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On October 16, 1758, American lexicographer Noah Webster was born in West Hartford, Connecticut

October 16

|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 16 of October, repeating indefinitely

On October 16, 1758, American lexicographer Noah Webster was born in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Though it was not the first American English language dictionary, Webster’s dictionary, completed in 1828, is often credited as the first significant compilation of American English as distinct from British English. 🖊📖🇺🇸

Today, Webster is still a huge name in American lexicography, lending his name to the commonly used Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Did you know? Webster’s dictionary included such distinctly American words as “skunk,” 🦨“chowder,” 🍲 and “squash” 🎃omitted from British dictionaries. In a time of non-standard spelling, he also was a proponent of simpler spellings of words.

Noah Webster, James Herring, 1833

-Written by Anna Zemaitaitis, Media and Digital Content Associate

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Date:
October 16
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