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{{Short description|English lexicographer, 1813–1893}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox person
|name = William Smith
|image = Sir William Smith lexicographer 1.PNG
|caption = Sir William Smith in 1893
|birth_date = {{birth date|1813|05|20|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Municipal Borough of Enfield|Enfield]], [[Middlesex]], [[England]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|1893|10|07|1813|05|20|df=y}}
|death_place = [[London]], England
|resting_place = [[Highgate Cemetery]]
|occupation = [[Lexicographer]] and [[editor]]
|works = {{plainlist|
*''[[A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities]]''
*''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]''
*''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography]]''
}}
|alma_mater = {{plainlist|
*[[University College London]]
*[[University College School]]
}}
}}
'''Sir William Smith''' (20 May 1813 – 7 October 1893)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://data.bnf.fr/fr/12034701/william_smith/ |title=William Smith (1813-1893) |website=data.bnf.fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite ODNB |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-25934 |title=Smith, Sir William (1813–1893), classical and biblical scholar |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/25934 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |last=Clements |first=Ronald E.}}</ref> was an English [[lexicographer]]. He became known for his advances in the teaching of Greek and Latin in schools.

==Early life==
Smith was born in [[Municipal Borough of Enfield|Enfield]] in 1813 to [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformist]] parents. He attended the Madras House school of [[John Allen (religious writer)|John Allen]] in Hackney.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22718 |title=Hackney: Education |editor=T. F. T. Baker |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1995 |work=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney |access-date=30 October 2012}}</ref> Originally destined for a theological career, he instead became [[Articled clerk|articled]] to a solicitor. Meanwhile, he taught himself [[classics]] in his spare time, and when he entered [[University College London]] carried off both the Greek and Latin prizes. He was entered at [[Gray's Inn]] in 1830, but gave up his legal studies for a post at [[University College School]] and began to write on classical subjects.{{sfn |Chisholm |1911 |pp=270–271}}

== Lexicography ==
Smith next turned his attention to [[lexicography]]. His first attempt was ''[[A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities]]'', which appeared in 1842, the greater part being written by him. Then followed the ''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]'' in 1849. A parallel ''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DKSAvxsn7I8C |title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities |first1=William |last1=Smith |first2=Charles |last2=Anthon |date=28 September 1843 |publisher=Harper |via=Google Books}}</ref> appeared in 1857, with some leading scholars of the day associated with the task.{{sfn |Chisholm |1911 |p=271}}

In 1867, Smith became editor of the ''[[Quarterly Review]]'', a post he held until his death.{{sfn |Chisholm |1911 |p=271}}

==Schoolbooks==
Smith published the first of several school dictionaries in 1850, and in 1853 began the ''Principia'' series, which marked an advance in the school teaching of Greek and Latin. Then came the ''Student's Manuals of History and Literature'', of which the English literature volume went into 13 editions.<ref>Thomas Budd Shaw: ''The Student's Manual of English Literature...'' (London, 1864).</ref> He himself wrote the Greek history volume.{{sfn |Chisholm |1911 |p=271}}

He was joined in the venture by the publisher [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] when the original publishing partner met difficulties. Murray was the publisher of the 1214-page ''Latin–English Dictionary based upon the works of Forcellini and Freund'' that Smith completed in 1855. This was periodically reissued over the next 35 years. It goes beyond "classical" (100 BCE – 100 CE) Latin to include many entries not found in other dictionaries of the period, including [[A Latin Dictionary|Lewis and Short]].<ref>London: Murray; 1855, 1857, 1868 and 1888 editions held by British Library {{Cite web |url=http://www.churchlatin.com/LatinEnglishDictionary.aspx |title=Latin–English Dictionary |website=ChurchLatin.com |access-date=2010-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929114923/http://www.churchlatin.com/LatinEnglishDictionary.aspx |archive-date=2010-09-29 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Perhaps the foremost books Smith edited covered ecclesiastical subjects: the [[Smith's Bible Dictionary|''Dictionary of the Bible'']] (1860–1865), the ''Dictionary of Christian Antiquities'' (1875–1880), jointly with Archdeacon [[Samuel Cheetham (priest)|Samuel Cheetham]], and the ''Dictionary of Christian Biography'' (1877–1887), jointly with [[Henry Wace (Anglican priest)|Henry Wace]].{{sfn |Chisholm |1911 |p=271}}

''The Atlas'',<ref>An atlas of ancient geography, biblical & classical : To illustrate the Dictionary of the Bible and the classical dictionaries / The biblical maps from recent surveys, and the classical maps drawn by Charles Müller. Edited by William Smith and George Grove. 1875</ref> on which Sir [[George Grove]] collaborated, appeared in 1875.<ref>R. J. A. Talbert. 1992. "Mapping the classical world: major atlases and map series 1872–1990." Journal of Roman Archaeology 5:5–38.</ref> From 1853 to 1869 Smith was classical examiner to the [[University of London]], and on retirement he became a member of the Senate. He sat on the Committee enquiring into questions of copyright and was for several years registrar of the [[Royal Literary Fund]]. He edited [[Edward Gibbon|Gibbon]], with [[François Guizot|Guizot]]'s and [[Henry Hart Milman|Milman]]'s notes, in 1854–1855.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=271}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archive.org/details/dictionaryofgree03smituoft |title=Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology |first=William |last=Smith |date=28 September 1870 |publisher=Boston, Little |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Honours and death==
[[File:Family grave of Sir William Smith in Highgate Cemetery.jpg|thumb|Family grave of Sir William Smith in [[Highgate Cemetery]]]]
Smith was named a [[Doctor of Civil Law|DCL]] by the [[University of Oxford]] and [[Trinity College Dublin]]. A knighthood was conferred on him in 1892. He died on 7 October 1893 in London,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.churchlatin.com/library/books/latinenglishdictionary/image2.pdf |title=Latin-English Dictionary |first=William |last=Smith |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413150129/http://www.churchlatin.com/library/books/latinenglishdictionary/image2.pdf |access-date=17 October 2010 |archive-date=13 April 2014}}</ref> and is buried in a family grave on the eastern side of [[Highgate Cemetery]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
*{{EB1911 |wstitle=Smith, Sir William |volume=25 |pages=270–271}}
{{refend}}

==External links==

*{{Gutenberg author |id=Smith,+William+(1813–1893)}}
*{{Internet Archive author |search=(("William Smith" OR "Smith, William" OR "Smith, W.") AND (Dictionary OR Atlas OR "History of Greece" OR "History of Rome" OR Greek OR Classical OR "Old Testament" OR "History of the Bible" OR "Scripture History" OR "New Testament"))}}
*{{Cite SBDEL |wstitle=Smith, Sir William |short=x}}
*[http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/history-of-ancient-greece.asp ''A Short History of Ancient Greece''] with notes, study links and illustration by Elpenor
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060409205638/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/ Online facsimile version of '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1870 edition)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060409205643/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-dgra/ Online facsimile version of ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'' (1870 edition)]
*[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/home*.html ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities''] (1875 edition)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, William}}
[[Category:1813 births]]
[[Category:1893 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Highgate Cemetery]]
[[Category:British lexicographers]]
[[Category:Writers from London]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:19th-century lexicographers]]

William Smith (lexicographer) - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article