COLLINS'S LIBRARY DICTIONARY.*

OF every new dictionary that comes into the market we have a right to ask the reason of its coining. "Are you better or handier than your predecessors, or merely put forth because your publisher can place you, without any fresh work or result in you ?" Messrs. Collins' Library Dictionary, though professedly founded upon the labours of earlier lexicographers," claims yet to be "in many respects a new and original work."

1. "Considerable additions have been made to the vocabulary as given in former text-books." This is true, with the qualifica- tion that very many of Webster's and Worcester's words have been Left out ; as compared with standard English dictionaries, the book has, for instance, Mr. Earle's test-word handicap (though copied nearly word for word from Webster), that Latham's Johnson does not contain.

2. "The etymology has been revised with reference to the late dis- coveries of comparative philology," and among other errors, says Mr. Collins, that of Johnson is avoided, who did not distinguish between such words as came directly from Latin, and such as came mediately from the French and Norman. This means, so far as we have been able to teat the comparative philology (of which there is as little as possible), that some of Dr. Mahn's etymologies in Webster have been copied shortly,—as under, " be [A.S. beon, beonne ; Skr., bh5, to be]. This verb is defective, and its defects are supplied by verbs from other roots, is, was, which have no radical connection * The Library Dictionary of the English Language: Etymological, Derivative, Explana- tory. Pronouncing, Synonymous, &v. Illustrated by 1,000 Engravings on Wood. Collins and Co. 1871.

MAHN'S WIIESTEL

Bearing, n. 1. The manner in which a person bears or conducts himself; gesture; mien ; be- haviour. . . . with be," in ignorance of Professor Goldstiicker's proof that the root of is, was, be, is one and the same, though the prefixed pre- positions seen in b and w differ. As to our words from Latin through French, in which we are told that Mr. Collins has so im- proved on Johnson, what do we find under such a word as feat Collins, "L., fact um, from facere, to make or do." John- son, 4th ed., folio, 1773 (the last revised by him), "Jail, French ; " and in Todd's Johnson, "feat, Norman French, done, deed, Kelham ; fait, modern [Fr.] ; factunt, L." We turn to campaign, and again Collins is at fault : Collins, " Campania, the country about Naples, so called from its being plain and level, cantris" (which is copied straight from the end of Mahn's etymology in Webster) ; Johnson, " eampagne, Fr. ; campania, Ital." In many other words we notice the same absurdity in Mr. Collins, and blame him for his wilful carelessness and pretension.

3. We are told "attention has been given both to enlarge the nature and improve the form of the definitions," while synonyms have been added to aid in the interpretation, &c. We take a text-word here, say "bearing," and show it beside its evident source, italicizing the identical passages :— Cou.nrs.

Bearing (bAr'ing), n. The man- ner in which a person bears himself; 2. The situation of an object, the situation of an object with re- with respect to another object, by sped to another object ;

which it is supposed to have a connection with it, or influence upon it, or to be influenced by it, hence relation. . . . hence, relation :—

3. The act of producing or giving act of producing or giving birth. birth; as, a tree in full bearing....

4. (Arch.) The span of a beam, span of a beam, rafter, or other rafter, or other piece of timber, or piece of timber.

the unsupported distance between its points of support. (Gwilt.)

5. (Heraldry.) Any single emblem any single emblem or charge in an or charge in an escutcheon, or coat of escutcheon. arms. . . .

6. (Machinery.) a. The part in The part in contact with which a contact with which a journal moves, journal moves, as the journal-boxes; as the journal-boxes, tresses, &c. that part of a shaft or axle which b. That part of a shaft or axle which is in contact with the supports. is in contact with the supports. 7. (Nautical.) The situation, &c. Syn. Deportment; gesture; mien ; Syn. Deportment ; gesture ; mien ; behaviour ; direction ; relation ; ten- behaviour ; direction; relation ; ten-

dency; influence. dency ; influence.

This, at least, is not a specimen of "new and original work." Suppose we call it judicious abridgment ?

4. " Orthoepy. The entry of the word is followed by a re- spelling in phonetic form, with distributed accents and marked vowel sounds, so as to indicate unmistakeably the proper pro- nunciation of the word." Here, again, we turn to a test-word, like orator, whose pronunciation has changed with its change of sense ; and what do we find?—" Orator (oria-ter), n., a public speaker," &c., &c.,—with a long a, as in "fate." Unmistake- ably " wrong, of course.

5. Illustrations. Though Archbishop Trench is reported to have sent his copy of Worcester to his nursery, as being a picture-book, and not a dictionary, we hold that the American dictionary-makers have done good service to their cause by in- serting illustrations in their books, and that Mr. Collins has rightly followed them. But that the drawing of the Collins bison "will convey a more vivid idea of the subject than can be done by verbal description" we are not prepared to allow. How are the animal's head and near fore-leg fixed on to his body ?

On the whole, then, we find that Messrs. Collins's Library Dictionary is much inferior to Mahn's 1Vebster, though it is cheaper, and has some fresh words, instead of others left out in that work. If we recommend Messrs. Collins's book, it must be on the good old principle that all dictionaries, like all port, are good. In the absence of a better book, Messrs. Collins's will undoubtedly be found useful.