The Subject Matter of the following Sheets relating principally to Language, Words or Speech; it will not be foreign to the Purpose to remark, that the Faculty of Speech not only makes no small distinguishing Character of the Human Species from that of Brutes; but is also of admirable Use to Mankind, as it renders them conversible one with another; by which Means they have an Opportunity of improving their intellectual Faculty by Conversation, in that the various Attainments, Endowments, Observations, Discoveries and Experiences of the several Persons they converse with, are by the Means of Speech with a wonderful Facility mutually communicated; whereas without Language we should have known only such Things as we saw with our Eyes, perceiv'd by our Senses or conceiv'd in our Minds.

This Faculty of Speech consists of Words, which are made up of Letters, which are Characters of so many different Sounds, by the Assistance of which we are not confin'd within the narrow Compass of our Particular Acquaintance and Cotemporaries, but also carry on or hold a Correspondence with those Sages at the remotest Distance from us either in Place or Time, and so acquaint ourselves with all those useful Discoveries in either Nature or Art, that the most sagacious and industrious Virtuosi have hitherto made, and ingenuously communicated by their Writings; by these we see or form in our Minds Ideas of Things done Thousands of Years ago, and (as it may be said) hear Sounds as far distant in Place as in Time.

Words are those Vehicles or Channels by the which the Knowledge of Things is convey'd to our Understandings and therefore, upon a right Apprehension of the Meaning of them, depends the Rectitude of those Ideas or Notions that we receive by hearing or reading. Therefore in Order to furnish our Minds with just and adequate Ideas, either of the Things, Matters, or Facts; Words must be apprehended in their proper Sense and Meaning, either in receiving from or communicating to others: For if the Words either of a Speaker or Writer, tho' ever so Apposite to the Matter be taken or understood in a wrong Sense, they will necessarily form wrong Conceptions concerning the Thing spoken or written of; and if we our selves use Words in an improper Sense, this will cause a Confusion in the Understanding of the Hearer and render out Discourse both unintelligible and useless.

Whoever therefore would have his Mind furnish'd with useful Knowledge of Things of any Kind, ought to make it his special Care to understand the true Sense and Meaning of the Words of that Language wherein the Things are express'd; for without that no good Progress can be made in attaining any Science, that we would be acquainted with.

And to this End it has been the universal Practice of all polite Nations to make the study of Letters the first Business of Life; beginning it with the learning of those Letters or Characters which are the Elements of which Words are compos'd, and this too as early as the Child is capable of the Faculty of Speech, tho' but very imperfectly.

And forasmuch as this Accomplishment is necessary to all Persons, and but few, comparatively speaking, have the Advantage of a learned Education to any considerable Proficiency, have Dictionaries been compil'd in most Languages, to which as to a Store&hy;house, such Persons might have recourse, whensoever any Word occurs with which they had been either till then unacquainted or has slipt their Memory; or when they themselves would either speak or write properly.

And therefore as Dictionaries have been deem'd useful in all civiliz'd Nations in Europe, so they cannot be thought less so in the English Tongue, in that it is not only the most copious Language in Europe, but perhaps the whole World; nay more as it is a Composition or Mixture of greater Variety than any either ancient or modern Language, as will manifestly appear in the Perusal of the following Dictionary.

As to the Reason of which Mixture, and by what Accidents it was brought about I shall acquaint you below.

But forasmuch as the Etymological Part, from which ours takes its Origin, takes in so many Languages, I shall, having first said something of Language in the General, make some Remarks on the several Languages herein us'd, and lastly of the Nature and Excellency of the English Tongue.

Language is a Set of Words that have been agreed upon by any People for the Communicating their Minds to each other.

F. Buffier observes that the first Principles of all Languages may be reduc'd to the Expressions signifying The Subject spoken of.That which is affirm'd or deny'd of it.The Circumstance of both the Subject and what is affirm'd or deny'd of it.

But as every Language has its particular Ways of expressing, each of these Languages are generally only to be accounted an Assemblage of Expressions, that either Chance or Fancy has establish'd among a Set of People. So that Use and Custom is the Rule of Language, it not depending on Reason.

From Language proceeds Grammar and not Language from Grammar; which is a Plan of it, and supposes the Language to have first obtain'd by Use, without any Regard having been had to Grammar.

A Grammar of a Language afterwards made is only a Set of Reflections call'd Rules, to which the Manners of speaking in that Language can be reduc'd: And indeed we know of no Language, of which the Plan or Grammar, i. e. The Rules were first form'd and the Words of that Language fitted to those Rules; which if it were done, such Language would be rendered much easier to be learn'd by Reason of the avoiding of Irregularities which make up the Bulk of most Grammars.

As to the Original of Language, tho' it is almost universally allow'd, that the Diversity of Language took their Rise from the Confusion at the Building of the Tower of Babel, yet the Manner how this was effected, is still disputed among the Learned.

The Question among them is, whether God only expung'd the Remembrance of the Signification of words and Terms in those Persons employ'd in Building that Tower; or whether he immediately inspir'd them with new Words: Scaliger's Opinion is that they only forgot the Meaning of the Words, and nam'd one Thing instead of another, tho' they all at the same Time spoke the Hebrew Tongue: Nor is it Casaubon's Opinion that they immediately spoke different Languages; but thinks that the Confusion of Tongues might very well be effected without that.

The Jews strenuously maintain and positively insist upon it, that the Hebrew Tongue, such as it is now found in the Books of the Old Testament was the primitive Language, and that which was spoken by our original Sire Adam; but the Arabs dispute the Point of Antiquity with the Jews; and others again contend, that the Language spoken by Adam in the State of Innocency is lost; and that the Hebrew, Chaldee and Arabick are only Dialects of the Original.

Some have remark'd that there is a constant Resemblance between the Genius of each People and the Language which they speak, and thence

The French who are a People of great Vivacity have a Language that runs extreme Lively and Brisk, and the Italians who succeeded the Romans have quite lost the Augustness and Nervousness of the Latin and sunk into Softness and Effeminacy, as well in their Language as their Manners.

The Spaniards, whose distinguishing Character is a haughty Air, have a Language resembling their Qualities, yet not without Delicacy and Sweetness.

The Romans who seem'd to be a People design'd for Command, us'd a Language that was noble, august and nervous.

The Greeks who were a polite but voluptuous People, us'd a Language exactly adapted thereto.

The English who are naturally Blunt, thoughtful and of few Words, use a Language that is very short, concise and sententious.

Again, Languages are not only considered either as matricular or original; as the Hebrew and Arabick in the East and South; the Teutonic and Sclavonick in the West and North; but also as secondary ones, i. e. such as are deriv'd from them, or form'd out of a Mixture of two or more Tongues, as from Latin, French, &ersand;c.

The learned Linguist Bodiger after having given a succinct Account of the Confusion of Tongues at Babel, and the Division and Subdivision of Languages, concludes that there are but three Mother Tongues found in the World, the Hebrew, the Teutonic or German (under which he comprizes the Celtick, Gothick, Francick, Alemannick and Saxon) and the Sclavonick, and that the Tongues the several People and Nations now speak did not immediately arise out of that Confusion, but were formed at different Times.

He also adds that from the Hebrew and Teutonic arose the Greek; from the Greek and Teutonic sprung the Latin; from the Latin and Teutonic the Italian and French; from the Latin, Teutonic and Arabick, the Spanish; from the Teutonic, French and Latin the English.

Now because there comes into the Composition of the English Tongue so many others, all which are made use of in this Dictionary, I shall produce some Observations that have been made on them.

The Latin is the common Mother of the French, Italian and Spanish; but the Daughters have very different Geniuses, Inclinations and Qualities.

The Teutonic, is the ancient Language of Germany and by some accounted the same as the Celtick and is now distinguish'd into Upper and Lower: The Upper has two notable Dialects, the Scandian, Danish, or perhaps the Gothick, to which appertains the Languages spoken in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Ireland.

The Saxon to which appertains the several Languages of the English, Scots, Frisians, &ersand;c.

To the Lower appertain the Dutch, Flemish, &ersand;c.

1. The French Tongue is not an Original or Mother Tongue; but a Mixture or Medley of several others as well as the English; it having borrowed both Words and Phrases from most of the European Languages.

The Basis of the French Tongue are the Celtic; the Latin which the Romans carried with them among the Gauls, when (they made a Conquest of that Country) and the Teutonic or that Dialect of it, spoken by the Franks, when they pass'd the Rhine, and establish'd themselves in Gallia.

Indeed it is one of the Characters of the French Tongue that it is natural and easy; the Words being rang'd in it much in the same Order as are the Ideas in our Mind, but that which chiefly distinguishes the French is its Justness, Purity, Accuracy and Flexibility, in which it differs widely from the Greek and Latin; where the Inversion of the natural Order is not only frequent but a great Beauty.

But then again, the English Tongue has the Advantage of the French as to the Analogy of Grammar, and the Simplicity with which the Moods of Verbs are form'd, nay even over all the known Languages in the World.

One Disadvantage that the French Language labours under, is that it is very poor in compound Words, in which the English, High Dutch and Greek, far exceed it, the latter especially deriving a great Deal of their Force and Energy from the Composition of Words, and frequently express that in one Sound, that the French cannot do but by a Periphrasis; and again, the Diminutives in the French are as few as their Compounds.

Some French Authors indeed have boasted that their Language is Simple without Lowness, Bold without Indecency; Elegant and Florid without Affectation, Harmonious without Swelling, Majestick without Pride, Delicate without Softness, and Strong without Roughness.

But as to the Points of Strength and Majesty the French must give the Palm to the English Tongue; which in these as well as the Copiousness exceeds all of the living Languages, as far as it falls short of some of them in Smoothness and Delicacy.

The Italian Tongue owes its Original principally to the Latin.

It is accounted one of the most Perfect among the modern Languages, it being furnish'd with Words and Phrases sufficient to represent all Ideas, and to express all Sentiments; to deliver ones self on all Subjects, yet many of their celebrated Authors, when translated into English, cannot be read with Pleasure by an English man, nay nor even in the Original; by Reason that the Italian Tongue is like the People, who are slow and thoughtful, and accordingly their Language runs heavily, tho' smoothly, and they lengthen out many of their Words to a very great Extent.

The Italians have a good Taste for Musick, and have, for the Sake of that, made Alterations in a great many of their primitive Words, leaving out Consonants and putting in Vowels, softening and lengthening out the Terminations for the Sake of Cadence; by which Means the Language indeed is rendered very Musical and succeeds better than any other in Operas; but then it is deficient in Strength and Nerves, and also a great Part of those Words that are borrow'd from the Latin are so far disguis'd, that it is not a very easy Matter to know them again.

Some ingenious Authors have display'd the Qualities of the Italian Language by the following Similies.

The Italian Tongue does not swell up Things to that Degree that the Spanish does; but it adorns and imbellishes them more; yet these Ornaments and Imbellishments are not real Beauties.

Tho' the Italian Expressions are rich and brilliant; they are like the Faces of Ladies painted and patch'd, which do indeed make a fine Show; but then that Finery is all Deceit.

It is compar'd to a Coquet full of fine Airs, always appearing dress'd, never seen in a Dishabille; and taking all Occasions to shew her Finery, all the Aims at being to be admir'd.

The Excellency of the Spanish Tongue seems to consist in the Number of their Syllables and the Swelling of Words; and the People seem to speak not so much to be understood as to make themselves admir'd.

Their Terms are big and sonorous, their Expressions haughty and boisterous, Pomp and Ostentation run thro' all they say. The Spanish Tongue is not capable of painting a Thought to the Life, it always magnifies it, and does nothing, if it do not exceed Nature.

It has by some been display'd by the following Comparisons.

It is compar'd to a haughty Dame, that piques herself on her Quality and loves Excess and Extravagancy in every thing.

It is also resembled to those Rivers whose Waters are continually swelling and always muddy and turbulent; and never keep long within their Channel; but are ever overflowing, are ever noisy and precipitate.

The English Tongue is that spoke by the People of England and with some Variation by the People of Scotland. It is suppos'd to be of Gothick Extraction, this having been the Root or Stock upon which several others have been grafted; the ancient Language of this Island was the British or Welsh, which was spoken in common by the Britons and Gauls, and which still subsists in a Degree of Purity, greater or lesser, in the Principality of Wales and Dukedom of Cornwall, the Islands and Highlands of Scotland and Ireland, and also in some Provinces of France, as particularly in Bretagne.

As to the Qualities of the present English Tongue, it is allow'd to be the closest, clearest, most chaste and reserv'd in its Diction of all the Modern Languages; and also the most just and severe in its Ornaments, and also the honestest, most open and undesigning: it will not bear double Meanings, nor can it palliate or hide Nonsense; bad Sense and good English being inconsistent.

It is thus characteriz'd; it can be gay and pleasant upon Occasion, notwithstanding all its Sublimity, Nervousness and Majesty, but its Gaiety is moderated and restrain'd by good Sense: it hates excessive Ornaments, seeming rather to chuse to go naked for the greater Simplicity, never using more Ornaments of Dress than Nature requires.

The English Tongue has been by some compar'd to the River Nile, in that it preserves a Majesty even in Abundance; its Waters roll rapidly notwithstanding their depth, and never roar but when their Banks are too narrow, nor overflow without inriching the Soil.

These remarks may suffice as to the several European Languages from which many of our Words are borrowed. I shall next observe something on the Mutation of the English Tongue.

That Languages as well as other Things are liable to Mutation and Changes we need not be at a Loss for Instances, the Causes of which in the General may be reckon'd three.

1. Commigrations or Conquests, that is the People of one Language and Nation intermixing themselves with those of another; by which Means in Time their succeeds a Coalition of the Languages of the Conquering and Conquered. Thus theItalian Language sprung from the Latin and a Mixture of German and Gothic; the Spanish from the Latin mixt with the Gothic, German, Arabic and Morisco; The French comes from the ancient Gaulish or Gallic, mixt with the Latin and German.

2. From Commerce, by which the Names of Wares, Terms in Traffick, Offices and Dignities are introduc'd, which we commonly accept with the Wares themselves from the Persons from whom we receive them and new form them according to the Model and Genius of our own Tongue.

3. From the Esteem and valuable Qualities of any particular Language, by which we endeavour to imitate this or that Tongue as more Learned, Elegant, Copious or Expressive. Hence the Learned in all Parts of Europe use the Latin and Greek Tongues, as the Treasuries or rather the properest Vehicles for the Conveyance of Science; so the Christian Divines reverence the Hebrew and Greek as the Introductories to the Knowledge of the divine Oracles; several Nations of Europe the French for its softness and smoothness of Expression; the Danes, and Swedes the Teutonick, as more copious.

If a Language once gains the Esteem of being more learned, from thence Authors borrow technical Words or Words of Art, as in Physick, Surgery, Philosophy, Mathematicks, &ersand;c. as from the Greek. If it be esteem'd more elegant and fine in Pronunciation, then those who frequent Courts and are apt to mislike any Thing that is common and the Product of their own Country, and delighting rather in what is uncommon, are apt to borrow Words; especially those of Complaisance and Address, framing and borrowing new Words, according as new Things and new Inventions turn up; by which Means the old Anglo Saxon was converted into the present English Tongue.

Now that from these three Causes in the General the ancient Language of Britain is altered fro, what it was originally to what it is at present, will plainly appear by what follows.

It is generally agreed that the ancient Language of Britain was the Gaulish. (This Island in all Probability having been first peopled from Gaul, i.e. Gallia or France) as is affirmed both by Cæsar and Tacitus, and as they prove by many strong and conclusive Arguments, as by the Religion, Manners and Customs of both the one and the other, as well as by the nearness of their Situation.

Julius Cæsar some Time before the Birth of our Saviour in the Time of King Cassevalene or Cassibelanus, made a Descent upon Britain; but it may be rather said that he discovered it than that he made a Conquest of it; bus some Time after the Death of our Saviour in the Reign of Claudius Cæsar, Aulus Plautius brought hither some Roman Forces, and by him and Oftorius Scapula, Codigunus and Caractacus two British Kings were severally overcome in Battle, a Roman Colony was settled at Malden in Essex, the Southern Parts thereof being reduc'd to the Form of a Roman Province; and in the Time of Domitian the Romans, under the Conduct of Agricola, made themselves Masters of other Parts, as far as to the Friths of Dunbarton and Edinburgh; upon which the Remains of the unconquered Britains retired to the Western Parts of this Island, now called Wales; where carrying with them their Language over the Mountains, there they have preserv'd it to this Day.

... I'll type this another day, I think. Let Liam (liamquin at interlog dot com) know if you saw this message, it will make him feel guilty.

As to the First, I have in this Edition not only my own self with great Application endeavoured to inrich it with all the Words that I could find in the Reading of a very large Number of Authors and on very various, if not all Subjects; but have been favoured with the Assistance of some generous Spirits, who have contributed thereto; among which I am oblig'd to Dr. Martin, Professor of Botany; Mr. Philip Miller; Mr. Gordon; but to none more than to the Rev. Mr. Collier, Rector of Langford near Sarum; who has with great Pains and Application voluntarily and generously communicated a very large Collection.

And in order to render the Work still more compleat, there has been inserted a great Number of English Proverbs with their Explication and Use; also the Iconology of the Ancients; shewing after what Manner they painted, engrav'd, carv'd, &ersand;c.

2. As to Term Etymological, there has been likewise vast Additions made to that Part, by Mr. Thomas Lediard, Professor of the modern Languages; by which it will appear, that as the Southern Languages, Italian, Spanish, Portugeze and French are at least for the greatest Part produc'd from the Latin Stock, so the Northern; as, Dutch, High German, Danish, Swedish, Irish, &ersand;c. are Branches of the Teutonick, Celtic, or Gothic.

I shall only add, that there has been that Pains taken to inrich this Edition with Words and Phrases that I apprehend any Additions to future Editions cannot be very considerable.