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The First English Dictionary in the World | Samuel Johnson

7 Oct 2024 · 3 min

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3:01

In this video, the creator shares their recent acquisition of a pocket-sized 1844 edition of Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language, widely regarded as the first English dictionary and a seminal work in lexicography. They highlight Johnson's monumental solo effort—spanning seven to nine years—to compile the dictionary without modern tools, emphasizing its lasting influence on English usage and its foundational role for later works like the Oxford English Dictionary. The speaker treats the dictionary as both a linguistic tool and a literary artifact, expressing awe at its scope and planning to produce occasional videos reading its definitions. The first word featured is "love," with Johnson's concise definition presented. The creator also mentions a desire to acquire a full-size edition for their antique book collection.

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I recently bought this antique dictionary to remind myself of how important it is to use words according to their meanings. But this is not just any dictionary. This is Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language, commonly accepted as the first ever English dictionary and the most influential. This is where it all started. My copy here is from 1844. It was originally published in 1755, and also this is a pocket version, so the text is very small. The thing that's notable about this dictionary is that it took Samuel Johnson 7 to 9 years to complete. Because he worked on it pretty much alone, and because of that, it's been widely accepted as one of the greatest achievements in scholarship by an individual. The more I think about it, the more I realize how awe-inspiring it is, just imagining the size and complexity of the task, and without modern tools or collaboration. I don't think there can be many works in history that were as ambitious or as influential as this. And the impact it made— it was the first dictionary. It set the linguistic standards and shaped the way English was used for generations. It was foundational for later work, including the Oxford English Dictionary. To me, it's not just a tool for language, but a work of literature in its own right. Right. So I figure I will make a video every once in a while about this dictionary and read out some definitions of some words. By the way, because this is the pocket version, the definitions here are very short and most of the time consist of one or two words. I'm hoping to add the full-size version to my antique book collection very soon. Okay, for my first word, I will choose love. To regard with affection. Goodwill, courtship, liking, fondness, concord.