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1788 The First Dictionary Published In America!

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1788 The First Dictionary Published In America!
1788 The First Dictionary Published In America!
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Colonial America
1788 FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of Isaiah Thomas' Historic Dictionary - The First Dictionary Published In America!
January 1, 1788-Dated Colonial & Post Revolutionary War Era, American DICTIONARY 1788 Royal STANDARD Grammar SCHOOL Reference LEATHER by William Perry, Printed at Worcester, Massachusetts, by and for Isaiah Thomas, some pages lacking, Very Good.
This is the original First Edition as Printed at Worcester, Massachusetts by and for Isaiah Thomas, to be sold at his bookstore. It is dated in the front page text at bottom “January 1, 1788,” plus MDCCLXXXVIII. [1788]. This historic FiRST AMERICAN EDITION is known as one of the first American Printed Dictionaries!

First published in Worcester, by Isaiah Thomas, this is the First Dictionary Published In America. Later, in 1800, Thomas moved the publication to Boston, together with Ebenezer T. Andrews. The dedication page of this First Edition of 1788 remains within this copy, as shown, which lacks the first title page. Thomas writes on the first leaf:

"Dedication to the FIRST American Edition To The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, This Edition Of Perry's Royal Standard English Dictionary, (Being the First Work of the Kind printed in America) Intended To Fix A Standard For The Pronunciation Of The English Language, Conformably To The Present Practice Of Polite Speakers In Great Britain And The United States; Is Humbly Inscribed, By Their Most Obedient, And Very Humble Servant, Isaiah Thomas. Worcester, January 1, 1788."

Square 24mo, Full bound leather in heavily worn, rather rough shape, the Rear Cover Board Lacking, the Spine is lacking some leather at the extremity and is in rough shape, while the binding is in two halves and book ends short at page number 464. Also, again, missing title but starts at Dedication page (stating this is first American edition, Worcester, I. Thomas, 1788). Cover is nicely weathered but holding firmly at hinge. The pages show mostly even tone, being all bound and in overall nice clearly readable shape. Missing leaf 13/14 as well. Defective, yes, but nevertheless extremely scarce and of true collector value.

The Royal Standard English Dictionary, has its words rationally divided into syllables, accurately accented, their part of speech properly distinguished, and... their various significations arranged in one line. Likewise, by a key to this work, comprising the various sounds of the vowels and consonants, are denoted by typographical characters and illustrated by examples. This was upon a plan that was now perfectly plain and entirely new, to which is prefixed, a comprehensive grammar of the English language. An important opportunity to acquire this rare volume of The First Dictionary Published In America!
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1788 The First Dictionary Published In America!

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