A New Universal Etymological English Dictionary; comprehending the derivations of the generality of words in the English language. Illustrated with copper plates. Now re-published with many corrections, additions, and literate improvements, by different hands. the etymology of all terms as derived from the Greek. being revised by Joseph Nicol Scott.

BAILEY, Nathaniel. SCOTT, Joseph Nicol.

Published by Printed for T. Osborne & J. Shipton; J. Hodges; R. Baldwin; W Johnston, & J. Ward. 1755, 1755

About this Item

xviii, [1080]pp, engraved frontispiece & 11 further numbered plates (the last numbered 11 & 12). Folio. Frontispiece sl. creased at fore-edge, some occasional light spotting, the odd crease & small marginal tear. A nice clean copy. Handsomely rebound in half speckled calf, raised bands, red morocco label. Alston V 173 noting that 'the revisions and additions are extensive enough to warrant this being regarded as a new work'; ESTC T148730. Scarce in commerce; only three copies have appeared at auction since 1980. Published in the same year as the 16th 8vo edition of Bailey's Universal Etymological English Dictionary, this is known as the Scott-Bailey edition, published in folio. As well as borrowing heavily from Bailey (who had died in 1742), Scott's dictionary was also nearly identical in style to Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language published in the same year. Having published his Plan of a Dictionary in 1747 Johnson had openly shared his ideas from which Scott duly copied. Scott in fact, recognises Johnson's influence in the preface to this work: 'What remains is, to do justice to some previous writers, from whom we have taken (as is not unusual in works of this sort) many things. In particular to the elaborate Mr. Johnson, for the different acceptation of words in English writers.'.

Seller Inventory # 83332

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A New Universal Etymological English Dictionary; comprehending the derivations of the generality of words in the English language. Illustrated with copper plates. Now re-published with many corrections, additions, and literate improvements, by different hands. the etymology of all terms as derived from the Greek. being revised by Joseph Nicol Scott.
• Publisher: Printed for T. Osborne & J. Shipton; J. Hodges; R. Baldwin; W Johnston, & J. Ward. 1755
• Publication Date: 1755