JOHNSON (Samuel).
A Dictionary of the English Language...
The second edition - published in the same year as the first - of Samuel Johnson’s landmark dictionary, widely considered to be one of the greatest works of the English language. Originally issued in 165 weekly parts, the complete second edition is actually rarer than the first; as demand for the various parts fell, the publisher reduced the print run.
The importance of Johnson’s work can hardly be overstated, as earlier English dictionaries were nowhere near the scale of Johnson’s. With his work, Johnson sought to standardise both the orthography and meaning of English words. In addition to providing the definition of words, Johnson also illustrated their meaning by using citations from famous English writers, such as Shakespeare, Pope and Milton. Impressively, Johnson completed his magnum opus in less than ten years.
Until the publication of Oxford’s English Dictionary nearly 200 years later, Johnson’s work was the prevailing authority on the English language.
Fleeman 55.4D/2; Alston V 178; ESTC T14931.
