viii PREFACE. 
stated. The rule has been to deduce from a comparison of all the principal forms the primitive sense 
or form, and also to make the process of inference clear to the consulter of the dictionary. Of course, 
in a search through so vast a field, in which the paths of words have been in many instances effectu- 
ally obliterated or confused, many points of uncertainty remain ; but from the evidence at hand 
various degrees of approximation to certainty can be established, and these it has been sought clearly 
to indicate by terms of qualification. The various prefixes and suffixes used in the formation of English 
words are treated very fully in separate articles. 
There are thus two distinct groups of forms in the etymologies: those in the line of derivation or 
direct descent, and those in the lines of cognation or collateral descent. A Greek word, for example, 
may occur not only in Anglo-Saxon (and English), but also in other Teutonic and in Romance and 
other tongues, and the full account of the English form requires the mention of the 
most important of these other forms as " parallel with " or " equal to " the Anglo- 
Saxon and English. To separate these groups more plainly to thought and to the eye, and to 
save the space which would be taken up by the frequent repetition of the words "from," "parallel 
with," and " whence," distinctive symbols are used. For " from " is used the sign < , denoting that the 
form without the angle is derived from the form within it ; for " whence," the sign > , with a similar 
significance ; for " parallel with " or " equal to " or " cognate with," the familiar sign of equality, = ; for 
the word "root," the ordinary algebraic symbol \/. An asterisk * is prefixed uniformly to all forms 
which are cited either as probable or as theoretical, or as merely alleged ; it indicates in all cases that 
the form so marked has not been found by the etymologist in the records of the language concerned, 
or in its dictionaries. But in some cases words are marked with the asterisk which are found in certain 
dictionaries, but have not been verified in the actual literature. Special care has been taken with the 
Anglo-Saxon words, unverified forms of which exist in the current dictionaries, some of them probably 
genuine, though not found in any of the accessible texts, and others due to early errors of editors and 
dictionary-makers. 
Words of various origin and meaning, but of the same spelling (homonyms), have been distinguished 
by small superior figures (\ 2 , 3 , etc.). Such words abound in English. They ai-e mostly common 
monosyllables, and much confusion exists not only in the explanation of them but also in their use, 
words of diverse origin having been, in many cases, regarded as one, with consequent 
entanglement or complete merging of meanings. In numbering these homonyms, the 
rule has been to give precedence to the oldest or the most familiar, or to that one which is most nearly 
English in origin. The superior numbers apply not so much to the individual word as to the group or 
root to which it belongs ; hence the different grammatical uses of the same homonym are numbered alike 
when they are separately entered in the dictionary. Thus verbs and nouns of the same origin and the 
same present spelling receive the same superior number. But when two words of the same form, and of 
the same radical origin, now differ considerably in meaning, so as to be used as different words, they are 
separately numbered. 
The etymologies have been written by Dr. Charles P. G. Scott, with the assistance, in the later 
parts of the work, of contributions from Prof. James A. Harrison, Prof. William M. Baskervill, 
Prof. Francis A. March, Jr., and others. In ascertaining the particular facts with regard to the 
origin of technical terms, much aid has been given by the specialists in charge of the various 
departments. 
Of the great body of words constituting the familiar language the spelling is determined by well- 
established usage, and, however accidental and unacceptable, in many cases, it may be, and however 
much of sympathy and well-willing may be due to the efforts now making to introduce a reform, it is 
not the office of a dictionary like this to propose improvements, or to adopt those which have been 
proposed, and have not yet won some degree of acceptance and use. But there are also considerable 
classes as to which usage is wavering, more than one form being sanctioned by excellent authorities, 
