January 18, 1779, marks the birthday of Peter Mark Roget; author of “Roget’s Thesaurus”.

Since its first publication in 1852, writers of all ilks (types, sorts, categories), myself included, have used the Thesaurus to find the perfect word to bring their writing to life.

When Roget retired in 1840 from a successful (fruitful, lucrative) medical career, he began work on the Thesaurus. The book was the result of decades spent collecting words, much as a scientist would collect specimens. It was his desire to help ““those who are painfully groping their way and struggling with the difficulties of composition”.

The first edition contained 15,000 words and was originally titled “Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition.”

That’s quite a lengthy (drawn-out, long-winded, tedious) title!

Thank you, Peter Mark Roget, for expanding (enhancing, refining) our vocabulary and strengthening our communication skills.

Looking for a way to celebrate National Thesaurus Day? How about rewriting a famous story or poem using the Thesaurus. Who knows, your version may be more interesting than the original!

See more from our local librarians: Wellington Public Library Stories