The English Dictionarie; or, An Interpreter of Hard English Words

H[enry] C[ockeram]

The English Dictionarie; or, An Interpreter of Hard English Words

London

Edmund Weaver

1623

The first entirely English wordbook to use dictionary in its title was published in the same year as Shakespeare’s First Folio. In his preface, Cockeram was unabashedly proud: “What any before me in this kinde have begun, I have not onely fully finished, but thoroughly perfected.” Cockeram adored esoteric terms: his book pullulates with words such as adhabitate “To dwel nigh,” degulate “To consume in belly cheere,” inbulbitate “To befilth one’s breech,” and xenodochie “Hospitality.” 

Ex coll. Karolyne & Bryan A. Garner. HHD no. 13