The Making of Johnson's Dictionary, 1746-1773 (Cambridge Studies in Publishing and Printing History)

By Allen Reddick

As the first great English dictionary, and the only dictionary created by a great writer, Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is recognised as a landmark in English language and letters. The heroic effort of the work's creation over nine years has long been enshrined in English literary mythology. However, details pertaining to Johnson's long years of work on his Dictionary are very scarce. With the recent discovery and deciphering of manuscript materials, including hundreds of unpublished revisions, Reddick describes the conception, composition, writing and subsequent revision of the Dictionary. Reddick argues that the Dictionary does not reflect Johnson's final thoughts on a fixed language, but rather constitutes a text in flux, changed repeatedly throughout Johnson's lifetime. He also contributes more generally to the biographical information about Johnson during these 'middle' years, and analyses the political and theological aspects of the work, attempting to determine how we 'read' Johnson's Dictionary.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521361605
• ISBN13: 9780521361606
• Release Date: October 1990
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 263 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.8" x 6.3"