内容简介
AcriticallyacclaimedguidetoEnglishusage.Includesmorethan2,300entriespresentingthehistory,analysis,andrecommendationsregardingnotedusagecontroversies.Entriesareillustratedwithmorethan20,000quotationsfromprominentwriters.Objectiveandcomprehensive,Merriam-Webster'sDictionaryofEnglishUsageisareadableandentertainingguidetothecomplexhistoryofsomeofthethorniestusageissuesintheEnglishlanguage.Thescholarshipandauthorityofthisindispensaleworkhaveearnedituniversalcriticalacclaim.
作者简介
TheMerriambrothersdesiredacontinuityofeditorshipthatwouldlinkNoahWebster'seffortswiththeirowneditions,sotheyselectedChaunceyA.Goodrich,Webster'sson-in-lawandliteraryheir,whohadbeentrainedinlexicographybyWebsterhimself,tobetheireditorinchief.Webster'ssonWilliamalsoservedasaneditorofthatfirstMerriam-Websterdictionary,whichwaspublishedonSeptember24,1847.AlthoughWebster'sworkwashonored,hisbigdictionarieshadneversoldwell.The1828editionwaspricedatawhopping$20;in13yearsits2,500copieshadnotsoldout.Similarly,the1841edition,onlyslightlymoreaffordableat$15,movedslowly.Assumingthatalowerpricewouldincreasesales,theMerriamsintroducedthe1847editionat$6,andalthoughWebster'sheirsinitiallyquestionedthismove,extraordinarysalesthatbroughtthem$250,000inroyaltiesovertheensuing25yearsconvincedthemthattheMerriams'decisionhadbeenabundantlysound.ThefirstMerriam-Websterdictionarywasgreetedwithwideacclaim.PresidentJamesK.Polk,GeneralZacharyTaylor(herooftheMexicanWarandlaterpresidenthimself),31U.S.senators,andotherprominentpeoplehaileditunreservedly.In1850itsacceptanceasaresourceforstudentsbeganwhenMassachusettsorderedacopyforeveryschoolandNewYorkplacedasimilarorderfor10,000copiestobeusedinschoolsthroughoutthestate.Eventuallyschoolusewouldspreadthroughoutthecountry.InbecomingAmerica'smosttrustedauthorityontheEnglishlanguage,Merriam-Websterdictionarieshadtakenonaroleofpublicresponsibilitydemandedoffewotherpublishingcompanies.
