists in their manner of indicating the sound in question. Thus the sound of a, in monosyllables, in ass, ast, ask, ance, ant, etc., is marked by some with the short sound of a in fat, and by others with its Italian sound, as in father. In this work, the latter is given as the prevailing sound both in this country and in England. Mitford, indeed, observes, in his work on Harmony in Language, "No English voice fails to express, no English ear to perceive, the difference between the sound of a in passing and passive; no colloquial familiarity or hurry can substitute the one sound for the other." The true sound, however, is not so long as that of a in father, but corresponds more exactly to the final a in umbrella. Being thus short, it is often mistaken for the sound of a in fat. There is another intermediate sound of a, between its ordinary sound in fall on the one hand, and in what on the other. This is heard in such words as salt, malt, etc. As this sound seems to incline, in most cases, towards the short rather than the long sound in question, it is here marked with the sound of a in what, though in many cases it is somewhat more protracted. The sound of o, in such words as lost, loft, toss, etc., is not so short as in lot; but, like the o in nor, though slightly protracted, it should by no means be prolonged into the full sound of a in tall. In monosyllables ending in are, as hare, fare, the a is slightly modified by the subsequent r. Such words ought not to be pronounced as if spelled hay-er, fay-er, but hair, fair. Perry alone, of all the English orthoëpists, has introduced a distinct character to indicate this sound; but it is well ascertained that Walker and others coincided with Perry in their pronunciation, in accordance with the general pronunciation of England in this respect. These remarks apply likewise to the words parent, apparent, transparent, etc. In respect to accent, there are many words in which the primary and secondary accent are nearly equal in force; such as complaisant, caravan, etc. In such cases, the accent is here thrown towards the beginning of the word, in accordance with the general tendency of our language.

In laying this work before the public in its present form, no efforts have been spared to make it a complete defining and pronouncing dictionary for general use. About sixteen thousand words, and between thirty and forty thousand definitions are contained in this dictionary, which are not to be found in any similar work within the author's knowledge. These additions do not principally consist of obsolete terms, or uncommon and unimportant significations of words. In most cases, on the contrary, they are terms and significations which are in constant use in the various departments of science and the arts, in commerce, manufactures, merchandise, the liberal professions, and the ordinary concerns of life. They mark the progress since the publication of Dr. Johnson's Dictionary. Within that period, a complete revolution has taken place in almost every branch of physical science. New departments have been created, new principles developed, new modes of classification and description adopted. More rigid principles of definition have been gradually introduced into almost every department of human knowledge. In these respects, however, our dictionaries have remained almost stationary. The labors of our lexicographers, since the time of Johnson, have been chiefly confined to the introduction of new words into the vocabulary. In the work of which this is an abridgment, the words have all been defined anew. The explanations given are adapted to the advanced state of knowledge at the present day, and to the changes which seventy years have made in the use of terms. In the definitions of the leading and important words, the signification is explained by enumerating the properties of the object in question, and not merely by a reference to other words of a similar import. In numerous instances, the distinctions between words which are apparently synonymous are traced with great minuteness; and it is hoped that the present work may supply, to a considerable extent, the place of a regular treatise on English synonyms. In a work of this kind, however, embracing, as it does, the whole circle of ideas embodied in the language of a nation, the utmost efforts of the lexicographer are only an approximation towards the end in view. No single mind can enter, with perfect exactness, into all the multiplied distinctions of thought and language, among a highly civilized people. The author of such a work may, therefore, confidently hope for the candor and indulgence of an enlightened public.

As the author of the original work has intrusted the superintendence of the Abridgment to another person, he is not to be considered as responsible for any of the modifications already alluded to. The quarto edition will, of course, be considered as presenting his exact views of the proper arrangement and exhibition of words, in respect to their orthography and pronunciation.

New Haven, June 1, 1829.

PREFACE

OF THE

REVISED EDITION.

THE author of the AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, at the expiration of twelve years from its first publication, has given to the world a new edition of the work, containing his last corrections and improvements. These, in all important particulars, are now introduced into this Abridgment; chiefly in the form of an APPENDIX, which will be found at the end of the volume. Corrections, however, have in numerous instances been made in the body of the work itself; and where this could not be done without great inconvenience, they have been reserved for a distinct mention in this Preface. Thus the Abridgment as now presented to the public, is made to correspond, in every important respect, to the most improved form of the great work which it represents. It will, therefore, in its future publication, bear the name of the REVISED EDITION.

It will now be proper to state more distinctly, the alterations and improvements made by the venerable author, in his recent edition of the larger work. 1. About fifteen thousand words have been added to the vocabulary, all of which will be found in the Appendix to this work.

2. The definitions have been found in comparatively few cases to need correction, except in one or two branches of science, where a change of nomenclature has, to some extent, taken place. New senses of words, however, have frequently been added; and these, together with all material changes of definition in important terms, will be found in the Appendix under the words themselves, which are given anew.

3. In a class of words which have borne two forms, the author selects that which he deems most proper, and discards the other. Thus he prefers to write afterward, backward, forward, onward, toward, &c., without the s. He rejects amongst and whilst, as obsolete; and disannul, as an unauthorized and unnecessary substitute for annul. He prefers skeptic to sceptic; gimlet to gimblet; Mohammedism to Mohammedanism; chamomile to camomile; handcraft to handicraft; handwork to handywork; incase to encase; enlist to inlist; embody to imbody. He also remarks, (what had escaped his notice in the first edition,) that wiseacre is the German weissager, or foreteller; and would more properly be spelled, wise-sayer. On the principles laid down in the Preface to this Abridgment, most of these words were inserted under both their forms; and still are suffered to stand because it was found difficult to make the change. It will be understood, however, from this statement, which form the author approves.

4. The pronunciation of some disputed words has been changed, in conformity with general analogies, or more recent usage. These it is unnecesary to enumerate, as they will be found in the body of the work.

SYNOPSIS

OF

WORDS DIFFERENTLY PRONOUNCED BY DIFFERENT ORTHOËPISTS.

ILLUSTRATIONS AND REMARKS.

THE object of this Synopsis is to exhibit, at one view, the manner in which words of doubtful, disputed, or various pronunciation, are pronounced by the most eminent English orthoëpists. To these words a star is prefixed, as they occur in the Dictionary. The six Pronouncing Dictionaries which have been made use of in the Synopsis, namely, those of Sheridan, Walker, Perry, Jones, Fulton and Knight, and Jameson, were originally published in the order of time in which they are here exhibited, Sheridan's being the first, and Jameson's the last.

The work of Perry, which has been made use of, is his Synonymous, Etymological and Pronouncing English Dictionary," in royal 8vo., which was first published in 1805, and which differs, in the pronunciation of many words, from Perry's "Royal Standard English Dictionary," which appeared many years earlier.

These orthoëpists have each his own peculiar system of notation; but as their sev eral systems could not be exhibited in the Synopsis without much inconvenience, and without causing great confusion and perplexity to the reader, their respective pronunciations have been represented by one method of notation. As these authors do not agree with each other with respect to the number and quality of the sounds of the English vowels, it is impossible, by the notation here used, to represent, in every instance, their precise difference. The cases of failure, however, are not important. Perry alone makes a distinction between the sound of long a as in fate, and of a as in fare, which last is marked by him thus (a). Sheridan, Perry, Fulton and Knight, and Jameson, make no distinction between the short sound of o as in not, and the sound of o as in nor; and Sheridan makes none between the sound of short a as in fat, and of what is called the Italian sound of a as in far and father. Fulton and Knight, on the contrary, not only make a distinction between the sound of a in fat and in far, but designate an intermediate sound, as in far. It is probable, however, that these orthoëpists agreed in practice, in many in fast, not so short as a in fat, nor so broad as a cases, in which they differed in marking the pronunciation of words; and that, in rious instances, they omitted to mark the discriminations in their dictionaries, which they were in the constant habit of making in reading and speaking.

Synopsis

sparing in the use

With regard to what is called the Italian sound of the letter a as in father, (in the Sheridan has not used it at all, and Walker and Jameson are more marked thus, ä), there is a great diversity among the different orthoëpists. of it than Perry, Jones, and Fulton and Knight. Dr. Webster has made more use of it than any of them. But this difference of sound is not deemed to be so impor tant as to render it expedient to introduce the words which are affected by it into the

Synopsis.

With regard to the mode of representing the sound of the letter t, when it comes great diversity in the Pronouncing Dictionaries; and this applies to a numerous classy after the accent, and is followed by u, as in the words nature and natural, there is a

words.

It has been thought necessary to give only

a

enough to show the different modes of different orthoëpists. few of these words, merely oru, as duas hideous, obedience, &c., respecting which there is There show the dieres, in which the letter d is followed by one of the vowels e, i,

a diversity of pro

1

nunciation. A part only of these have been inserted, but enough to exhibit this diversity, and indicate what other words must be affected by it.

There are some words of three syllables, which we hear pronounced sometimes with the secondary accent on the first, and the primary accent on the third; and sometimes with this order reversed; as, ambuscade, caravan, and partisan. Dr. Webster inclines generally to place the primary accent, in such words, on the first syllable; but the difference is not thought to be important enough to render it advisable, in all cases, to exhibit them in the Synopsis.

With regard to the quantity of the last syllable of many words which end in ile and ine, as, juvenile and vulpine, there is a great diversity in the Pronouncing Dictionaries; and there are some cases in which it is difficult to say whether the long or the short sound is to be preferred, and respecting which every one may, without impropriety, be permitted to follow his own taste or the usage to which he is accustomed. Some of the words of this sort stand in the Dictionary without having the quantity of the last syllable marked; and but few of them have been inserted in the Synopsis.

A considerable number of words are inserted, with regard to which there is only one uniform pronunciation exhibited by Dr. Webster and the several authorities made use of. It has, nevertheless, been thought advisable to insert them, because a different pronunciation from the one here given is countenanced by other authorities, or, to a greater or less extent, by usage; and it may, therefore, be satisfactory to many to see the authorities exhibited. The words accessory, centrifugal, centripetal and repertory are examples of this class.

Some words are inserted, of which the pronunciation is, at present, well settled; as, for example, break, covetous, hydrophobia and the noun defile. But with regard to these words, a different pronunciation from that which is now established formerly prevailed, and is supported by Sheridan.

It will be seen that, in many instances, there are several words of the same class or family, to which a star is prefixed in the Dictionary, though only one of them is found in the Synopsis. In these cases, the leading or primitive word is inserted, which governs the rest of the same class; as, for example, the pronunciation of acceptable and fearful determines the pronunciation of their derivatives, acceptably, acceptableness, fearfully and fearfulness.

In the Synopsis, the vowels are marked, in many instances, by a period under them, to denote an indistinct sound. These syllables are differently designated by the orthoëpists here made use of; though they all doubtless agreed in their manner of pronouncing them. In the word celibacy, for example, the vowels in the second and fourth syllables, which are represented, in the Synopsis, by the indistinct sound of e (e), are represented by Walker, Fulton and Knight, and Jameson, by the long sound of e, and by Sheridan and Jones by the short sound of y. Perry marks the i in the second syllable short, and leaves the y unmarked, as he does also the a in the third syllable, which all the rest designate as short, and which has, in the Synopsis, the mark of the indistinct sound of a.

Those words which, in the first column of the Synopsis, have not the pronunciation marked, are pronounced in two different modes in the Dictionary.

Those words which are so long as not to admit of being displayed, at length, in the body of the page, are there placed only in the first column, with Dr. Webster's pronunciation; and the pronunciation of the other orthoėpists is given at the bottom of the page.