Dictionary of the English Language by Worcester, Joseph E - 1860

Printed for J. Johnson, C. Dilly, G. C and J. Robinson, etc......London. 1799. TWO VOLUMES. 4to. (11.3 x 9.8 inches). Eighth edition, corrected and Revised. Portrait frontispiece in volume one engraved by Heath after the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds and dated January 1st, 1799. A very good clean set. Finely bound in period style mid twentieth century full brown calf. Boards with single gilt ruled borders. Spines with double ruled gilt bands and lettering. Gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers with a neat previous owners bookplate mounted in each volume. All edges marbled. An attractive copy.

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

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982. 3/4 bound morocco with raised bands and gilt ornaments. Published Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982, reprinted with corrections, 1983. 8vo., xx+1260pp. Bound in 3/4 morocco with marbled paper covered boards, marbled endpapers, top edge gilting. Near fine. . Hard. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo.

Bangkok: TU-SIL-LRDP, Thammasat University, 1996. Paperback. Very Good+. Interior pristine. Spine straight and tight. Reading and shelf wear to covers. Not from a library. viii + 95 pages. Published initially as a volume of the Thammasat University Journal of Language and Linguistics.

Vientiane, Lao PDR: Mike Callaghan, February 1999. Paperback. Near Fine. Interior pristine. Spine straight, tight and uncreased. Covers clean. Light edgewear. Not from a library. No remainder mark. x + 238 pages.

Boston: Hickling Swan and Brewer, 1860. Hardcover. Very Good. lxviii+ 1786 pages. 9 x 12 in. Numerous small illustrations. Black half calf binding on spine and corners, pebbled brown cloth boards, gilt lettering on spine, five raised bands, faded marbled edge of text block, marbled end papers. Condition of the book is VERY GOOD: Wear to spine esp. cover edge, wear and some light soiling to covers esp. bottom corners, a couple of scratches. Edge of text block faded, lightly darkened on top. Marbled end papers very brilliant, title page shows soling and some repair as do first three pages, pages of text clean, binding tight.

Quarto, contemporary quarter continental calf and boards, pp.viii + 299, folding table, printers woodcut to title page, woodcut on page 1, Latin with Syriac type throughout in the text, contemporary ownership in ink on front blank ex libris Bonaventura Guillaume, discreet small oval library stamp on recto of title, the colophon on the final leaf reads: Goettingae, Fr. Andr. Rosenbusch, Acad. Typogaphi, a fine copy.
For a history of Syriac typography see: Dr J.E.Coakley: The Typography of Syriac: A Historical Catalogue of Printing Types, 1537–1958

FIRST EDITION printed at the expense of the Hallesches Waisenhaus (Halle orphanage), which was also an educational institution. Michaelis [1717-1791] was a German theologian and orientalist at Halle. He is regarded as the founder of Syriac philology. This elegant grammar includes Alphabetum vulgare, Mutata literarum, Vocalibus, Ribui, consonants, abjunctives, particples, verbs, plurals, paradigma nominum, suffixes, syntax, etc.

Complete three volume set with paper wraps. Vol. I runs from A to LL, Vol. II is from M to Z, and Vol. III contains plates. Vol. III is dated 1956, while the previous two volumes are 1958. Some pages uncut. Toning and minor staining to spines (see image), but otherwise clean copies with no previous owners' names or other defacements.
8.25 x 11.75 in

Bangkok: TU-SIL-LRDP, Thammasat University, 1996. Paperback. Very Good+. Interior pristine. Spine straight and tight. Reading and shelf wear to covers. Not from a library. viii + 95 pages. Published initially as a volume of the Thammasat University Journal of Language and Linguistics.

Vientiane, Lao PDR: Mike Callaghan, February 1999. Paperback. Near Fine. Interior pristine. Spine straight, tight and uncreased. Covers clean. Light edgewear. Not from a library. No remainder mark. x + 238 pages.