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1790 · WRCAM56704 — Boston: I. Thomas and E.T. Andrews 1790. xvi414pp. Modern half calf with early calf corners laid down on the outer corners marbled boards spine gilt leather label. Leather bookplate of William Safire on front pastedown with a handful of marginal pencil notations in the text likely in his hand. Mild offsetting on titlepage minor toning. Overall very good. Noted grammarian and pundit William Safire's copy of the first collection of Noah Webster's writings demonstrating the broad reach of the pioneering lexicographer's genius. Webster's essays touch a variety of topics from the new constitution to the practical reasons why marriage between cousins is discouraged. Of particular note is the presence of many words that are spelled phonetically such as "Guvernment" "Skools" and "Karacter." This editorial decision was in keeping with Webster's growing desire to simplify language and qualify it in American as opposed to British ways by dispensing with unnecessary vowels and misleading consonant pairings such as "ch" for "k". The language experiments played out here demonstrate an important step in Webster's development as lexicographer which would would culminate in the publication of Webster's famous dictionary nearly forty years later in 1828. A charming Webster item with a notable linguistics-related provenance having been owned by William Safire the preeminent popular language and grammar expert of the 20th century. Safire was an author journalist and speechwriter who wrote the long-running column "On Language" for the New York Times. An attractive copy by the foundational American language expert owned by the most notable public expert on language in 20th-century America. NAIP w030387. EVANS 23053. SKEEL 745. BRINLEY SALE 7292. HOWES W203. ANB 22 pp.874-75. I. Thomas and E.T. Andrews hardcover books