He was educated at Glasgow University, and subsequently attended classes in Edinburgh After six years' theological study, Jamieson was licensed to preach in 1789 and became pastor of an Anti-burgher congregation in Forfar; and in 1797 he was called to the Anti-burgher church in Nicolson Street, Edinburgh. The union of the Burgher and Anti-burgher sections of the Secession Church in 1820 was largely due to his exertions, He retired from the ministry in 1830, spending the rest of his life in Edinburgh.
Jamieson's name stands at the head of a tolerably long list of works in the Bibliotheca britannica; but by far his most important book is the jaborious and erudite compilation, best described by its own title-page: An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language; illustrating the words in their different significations by example from Ancient and Modern Writers; shewing their Affinity to those of other Languages, and especially the Northern; explainIng many term which though now obsolete in England were formerly common to bot countries; and elucidating National Rites, Customs and Institutions and their Analogy to those of other nations; to which is prefixed a Dissertation on the Origin of the Scottish Language. This appeared in 2 vols 4to, at Edinburgh in 1808, followed in 1825 by a Supplement, in 2 vols., 4to, in which he was assisted by scholars in all parts of the country. A revised edition by Longmuir and Donaldson was issued in 1879-1887.
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