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vantage, which will always overbalance the flow Improvements of gradual Correction. Much lefs ought our written Language to comply with the Corrup tions of oral Utterance, or copy that which every Variation of Time or Place makes different from itfelf, and imitate thofe Changes, which will again be changed, while Imitation is employed in obferving them.

This Recommendation of Steadinefs and Uniformity does not proceed from an Opinion, that particular Combinations of Letters have much Influence on human Happinefs; or that Truth may not be fuccessfully taught by Modes of Spelling 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 Sons of Heaven. Language is only the Inftrument of Science, and Words are but the Signs of Ideas: I wish, however, that the Inftrument might be lefs apt todecay, and that the Signs 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 putting an Accent upon the acute or elevated Syllable. It will fometimes be found, that the Accent is placed by the Authour quoted, on a different Syllable from that marked in the alphabetical Series; it is then to be understood that Cuftom has varied, or that the Authour has, in my Opinion, pronounced wrong. Short Directions are fometimes given where the Sound of Letters is irregular; and if theyare fometimes, omitted, Defect in fuch minute Obfervations will be more eafily excufed than Superfluity.

In 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, Cir

cumftance

cumftance, delude, concave, and complicate, though Compounds in the Latin, are to us Primitives. Derivatives are all thofe that can be referred to any Word in English of greater Simplicity.

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 grammatical Exuberance the Scheme 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 Inflection; and Uniformity must be preferved in systematical Works, though fometimes at the Expence of particular Propriety.

Among other Derivatives I have been careful to infert and elucidate the anomalous 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 Learners 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 Syllable are very often Teutonick.

In affigning 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 myself 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 forborne to quote when I copied their Books & not that I might appropriate their Labours to 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 Inftructors and Benefactors, Junius appears to have excelled in Extent of Learning, and Skinner in Rectitude of Underftanding. Junius was accurately skilled in all the northern Languages. Skinner probably examined the ancient and remoter Dialects only by occafional Infpection into Dictionaries; but the Learning of Junius is often of no other Ufe than to fhew him a Track by which he may deviate from his Purpose, to which Skinner always preffes forward by the shortest Way. Skinner is often ignorant, but never ridiculous: Junius is always full of Knowledge; but his Variety diftracts his Judgment, and his Learning is very frequently dif graced by his Abfurdities.

The Votaries of the northern Mufes will not perhaps eafily restrain their Indignation, when they find the Name of Junius thus degraded by a difadvantageous Comparifon; but whatever Reverence is due to his Diligence, or his Attainments, it can be no criminal Degree of Cenforioufnefs to charge that Etymologift with Want of Judgment, who can feriously derive Dream from Drama, because 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 μov, monos, who confiders that Grief naturally loves to be alone *.

*That I may not appear to have spoken too irreverently of Junius, 1 have here fubjoined a few Specimens of his etymological Extravagance.

BANISH, religare, ex banno vel territorio exigere, in exilium agere. G. bannir. It. bandire, bandeggiare. H. bandir. B. bannen. Evi medii fcriptores bannire dicebant. V. Spelm. in Bannum & in Ban leuga. Quoniam verò regionum urbiumq; limites arduis plerumq; montibus, altis Aluminibus, longis deniq; flexuofifq; anguftiffimarum viarum amfractibus includebantur, fieri poteft id genus limites

ban

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 Substitutes, which I confider not as radical, but parallel; not as the Parents, but Sifters of the English.

The Words which are represented as thus related by Defcent or Cognation, do not always agree in Senfe; for it is incident to Words, as to their Authours, to degenerate from their Ancestors, and to change their Manners when they change their Country. It is fufficient, in etymological Enquiries, if the Senfes of kindred Words be found, fuch as may eafily pafs into each other, or fuch 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 ban dici ab eo quod Bavvárai & Bávargo Tarentinis olim, ficuti tradir Hefychius, vocabantur αἱ λεξὸς καὶ μὴ ἰθυτενεῖς ὅδοι, “ obliquæ ac "minimè in rectum tendentes viæ." Ac fortaffe quoque huc facit quod Bavas, eodem Hesychio tefte, dicebant ögn sgayyúλn montes ar

duos.

EMPTY, emtie, vacuus, inanis. A. S. Emrig. Nefcio an fint 2b ἐμέω vel ἐμετάω. Vomo, evomo, vomitu evacuo. Videtur interim etymologiam hanc non obfcurè firinare codex Rush. Mat. xii. 22. ubi antiquè fcriptum invenimus gemoeted hit emesig. "Invenit am ❝ vacantem."

HILL, mons, collis. A. S. hyll. Quod videri poteft abfciffum ex nodavn vel noxwvos. Collis, tumulus, locus in plano editior. Hom. Il. b. v. 811, ἔςι δέ τις προπάροιθε πόλεΘ αἰπεῖα, κολώνη, Ubi authori brevium fcholiorum κολώνη exp. τόπω εἰς ὑψῶν ἀνήκων, γεώλουθ ἐξοχή.

NAP, to take a Nap. Dormire, condormifcere. Cym. heppian. A. S. hnæppan. Quod poftremum videri poteft defumptum ex xvéças, obfcuritas, tenebræ : nihil enim æque folet conciliare fomnum, quàm caliginofa profundæ notis obfcuritas.

STAMMERER, Balbus, blæfus Goth. STAMMS. A. S. rtamen. rramun. D. ftam. B. ftameler. Su. ftamma. Ifl. ftamr. Sunt a σαμιλεῖν vel σωμύλλειν, nimia loquacitate alios offendere; quod impeditè loquentes libentiffimè garrire foleant; vel quòd aliis nimii femper videantur, etiam parciffimè loquentes.

foon

foon adjusted. But to collect the Words of our Language was a Tafk of greater Difficulty: The Deficiency of Dictionaries was immediately apparent; and when they were exhaufted, what was yet wanting must be fought by fortuitous and unguided Excurfions into Book, and gleaned as Industry fhould find, or Chance fhould offer it, in the boundlefs Chaos of a living Speech. My Search, however, has been either skilful or lucky; for I have much augmented the Vocabulary.

As my Defign was a Dictionary, common or ap pellative, I have omitted all Words which have Relation to proper Names; fuch as Arian, Socinian, Calvinist, Benedi&line, Mahometan: but have retained thofe of a more general Nature; as Heathen, Pagan.

Of the Terms of Art, I have received fuch as could be found either in Books of Science, 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 must depend for their Adoption on the Suffrage of Futurity.

The Words which our Authours 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 useless Foreigners, to the Inju. ry of the Natives.

I have not rejected any by Defign, merely because they were unneceflary or exuberant; but have re ceived those which by different Writers have been differently formed; as vifcid, and Vifcidity; viscous, and Vifcofity.

Compounded or double Words I have feldom noted, except when they obtain a Signification dif

ferent

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