The dictionary professes to contain all the words used in South France,
with their meaning in French, their proper and figurative acceptations,
augmentatives, diminutives, with examples and quotations. Along with
each word we have all its various forms as they appear in the different
dialects, its forms in the older dialects, the closely related forms in
the other Romance languages, and its etymology. A special feature of the
work in view of its destination is the placing of numerous synonyms
along with each word. The dictionary almost contains a grammar, for the
conjugation of regular and of irregular verbs in all the dialects is
given, and each word is treated in its grammatical relations. Technical
terms of all arts and trades; popular terms in natural history, with
their scientific equivalents; all the geographical names of the region
in all their forms; proper historical names; family names common in the
south; explanations as to customs, manners, institutions, traditions,
and beliefs; biographical, bibliographical, and historical facts of
importance; and a complete collection of proverbs, riddles, and popular
idioms--such are the contents of this prodigious work.

If any weakness is to be found, it is, of course, in the etymological
part. Even here we can but pay tribute to Mistral. If he can be accused,
now and then, of suggesting an etymology that is impossible or
unscientific, let it be gratefully conceded that his desire is to offer
the etymologist all possible help by placing at his disposal all the
material that can be found. The pains Mistral has taken to look up all
possibly related words in Greek, Arabic, Basque, and English, to say
nothing of the Old Provençal and Latin, would alone suffice to call
forth the deepest gratitude on the part of all students of the subject.

This dictionary makes order out of chaos, and although the language of
the Félibres is justly said to be an artificial literary language, we