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Noah Webster published the first American dictionary in 1806, and later published An American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828, which became the standard of lexicography. He learned 26 languages to research the origins of American English. Webster was born in Connecticut in 1758 and was a strong believer in preserving the distinctive American language. Merriam-Webster acquired the dictionary editing rights from Webster’s heirs in 1843.
In 1806, Noah Webster published the first American dictionary, entitled A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. Shortly thereafter, he began work on An American Dictionary of the English Language, a book that would become the standard of lexicography. It was an authoritative guide to the English language, with approximately 70,000 entries. To research the origins of the American version of English, Webster learned 26 languages, including Anglo-Saxon, Aramaic and Sanskrit. Webster finally published the work in 1828, at the age of 70.
The final word on Noah Webster:
Webster was born in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1758. He went to Yale at age 15 and graduated in 1778. His cousin was statesman Daniel Webster.
He was a strong believer in the cultural independence of the United States, particularly in chronicling and preserving the distinctive American language, with its idioms, pronunciation, and style.
George and Charles Merriam inherited Webster’s legacy in 1843, acquiring the dictionary editing rights from Webster’s heirs, beginning the decade-long partnership known as Merriam-Webster.
