FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST ENGLISH/GERMAN DICTIONARY
LUDWIG, CHRISTIAN.
A dictionary English, German and French, Containing not only the English words in their Alphabetical Order, together with their several significations; but also their proper accent, phrases (...) - Englisch-Teutsch-Französisch Lexicon, worinnen nicht allein die englischen Worte in ihrer gehörigen Ordnung (...).
Leipzig, Thomas Fritschen, 1706.
4to. In contemporary full vellum with yapp edges and gilt lettering to spine. All edges coloured in red. Light wear to extremities. Ex-libris (Carl Juel, Danish statesman and owner of Valdemar's Castle) pasted on to pasted down front end-paper. Two-line note in contemporary hand to front free end-paper. First 5 leaves evenly browned. A very nice and clean copy. (14), 786 pp. + frontispiece depicting Sophia Electress of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of England, mother of George I.
The very rare first edition of this important and influential first English/German dictionary: “Thus when, in 1706, Ludwig inaugurated the history of bilingual German/English lexicography, it was as a somewhat late first entrant to the history of bilingual dictionaries among what we might today consider the ‘major’ languages of Europe, and certainly notably later than English–French, English–Spanish, English–Italian and English–Dutch lexicography. It is telling that Ludwig had recourse to the older practice of adapting an existing bilingual source. There were as yet no monolingual German dictionaries on which to draw.” (McLelland, Christian Ludwig (1660–1728) and the beginnings of German/English lexicography) Ludwig’s dictionary was not only the first but also so good it was do dominate the market for an entire century. The first leaves comprise a long dedication to Sophia, Electress of Hanover. For a time it looked as if she was to succeed to the throne of England, hence the relative sudden interest in Germany of such a dictionary. Sophia died less than two months before she would have become Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Consequently, her son George I became King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714. “Dedicating his 1706 dictionary to Sophia, Electoral Princess and duchess-dowager of Hanover, Ludwig remarked on the change in Anglo-German relations from previous entfremdung und widerwillen (‘alienation and antipathy’) to eine erwünschte vereinigung (‘a desired unification’) through the anticipated royal dynastic connection. In 1716 Ludwig similarly pointed out that his German–English dictionary was timely (‘an der zeit’), since the ascent of the Hanoverian George I to the throne in 1714 meant English and German people were now ‘würcklich verknüpfft’ (‘really connected’). (McLelland, Christian Ludwig (1660–1728) and the beginnings of German/English lexicography). It was reprinted in 1736, 1763 and 1791.
Order-nr.: 61320
DKK 15.000,00