An Universal Etymological English Dictionary

dictionary by Bailey

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July 14, 2026

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Nathan Bailey, an English lexicographer, published An Universal Etymological English Dictionary in the 1720s. This dictionary was highly popular and influential, even surpassing Samuel Johnson's in popularity for a time. A supplement in 1727 was the first dictionary to include pronunciation marks. Bailey's work was a significant step in English lexicography, and his Dictionarium Britannicum of 1730 was used by Samuel Johnson as a resource for his own monumental dictionary.1

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From 1604 to 1828
In 1721 he produced An Universal Etymological English Dictionary, which for the rest of the century was more popular even than Samuel Johnson’s. A supplement in 1727 was the first dictionary to mark accents for pronunciation. Bailey’s imposing Dictionarium Britannicum of 1730 was used by Johnson as a repository…
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In 1721 he produced An Universal Etymological English Dictionary, which for the rest of the century was more popular even than Samuel Johnson’s. A supplement in 1727 was the first dictionary to mark accents for pronunciation. Bailey’s imposing Dictionarium Britannicum of 1730 was used by Johnson as a repository…
Read More