Porsonianadj.n.

1810 Trinity Coll., Cambr., Conclusion Bk. (MS) 626 The Porsonian Collection of MSS.

1818 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1959) IV. 829 An attachment to men of letters and to the interests not only of Porsonian Wit and Genius but likewise even to those of sound Porsonian Learning and hard Reading.

1840 Penny Cycl. XVIII. 420/2 The ‘Porsonian school of critics’, as they have been termed, threw many impediments in the way of sound and comprehensive scholarship.

a1914 I. Bywater Four Cent. Greek Learning in Eng. (1919) 18 The Porsonian school..continued Porson's work on the dramatists, though with little of Porson's freshness or felicity of touch.

1997 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 127 364 The domination of Porsonian linguistic discipline was replaced by that of systematic empiricism.

2004 Oxf. Dict. National Biogr. (Electronic ed.) at Monk, James Henry, They also show something of the austerity of the Porsonian school in their concentration on the textual tradition and points of linguistic and metrical usage.

1813 Museum Criticum May 118 The old Greek types at the University Press were worn out and condemned, and of the new Porsonian types, only two sizes..had been cast.

1887 T. B. Reed Hist. Old Eng. Letter Foundries ii. 62 It may be doubted if the Porsonian letter would be recognised by an ancient Greek scribe as the character of his native land.

1929 Notes & Queries 13 Apr. 267/2 A stronger and more dignified type than the common current Porsonian.

1819 Times 15 Dec. 3/6 A certain party here, denominated Porsonians, are daily occupied in preparing cannons, at the head of whom is the learned Greek Professor.

1888 Classical Rev. 2 317/2 A Porsonian is apt to interest himself in verbal scholarship to the neglect of realia.

1921 Classical Philol. 16 204 The precise estimate by an expert and a kindred spirit of the work of Bentley, Porson, and the Porsonians.

1976 R. Pfeiffer Hist. Classical Scholarship 1300–1850 xv. 179 In his editions of Greek tragedies he [sc. Hermann] may be said to rival Porson and the Porsonians or even surpass them.

2004 Oxf. Dict. National Biogr. (Electronic ed.) at Blomfield, Charles James, Like the others in what Samuel Parr dubbed the ‘critical gang’ of Porsonians,..Blomfield also sustained his teacher's academic feuds.