Peter Martin recounts the patriotic fervor in the early American republic to produce a definitive national dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary of the English Language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into a battle among lexicographers, authors, scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language.

The 19th century saw a new wave of dictionaries, many of which remain household names. Those dictionaries didn't just store words; they represented imperial ambitions, nationalist passions, religious fervor, and utopian imaginings. This volume shows how 19th-century lexicography continues to influence how we speak, write, and think in the 21st century.

19th century England. Changelings live amongst humans, blending into the shadows of society. They hunger for the flesh and humanity of man. A child suffers a gruesome fate at the hand of these beasts... But a beaked stranger emerges to avenge him. In a 19th century English town, Michael Reeves is believed to be devoured by shapeshifting beasts known as Changelings. But over a decade later, he emerges from the wilderness as a masked stranger by a new name: Isaac Wadsager. Nobody knows where Isaac came from, but he is certain of what he wants: the love of an amazing circus tightropist, and every last Changeling dead. The woman of his dreams, Ancora, is just as beautiful as Isaac has always heard, but he discovers that she’s just as hard to impress when it comes to the tightrope, her domain in show business. To make things more difficult, her manager Natalie seems to be just as obsessed with his idol and refuses to let anyone come between them. Against all odds, Isaac joins the circus with Ancora to woo her during the day, but during the night, he hunts after the vicious Changeling beasts to enact revenge on the childhood they stole from him. He attempts to separate his two lives, but when things don't go his way, he starts to lose himself and hurt the few friends he has.

This is the first of three volumes offering a new history of lexicography in and beyond the early modern British Isles. This volume focuses on the period from the end of the Middle Ages to the year 1600, exploring the first printed dictionaries, Latin and foreign language dictionaries, and specialized English wordlists.

This book promotes the use of reference materials by offering simple guidance to the often baffling subject of how to use reference tools. The worksheets can be completed with minimal assistance from the teacher, but students will require access to the reference books presented. The intriguing subjects on the worksheets were chosen to challenge the imagination and lead to further independent study. The study skills presented here will also help students proceed toward more efficient and productive work habits.