Fontenelle

1732 · 69103 — à Paris: Chez Jean-Baptiste Coignard 1732. Fine. Chez Jean-Baptiste Coignard à Paris 1732 26 x 40 cm 2 volumes reliés New edition corrected and expanded by Fontenelle. Volume I extends from A to L volume II from M to Z. 2 title vignettes and engraved initials by Mariette. Title pages in red and black. Printed in 2 columns. Armorial copy with arms completely scraped away. One can still distinguish an anchor in the shield and a shell at the upper right of the anchor. Contemporary full brown calf binding. Spine with raised bands richly decorated with central fleuron and scattered stars. Title and volume labels in garnet morocco. Split headcaps. Joints cracked at head and foot. Corners very bumped and worn. Lacks to edges along the raised bands. This dictionary of terms used in the sciences and arts originally appeared in 1684. Fontenelle corrected numerous errors and approximations in it notably due to a certain lack of knowledge of the origin of words particularly Greek ones. Fontenelle further extended the dictionary to other fields natural sciences with birds fish but also religious and military orders certain words from old French. His work ranks him among the first encyclopedists of the 18th century. Chez Jean-Baptiste Coignard hardcover