If you’re working with the English language, as a writer, an editor, or a teacher, dictionaries are of course basic tools of the trade. It’s essential, therefore, to define them in terms of advantages and uses. This is part 1 of a series.
Noah Webster
History classes might not spend a lot of time on Noah Webster, but Webster’s contributions to the country in the earliest days were substantial.
Born in 1758, Webster grew up alongside a nation also just coming into its own. After studying at Yale University, he went on to become known as a lexicographer, textbook pioneer, spelling reformer, author, and editor, not to mention lawyer, political writer, member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, and founder of the Connecticut Society for the Abolition of Slavery.
Most important, his textbook and educational work helped create an intellectual foundation for the fledgling United States.
Two hundred years later Webster is synonymous with dictionary. The distinction no doubt would have pleased Noah, except for the part where we now have confusion over the very name, since multiple publishers use the Webster brand.
The original Webster-branded dictionary was published by Noah Webster in 1828 (check out this online version). The only dictionaries today that derived from the originals are published by Merriam-Webster Inc.
G. and C. Merriam
After Webster’s death, G. & C. Merriam Co. (founded by the brothers George and Charles Merriam) bought rights to Webster’s Dictionary, in 1843. They went on to publish Webster’s International Dictionary, 1890, and then a vastly expanded Webster’s New International Dictionary in 1909, which featured 400,000 entries. That volume was revised in 1934 as Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition—sometimes referred to as Webster’s Second.
In 1961, G. & C. Merriam published Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, often called Webster’s Third or W3. It is also referred to as the “unabridged” Webster’s (and occasionally “Thanksgiving turkey-size” book). Though the new edition was widely criticized for being descriptive, rather than prescriptive, it was a masterwork of scholarship that became a staple still used in American publishing and education today. It is considered the most comprehensive dictionary of American English. (Of course, new words have been added since 1961.)
Merriam-Webster
G. & C. Merriam lost rights to the Webster’s brand after several lawsuits moved it into the public domain. The company rebranded itself in 1983 as Merriam-Webster Inc.
In 1898, Merriam introduced Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a smaller, desktop version (see this free online version). The newest edition in that line is the eleventh. This is the main spelling authority on the desks of many book and magazine editors.
Today a favorite reference is the free Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Originally based on the eleventh edition, this unique dictionary has been expanded with new entries and revised definitions. It is also packed with additional content such as Word of the Day features, quizzes, and reports on what words are trending (being looked up the most) at a given time.
Of course, there’s an app for this. Merriam-Webster also makes useful dictionary apps for smartphones and mobile devices, iOS and Android. (Style tip: For a publication or a company, decide which is your first authority, Merriam-Webster.com or the print edition.)
Other publishers have produced popular dictionaries bearing the Webster’s name. Those works include Webster’s New World Dictionary, by Wiley Publishing, and Random House Webster’s Dictionary, from Random House.
See more on Webster’s New World Dictionary along with AP style in Better Know Your Dictionaries, Part II.
Better Know Your Dictionaries
- Part 1: How Webster Became a Household Name
- Part 2: Religion, Politics, and Style
- Part 3: Idiom Dictionaries for Pain-in-the-Neck Vocabulary
- Part 4: Sizing Up Phrasal Verb Dictionaries
- Part 5: Slang Dictionaries for Taboo Vocabulary
(C) 2019, by John Sailors. All rights reserved.
