1714 A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar. Samuel Johnson.
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar
A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar

A Dictionary of the English Language; In Which the Words are Deduced From Their Originals and Illustrated In Their Different Significant By Examples From the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar

London: printed by John Jarvis and sold by John Fielding, 1786. Sixth Edition. 2 vols., 4to, 10 1/4 x 8 1/2 inches (260 x 210 mm); Vol. 1: engraved frontispiece after Bartolozzi, title page,[54] Preface, Grammar, History, Lexicon A through K in triple column; Vol. 2: Title page, Life of Samuel Johnson, Lexicon L through Z in triple column, Appendix. Contemporary mottled calf binding with gilt tooling on covers, vol. 1 in lighter brown; marbled endpapers; both volumes professionally rebacked in matching calf, with red morocco labels & gilt titles. Bindings square, covers show signs of usage, especially volume 1 with lower corner worn and lower cover scratched; paper is evenly toned with very faint foxing at prelims, with 2 small tears in the front and back pages of vol. 1, and a 1 inch section missing on one of the index pages.

[Sledd & Kolb, p.128].

One of the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language; it was the preeminent English dictionary until the 'Oxford English Dictionary' was completed one-hundred and seventy-three years after Johnson's was published. Noah Webster somewhat invidiously said, a half-century later: “Johnson’s writings had, in Philology, the effect which Newton’s discoveries had in Mathematics, to interrupt for a time the progress of this branch of learning." [Sledd , James H & Gwin J. Kolb. Dr. Johnson's Dictionary. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1955. p. 1]
Johnson took around seven years to complete this dictionary, and worked on it single-handedly. The dictionary appeared serially in 48 weekly numbers at 1s. each and was published as a one-volume folio and in 2-volume quartos. Johnson was a noted English author of the eighteenth century, well perceived in his friend James Boswell's 'The Life of Samuel Johnson', which is considered to be one of the most important biographies ever written.

Condition: Very Good.

Item number: 1714

Price: $2,400.00

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