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A bibliography of the English language from the invention of printing to the year 1800. A systematic record of writings on English

A bibliography of the English language from the invention of printing to the year 1800. A systematic record of writings on English, and on other languages in English, based on the collections of the principal libraries of the world

A complete set of one of the finest bibliographical undertakings in the last half century. 4to, 21 volumes in 40 (all published -- volume XXII, Indexes, was meant to be forthcoming, however since the passing of Robin Alston on June 30, 2011 it may never be published); volume I limited to 1000 copies, the rest limited to 500 copies each, illustrated with many facsimile pages throughout, many folding; several volumes with wear, 2 volumes with some cracking of the cloth at the joints, otherwise generally a fine set in original blue cloth. Vol. I: English Grammars Written in English and English Grammars written in Latin by Native Speakers; II: Polyglot Dictionaries and Grammars, Treatises on English written for speakers of French, German, Dutch [et al.]; III, part 1: Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English; III, part 2: Punctuation, Concordances, Origin of Language, Theory of Grammar; IV: Spelling Books; V: The English Dictionary; VI: Rhetoric, Style, Elocution; VII: Logic, Philosophy, Epistemology, Universal Language; VIII: Short-Hand; IX: English and Scottish Dialects, Cant and Vulgar English; X: Education and Language Teaching; XI: Place Names and Personal Names; XII, part 1: The French Language: Grammars, Miscellaneous Treatises, Dictionaries; XII, part 2: The Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Romansh Languages: Grammars, Dictionaries, Miscellaneous Treatises; XIII: The Germanic Languages; XIV: The Slavonic, Oriental, African, & Other Languages; XV:L Latin (1500-1650); XVI (in 2 parts): Latin (1651-1800); XVII (in 2 parts): Botany, Agriculture, Horticulture; XVIII, part I (in 2 volumes): Zoology, Chemistry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine; XVIII, part 2 (in 2 volumes): Law, Art, Architecture, Heraldry; XVIII, part 3 (in 2 volumes): Military and Naval Arts & Sciences; XVIII, part 4 (in 3 volumes): Commerce, Classics, Cookery, Technology, Religion, Recreation, Music; XIX (in 3 parts): Periodical Literature; XX: Materials in Manuscript (in 2 parts); and XXI (in 3 parts): Addenda to Volumes I-XVIII; plus, Additions and Corrections to Vols. I-X, List of Libraries and Cumulative Indexes.
  • $9,375
  • $9,375
Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum: or

Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum: or, a general English dictionary, comprehending a brief but emphatical and clear explication of all sorts of difficult words . to which is added a large collection of words and phrases . made use of in our ancient statutes, old records, charters, writs . an interpretation of the proper names of men and women . The whole work compil’d and methodically digested, for the benefit of young students, tradesmen, artificers, foreigners, and others who are desirous thoroughly to understand what they speak, read, or write

First edition of the first abridged English dictionary, 8vo, unpaginated, collating: A2 B-Z4 2a-2h4 2A-3N4 4A-4O4 4P2 4Q-4X4; contemporary paneled calf, neat 20th century rebacking, red leather label on spine; front free endpaper and title page guarded; else very good and sound. With the ownership signature of Eliza Beale 1708 on both the front and rear pastedown, and Eliza Alston 1726 (same hand) on front free endpaper. Later ownerships signature of Vincent Novello, Bayswater, on front pastedown. Novello (1781-1861) was a noted English musician and music publisher. Alston V, 91 ("an unconfessed abridgement of Kersey's revision of Phillip's dictionary" - the New World of English Words, 1706 - "although it contains much dialectal material not found in that work"); Starnes & Noyes, pp. 95-97 ("Kersey's vocabulary, estimated at 35,000 words, far surpasses that of any preceding dictionary, with the single exception of the folio Kersey-Phillips, which, amazingly enough considering its difference in physical size, it almost equals"). Kennedy 6203; Vancil, p. 138.
  • $1,563
  • $1,563