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Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

May 27, 2012

Project::Noah

In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.

Preface to 1828 Dictionary

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(5) Words.

archvillain
outvillain
villain
villainous
villainy

Words

Definitions

(5) Words.

archvillain
outvillain
villain
villainous
villainy

Webster

KJV

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V › villain

1828 Definition

VIL'LAIN,

1913 Definition

Villain (villain)

(?)

Vil"lain

[OE. vilein, F. vilain, LL. villanus, from villa a village, L. villa a farm. See Villa.]

One who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of the lowest class, a bondman or servant.

[In this sense written also villan, and villein.]

If any of my ansectors was a tenant, and a servant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity also must do so, though accidentally they become noble. Jer. Taylor.

* Villains were of two sorts; villains regardant, that is, annexed to the manor (LL. adscripti glebæ); and villains in gross, that is, annexed to the person of their lord, and transferable from one to another. Blackstone.

A baseborn or clownish person; a boor.

[R.]

Pour the blood of the villain in one basin, and the blood of the gentleman in another, what difference shall there be proved? Becon.

A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate scoundrel; a knave; a rascal; a scamp.

Like a villain with a smiling cheek. Shak.

Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix. Pope.

Villainous.

[R.] Shak.

To debase; to degrade.

[Obs.] Sir T. More.

Noah Says...

[T]he religion which has introduced civil liberty, is the religion of Christ and his apostles.

History of the United States :: 1832

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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.

May 27, 2012