Johnson’s Dictionary

Johnson’s Dictionary: A Landmark of English Lexicography

In 1755, Samuel Johnson introduced A Dictionary of the English Language, also known as Johnson’s Dictionary. It was a monumental work in two folio volumes that was hailed as a great achievement. Johnson spent about seven years working on this dictionary.

However, Johnson’s Dictionary had both defects and positive virtues, depending on the perspective and criteria of evaluation.

Defects of Johnson’s Dictionary

According to modern standards, Johnson’s Dictionary was inadequate, with unreliable etymologies and discriminating definitions. Many of the words included in this dictionary were questionable in their origin or usage.

For example, Johnson traced the word curmudgeon to a French word meaning “unknown correspondent”, which is not supported by any evidence. He defined oats as “a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people”. He also included words that were rarely used or obsolete, such as fopdoodle, kickshaw, and nubilous.

Positive Virtues of Johnson’s Dictionary

Despite its flaws, Johnson’s Dictionary had positive virtues. It exhibited the English vocabulary much more fully than had ever been done before. It offered a fixed spelling that was often accepted as standard. It supplied thousands of quotations illustrating the use of words.

Johnson drew his quotations from a wide range of sources, such as Shakespeare, Milton, Dryden, Pope, Swift, Addison, and many others. He also quoted from classical authors, such as Homer, Virgil, Horace, and Cicero. He used these quotations not only to show the meaning and usage of words but also to convey his own literary taste and moral judgment.

Purpose and Intention of Johnson’s Dictionary

The main purpose of Johnson’s Dictionary was to record the usage of the English language. Johnson worked to refine language to grammatical purity and to clear it of corruption. For example, he condemns the word lesser as a corrupt variation of less. He says that the word noways is commonly spoken and written by uneducated people. According to him, borrowing words from other languages is a type of corruption and he wanted to prevent it by working on this dictionary.

Johnson intended to preserve the purity of language, fix the pronunciation of words in the English language, lengthen the duration of language, and ascertain the meaning of English idioms.

He believed that language was a reflection of society and culture and that by regulating language he could also improve society and morality. He wrote in his preface: “Language is only the instrument of science, and words are but the signs of ideas: I wish however that the instrument might be less apt to decay; that signs might be permanent like the things which they denote.”

Reception and Influence of Johnson’s Dictionary

Johnson’s Dictionary was well-received by many writers and critics who praised its accuracy and authority. For example, Chesterfield said that Johnson contributed a lot to language and that his dictionary should be considered as a guide to writing and speaking correctly and grammatically. Sheridan also supported Samuel Johnson.

However, some writers were criticized by Johnson for using words from other languages. For example, he called Pope, Swift, and Addison ignorant barbarians for their use of foreign expressions.

Some of these writers responded to Johnson’s criticism with sarcasm or indifference. For instance, Pope wrote: “I am glad you have done with your Dictionaries; though I fear it will be long before they are done with you.” Swift said: “I have seen your dictionary; it is very well for you who have made it; but what is there for us who have not?” Addison ignored Johnson’s remarks altogether.

Conclusion

Johnson’s Dictionary was a remarkable achievement that shaped the English language for centuries. It had its limitations and biases, but it also had its merits and contributions. It was a reflection of Johnson’s views and values, as well as a source of inspiration and debate for many other writers and scholars.

A possible question for further research on this topic is: How did Johnson’s Dictionary influence the development of other dictionaries in English or other languages?

References:

https://www.thoughtco.com/samuel-johnsons-dictionary-1692684 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dictionary_of_the_English_Language 

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/samuel-johnsons-a-dictionary-of-the-english-language-1755 : https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150413-the-man-who-defined-the-english-language : https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/preface/ : https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Johnson/Literary-dictator-of-the-English-language