WEBSTER, Noah

WEBSTER, Noah [1758–1843]. American teacher, writer, editor, lexicographer, lecturer, and lobbyist, born in West Hartford, Connecticut, educated at Yale College (1778), and admitted to the bar (1781). His best-known works, The American Spelling Book (the ‘Blue-Back Spelling Book’, 1783) and An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), greatly contributed to lessening US dependence on British models of the standard language. His career as a schoolmaster led to the publication of A Grammatical Institute of the English Language, which included The American Spelling Book (1783), a grammar (1784), and a reader (1785). The speller was particularly popular, notably for its moral and patriotic flavour as opposed to the religious orientation of earlier texts. The grammar was less popular; it was criticized for being too advanced for schoolchildren and for overemphasizing elocution. Webster's achievement with A Grammatical Institute was in separating spelling, grammar, and reading into individual texts, a strategy which may have influenced other text-writers to stage the learning process for children. His vigorous lobbying to protect his work from piracy led to the institution of the first federal copyright laws in 1790.

Webster's lexicographical career began with the compilation of A Compendious Dictionary (1806), which was marked by innovations in spelling and by adherence to New England educated speech for pronunciation. Public criticism of the innovations eventually led to the ‘dictionary wars’ in which Joseph Emerson Worcester, who favoured BrE norms, led the opposition. Webster modified his stance in An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828, 1840), and considered its etymologies to be the most important aspect of his work. He adhered to the Biblical account of the origin of languages, claiming that all languages derived from ‘Chaldee’. The inclusion of technical terms and an attempt at precision in definitions distinguished this dictionary, but few Americanisms were included.

Some of Webster's recommendations for spelling reform, suggested as early as his Dissertations (1789), survived modification in later editions of his texts. The principles behind his reforms were analogy, etymology, reason, and usage. He was most concerned about superfluous letters and indeterminate sounds and characters. Although most of his early suggestions were retracted, the US spelling of such words as honor, center, defense, public can be attributed to his choice of them rather than honour, centre, defense, publick. He recognized that language influences people and he sought to ensure that American texts reflected American values as he understood them.