Dictionnaires et grammaires anciens

The topic in brief

The first major French dictionaries were those of Richelet, Furetière, and the Académie, followed in the 18th century by the Trévoux Dictionary and Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie. The 19th century was the golden age of the genre: Boiste, Bescherelle and his Dictionnaire national, Littré and his Dictionnaire de la langue française, Pierre Larousse and his Grand Dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle, then the Nouveau Larousse illustré by Claude Augé and the Larousse du XXe siècle. Alongside language dictionaries, historical dictionaries (Moréri, Bayle, Bouillet), Latin and Greek lexicons (Quicherat, Gaffiot, Bailly), school grammars (Lhomond, Noël and Chapsal), and specialized dictionaries (architecture, medicine, Parisian streets) form a reference library still consulted today.

What we offer

Our collection includes several dozen dictionaries, grammars, lexicons, vocabularies, and encyclopedias: complete sets bound in half-sheep (demi-chagrin), individual volumes useful for completing a set, 18th-century pocket dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, regional glossaries, trade dictionaries, old grammars, and manuals. The grid above lists titles containing the words Dictionary, Grammar, Lexicon, Vocabulary, Glossary, Encyclopedia, Larousse, Littré, Bescherelle, or Boiste. Complete sets are described volume by volume.

Identifying a fine copy

For a set, completeness is key: the number of volumes announced by the publisher, supplements, atlases, or plates. The binding should be uniform and sturdy, as these thick volumes suffer at the headbands and hinges. The Grand Dictionnaire universel and illustrated Larousse works are also valued for their colour plates, which are often missing—we note their presence. For a 17th- or 18th-century dictionary, the edition (first or revised), period binding, and absence of damp stains or wormholes determine value. Copies annotated by a former reader may hold interest, provided the text remains legible.

Buying and conservation advice

An old dictionary is first and foremost a book meant to be opened: choose a copy whose binding holds, even if the boards are rubbed. Large sets are heavy; store them on a sturdy shelf, at hand height, without squeezing them. Individual volumes are worth acquiring to complete a mismatched set; our records specify the edition and volume. For an inherited library, the dictionary is often the most voluminous item: our guide I inherited a library explains how to sort and appraise it.

To go further

Dictionaries are classified in the Science, Technology and Law section; historical and philosophical dictionaries join the Religion, Philosophy and Esotericism section, and the page Voltaire features the author of the Dictionnaire philosophique. Street dictionaries of Paris also appear on our Paris page. Almanacs and directories belong to the same family of reference books. Our guide How to appraise an old book details the criteria of value.