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Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

February 9, 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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(2) Words.

delicacy
indelicacy

Webster

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1828 Definition

DELICACY, n. In a general sense, that which delights or pleases. Hence,

1. Fineness of texture; smoothness; softness; tenderness; as the delicacy of the skin; and nearly in the same sense, applicable to food; as the delicacy of flesh, meat or vegetables. Hence,

2. Daintiness; pleasantness to the taste.

3. Elegant or feminine beauty; as delicacy of form.

4. Nicety; minute accuracy; as the delicacy of coloring in painting.

5. Neatness in dress; elegance proceeding from a nice selection and adjustment of the several parts of dress.

6. Softness of manners; civility or politemess proceeding from a nice observance of propriety, and a desire to please; as delicacy of behavior.

7. Indulgence; gentle treatment; as delicacy of education.

8. Tenderness; scrupulousness; the quality manifested in nice attention to right, and care to avoid wrong, or offense.

9. Acute or nice perception of what is pleasing to the sense of tasting; hence figuratively, a nice perception of beauty and deformity, or the faculty of such nice perception.

Delicacy of taste tends to invigorate the social affections, and moderate those that are selfish.

10. That which delights the senses, particularly the taste; applied to eatables; as, the peach is a great delicacy.

11. Tenderness of constitution; weakness; that quality or state of the animal body which renders it very impressible to injury; as delicacy of constitution or frame.

12. Smallness; fineness; slenderness; tenuity; as the delicacy of a thread, or fiber.

13. Tenderness; nice susceptibility of impression; as delicacy of feeling.

1913 Definition

Delicacy (delicacy)
n.	(?)
Del"icacy
; pl. Delicacies (#). [From Delicate, a.]

The state or condition of being delicate; agreeableness to the senses; delightfulness; as, delicacy of flavor, of odor, and the like.

What choice to choose for delicacy best. Milton.

Nicety or fineness of form, texture, or constitution; softness; elegance; smoothness; tenderness; and hence, frailty or weakness; as, the delicacy of a fiber or a thread; delicacy of a hand or of the human form; delicacy of the skin; delicacy of frame.

Nice propriety of manners or conduct; susceptibility or tenderness of feeling; refinement; fastidiousness; and hence, in an exaggerated sense, effeminacy; as, great delicacy of behavior; delicacy in doing a kindness; delicacy of character that unfits for earnest action.

You know your mother's delicacy in this point. Cowper.

Addiction to pleasure; luxury; daintiness; indulgence; luxurious or voluptuous treatment.

And to those dainty limbs which Nature lent
For gentle usage and soft delicacy? Milton.

Nice and refined perception and discrimination; critical niceness; fastidious accuracy.

That Augustan delicacy of taste which is the boast of the great public schools of England. Macaulay.

The state of being affected by slight causes; sensitiveness; as, the delicacy of a chemist's balance.

That which is alluring, delicate, or refined; a luxury or pleasure; something pleasant to the senses, especially to the sense of taste; a dainty; as, delicacies of the table.

The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. Rev. xviii. 3.

Pleasure; gratification; delight.

[Obs.]

He Rome brent for his delicacie. Chaucer.

Syn. -- See Dainty.

Noah Says...

Any system of education, therefore, which limits instruction to the arts and sciences, and rejects the aids of religion in forming the characters of citizens, is essentially defective.�

Letter to David McClure :: October 25, 1836

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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 9, 2012