John Baret or Barrett (died 1580), was an English lexicographer during the Elizabethan era, and was responsible for publishing a dictionary of English, Latin, Greek and French entitled ''An Alvearie''.

Life

Baret matriculated at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

in 1551 as a sizar before migrating to Trinity College, Cambridge and receiving a degree of B.A. in 1554-5, and an M.A. in 1558. He became a fellow of the college in 1560. He later received the degree of M.D. from

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite ...

in 1577, but there is no evidence that he ever practised medicine. About 1555 he describes himself as "having pupils at Cambridge, studious of the Latin tongue." In later years he is said to have travelled abroad, and to have taught in London. Baret died before the close of 1580, but the exact date is uncertain.

Dictionary

Baret published, in about 1574, a dictionary of the English, Latin, and French languages, with occasional illustrations from the Greek. It was called ''An Alvearie, or Triple Dictionarie in English, Latin, and French,'' and was dedicated to William Cecil, Lord Burghley, the chancellor of Cambridge University. The date, 2 Feb 1573–4, appears among the introductory pages, but not on the title-page. The materials for the volume were gradually collected during eighteen years by Baret's many pupils, and he entitled it, on that account, an "Alvearie", or beehive. Every English word is first explained, and its equivalent given in Latin and French. Two indexes at the end of the volume collect the Latin and French words occurring in the text. The expenses of publication were mainly borne by Sir Thomas Smith, "principall secretarie to the queenes majestie," and

Alexander Nowell Alexander Nowell (13 February 1602, aka Alexander Noel) was an Anglican priest and theologian. He served as Dean of St Paul's during much of Elizabeth I's reign, and is now remembered for his catechisms. Early life He was the eldest son of John ...

, "Maister Nowell, deane of Pawles". Latin, Greek, and English verses in praise of the compiler and his work were prefixed to the book, among the writers being Richard Mulcaster and

Arthur Golding Arthur Golding (May 1606) was an English translator of more than 30 works from Latin into English. While primarily remembered today for his translation of Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' because of its influence on William Shakespeare's works, in his ...

. A second edition of the dictionary, in which Greek took almost as important a place as the other languages, was published shortly after Baret's death, and bore the date 2 January 1580–1. A lengthy poem "to the reader," signed "Tho. M.", laments the recent death of the author, and new Latin elegiacs are added by Mulcaster. The title of the book in its final form runs: .Restituta: or Titles, Extracts, and Characters of Old Books in ..., Volume 3
/ref> Baret's dictionary is still of great service in enabling readers to trace the meaning of Elizabethan words and phrases that are now obsolete.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baret, John 16th-century English writers 16th-century male writers 16th-century English educators Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge English lexicographers Year of birth missing 16th-century births 1580 deaths