The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section A and B — Inside the Classic

Etymological Depth and Historical Scope

The dictionary consistently traces words to their earliest known roots. For 'audience', the entry notes Latin audientia from audire 'to hear', and cross-references 'audible'. It then lists four distinct senses: the act of hearing, a formal interview, an assembly of hearers, and a now-obsolete legal court. Each sense is dated or labeled where appropriate—'Obs.' for obsolete, 'Eng.' for English-specific usage. This layered approach gives the reader a sense of semantic evolution. The entry for 'auctioneer' similarly moves from noun to verb, citing Cowper's line 'advertised and auctioneered away', showing the dictionary's willingness to include recent coinages. The etymologies often include cognates from Greek, Latin, French, and even Hebrew, reflecting 19th-century philological scholarship.

Illustrative Quotations as Evidence

Webster's 1913 edition relies heavily on literary quotations to substantiate definitions. For 'audacious', Milton's 'As in a cloudy chair, ascending rides Audacious' and Shakespeare's 'Audacious traitor' are used to illustrate the word's range from 'spirited' to 'impudent'. The entry for 'audible' includes Bacon's 'Visibles are swiftlier carried to the sense than audibles', a philosophical observation that enriches the definition. These quotations are not merely decorative; they serve as primary evidence of usage, often drawn from canonical authors. The dictionary also includes biblical and legal references, as seen in 'audience' where 'Court of audience' is defined with a citation to Mozley & W. This practice positions the dictionary as a bridge between lexicography and literary scholarship.

Structural Consistency and User Guidance

Each entry follows a predictable pattern: headword in bold, pronunciation in parentheses, part of speech, etymology in brackets, numbered definitions, and illustrative quotations. Derived forms are listed as sub-entries with their own definitions. For example, 'audible' is followed by 'audibleness', 'audibly', and cross-references to 'audience'. The dictionary also includes usage labels such as 'Obs.', 'Mus.', 'Acous.', and 'Eng.' to guide the reader. Pronunciation is indicated using a detailed system explained in the front matter (referenced as 'Guide to pronunciation, §§ 43-74'). This consistency allows users to navigate the dense entries efficiently, though the 1913 system differs from modern IPA, requiring some adaptation.

Cultural and Lexicographical Context

The dictionary's preface and front matter, though not fully reproduced in this excerpt, indicate its origin: 'Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary Version published 1913 by the C. & G. Merriam Co. Under the direction of Noah Porter, D.D., LL.D.' This places the work in a tradition of American lexicography that sought to standardize and document English as used in the United States. The inclusion of terms like 'audiphone' (a hearing aid) and 'audiometer' shows responsiveness to contemporary technology. The dictionary also preserves obsolete words such as 'aucupation' (birdcatching) and 'audient' (a hearer), offering a snapshot of 19th-century vocabulary. The Project Gutenberg edition acknowledges typographic errors and invites corrections, reminding readers that this is a living document in digital form.

Readers approaching this dictionary should treat it as a historical artifact rather than a modern reference. The 1913 Webster's reflects the linguistic scholarship and cultural assumptions of its time, including a reliance on literary authorities and a comprehensive etymological method. Its digital incarnation, with acknowledged imperfections, invites both casual browsing and systematic study. For those interested in the evolution of English lexicography, this edition offers a valuable window into the principles that shaped one of the most influential American dictionaries.

I’ve spent a lifetime tracing how a people’s words carry their weather, their hunger, their quiet. The old Webster’s, with its dignified A and B entries, feels like an orderly street. The Aleutian Indian and English Dictionary Common Words in the Dialects of the Aleutian Indian Language as Spoken by the Oogashik, Egashik, Anangashuk and Misremie Tribes — Edition Insights is a wilder path, yet both are just men listening to the same human tide, pinning it into ink before it slips away.