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A New English Dictionary

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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.[1]

Differences from previous dictionaries

Unlike previous dictionaries, which had focused on documenting difficult words, A New English Dictionary was one of the first to focus on words in common usage.[1] It was also the first to be written by a professional lexicographer.

Kersey's subsequent works

Kersey later continued his lexicographic career by enlarging Edward Phillips' The New World of English Words in 1706 and editing the Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum in 1708.

Similary-titled work

The original title of the Oxford English Dictionary was A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, and it was sometimes given the abbreviation NED, for New English Dictionary.

References

  1. ^ a b Jain, Nalini (1984). "Evolution of the English Dictionary, 1600-1960". India International Centre Quarterly. 11 (2): 207–218. ISSN 0376-9771. JSTOR 23001660.