Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.html.images 87 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.epub3.images 110 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.epub.images 109 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.epub.noimages 97 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.kf8.images 229 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.kindle.images 222 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5430.txt.utf-8 78 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5430/pg5430-h.zip 109 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784
Title Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language
Credits Steve Harris, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Summary "Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language" by Samuel Johnson is a foundational piece in the lexicographical field, written during the 18th century. This work serves as an introduction to Johnson's ambitious project of creating a comprehensive dictionary, devoted to the exploration and organization of the English language. The preface outlines the challenges and philosophical considerations of defining a language that is both rich and changing over time. In this preface, Johnson reflects on the lexicographer's plight, detailing the arduous task of cataloging words in a language as vibrant and chaotic as English. He discusses the historical roots and evolving nature of words, the complexities of orthography and pronunciation, and the interplay between various linguistic influences, notably Latin and Teutonic languages. Throughout, he emphasizes the necessity of maintaining stability in language while recognizing that change is inherent to living tongues. Johnson articulates his vision for the dictionary as a cumulative effort that balances reverence for tradition with the realities of linguistic evolution, ultimately aiming to create a resource that would meet the communicative needs of English speakers and scholars. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PE: Language and Literatures: English
Subject English language -- Dictionaries
Subject Lexicology
Category Text
EBook-No. 5430
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Dec 28, 2020
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 242 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!