IV PREFACE

meaning has taken place, both forms are given and defined for instance, Rec'Ollect' and Recollect' are combined in a single paragraph (p. 474), as being of identical derivation; but their widely divergent meanings are adequately denned while their etymology is left to be sought under Collect. System Of Grouping. — A saving similar to that made by a ociating words having the same prefix has been accomplished by consolidating into one paragraph words derived from the same root, provided they have the same initial letter. Thus, under the noun Air (p. 11) are given, first, the direct derivatives, the verb, To Air, the noun Airing, adjective Airy, adverb Airily, noun Airine then follow, alphabetically, the derived compounds — viz. AirTiath, -bed, -bladder, etc., — of which there are 16 and the result is that 21 words are adequately accounted for in 42 lines, although a space equal to 5 of these lines is given to an illustration showing the construction of an Air-pump whereas the corresponding words occupy just 200 lines of the broader columns of the Unabridged. Again, under Water (p. 6G8), this book covers 51 words in 188 lines, or about 2 columns, including 6 illustrations while in the Unabridged the word and its derivations 7f columns, or 837 lines. — It must be explained, however, that, while words of identical etymology have been thus systematically grouped, great care has been taken to indicate the difference between words having the same spelling and pronunciation, but a different etymology. Thus, on page 551, there are 4 separate paragraphs headed Sound, both the meaning and origin of these words and their derivations being totally distinct. There are also 3 entirely different words, Smack (p. 543), yet of the same pronunciation. This point is dwelt upon because, in many elaborate dictionaries, words from totally different sources and of di imilar meanings have been — grouped as if they were of identical origin which is hopele ly confusing to a student of the language. — It should, however, be understood that only words having the same initial letter are thus a ociated but reference is made to cognate words, if they begin with a different prefix or compound, so as to show their common origin, however widely they may be separated alphabetically. For instance, the paragraph Stand (p. 563) includes 22 words and phrases which fall alphabetically under stand-; and these but 73 lines, or about three quarters of a column, although 17 of these lines are devoted to the matter of etymology. That is, the etymologies are, traced from the Anglo-Saxon, Old High German, Gothic, Icelandic, Dutch, Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit then follow references (marked *. rt. — " from the same root as ") to 42 cognate words derived from the French and Latin, to 11 from the Greek, and to 31 from various sources, — to 84 different words in all. To trace out the significance of this group of allied words, the student should examine each of them, with its derivatives. For example, in the case of Stand, its derivatives Understand. Understanding, etc., are grouped among the 67 words a ociated under the leading word Under as are Withstand, etc., under With. But it is only under the stem-word — in this case Stand — that the etymologies have been printed in full, a note under each of the cognate words making a reference to the pa age in which they are given. By this system many pages have been saved in the aggregate, although the etymologies are set forth with an almost unprecedented fullne in some one place, to which reference is clearly made under each derived word. Pronunciation. — The marks indicating pronunciation have been made as few and as simple as is consistent with clearne and precision. The leading word of each paragraph is respelled phonetically but subsequent words within the paragraph are respelled only in instances where the pronunciation changes, or where for any reason it might be doubtful.* — An unmarked vowel, followed by a consonant in the same syllable, is short (as am, end, in, odd, sun) an unmarked vowel forming a syllable by itself, or ending a syllabic, is long, or has its name sound (as a, be, di-al, no, fu-el, by) but a, not under the accent, forming or ending a syllable*, has a brief sound of a in far, or in some cases a brief sound of long a in fate. Vowel sounds which are not thus explained by their position, also the sounds of such consonants as have more than one sound, are marked in accordance with the key-line at the foot of each two adjoining pages. The diacritical marks there employed are self-explanatory, with the exception of that which designates the nasal sound illustrated in the key-line by the French word 6on6on. This n indicates that the preceding vowel is nasal, but care should be taken that the back part of the tongue is not pre ed against the palate as is done in producing the English ng. For example, in making the French sound on we may proceed as if about to say ong (as in song), but stop before the sound ng is produced. Similarly the other French nasal vowels can be produced. * Where alternative pronunciations are given for the leading word, the choice between them is understood to apply to the subsequent words in the paragraph, unle these are otherwise marked. For instance, in the paragraph Retroact (p. 488), the pronunciation of the firet two syllables of all words in the paragraph may be either re~'troor ret'ro-. 15