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The English Dictionary: or, an Interpreter of Hard English Words

compilation by Cockeram

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Henry Cockeram's The English Dictionary; or, An Interpreter of Hard English Words, published in 1623, was the first work to include "dictionary" in its title. This dictionary aimed to clarify difficult English words, often drawing from Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and French origins. Cockeram's work introduced many unique words not found in earlier dictionaries, such as "adpugne," "catillate," and "vitulate". It continued the tradition of defining "hard words" that had been established by earlier lexicographers like Robert Cawdrey.1

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