448 Mr. Pickering on the present state of the English language 
emy, not as a perfect list of our real or supposed peculiarities of lan. 
guage, but merely as the beginning of a work, which can be complet- 
ed only by long and accurate observation, especially of intelligent 
Americans, who shall have an opportunity of residing in England, 
and of well educated Englishmen who may resort to this country. It 
has long been the wish of our scholars to see a work of that sort; 
but, though several words have been occasionally noticed by Dr. 
Witherspoon, Dr. Franklin, and some others, yet nobody seems to 
have been willing to undertake the laborious task of making a gene- _ 
tal collection of them. Seeing no prospect of such a work, and ob- 
serving, with no small degree of solicitude, the corruptions which are 
gradually insinuating themselves into our language, I have taken the 
liberty to ask the attention of the Academy to this subject, by laying 
before them the following Vocabulary ; a performance, which I am sen- 
sible is not so worthy of their notice, as more time and ability might 
have rendered it. 
In making this Vocabulary, I have resorted to aif ihe SOUTCES rat 
information in my power, and have, under each word, given some of 
the authorities for and against the use of it. I have also subjoined to 
some of the words, the criticisms of Dr. Franklin, Dr. Witherspoon, 
and other writers, at large, in order that the reader may avail hims 
of their instructive observations, without the trouble of searching for 
them through the numerous volumes of their works ; and in all case 
es, where any word had been noticed by English or American wrie 
ters, which I had also myself observed, (particularly during my resi 
dence in England, where my attention was first drawn to this subject) 
I have chosen to give it upon their authority, rather than my own. 
Many words will be found in the list, which are not in fact of Amere 
‘ean origin, or peculiar to Americans; but it appeared to me that it 
would be useful to insert all words, the legitimacy of which had been 
