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National Dictionary Day is celebrated on 16th October every year. The day is celebrated to honor the birthday of American lexicographer Noah Webster. He is the one who is observed to have invented the American Dictionary. A dictionary is a book that provides the meaning of the words in a language, and it also provides information about the Origin and how to pronounce each listed word. The book also tells the readers how to use a word in various circumstances.
“The greatest masterpiece in literature is only a dictionary out of order.” – Jean Cocteau
History of National Dictionary Day
National Dictionary Day was celebrated on the birth anniversary of Noah Webster, an American lexicographer. He was born on October 16, 1758, in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1806, Noah Webster issued his first dictionary, A Compact Dictionary of the English Language, and in 1807, Noah Webster started to compile an expanded and fully complete American Dictionary of the English Language. It took about 27 years to fulfill this dictionary. Webster studied about 26 languages: Sanskrit, German, Old English (Anglo-Saxon), Arabic, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Latin, French, and Hebrew. Noah Webster finished his dictionary when he was in Paris, France, at the University of Cambridge. His Dictionary contained 70 thousand words, among which 12 thousand words had never appeared in any old published dictionaries.
Other Celebrations on October 16
October 16 is also celebrated as
How to Celebrate National Dictionary Day
Celebrate the day by learning a few new words and expanding your vocabulary. If you don’t have a good dictionary in your home, then consider getting a new dictionary. Share the new words you learned with others on social media using the hashtag #DictionaryDay.