Audiobook · read by volunteers
À Dictionary of English Synonymes, Vol. 01
Richard Soule (1812–1877)
Read by Betsie Bush, Kalynda, Cynthia Zocca, Coby Glass, Sharon Vinson, Alan Clare, Eric Ray, Quid Made Rare, Rose, Julie VW · 21 chapters · 3 h 35
About the book
English is a language rich in near-twins: words that mean almost the same but never quite, and phrases that say the same thing in different ways. The Dictionary of English Synonymes, compiled by Richard Soule and first published in 1871, is a practical guide to aptness and variety of phraseology, intended to help writers and speakers find the right word. It is arranged alphabetically, and each entry gathers words with related meanings and sets them side by side. This first volume was recorded as a practice project for new LibriVox volunteers, who used it to test their recording setups and to learn the craft of reading aloud. Ten of them share the twenty-one sections. It is not a story, and it is not meant to be heard from start to finish in one sitting, but for lovers of language, writing and word history, it is a fascinating curiosity.
Introduction
Richard Soule was born in 1812 and died in 1877. He was an American author and editor, and he is remembered mainly for his work on the English language. His best-known book is the Dictionary of English Synonymes, in which he gathered words of similar meaning and set them out as a guide for writers.
A Dictionary of English Synonymes and Synonymous or Parallel Expressions, Designed as a Practical Guide to Aptness and Variety of Phraseology was published in 1871. The book was meant to serve as a practical tool, offering writers and speakers a choice of expressions for the idea they wished to convey. Works of this kind are descendants of the earlier thesaurus compiled by Peter Mark Roget, and they remain useful as a record of how people thought about words in the nineteenth century.
The recording is an unusual one. It is a project for new LibriVox members to practice recording and using their recording setup, and it is divided among ten volunteers across twenty-one sections, running for about three and a half hours. Because the text is a reference work, it does not tell a story, but listening to it can be surprisingly pleasant, rather as one enjoys dipping into a dictionary. Some of the entries use older vocabulary and examples that will be unfamiliar, and a few reflect the attitudes of the period.
It will suit students of English, writers looking for inspiration, and anyone who likes to wander through the corners of the language. It is best taken a few entries at a time.
Public domain
Richard Soule died in 1877: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text