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Rare and Antiquarian Books

Dictionaries

In addition to rare novels, autobiographies, and non-fiction academic books, Biblio also features a wide variety of rare and antique dictionaries. Many of the rare dictionaries that are featured in the Biblio Rare Book Room are old foreign dictionaries, and others are multi-volume sets of original American English dictionaries and encyclopedias. Some of the rare dictionaries also include little-known grammatical details that would be sure to thrill any linguist.

Results 1 - 15 of 142
A DICTIONARY OF SOUTH AFRICAN ENGLISH ON HISTORICAL PRINCIPLES

A DICTIONARY OF SOUTH AFRICAN ENGLISH ON HISTORICAL PRINCIPLES

by Silva, Penny (ed.) Nelson Mandela

  • Used
  • Fine
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used - Fine
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Fernandina Beach, Florida
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A$3,496.72
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First edition, limited issue of 100 numbered copies issued signed by Mandela on the title page. Copy #42. Published to benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. Edited with a Preface by Penny Silva. Dark blue full morocco, gilt lettering, satin pagemarker, limitation page. Issued without dustjacket. Cloth-covered slipcase. Slipcase with one corner with slight bump; otherwise, an unread copy in Fine condition. The first dictionary of South African English, mapping the development and changes of "that variety of English which is particular to South Africa."
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Lexicon Tetraglotton, An English-French-Italian-Spanish Dictionary: Whereunto is Adjoined a large...
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Lexicon Tetraglotton, An English-French-Italian-Spanish Dictionary: Whereunto is Adjoined a large Nomenclature of the proper Terms (in all the four) . . . With another Volume of the Choicest Proverbs in all the said Toungs. . .

by Howell, James

  • Used
  • fair
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Fair
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Albuquerque, New Mexico
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A$4,662.30
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London: Printed by J.G. for Cornelius Bee, 1660. First Edition . Hardcover. Fair. Rare First Edition of one of the most important works in the history of lexicography and a major source of the plagiarized proverbs Benjamin Franklin published in Poor Richard's Almanac. A fair copy. Ex-library: white numbers on spine, blindstamp, numbers and 'cancelled' stamp on title page, ghost of what was probably a pocket on the rear endpapers. Very old full-leather binding with 'Howell's Dictionary' on the title piece. Boards worn; corners extremely worn past leather to boards; boards once detached and now only reattached by several strips of cloth which are fairly loose. Ffep heavily chipped, with 1864 owner's name, reinforced at the foreedge. There is no half-title, first leaf is title page; two owner's names or notations, Anglesey Dec. 5 1663 and Stanford 1693. Obverse of title page blank; follows 3pp dedicatory 'To His Majesty Charles the Second'; another blank page is… Read More
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A Galic and English Dictionary. Containing all the words in the Scotch and Irish Dialects of the...

A Galic and English Dictionary. Containing all the words in the Scotch and Irish Dialects of the Celtic, that could be collected from the Voice, and Old Books and Mss.

by SHAW, William

  • Used
  • good
  • first
Condition
Used - Good
Edition
The First Gaelic/English Dictionary
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Norwich, Norfolk
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A$1,861.90
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2 volumes bound in one, quarto, contemporary tree calf, rubbed, scuffed and worn, contemporary red morocco label lettered gilt, (6) + (186) leaves; (1) + (153) leaves, printed in double columns, ownership inscription in ink on the first title page of J.Hamilton, with the A List of Subscribers in volume I.
Provenance: John Hamilton 1739-1821 of Sundrum Castle, Ayrshire; prominent in local politics in Ayr, he had enlightenment interests typical of his age, was a friend of James Boswell who introduced him to Samuel Johnson in 1773 which is recorded in Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides.
FIRST AND ONLY EDITION OF THE FIRST GAELIC/ENGLISH DICTIONARY.
William Shaw 1749-1831 was born at Clachaig in the Isle of Arran and was a graduate of Glasgow University. He went to London, and there met Dr. Johnson. When he told Johnson
of his great scheme for making a collection of Gaelic words, the old Doctor approved. Sir, said he, if you give the world a vocabulary of that language, while this Island stands,… Read More
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The Geographical and Historical Dictionary of America and the West Indies. Containing an entire...
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The Geographical and Historical Dictionary of America and the West Indies. Containing an entire translation of the Spanish work of Colonel Don Antonio de Alcedo (Complete Text in 5 volumes)

by Thompson, G.A.; De Alcedo, Colonel Don Antonio

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
1st
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Granville, New York
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A$5,050.82
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London: James Carpenter et al, 1812. Complete text in 5 volumes. First editions. Published London: James Carpenter et al., 1812 - 1815. 4to's, 8 3/4" x 11", xx+574; 597; 512; 636; xl+462+1+105pp., illustrated with tables (one folding). Bound in embossed glazed half leather over marbled boards with gilt stamped morocco spine labels, all edges specked. Armorial bookplate of Sir Joseph Radcliffe in each volume. First edition in English. First published in Madrid as "Diccionario geográfico-histórico de las Indias Occidentales ó América: es á saber: de los reynos del Perú, Nueva España, Tierra Firme, Chile, y Nuevo reyno de Granada" in five volumes, 1786 - 1789. Sabin 368. Some wear at the tips and along edges, rubbing to the leather glazing, light occasional foxing, else very good plus, attractive set, pages bright, sturdily bound.. 1st. Half-Leather. Very Good. 4to.
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1ST ABRIDGED AMERICAN DICTIONARY of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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1ST ABRIDGED AMERICAN DICTIONARY of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE

by Webster, Noah

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - “The front cover is detached as are the first 16 pages. The text is complete. Page 17 needs repair, shown in pictures. Overall
Edition
1st Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
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A$3,885.25
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The Only One on the Internet.
Will consider offers.
An American Dictionary of the English language : exhibiting the origin, orthography, pronunciation, and definitions of words / by Noah Webster ; abridged from the quarto edition of the author, to which are added, a synopsis of words differently pronounced by different orthoëpists ; and Walker's Key to the classical pronunciation of Greek, Latin, and Scripture proper names. (New York : S. Converse, 1829), by Noah Webster. First abridged edition. Octavo. 1,011 pages,Complete.
Produced a year after Webster's original two-volume edition, this abridgement was edited by Joseph Emerson Worcester. Worcester had been Webster's assistant on the two-volume edition and would later become a competitor, producing his own dictionary in 1830. This rivalry led to what has become known as the "dictionary wars."
Note: Shipping will be at least $50 due to Priority shipping and Insurance and Signature required for reception of book. Please check with us first.
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A$3,885.25
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JOHNSON'S DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, IN MINIATURE; To which are added, an...
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JOHNSON'S DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, IN MINIATURE; To which are added, an Alphabetical Account of the Heathen Deities; a List of the Cities, Boroughs and Market Towns, in England and Wales; a Copious Chronology; and a concise Epitome of the Most Remarkable Events during the French Revolution

by Johnson, Dr. Samuel [Miniature: Dictionary]

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
First Miniature Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Lake Forest, Illinois
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A$1,942.62
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London: Longman and Rees, 1800. First Miniature Edition. Tooled leather with gilding. Very Good. Cook. 12mo, tooled and gilt-stamped leather with four hubs, engraved frontispiece of Dr. Johnson by Cook, frontis. & t.p. + [iii-iv] advert. + 284 pages. Very Rare! [Edited by Rev. Joseph Hamilton.] Handy edition of the redoubtable Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary with its marvellous definitions. Published in 1800 during the raging Napoleonic wars with France (see also the somewhat later inscription to a French ship's captain below). Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), or more commonly "Dr. Johnson" or "the Great Cham," was a brilliant English writer, devout Anglican and Tory, who made his reputation as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and most lastingly as a lexicographer. His Dictionary of the English Language is noteworthy for its extent, comprehensiveness, and use of pithy definitions. James Boswell, of course, memorialized the life and… Read More
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Grammatica Graeca, sive Educatio Puerilis Linguae Graecae

Grammatica Graeca, sive Educatio Puerilis Linguae Graecae

by Golius, Theophilus

  • Used
  • very good
Condition
Used - Very Good
Seller
Iowa City, Iowa
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A$2,875.08
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Amsterdam: Johannes Wolters, 1714. Calfskin. Very Good. Theophili Golii Grammatica Graeca, sive Educatio Puerilis Linguae Graecae. Pro Gymnasio Argentinensi primum conscripta, jamque denuo ab Authore aucta & recognita. Editio novissima prioribus corectior & distinctior. Amstaelodami, apud Joannem Wolters, 1714. Front endpapers bear a 1726 young scholar's note as well as the bookplate of oil tycoon John W. McReynolds; a few additional, small inky spots and one brief note within the page block, none obstructive; ffep and first blank leaf bear open tears at bottom free corners and a short closed tear at foreedge of title, and both endpapers show light foxing, with residue of decoration at page block edges, otherwise sound, two-color printing with some spectacular ligatures. Firmly bound octavo in contemporary calf, five bands, spine panel modestly crazed with a title plate chipped at the right but with gilt remaining; mottled nutmeg-colored boards have fared much better, bearing only a scuff at the… Read More
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Encyclopædia, or, A dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : constructed on...
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Vol I: 799p, 31 pl. [i]; Vol. II: 799p, 60 pl. Pp 594-600 tear into text without loss; Vol III: 806p, 20pl.; Vol IV. 793p, 26 pl.; Vol V: 807p, 24 pl.; Vol VI: 794p, 22 pl.; Vol VII: 797p, 38 pl. Neatsfoot oil stained pages,; Vol VIII: 800p, 18 pl.; Vol IX: 800p, 31 pl. lacking plate 260; Vol X: 788p, 22 pl.; Vol XI:814p, 19 pl. Several neatsfoot oil stained pages, plate 299 bound in Vol XII on page 78; Vol XII: 799p, 35 pl.; Vol XIII: 799p, 32 pl.Deep neatsfoot oil stains to fore edge, ; Vol XIV: 797p, 16 pl.Initial and last pages with neatsfoot oil stains ; Vol XV: 799p, 41 pl. Several pages detached but present; plates 433-434 bound in Vol XVI; Vol XVI: 799p, 12 pl.; Vol XVII: 827p, 37 pl.Several pages detached but present,; Vol XVIII: 945p, 59 pl. 486 placed at end. Despite internal oddities, a handsome set in the original sturdy calf. Sabin 22555
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A$5,905.58
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An American Dictionary of the English Language
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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Webster, Noah

  • Used
  • very good
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
First Edition
Seller
Portland, Oregon
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A$34,190.20
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New York: S. Converse, Printed by Hezekiah Howe, New Haven, 1828. First Edition. Very Good. First edition, first printing. Complete in two volumes. Contemporary mottled calf with black morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, with the "Additions and Corrections" leaf bound at the end of Volume II; November 28 Advertisement absent, as is nearly always the case. Engraved frontis provided in sympathetic facsimile, lacking tissue guard. Internally Very Good with offsetting and several instances of penciled marginalia. Previous owner name in light pencil on title page. One of only 2,500 copies. An extremely important early declaration of American cultural identity, which heralded the nation's linguistic independence from Britain, inspiring the many dictionaries that to this day carry Webster's name.
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Altägyptische Grammatik, I-II. (Analecta Orientalia, 34/39). [AND:] Register der Zitate....
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Altägyptische Grammatik, I-II. (Analecta Orientalia, 34/39). [AND:] Register der Zitate. [Three Volumes].

by Edel, Elmar

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Bloomington, Indiana
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A$1,554.10
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Roma: Pontifcium Institutm Biblicus, 1964. Analecta Orientalia Commentationes Scientificae de Rebus Orientis Antiqui 34/39, 1955/ 1964/1967 ( 3 volumes bound as one). Bound in handsome blue buckram gilt lettering at spine, the signature of noted Egyptologist E. Cruz. Uribe front paste down. Near Fine, faint bottom corner creases near back of book, binder's instruction slip laid in from Director's Library, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago. lxxxiii, 625 pp., Paradigmen 15 pp., Register der Zitate, (1967) ix, 55 pp. Text in German. Uncommon in lovely and durable binding. A heavy book, priority and international mail will require added shipping charges - please inquire before ordering. . First Edition. Buckram. Near Fine. Thick 4to - over 9¾" - 12" Tall.
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Ambrosii Calepini Dictionarium, tanta tamque multa verborum, tum Latinorum, tum etiam Græcorum,...
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Ambrosii Calepini Dictionarium, tanta tamque multa verborum, tum Latinorum, tum etiam Græcorum, quæ suis Latinis bellissimè respondent, loquendíque formularum, accessione adauctum & locupletatum, ut Thesaurus linguæ Latinæ, non injuriâ, dici possit.

by CALEPINO, Ambrogio

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
COLUMBIA, Missouri
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A$2,331.15
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1565 FAMOUS Calepino Dictionary Lexicon Language FOLIO Woodcuts Aldus Calepinus
Ambrogio Calepino was a 15th-century Italian lexicographer who is remembered only by his Latin dictionary. This 1565 Latin edition was published by the famed Gryphius and includes thousands of entries describing roots of words and definitions.
Item number: #17990
Price: $1500
CALEPINO, Ambrogio
Ambrosii Calepini Dictionarium, tanta tamque multa verborum, tum Latinorum, tum etiam Græcorum, quæ suis Latinis bellissimè respondent, loquendíque formularum, accessione adauctum & locupletatum, ut Thesaurus linguæ Latinæ, non injuriâ, dici possit.
Lugduni, Antonium Gryphium, 1565.

Details:

· Collation: Complete with all pages
o
[4], 1190, [28]
· References: USTC 65772
· Language: Latin / Greek / Italian / French / Spanish
· Binding: Leather; tight and secure
· Size: ~15in X 10.5in (38cm x 26cm)
· Very rare and desirable
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Very Fast. Very Safe. Free Shipping… Read More
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A Dictionary of the English Language: In Which the Words are deduced from their Originals, and...
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W. Strahan, et al., 1773. First Thus. Leather Binding. Very Good. The Fourth edition, last to be revised by Samuel Johnson himself. A solid set. A very good copy of this huge folio set in 19th-century 3/4 brown calf over marbled boards, spine with raised bands and red morocco labels (some wear to leather, corners bumped; some dampstaining, smudges, and foxing to text; old repair to botton margin of title of Volume I). Housed in very sturdy brown cloth slipcases, lined with fleece (some waterstaining and wear to slipcases).
Item Price
A$5,983.28
A$4.45 shipping to USA
Tumbuka/Tonga-English and English-Tumbuka/Tonga Dictionary

Tumbuka/Tonga-English and English-Tumbuka/Tonga Dictionary

by Wm. Y. Turner

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Longmont, Colorado
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Item Price
A$2,485.01
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Central Africana Limited, 1996. Cloth. No dj. Near Fine. Text block is clean and bright with no ownership marks. Binding is tight. Cloth shows minor shelf wear. Photo is of the copy at Barbed Wire Books.
Item Price
A$2,485.01
A$6.00 shipping to USA
Le grand dictionaire historique, ou, Le mélange curieuz de l'histoire sacré et profane, qui...
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Le grand dictionaire historique, ou, Le mélange curieuz de l'histoire sacré et profane, qui contient en abrégé les vies et les actions

by MORERI, Louis

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
COLUMBIA, Missouri
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This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$3,030.50
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1699 FAMOUS Louis Moreri Historical Dictionary RARE Encyclopedia HUGE 4v SET
Originally published in 1674, Louis Moreri's "Grand Dictionaire Historique" was an encyclopedia focused on historical and biographical articles. The original French and English edition were critical in giving rise to more other dictionaries, such as Pierre Bayle's "Critical Dictionary". While this work was highly influential during its time, it was eventually replaced as the preeminent reference work when Diderot's 'Encyclopedia' was printed.
This 1699 massive four-volume edition was published in Paris by Denys Mariette.
Item number: #22787
Price: $1950
MORERI, Louis
Le grand dictionaire historique, ou, Le mélange curieuz de l'histoire sacré et profane, qui contient en abrégé les vies et les actions
Paris: Denys Mariette, 1699.
Details:
· Collation: Complete with all pages; 4 volumes
o Vol. I (A-B) – [20], 588
Added engraved title page and portrait
o Vol. II (C-F) – [4], 656
o Vol. III (G-M) – [4], 677, [1]
o… Read More
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שילוש לשונות = Dictionarium trilingue, in quo scilicet Latinis vocabulis : in ordinem...
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שילוש לשונות = Dictionarium trilingue, in quo scilicet Latinis vocabulis : in ordinem alphabeticum digestis respondent Graeca & Hebraica

by MUNSTER, Sebastian

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
First
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
COLUMBIA, Missouri
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
A$3,030.50
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1530 HEBREW 1ed Sebastian Munster Jewish Greek Bible Grammar Dictionary FOLIO

Sebastian Munster, a 16th-century scholar, was perhaps one of the very best cosmographers of his era. However, in addition to his studies of the world, Munster published important lexicons including this 1530 Hebrew, Greek, and Latin dictionary. This Hebrew grammar book contains translations and definitions of biblical Hebrew words as well as text from Bible commentary.

This incredibly rare and valuable 1530 edition contains Latin words with Greek and Hebrew translations and grammar.

Item number: #23815
Price: $1950

MUNSTER, Sebastian

שילוש לשונות = Dictionarium trilingue, in quo scilicet Latinis vocabulis : in ordinem alphabeticum digestis respondent Graeca & Hebraica

Basileae: Apud Henricum Petrum, [1530].

Details:
· Collation: Complete with all pages
o 238
· References: USTC 661202; Adams M 1923
· Language: Hebrew / Latin / Greek
· Binding: Vellum; tight and secure
·… Read More
Item Price
A$3,030.50
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