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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section T, U, V, and W, by Project Gutenberg

  1. (Persp.) A plane surface, supposed to be transparent and
    perpendicular to the horizon; — called also perspective plane.

  2. (Mach.) The part of a machine tool on which the work rests and is
    fastened.

Bench table, Card table, Communion table, Lord's table, etc. See under
Bench, Card, etc. — Raised table (Arch. & Sculp.), a raised or
projecting member of a flat surface, large in proportion to the
projection, and usually rectangular, — especially intended to receive
an inscription or the like. — Roller table (Horology), a flat disk on
the arbor of the balance of a watch, holding the jewel which rolls in
and out of the fork at the end of the lever of the escapement. — Round
table. See Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction. — Table anvil, a small
anvil to be fastened to a table for use in making slight repairs. —
Table base. (Arch.) Same as Water table. — Table bed, a bed in the form
of a table. — Table beer, beer for table, or for common use; small
beer. — Table bell, a small bell to be used at table for calling
servants. — Table cover, a cloth for covering a table, especially at
other than mealtimes. — Table diamond, a thin diamond cut with a flat
upper surface. — Table linen, linen tablecloth, napkins, and the like.
— Table money (Mil. or Naut.), an allowance sometimes made to officers
over and above their pay, for table expenses. — Table rent (O. Eng.
Law), rent paid to a bishop or religious, reserved or appropriated to
his table or housekeeping. Burrill. — Table shore (Naut.), a low, level
shore. — Table talk, conversation at table, or at meals. — Table
talker, one who talks at table. — Table tipping, Table turning, certain
movements of tables, etc., attributed by some to the agency of departed
spirits, and by others to the development of latent vital or spriritual
forces, but more commonly ascribed to the muscular force of persons in
connection with the objects moved, or to physical force applied
otherwise. — Tables of a girder or chord (Engin.), the upper and lower
horizontal members. — To lay on the table, in parliamentary usage, to
lay, as a report, motion, etc., on the table of the presiding officer,
— that is, to postpone the consideration of, by a vote. — To serve
tables (Script.), to provide for the poor, or to distribute provisions
for their wants. Acts vi. 2. — To turn the tables, to change the
condition or fortune of contending parties; — a metaphorical expression
taken from the vicissitudes of fortune in gaming. — Twelve tables (Rom.
Antiq.), a celebrated body of Roman laws, framed by decemvirs appointed
450 years before Christ, on the return of deputies or commissioners who
had been sent to Greece to examine into foreign laws and institutions.
They consisted partly of laws transcribed from the institutions of
other nations, partly of such as were altered and accommodated to the
manners of the Romans, partly of new provisions, and mainly, perhaps,
of laws and usages under their ancient kings. Burrill.

Explanation ​

This excerpt from The Gutenberg Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary (a digitized version of the 1913 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary) provides a fascinating snapshot of how the word "table" was defined, categorized, and culturally embedded in early 20th-century English. While it appears to be a dry, encyclopedic entry, the passage is rich with historical, technical, and cultural significance. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, focusing on its content, themes, literary/explanatory devices, and broader implications.

1. Context of the Source ​

  • Project Gutenberg & Webster’s 1913 Dictionary: This excerpt comes from a digitized version of Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), a landmark reference work that standardized American English definitions, etymologies, and usage. Project Gutenberg, a digital library, preserved it as part of its mission to archive public-domain texts. The dictionary reflects the lexicographical, scientific, and cultural knowledge of the early 20th century, blending technical precision with historical anecdotes.

  • Why "Table"? The word "table" is a polysemous term (having multiple meanings), making it a useful case study for how dictionaries organize complex concepts. The entry spans perspective drawing, machinery, architecture, religion, law, gaming, and superstition, revealing how a single word can straddle disparate fields.

2. Structure and Themes ​

The excerpt is organized as a series of numbered and bulleted definitions, each expanding on a specific usage of "table." The themes can be grouped as follows:

A. Technical and Scientific Definitions ​

  • Perspective (Art/Geometry): "A plane surface, supposed to be transparent and perpendicular to the horizon; — called also perspective plane."

    • Significance: This reflects the Renaissance-era development of linear perspective in art (e.g., Brunelleschi, Da Vinci), where a "picture plane" (or "table") was used to project 3D space onto a 2D surface. The dictionary’s inclusion of this definition shows how artistic techniques were formalized into technical language.

  • Machinery: "The part of a machine tool on which the work rests and is fastened."

    • Context: This aligns with the Industrial Revolution’s mechanization, where tables became integral to lathes, mills, and other tools. The definition is utilitarian, emphasizing function over form.

  • Architecture/Sculpture: "Raised table (Arch. & Sculp.), a raised or projecting member of a flat surface... especially intended to receive an inscription."

    • Literary Device: Metonymy—the "table" stands for the surface bearing meaning (e.g., a plaque or monument). This connects to memorialization in classical and Gothic architecture.

  • Horology (Clockmaking): "Roller table (Horology), a flat disk on the arbor of the balance of a watch..."

    • Precision: The definition is highly specialized, reflecting the scientific exactitude of 19th-century horology (e.g., lever escapements in pocket watches).

B. Domestic and Social Uses ​

  • Furniture and Household Items:

    • Bench table, Card table, Communion table, Lord’s table: These highlight the social rituals tied to tables—gaming, religion, and hierarchy (e.g., "Lord’s table" implies feudal or ecclesiastical power).
    • Table linen, Table bell, Table cover: Material culture of the Victorian/Edwardian era, where dining etiquette was codified (e.g., multiple cloths for different meals).

  • Food and Drink:

    • Table beer: "Small beer" (low-alcohol brew) for everyday consumption, contrasting with finer ales. This reflects class distinctions in drinking habits.
    • Table money: Military/nautical allowance for officers’ dining expenses—institutionalized hierarchy in meals.

  • Law and Governance:

    • Twelve Tables (Rom. Antiq.): A foundational Roman legal code (450 BCE), blending Greek influences with Roman customs. The dictionary’s inclusion of this etymological root ties "table" to written law as a physical object (inscribed tablets).
    • Table rent (O. Eng. Law): Medieval ecclesiastical tribute, showing how tables symbolized sustenance and power (bishops’ households).

  • Religion:

    • Communion table, Lord’s table: In Christianity, the table is sacramental, representing Christ’s Last Supper. The dictionary’s cross-references ("See under Bench, Card, etc.") assume a culturally Christian readership.
    • To serve tables (Script.): From Acts 6:2 (appointment of deacons to distribute food to widows), linking tables to charity and service.

D. Superstition and Metaphor ​

  • Spiritualism:

    • Table tipping/Table turning: A 19th-century craze (linked to séances and Spiritualism), where tables "moved" supposedly via spirits. The dictionary hedges its explanation, listing competing theories (muscular force, "latent vital forces"), reflecting scientific skepticism vs. supernatural belief.
    • Literary Device: Irony—the dry, encyclopedic tone contrasts with the sensationalism of Victorian spiritualism.

  • Gaming and Reversal:

    • To turn the tables: A metaphor from card games, where fortune reverses unexpectedly. The definition captures the volatility of luck and its linguistic fossilization in idioms.
    • Parliamentary usage: "To lay on the table" means to postpone debate, showing how metaphors of physical objects govern procedural language.

3. Literary and Rhetorical Devices ​

While not a "literary" text, the dictionary entry employs several explanatory and rhetorical techniques:

  1. Taxonomy: The hierarchical organization (numbered definitions, sub-categories) mirrors Linnaean classification, reflecting Enlightenment-era order and categorization.
  2. Cross-Referencing: Phrases like "See under Bench, Card, etc." assume an intertextual web of knowledge, where definitions rely on other entries (a feature of pre-digital dictionaries).
  3. Historical Anchoring: References to Roman law, Scripture, and obsolete terms (e.g., "O. Eng. Law") ground the word in deep time, showing how language evolves.
  4. Technical Jargon: Terms like "arbor of the balance" (horology) or "chord" (engineering) demonstrate specialized lexicons, catering to professionals while excluding lay readers.
  5. Cultural Assumptions: The entry naturalizes certain norms (e.g., "Lord’s table" as a familiar concept), revealing the dictionary’s implicit biases (Christian, Western, male-dominated).

4. Significance of the Excerpt ​

A. Linguistic Evolution ​

  • The entry captures "table" as a microcosm of language change:
    • Dead metaphors: "Turn the tables" (gaming → general reversal).
    • Obsolete usages: "Table rent" (medieval law) vs. modern "tablet" (digital).
    • Technical shifts: From wooden surfaces to machine parts.

B. Cultural History ​

  • Tables as Symbols:
    • Power: Communion tables, Lords’ tables, parliamentary tables.
    • Knowledge: The Twelve Tables as legal texts; perspective tables in art.
    • Superstition: Séance tables as conduits to the spirit world.
  • Class and Ritual: The distinction between "table beer" (common) and fine dining (officers’ "table money") reflects social stratification.

C. The Dictionary as a Cultural Artifact ​

  • The 1913 Webster’s is a time capsule of pre-modernist thought:
    • Faith in objectivity: Definitions are presented as neutral, though they embed cultural values.
    • Colonial/Western focus: Terms like "Lord’s table" center European Christian traditions.
    • Scientific optimism: Even spiritualism is rationalized ("muscular force" vs. "spirits").

5. Close Reading of Key Passages ​

Example 1: "Perspective Plane" (Definition 13) ​

  • "Supposed to be transparent": The hypothetical nature of the plane (an artist’s tool, not a real object) highlights how abstraction underpins representation.
  • Connection to Art History: This definition bridges mathematics and aesthetics, showing how Renaissance artists used geometry to create illusionistic space.

Example 2: "Table Turning" ​

  • "Attributed by some to departed spirits... more commonly ascribed to muscular force":
    • The passive voice ("attributed by some") distances the dictionary from endorsing spiritualism.
    • "Latent vital forces": A pseudo-scientific term reflecting 19th-century debates about energy (e.g., mesmerism, vitalism).
    • Skepticism: The entry privileges physical explanations, aligning with the scientific materialism of the era.

Example 3: "Twelve Tables" ​

  • "Partly of laws transcribed from other nations... partly of new provisions":
    • This historical summary compresses centuries of legal evolution into a sentence, showing how cultural borrowing shapes institutions.
    • The reference to Burrill (a 19th-century legal scholar) anchors the definition in academic authority.

6. Why This Matters Today ​

  • Digital Age Parallels: Modern dictionaries (e.g., Oxford Online) update definitions dynamically, but this static 1913 entry reveals how knowledge was once fixed in print.
  • Lost Meanings: Many usages (e.g., "table shore," "table base") are obsolete, showing how technology and culture erase old contexts.
  • Power of Definition: The dictionary’s authority to define words shapes how we think—e.g., "table" as a neutral object vs. a loaded symbol (e.g., "turning the tables" in social justice movements).

Conclusion ​

This dictionary excerpt is far more than a dry list of definitions—it is a cultural palimpsest, layering art, science, religion, law, and superstition onto a single word. The text reflects:

  1. The Enlightenment’s faith in classification.
  2. The Victorian era’s blend of industrial precision and spiritual curiosity.
  3. The hidden hierarchies in language (e.g., whose "table" matters—Lords’, Communion, or card players’?).

By analyzing it closely, we see how even a dictionary entry can be a window into history, power, and the fluidity of meaning. The "table" is not just furniture; it is a stage for human activity—whether dining, debating, praying, or gaming—and this excerpt preserves that multifaceted legacy in amber.