A Dictionary of the English Language

A Dictionary of the English Language

File:Johnson Dictionary.jpg Title page from the second edition of the Dictionary
Author	Samuel Johnson
Country	Great Britain
Language	English
Subject	Dictionary
Publisher	W. Strahan
Publication date	15 April 1755
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	2,300

A Dictionary of the English Language is a dictionary compiled by Samuel Johnson and published on 15 April 1755. It is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. The dictionary was a significant scholarly achievement and had a profound impact on modern lexicography.

Background

In the early 18th century, there was no comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Various attempts had been made, but none were as thorough or as authoritative as Johnson's work. The Royal Society had previously suggested the need for a dictionary, and Johnson was commissioned by a group of London booksellers to undertake the task.

Compilation

Johnson began work on the dictionary in 1746 and completed it in 1755. He worked largely alone, with the assistance of a few clerks. Johnson's method involved reading widely and extracting quotations from literature to illustrate the meanings of words. He used these quotations to provide examples of usage, which was a novel approach at the time.

Structure

The dictionary contains over 40,000 entries. Each entry includes the word, its pronunciation, its part of speech, its etymology, and one or more definitions. Johnson also included illustrative quotations from a wide range of authors, including William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Alexander Pope.

Impact

Johnson's dictionary was not the first English dictionary, but it was the most comprehensive and authoritative of its time. It set the standard for future dictionaries and was used as a reference by scholars and writers for many years. The dictionary also helped to standardize English spelling and usage.

Criticism

While Johnson's dictionary was widely praised, it was not without its critics. Some contemporaries noted that Johnson's definitions were sometimes idiosyncratic or biased. Johnson himself acknowledged the limitations of his work, noting that language is constantly evolving and that no dictionary can ever be truly complete.

Legacy

Johnson's dictionary remained the preeminent English dictionary until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary in the late 19th century. It is still regarded as a monumental achievement in the field of lexicography and is studied by scholars of English literature and language.

Also see

• Samuel Johnson
• Lexicography
• Oxford English Dictionary
• History of the English language
• English literature