Worcester's and Webster's Dictionaries [pp. 566-573]

WORCESTER S AND WEBSTERIS DICTIONARIES.
not found in Webster, it contains, what probably does not strictly
belong to a dictionary, copious historical and exegetical prefaces
and appendices, prolegomena and epilegomena, special articles upon
pronunciation, upon orthography, upon etymology, and formation of
language, lists of archaisms, provincialisms and Americanismis, complete catalogues of English dictionaries, glossaries and encyclopoedias,
separate pronouncing vocabularies of Greek and Latin proper
names, of modern geographical names, of names of distinguished
men of modern times, and a list of words and phrases from foreign
languages. The orthography is not that of Webster, but that used and
recognized by the best English and American authors; and in all cases
of various or doubtful orthography, the authorities are fully set forth.
So, too, with pronunciation, which is represented by Dr. Worcester
by an original and most ingenious system of notation, which obviates
generally the necessity of re-spelling the words; but they are re-spelled in all cases where the pronunciation can best be shown in that
mode. The etymologies exhibit all that is certainly known upon the
subject, avoiding, for the most part, far-fetched and fanciful derivations and analogies; and, at the same time, the parallel words of the
principal modern languages of Gothic and Latin origin, are given
with much more fulness than in Webster. There is a greater appearance of learning, however, in the etymologies of the latter, in consequence of the use of the oriental character, in words from that family
of languages. But this is a mere illusion, a cheating of the eye,
without enriching the understanding, for Worcester gives all these
words when there is occasion for their use, in the ordinary Roman
letter.
The definitions are all re-written, and are unusually copious,
compact, and well expressed; in most instances superior in exactness
and condensation to those of Webster. The significations of the
words are also illustrated by quotations, specially prepared for this
work, from the best authors. In this respect, however, althoulgh they
are quite as full and apt as those of Webster, they fall very far short
of those of Dr. Johnson, whose dictionary, for the citations alone,
has been the delight of scholars for an entire century. Another
noteworthy improvement over all previous dictionaries, is the
'nethod pursued by Dr. Worcester in defining his words, giving generally, first their literal or etymological significations, and if these
have become obsolete so marking them, and then in each successive
definition, by gradual development, following the logical sequence of'
ideas, presenting their common acceptations, their metaphorical
sense and technical use. This is the true, philosophical iriethod of
treating language, and its superiority is too obvious to need exposition.
In the vocabulary, besides the preterites and perfect participles of
the irregular verbs. and the plurals of the irregular nouns, an unusually large number of technical words are introduced, explanatory
of the principal terms employed in the useful and the fine arts, in the
sciences and the learned professions. These, of course, are treated
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