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Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

February 10, 2012

Project::Noah

It is not only important, but, in a degree necessary, that the people of this country, should have an American Dictionary of the English language; for, although the body of the language is the same as in England, and it is desirable to perpetuate that sameness, yet some differences must exist. Language is the expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language.

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(5) Words.

construe
construed
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misconstruer

Words

Definitions

(5) Words.

construe
construed
misconstrue
misconstrued
misconstruer

(8) Words.

construct
construe
construed
misconstrue
penal
significance
significancy
syllepsis

Webster

KJV

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C › construe

1828 Definition

CONSTRUE, v.t. [L. See Construct.]

1. To arrange words in their natural order; to reduce from a transposed to a natural order, so as to discover the sense of a sentence; hence, to interpret; and when applied to a foreign language, to translate; to render into English; as, to construe Greek, Latin or French.

2. To interpret; to explain; to show or to understand the meaning.

I pray that I may not be so understood or construed.

Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words.

1913 Definition

Construe (construe)
v. t.	(?; Archaic ?)
Con*strue
v. t. [imp. ** p. p.* Construed (#)] p. pr. ** vb. n.* Construing (#).] [L. construere: cf. F. construire. See Construct.]

To apply the rules of syntax to (a sentence or clause) so as to exhibit the structure, arrangement, or connection of, or to discover the sense] to explain the construction of; to interpret; to translate.

To put a construction upon; to explain the sense or intention of; to interpret; to understand.

Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words to free ourselves either from the ignorance or malice of our enemies.
Bp. Stilingfleet.

And to be dull was construed to be good.
Pope.

Noah Says...

An attempt to conduct the affairs of a free government with wisdom and impartiality, and to preserve the just rights of all classes of citizens, without the guidance of Divine precepts, will certainly end in disappointment. God is the supreme moral Governor of the world He has made, and as He Himself governs with perfect rectitude, He requires His rational creatures to govern themselves in like manner. If men will not submit to be controlled by His laws, He will punish them by the evils resulting from their own disobedience.�

Letter to David McClure :: October 25, 1837

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Project::Noah

More info ...

The foundation for American Heritage Access [AHA] strives to capture the essence of American culture with an intent to make early American manuscripts accessible to modern society. We believe that the successful future of this country is dependent on honoring and respecting its past. In order to achieve this ideal, several projects will be introduced and executed. The first initiatives of Project::Noah will involve the accessibility of the 1828 American dictionary.

Vision::Reprint

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The first vision, Vision::Reprint, has an intent to make a modern printing of the first dictionary of the American language available to the public for under $25. The first task, Task::Access, involves the digitizing of the original 1828 dictionary. The dictionary is available in microfilm (American Culture Series, Reel 335.6-336.1, Michigan University Microfilms) at many universities. To digitize the microfilm as a batch process requires a special scanner.

Vision::Redesign

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The second vision, Vision::Redesign, has an intent to improve the current online accessibility to the 1828 dictionary. Beyond the Task::XML, other tasks related to this Vision::Redesign include identifying features and functionality for this new website. In addition, plugins will be discussed and created to make the dictionary accessible in other ways: iPhone, Google widget, Firefox Add-on, etc.

Vision::Recapture

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The third vision, Vision::Recapture, has an intent to evoke the importance of Noah Webster in our American Heritage. This vision will manifest itself in a commissioned painting of Noah Webster. The process involved will require the input from concerned Americans. The final commission painting will be derived from initial sketches and digital compositions. Feedback from the community is essential for this vision's success throughout the entire process.

February 10, 2012