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  1. A Dictionary of the English Language - Wikipedia

    • A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson. It is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. There was dissatisfaction with the dictionaries of the period, so in June 1746 a group of London booksellers contracted Johnso… See more

    Background

    In earlier times, books had been regarded with something approaching veneration, but by the mid-eighteenth century this was no longer the case. The rise of literacy among the general public, combined with the technical a… See more

    The text

    A Dictionary of the English Language was somewhat large and very expensive. It was printed in-folio, meaning that the pages were 18 inches (46 cm) tall and nearly 20 inches (51 cm) wide. The paper was of the finest qualit… See more

    The Book that Changed English Forever
    The Book that Changed English Forever
    Imagine a world where there is no standard for spelling, grammar, or meaning of words. That was the situation of the English language before 1755, when a monumental work was published that changed everything.
    Reception history

    From the beginning there was universal appreciation not only of the content of the Dictionary but also of Johnson's achievement in single-handedly creating it: "When Boswell came to this part of Johnson's li… See more

     
  1. Oxford English Dictionary - Wikipedia

  2. Wiktionary, the free dictionary

  3. Oxford Dictionary of English - Wikipedia

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    Oxford Dictionary of English
    Publish Year:2010
  4. Oxford English Dictionary

  5. A Dictionary of the English Language | Definition & Facts

    A Dictionary of the English Language, the famous dictionary of Samuel Johnson, published in London in 1755; its principles dominated English lexicography for more than a century. This two-volume work surpassed earlier dictionaries not …

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    Samuel Johnson Dictionary
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  8. A Dictionary of the English Language - Wikisource

  9. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

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    Calvert Watkins
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  10. Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English …

    Language is an expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language. Noah Webster's famous dictionary, published on this day in 1828, shaped what we …