The New World of English Words
Encyclopedia
The New World of English Words, or, a General Dictionary is a dictionary compiled by Edward Phillips
and first published in London
in 1658. It was the first folio English dictionary.
It was later revised and enlarged by John Kersey in 1706, eventually containing 38 000 entries. Kersey had already compiled his own dictionary, A New English Dictionary
, in 1702, and used this revised edition of The New World of English Words as the basis for his more concise Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum
in 1708.
's Glossographia, which had been published a few years before. Blount responded by publishing A world of errors discovered in the Interpreter of Hard Words, written against Sir Edward Phillips book entitled A New World in 1673.
Edward Phillips
Edward Phillips , was an English author.-Life:He was the son of Edward Phillips of the crown office in chancery, and his wife Anne, only sister of John Milton, the poet. Edward Phillips the younger was born in the Strand, London. His father died in 1631, and Anne eventually married her husband's...
and first published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1658. It was the first folio English dictionary.
Contents
As well as containing common words, the dictionary featured many unusual words, foreign terms, proper nouns and other specialist terms. In total, the original edition featured 11 000 entries, increasing to 17 000 by the fifth edition in 1696.It was later revised and enlarged by John Kersey in 1706, eventually containing 38 000 entries. Kersey had already compiled his own dictionary, A New English Dictionary
A New English Dictionary
A New English Dictionary: or, a complete collection of the most proper and significant words, commonly used in the language was an English dictionary compiled by philologist John Kersey and first published in London in 1702....
, in 1702, and used this revised edition of The New World of English Words as the basis for his more concise Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum
Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum
The Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum is a dictionary compiled by philologist John Kersey, which was first published in London in 1708.It was the third dictionary he had edited, after his 1702 A New English Dictionary and his 1706 revision of Edward Phillips' 1658 dictionary The New World of English...
in 1708.
Plagiarism
At least half of the entries were copied directly, without permission, from Thomas BlountThomas Blount (lexicographer)
Thomas Blount was an English antiquarian and lexicographer.-Background:He was the son of Myles Blount of Orleton in Herefordshire and was born at Bordesley, Tardebigge, Worcestershire...
's Glossographia, which had been published a few years before. Blount responded by publishing A world of errors discovered in the Interpreter of Hard Words, written against Sir Edward Phillips book entitled A New World in 1673.
Full title
"The new world of English words, or, A general dictionary : containing the interpretations of such hard words as are derived from other languages, whether Hebrew, Arabick, Syriack, Greek, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, British, Dutch, Saxon, &c., their etymologies, and perfect definitions : together with all those terms that relate to the arts and sciences ... : to which are added the significations of proper names, mythology, and poetical fiction, historical relations, geographical descriptions of most countries and cities of the world, especially of those three nations, wherein their chiefest antiquities, battles, and other most memorable passages are mentioned : as also all other subjects that are useful and appertain to our English language : a work very necessary for strangers, as well as our own countrymen, for all persons that would rightly understand what they discourse, write, or read "