Language

You're probably using the wrong dictionary

James Somers argues that modern dictionaries give flat, pedestrian definitions, and that Noah Webster's 1913 dictionary, which John McPhee relied on for his writing, offers vivid, literary entries that make ordinary words worth looking up. The essay covers Webster's role in shaping American English and explains how to install the 1913 edition on Mac, iPhone, Android and Kindle.

Essay · Writing · Language · History