John Baret facts for kids

John Baret (died 1580) was an English writer and teacher during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He is best known for creating a very important dictionary. This dictionary helped people understand words in English, Latin, Greek, and French. He gave his dictionary the special name An Alvearie.

Early Life and Education

John Baret began his studies at St John's College, Cambridge in 1551. He later moved to Trinity College, Cambridge. There, he earned his first university degree in 1555. He received another degree in 1558. In 1560, he became a fellow at Trinity College. This meant he was a senior member of the college.

Around 1555, Baret mentioned that he was teaching students in Cambridge. These students were keen to learn the Latin language. Later in his life, it is believed he traveled to other countries. He also taught in London. John Baret passed away before the end of 1580, but the exact date is not known.

His Famous Dictionary

Around 1574, John Baret published his dictionary. It included words from English, Latin, and French. It also had some Greek words. The full title was An Alvearie, or Triple Dictionarie in English, Latin, and French. Baret dedicated his book to William Cecil, Lord Burghley. Lord Burghley was an important person and the head of Cambridge University.

Baret worked on this dictionary for 18 years. Many of his students helped him gather the words. Because so many people contributed, he called it an "Alvearie," which means a beehive. Just like bees collect honey, his students collected words. Each English word in the dictionary was explained first. Then, its meaning was given in Latin and French. At the end of the book, there were lists of all the Latin and French words.

Two important people helped pay for the dictionary to be published. They were Sir Thomas Smith, who was the Queen's secretary, and Alexander Nowell, who was the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. Many writers praised Baret and his work. They wrote poems and verses that were included in the book. Some of these writers were Richard Mulcaster and Arthur Golding.

A second edition of the dictionary came out shortly after Baret's death. This new version included even more Greek words. It was published on January 2, 1581. A long poem in the book sadly mentioned that the author had recently died. The final title of the book was: An Alvearie, or quadruple Dictionarie containing foure sundrie tongues, namely, English, Latine, Greeke, and Frenche, newlie enriched with varietie of wordes, phrases, proverbs, and divers lightsome observations of Grammar.

Baret's dictionary is still very useful today. It helps people understand the meaning of old English words and phrases. These words were common during Queen Elizabeth's time but are not used much anymore.