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Overview"Noah Webster was described by the publisher of a competing dictionary as ""a vain ... plodding Yankee, who aspired to be a second Johnson""--a criticism that rings mostly true. He was certainly vain and, born in Connecticut, undeniably a Yankee. Moreover, though he referred to Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language as a ""barren desart of philology,"" the American lexicographer relied heavily on the book during the creation of his own American Dictionary, going so far as to filch whole sections. And few would seem more ""plodding"" than Webster, who was positively obsessed with collecting and preserving bits of information. He kept records of the weather, carefully logged the number of houses in every new town he passed through, filed away every scrap of his writing and everything written about him, and filled the margins of his books with references, dates and corrections. The proud Yankee's sensibilities, however, also made him a fine lexicographer. Generally credited with distinguishing American spelling and usage from British, Webster shunned prescriptive mores and was doggedly loyal to his own language habits, as well as to those of the average American speaker. The book covers Webster's major publications and the influences and methods that shaped them; recounts his life as schoolteacher, copyright law champion, and itinerant lecturer; and examines the Webster legacy. An appendix containing title page reproductions from Webster's books, as well as some from his predecessors and competitors, is also included." Full Product DetailsAuthor: David MicklethwaitPublisher: McFarland & Co Inc Imprint: McFarland & Co Inc Edition: New edition Dimensions: Width: 17.80cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 25.40cm Weight: 0.617kg ISBN: 9780786421572ISBN 10: 0786421576 Pages: 358 Publication Date: 04 February 2005 Recommended Age: From 18 years Audience: General/trade , General Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock  We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsTable of Contents Preface Introduction 1. School Teacher and Student of Law, 1778–1782 2. Two Earlier Spelling Books 3. The Development of the English Dictionary, 1604–1783 4. Webster’s Grammatical Institute, Part I 5. “Origin of the Copy-right Laws in the United States” 6. Webster in Hartford, 1783–1785 7. Itinerant Lecturer and Spelling Reformer 8. Webster in Phildaelphia, and in Love, 1787 9. Webster in New York, 1788 10. Brother James’ Beneficiary, 1789–1798 11. Webster in New Haven, 1798–1807 12. Webster Moves to Amherst 13. An American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828 14. Two More Dictionaries and Another Spelling Book, 1829 15. Webster in Washington, 1830–31 16. Cobb v. Webster; Webster v. Worcester, 1829–1835 17. William Goes West, 1835–1839 18. Webster’s Last Years, 1839–1843 19. Executors, Heirs, and Renewers 20. Ogilvie’s Imperial Dictionary, 1850 21. A Gross Literary Fraud Exposed, 1853–1854 22. Thomas Heber Orr and the Process of Primitive Wordgrowth 23. Webster’s Pictorial Edition and Worcester’s Dictionary of the English Language, 1859–1860 24. The Right to Use the Name “Webster” Notes Appendix IndexReviewsa fascinating trip, recommended --Choice “a fascinating trip, recommended”—Choice; “explores in detail the processes of deciding spelling, pronunciation, and the meanings of words as well as providing a fascinating look at one of the most influential Americans of his time”—Booklist. Author InformationDavid Micklethwait is a London attorney specializing in intellectual property law. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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