Fulcrum.
Statics.
Æsthetical.
Complicity.
N.L. Melville.
However "strange it may appear, it is nevertheless quite true," that this word, "Starvation
(from the verb), state of perishing from cold or hunger," is to be found, and thus defined, in "An Appendix to Dr. Johnson's English Dictionary," published along with the latter, by William Maver, in 2 vols. 8vo., Glasgow, 1809, now forty-five years ago. In his preface to this Appendix he says:
"In the compilation the editor is principally indebted to Mr. Mason, whose labours in supplying the deficiencies of Dr. Johnson's Dictionary have so much enriched the vocabulary of our language, that every purchaser of the quarto edition should avail himself of a copy of Mr. Mason's Supplement."
Whether or not Mr. Maver drew the word "starvation" from Mr. Mason's Supplement, I cannot say; but from old date in the west of Scotland it has been, and is still, popularly and extensively used in the exact senses given to it by Mr. Maver as above. I think it much more likely to be of Scottish than of American origin, and that Mr. Webster may have picked it up from some of our natives in this country.
I may add, that in early life I often spoke with Mr. Maver, who was a most intelligent literary man. In 1809 he followed the business of a bookseller in Glasgow, but from some cause was not fortunate, and afterwards followed that of a book auctioneer, and may be dead fully thirty years ago. His edition of, and Appendix to, Johnson were justly esteemed; the latter "containing several thousand words omitted by Dr. Johnson, and such as have been introduced by good writers since his time," with "the pronunciation according to the present practice of the best orators and orthoepists" of the whole language.