COMPLETE AND ENGLISH DIC. INCLUDING NOT ONLY I. AN EXPLANATION of DIFFICULT WORDS and TECHNICAL II. A PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY In which the proper SOUNDS of ENGLISH WORDS are fo given, that both NATIVES and III. The ORIGIN of each WORD; with its different Meanings; illuftrated by AUTHORI IV. The DIFFERENCES pointed out between WORDS esteemed SYNONIMOUS. VI. A DESCRIPTION of the various STATES, PROVINCES and CHIEF TOWNS of the VIL A STATEMENT of the SECTS and DIVISIONS in the CHRISTIAN CHURCH; VIII An ACCOUNT of the COUNTIES, CITIES and MARKET-TOWNS in GREAT- To which are prefixed A FREE INQUIRY into the ORIGIN and ANTIQUITY of LETTERS: To the Whole is added A CHRONOLOGICAL SERIES of REMARKABLE EVENTS, from the CREATION to the Together with a LIST of the GRECIAN, ROMAN and ENGLISH CLASSICS, Corrected and improved by the Addition of nearly Five Hundred Articles. By the Rev. JAMES BARCLAY, CURATE of Edmonton in Middlefex, and many Years MASTER of an ACADEMY in Good- LONDON: Printed for G. G. and J. ROBINSON; H. L. GARDNER; J. SEWELL; W. J. and J. Price Nine Shillings Bound. PUBLIC LIBRARY ACTOR, LENOX AND N. B. In this Edition ftands for Subftantive, a. for Adjective, ad. for Adverb, v. for Verb, u. a. for Verb Active, v. n. for Verb Neuter, part. for Participle, prep. for Prepofition, k. for King, q. for Queen, p. for Prince, &c. Exporters of New Copies of this Work will be entitled to the Drawback. A PREFACE. MONG the number of Dictionaries already published, it must be confeffed that many of them are poffeffed of great merit and utility; and yet it will not be denied by proper judges, that the general plan of thofe Publications will fill admit of further improvement. It is by no means our defign to decry the labours of former Lexicographers, to point out their defects, or to endeavour to fet off the merits of our own by any invidious comparison with their works. We fhall content ourfelves with laying before the Reader the outlines of our plan, and fubmit its execution to his judgment and candour. The improvements peculiar to the Dictionary now offered to the Public, and which we believe to be, for the greatest part, entirely new, are the following: I. A PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY, of which the Titlepage explains the ufe. We have only to observe here, that as the pronunciation of our language is too often arbitrary, (fo much, indeed, that the inhabitants of one county can fcarce understand those of another) we have taken all poffible care to adopt the beft, moft plain and ufeful modes of fpeaking, without perplexing or puzzling the Reader with the almost endless and unintelligible niceties of what are pedantically called Orthoepical Rules, or rules for right pronunciation. The only Rule that can be given in this cafe, of general ufe, is, carefully to attend to the best fpeakers; to the general, plain, and eafy pronunciation used in the Pulpit, in the Senate, and at the Bar; and therefore the greatest attention has been paid to the proper placing of the Accent; for upon this depends, in a great measure, the right and juft pronunciation of our language. Peculiar care has also been taken, that the Initial Letters denoting each part of fpeech fhould be correct; an advantage not to be found in many Dictionaries poffeffed of this diftinction*. * Under this article of Pronunciation, the Reader will be pleased to obferve that as the final tion, with very few exceptions, is always pronounced on, we have only diftinguished thofe exceptions; as marking the variation for would have occurred fo often, as to have crowded and deformed the page. A 2 |