PREFACE vii 



ill the old origins and accretions, and simply adding the new to them. For this sort of evolution 

 :here is no name (unless Weissmann's immortality theory is applicable), and its study may be 

 ommended to the Danvins and Spencers of the future as a noteworthy exception to hitherto 

 Qulated laws. The result is before us: a huge and unassimilated philologic mass, many 

 lmes greater than it should be, the despair of medical students and of the makers of diction - 

 .ries. These word-books, of course, reproduce the phylogenetic history in the same way, and 

 here is no escape from the republication of all the methods and most all the words gathered 

 .nd found useful in the course of ages. Here with some modifications of detail must be repeated 

 he glosses and vocabularies of a thousand years ago, the foiled attempts together with the 

 I >artial successes at alphabetic arrangement, and lastly the addition of the modern en- 

 lopedia. 

 The functions of the dictionary -maker have thus become multiplied and varied. As the 

 j , r loss-lists and vocable-lists grew into dictionariums, and as alphabetization became thorough- 

 going, as one after another subject was added to the word-gatherer's work, so our technical dic- 

 ionary has at last become in part encyclopedic and expository, its plan and outworking still 

 omewhat subject to the personality, scholarship, and judgment of the author. It will always 

 emain an open question how far the author should or may go in giving individual color to his 

 lictionary. Johnson's famous definitions of excise, lexicographer, oats, pension, pensioner, 

 lory, whig, etc.; Webster's "Americanism" in spelling; the Century's seconding in various 

 j rays the obvious trending of philologic progress, — these, and many such illustrate the lexicog- 

 apher's belief in his own, at least, "limited" free-will. 



"Johnson's great work," says Dr. Murray, "raised English lexicography altogether to a 



er level. In his hands it became a department of literature." The technical dictionarv 



>-day may indeed claim a higher office than that, because no monograph or text-book comes 



• the far-reaching and lasting influence of modern encyclopedic dictionaries. They help 



re than teacher or text-book to bring order into the student's forming mind, and to system - 



e and make definite his knowledge. In postgraduate life and practice there is no book that 



D frequently consulted, and the teachings of which are so clearly kept in memory. This is 



1 >ecause of the validity of the maxim of Coke. 



Solely upon condition, however, that the author has put heart, intellect, and labor into his 



York ! If he has been content to repeat, copy, and adopt, it will not be so. And even then 



'nly if other repeaters, copiers, and adopters "do not break through and steal." As has 



'ften happened since, dictionary-theft is an ancient story. As long as 250 years ago Phillips 



■lagiarized the glossographia of Blount. The robbed author indignantly exposed the shameless- 



i iess of the cribber, even of misprints and errors. But he was not ashamed ! More suo the thief, 



j aving no defense, made none, and instead proceeded to correct all the errors pointed out by 



int, and, in many subsequent editions, the quack-lexicographer reaped the reward given by 



>o careless public. 



The ancient injustice would be much manifolded in modern times, with an intensely pro- 

 sing science which demands that, if to be of the best service, new editions of its word- 

 j ooks shall be made every few years. The system must become systematic and the professing 

 inily professional. Xo spasmodic, incidental, or amateur methods will nowadays avail, 

 i Revisions are required, and continuous labor, not only of one but of many, so that helpers, a 

 uge corps of them, must be organized, and paid. Over 300 years ago a great worker in this 

 eld, one who " contrived and wrought not onelie for our owne private use, but for the common 

 rofet of others," even with the patronage of great men "who encouraged in this wearie 

 'orke ' ' was grieved that ' ' the charges were so great and the losse of time ' ' so much that he 

 .ame near having "never bene able alone to have wrestled against so manie troubles." 





