The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section D and E — A Closer Reading

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Authors: Project Gutenberg, Webster, Noah, 1758-1843 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 1996 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: English language -- Dictionaries Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 441,265

Reading time 1919 min

Text sections 60

For The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section D and E — A Closer Reading, the stored edition analysis reports 441,265 words, 31 hr 59 min estimated reading time, and 60 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 11.3 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “English language -- Dictionaries,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #662

An editorial note on the language, narrative voice, and changes in pace in the D and E sections of the 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, focusing on etymological notes, illustrative quotations, and the shift from dense definitions to more discursive entries.

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And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, But shift away.

To make dainty, to assume or affect delicacy or fastidiousness. [Obs.]

Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty, She, I'll swear, hath corns.

Dai"ry (d"r), n.; pl. Dairies (-rz). [OE. deierie, from deie, daie, maid; of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. deigja maid, dairymaid, Sw. deja, orig., a baking maid, fr. Icel. deig. √66. See Dough.] 1. The place, room, or house where milk is kept, and converted into butter or cheese.

What stores my dairies and my folds contain.

2. That department of farming which is concerned in the production of milk, and its conversion into butter and cheese.

Grounds were turned much in England either to feeding or dairy; and this advanced the trade of English butter.

3. A dairy farm. [R.]

Dairy is much used adjectively or in combination; as, dairy farm, dairy countries, dairy house or dairyhouse, dairyroom, dairywork, etc.

Dai"ry*ing, n. The business of conducting a dairy.

Dai"ry*maid` (?), n. A female servant whose business is the care of the dairy.

Dai"ry*man (?), n.; pl. Dairymen (&?;). A man who keeps or takes care of a dairy.

Dai"ry*wom`an (?), n.; pl. Dairywomen (&?;). A woman who attends to a dairy.

Da"is (d"s), n. [OE. deis, des, table, dais, OF. deis table, F. dais a canopy, L. discus a quoit, a dish (from the shape), LL., table, fr. Gr. &?; a quoit, a dish. See Dish.] 1. The high or principal table, at the end of a hall, at which the chief guests were seated; also, the chief seat at the high table. [Obs.]

2. A platform slightly raised above the floor of a hall or large room, giving distinction to the table and seats placed upon it for the chief guests.

3. A canopy over the seat of a person of dignity. [Obs.] Shiply.

Dai"sied (?), a. Full of daisies; adorned with daisies. "The daisied green." Langhorne.

The grass all deep and daisied.

Dai"sy (-z), n.; pl. Daisies (-zz). [OE. dayesye, AS. dæges-eáge day's eye, daisy. See Day, and Eye.] (Bot.) (a) A genus of low herbs (Bellis), belonging to the family Compositæ. The common English and classical daisy is B. perennis, which has a yellow disk and white or pinkish rays. (b) The whiteweed (Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum), the plant commonly called daisy in North America; -- called also oxeye daisy. See Whiteweed.

The word daisy is also used for composite plants of other genera, as Erigeron, or fleabane.

Michaelmas daisy (Bot.), any plant of the genus Aster, of which there are many species. -- Oxeye daisy (Bot.), the whiteweed. See Daisy (b).

Dak (dk or däk), n. [Hind. k.] Post; mail; also, the mail or postal arrangements; -- spelt also dawk, and dauk. [India]

Dak boat, a mail boat. Percy Smith. -- Dak bungalow, a traveler's rest- house at the end of a dak stage. -- To travel by dak, to travel by relays of palanquins or other carriage, as fast as the post along a road.

{ Da"ker (?), Da"kir (?), } n. [See Dicker.] (O. Eng. & Scots Law) A measure of certain commodities by number, usually ten or twelve, but sometimes twenty; as, a daker of hides consisted of ten skins; a daker of gloves of ten pairs. Burrill.

Da"ker hen` (?). [Perh. fr. W. crecial the daker hen; crec a sharp noise (creg harsh, hoarse, crechian to scream) + iar hen; or cf. D. duiken to dive, plunge.] (Zoöl.) The corncrake or land rail.

Da*koit", n., Da*koit"y, n. See Dacoit, Dacoity.

Da*ko"ta group` (?). (Geol.) A subdivision at the base of the cretaceous formation in Western North America; -- so named from the region where the strata were first studied.

Da*ko"tas (?), n. pl.; sing. Dacota (&?;). (Ethnol.) An extensive race or stock of Indians, including many tribes, mostly dwelling west of the Mississippi River; -- also, in part, called Sioux. [Written also Dacotahs.]

||Dal (?), n. [Hind.] Split pulse, esp. of Cajanus Indicus. [East Indies]

Dale (?), n. [AS. dæl; akin to LG., D., Sw., Dan., OS., & Goth. dal, Icel. dalr, OHG. tal, G. thal, and perh. to Gr. qo`los a rotunda, Skr. dhra depth. Cf. Dell.] 1. A low place between hills; a vale or valley.

Where mountaines rise, umbrageous dales descend.

2. A trough or spout to carry off water, as from a pump. Knight.

Dales"man (?), n.; pl. Dalesmen (&?;). One living in a dale; -- a term applied particularly to the inhabitants of the valleys in the north of England, Norway, etc. Macaulay.

Dalf (?), imp. of Delve. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dal"li*ance (?), n. [From Dally.] 1. The act of dallying, trifling, or fondling; interchange of caresses; wanton play.

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The D and E sections of the 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary reveal a work that is as much a collection of linguistic narratives as a reference tool. The entries often blend concise definitions with expansive etymological discussions, creating a rhythm that shifts between dense technicality and almost conversational digression. For instance, the entry for "doze" includes not only a definition but also a speculative etymology linking it to Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon roots, followed by illustrative quotations from L'Estrange and Pepys. This layering of information gives the dictionary a distinctive voice—one that is scholarly yet occasionally anecdotal.

Etymological Detours and Narrative Pacing

The dictionary’s etymological notes often slow the pace, inviting the reader to pause over word histories. In the entry for "dozen," the etymology traces back through Old French to Latin duodecim, with a cross-reference to "duodecimal." Such detours are not merely technical; they create a sense of depth, as if each word carries a hidden story. The entry for "drab" (the cloth) similarly offers a Germanic lineage, linking to Old Icelandic drepa (to beat) and suggesting a connection to "drub." These passages read like miniature essays, contrasting with the terse definitions that precede them.

Illustrative Quotations as Voice

The dictionary frequently employs quotations from literary and historical sources, lending a narrative quality to the entries. For "doze," a line from L'Estrange—"If he happened to doze a little, the jolly cobbler waked him"—provides a vivid, almost comic image. Similarly, "drabble" is illustrated with a quotation from Halliwell, and "drab" (the woman) draws on Shakespeare. These quotations are not merely evidence of usage; they inject a human voice into the text, breaking the monotony of definitions and creating a varied reading experience. The shift from dry etymology to lively quotation marks a change in pace that keeps the reader engaged.

Structural Variations and Lexicographical Choices

The dictionary’s structure is not uniform: some entries are brief, while others expand into multiple senses and sub-entries. For example, "drachma" includes both a definition and a historical note on its value in ancient Greece, while "drab" has separate entries for the noun (woman), verb, noun (cloth), and adjective. This multiplicity reflects the lexicographer’s effort to capture the full semantic range of a word. The inclusion of obsolete senses, marked with [Obs.], and regional labels like [Prov. Eng.] adds another layer of variation, signaling changes in the language over time. These structural choices influence the reader’s pace, as one must navigate between different senses and usage notes.

Readers approaching this dictionary should expect not a uniform reference but a work with its own rhythms—moments of dense etymology, flashes of literary quotation, and shifts between formal and colloquial registers. The D and E sections reward those who read slowly, allowing the entries to unfold as miniature narratives. Pay attention to the cross-references and the occasional editorial voice; they reveal the dictionary as a living document shaped by its compilers.

I found myself slowing down while reading through the D and E entries, noticing how the dictionary’s voice shifts from terse definitions to something almost conversational. It felt like watching a mind wander. That quiet rhythm reminded me of how Webster's Unabridged Dictionary — Themes and Context lingers on the edges of meaning, and I’ve been carrying both with me since.