And lastly, may be produced the peculiar | dental and adventitious, I shall endeavour to sense in which a word is found in any great author; as faculties, in Shakspeare, signifies the powers of authority:

This Duncan

Has borne his faculties so meek, has been
So clear in his great office, that, &c.

The signification of adjectives may be often ascertained by uniting them to substantives; as simple swain, simple sheep. Sometimes the sense of a substantive may be elucidated by the epithets annexed to it in good authors: as, the boundless ocean, the open lawns: and where such advantage can be gained by a short quotation, it

is not to be omitted.

give an account of the means by which they were introduced. Thus, to eke out any thing, signifies to lengthen it beyond its just dimensions, by some low artifice; because the word eke was the usual refuge of our old writers, when they wanted a syllable. And buxom, which means only obedient, is now made, in familiar phrases, to stand for wanton; because in an ancient form of marriage, before the Reformation, the bride promised complaisance and obedience, in these terms; "I will be bonair and buxom in bed and at board."

I know well, my Lord, how trifling many of these remarks will appear separately considered, The difference of signification in words gene- and how easily they may give occasion to the rally accounted synonymous, ought to be care- contemptuous merriment of sportive idleness, fully observed; as in pride, haughtiness, arro- and the gloomy censures of arrogant stupidity; gance and the strict and critical meaning ought but dulness it is easy to despise, and laughter it to be distinguished from that which is loose and is easy to repay. I shall not be solicitous what popular; as in the word perfection, which, though is thought of my work by such as know not the in its philosophical and exact sense it can be of difficulty or importance of philological studies; little use among human beings, is often so much nor shall think those that have done nothing, degraded from its original signification, that the qualified to condemn me for doing little. It may academicians have inserted in their work, the not, however, be improper to remind them, that perfection of a language, and, with a little more no terrestrial greatness is more than an aggre licentiousness, might have prevailed on them-gate of little things; and to inculcate, after the selves to have added the perfection of a dictionary. Arabian proverb, that drops, added to drops, conThere are many other characters of words stitute the ocean. which it will be of use to mention. Some have

There remains yet to be considered the distribution of words into their proper classes, or that part of lexicography which is strictly entical.

employed chiefly in poetry, words obsolete, words which are admitted only by particular writers, yet not in themselves improper; words used only in burlesque writing; and words impure and barbarous.

both an active and passive signification; as fearful, that which gives or which feels terror; a fearful prodigy, a fearful hare. Some have a perThe popular part of the language, which insonal, some a real meaning; as in opposition to cludes all words not appropriated to particular old, we use the adjective young, of animated be- sciences, admits of many distinctions and subdiings, and new of other things. Some are re-visions; as, into words of general use, words strained to the sense of praise, and others to that of disapprobation; so commonly, though not always, we exhort to good actions, we instigate to ill; we animate, incite, and encourage indifferently to good or bad. So we usually ascribe good but impute evil; yet neither the use of these words, nor, perhaps, of any other in our licentious language is so established as not to be often reversed by the correctest writers. I shall therefore, since the rules of style, like those of law, arise from precedents often repeated, collect the testimonies on both sides, and endeavour to discover and promulgate the decrees of custom, who has so long possessed, whether by right or by usurpation, the sovereignty of words.

It is necessary likewise to explain many words by their opposition to others; for contraries are best seen when they stand together. Thus the verb, stand has one sense, as opposed to fall, and another as opposed to fly; for want of attending to which distinction, obvious as it is, the learned Dr. Bentley has squandered his criticism to no purpose, on these lines of Paradise Lost:

Words of general use will be known by having no sign of particularity, and their various senses will be supported by authorities of all ages

The words appropriated to poetry will be distinguished by some mark prefixed, or will be known by having no authorities but those of poets.

inserted but such as are to be found in authors Of antiquated or obsolete words, none will be who wrote since the accession of Elizabeth, from which we date the golden age of our language; and of these many might be omitted, but that the reader may require, with an appearance of reason, that no difficulty should be left unresolved in books which he finds himself invited to read, as confessed and established models ‹ƒ style. These will be likewise pointed out by some note of exclusion, but not of disgrace.

The words which are found only in particular books, will be known by the single name of him that has used them; but such will be omitted, unless either their propriety, elegance, or force, extraordinary reason for their reception. or the reputation of their authors, affords some

sitions, will be likewise mentioned with their Words used in burlesque and familiar compo proper authorities; such as dudgeon, from Butler, and leasing, from Prior; and will be diligently characterised by marks of distinction.

Barbarous or impure words and expressions

may be branded with some note of infimy, as for scathe and buxom, now obsolete, Milton may
they are curefully to be eradicated wherever be cited,
they are found; and they occur too frequently
even in the best writers; as in Pope,

———in endless error hurd.

'Tis these that early taint the female soul.

In Addison:

Attend to what a lesser muse incites.

And in Dryden :

A dreadful quiet felt, and worser far
Than arms-

If this part of the work can be well performed,
t will be equivalent to the proposal made by
Boileau to the academicians, that they should
review all their polite writers, and correct such
impurities as might be found in them, that their
authority might not contribute, at any distant
ime, to the depravation of the language.

-The mountain oak
Stands scathed to heaven- --
-He with broad sails
Winnow'd the buxom air-

By this method every word will have its history, and the reader will be informed of the gradual changes of the language and have before his eyes the rise of some word's, and the fall of others. But observations so minute and accurate are to be desired, rather than expected; and if use be carefully supplied, curiosity inust sometimes bear its disappointments.

This, my Lord, is my idea of an English Dictionary; a dictionary by which the pronunciation of our language may be fixed, and its attainment facilitated; by which its purity may be preserved, its use ascertained, and its duration lengthened. And though, perhaps, to correct the language of nations by books of grammar, and amend their manners by discourses of morality, may be tasks equally difficult; yet, as it is unavoidable to wish, it is natural likewise to hope that your Lordship's patronage may not be wholly lost; that it may contribute to the preservation of an

With regard to questions of purity or propriety, I was once in doubt whether I should not Attribute too much to myself in attempting to lecide them, and whether my province was to ex end beyond the proposition of the question, and the display of the suffrages on each side; but I have been since determined, by your Lord-cient, and the improvement of modern writers; ship's opinion, to interpose my own judgment, and shall therefore endeavour to support what appears to me most consonant to grammar and reason. Ausonius thought that modesty forbad him to plead inability for a task to which Cæsar had judged him equal.

Cur me posse negem, posse quod ille putat? And I may hope, my Lord, that since you, whose authority in our language is so generally acknowledged, have commissioned me to declare my own opinion, I shall be considered as exercising a kind of vicarious jurisdiction, and that the power which might have been denied to my own claim, will be readily allowed me as the delegate of your Lordship.

that it may promote the reformation of those translators, who, for want of understanding the characteristical difference of tongues, have formed a chaotic dialect of heterogeneous phrases; and awaken to the care of purer diction some men of genius, whose attention to argument makes them negligent of style, or whose rapid imagina tion, like the Peruvian torrents, when it brings down gold mingles it with sand.

When I survey the Plan which I have laid before you, I cannot, my Lord, but confess, that I am frighted at its extent, and, like the soldiers of Cæsar, look on Britain as a new world, which it is almost madness to invade. But I hope, that though I should not complete the conquest, I shall at least discover the coast, civilize part of the inhabitants, and make it easy for some other adventurer to proceed farther, to reduce them wholly to subjection, and settle them under laws.

In citing authorities, on which the credit of every part of this Work must depend, it will be proper to observe some obvious rules: such as of preferring writers of the first reputation to We are taught by the great Roman orator, those of an inferior rank; of noting the quota- that every man should propose to himself the tions with accuracy; and of selecting, when it highest degree of excellence, but that he may can be conveniently done, such sentences as, stop with honour at the second or third: though besides their immediate use, may give pleasure therefore my performance should fall below the or instruction, by conveying some elegance of excellence of other dictionaries, I may obtain, langge, or some precept of prudence, or picty. at least, the praise of having endeavoured well; It has been asked, on some occasions, who nor shall I think it any reproach to my dili. shall judge the judges? And since, with regard gence, that I have retired without a triumph, to this design, a question may arise by what from a contest with united academies, and long authority the authorities are selected, it is neces-successions of learned compilers. I cannot hope, sary to obviate it, by declaring that many of the in the warmest moments, to preserve so much writers whose testimonies will be alleged, were caution through so long a work as not often to selected by Mr. Pope; of whom I may be justi- sink into negligence, or to obtain so much knowfied in affirming, that were he still alive, solici-ledge of all its parts as not frequently to fall by tous as he was for the success of this work, he would not be displeased that I have undertaken it.

ignorance. I expect that sometimes the desire of accuracy will urge me to superfluities, and sometimes the fear of prolixity betray me to It will be proper that the quotations be ranged omissions: that in the extent of such variety, I according to the ages of their authors; and it shall be often bewildered; and in the mazes of will afford an agreeable amusement, if to the such intricacy, be frequently entangled; that in words and phrases which are not of our own one part refinement will be subtilized beyond growth, the name of the writer who first intro- exactness, and evidence dilated in another beyond duced them can be affixed; and if to words perspicuity. Yet I do not despair of approbation which are now antiquated, the authority be sub-from those who, knowing the uncertainty of con joined of him who last admitted them. Thus jecture, the scantiness of knowledge, the fallibi

lity of memory, and the unsteadiness of atten- | attempt which has procured me the honour of tion, can compare the causes of error with the appearing thus publicly, My Lord,

means of avoiding it, and the extent of art with the capacity of man; and whatever be the event of my endeavours, I shall not easily regret an

Your Lordship's most obedient and most humble servant, SAM. JOHNSON.

PREFACE

TO THE

ENGLISH DICTIONARY.

IT is the fate of those who toil at the lower employments of life, to be rather driven by the fear of evil, than attracted by the prospect of good; to be exposed to censure, without hope of praise; to be disgraced by miscarriage, or punished for neglect, where success would have been without applause, and diligence without reward.

tion were continually increasing; and analogy, which, though in some words obscure, was evident in others.

In adjusting the Orthography, which has been to this time unsettled and fortuitous, I found it necessary to distinguish those irregularities that are inherent in our tongue, and perhaps coeval with it, from others which the ignorance or Among these unhappy mortals is the writer negligence of later writers has produced. Every of dictionaries; whom mankind have consider-language has its anomalies, which though inconed, not as the pupil, but the slave of science, the venient, and in themselves once unnecessary, pioneer of literature, doomed only to remove must be tolerated among the imperfections of rubbish and clear obstructions from the paths human things, and which require only to be through which Learning and Genius press for-registered, that they may not be increased, and ward to conquest and glory, without bestowing ascertained that they may not be confounded; a smile on the humble drudge that facilitates but every language has likewise its improprie their progress. Every other author may aspire ties and absurdities, which it is the duty of the to praise; the lexicographer can only hope to lexicographer to correct or proscribe. escape reproach, and even this negative recoinpense has been yet granted to very few.

I have, notwithstanding this discouragement, attempted a Dictionary of the English Language, which, while it was employed in the cultivation of every species of literature, has itself been hitherto neglected; suffered to spread under the direction of chance, into wild exuberance; resigned to the tyranny of time and fashion: and exposed to the corruptions of ignorance and caprices of innovation.

As language was at its beginning merely crel, all words of necessary or common use wers spoken before they were written; and wde they were unfixed by any visible signs, rust have been spoken with great diversity, as w now observe those who cannot read to cat h sounds imperfectly, and utter them negligerty. When this wild and barbarous jargon was first reduced to an alphabet, every penman endogvoured to express, as he could, the sounds which he was accustomed to pronounce or to receive, When I took the first survey of my under- and vitiated in writing such words as were al taking, I found our speech copious without or- ready vitiated in speech. The powers of the der, and energetic without rule; wherever I letters when they were applied to a new lanturned my view, there was perplexity to be dis-guage, must have been vague and unsettled, and entangled and confusion to be regulated; choice was to be made out of boundless variety, with out any established principle of selection; adulterations were to be detected, without a settled test of purity; and modes of expression to be rejected or received, without the suffrages of any writers of classical reputation or acknowledged authority.

therefore different hands would exhibit the same sound by different combinations.

From this uncertam pronunciation arise in a great part the various dialects of the same coun try, which will always be observed to grow fewer, and less different, as books are multiplied; and from this arbitrary representation of sounds by letters proceeds that diversity of spelling, observaHaving therefore no assistance but from gene-ble in the Saxon remains, and I suppose in the ral grammar, I applied myself to the perusal of our writers; and noting whatever might be of use to ascertain or illustrate any word or phrase, accumulated in time the materials of a dictionary, which, by degrees, I reduced to method, esta- Of this kind are the derivatives length form blishing to myself, in the progress of the work, long, strength from strong, darling from dier, such rules as experience and analogy suggested breadth from broad, from dry, drought, and fros to me; experience, which practice and observa- | high, height, which Milton, in zeal for analogy,

first books of every nation, which perplexes or destroys analogy, and produces anomalous for mations, which, being once incorporated, caз never be afterwards dismissed or reformed.

writes highth: Quid te exempta jurat spinis de In this part of the work, where caprice has pluribus una? to change all would be too much, long wantoned without control, and vanity and to change one is nothing. sought praise by petty reformation, I have enThis uncertainty is most frequent in the vow-deavoured to proceed with a scholar's reverence els, which are so capriciously pronounced, and so differently modified, by accident or affectation, not only in every province, but in every mouth, that to them, as is well known to etymolog sts, little regard is to be shown in the deduction of one language from another.

for antiquity, and a grammarian's regard to the genius of our tongue. I have attempted few alterations, and among those few, perhaps the greater part is from the modern to the ancient practice; and I hope I may be allowed to recommend to those, whose thoughts have been perhaps employed too anxiously on ve bal singularities, not to disturb, upon narrow views, or for minute propriety, the orthography of their fathers. It has been asserted, that for the law to be known, is of more importance than to be right. "Change," says Hooker, "is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better." There is in constancy and stability a general and lasting advantage, which will always overbalance the slow improvements of gradual correction. Much less ought our written language to comply with the corruptions of oral utterance, or copy that which every variation of time or place makes different from itself, and imitate those changes, which will again be changed, while imitation is employed in observ

Such defects are not errors in orthography, but spots of barbarity impressed so deep in the English language, that criticism can never wash them away; these therefore must be permitted to remain untouched; but many words have likewise been altered by accident, or depraved by ignorance, as the pronunciation of the vulgar has been weakly followed; and some still continue to be variously written, as authors differ in their care or skill: of these it was proper to inquire the true orthography, which I have always considered as depending on their derivation, and have therefore referred them to their original languages; thus I write enchant, enchantment, enchanter, after the French, and incantation after the Latin: thus entire is chosen rather than infire, because it passed to us noting them. from the Latin integer, but from the French entier.

Of many words it is difficult to say whether they were immediately received from the Latin or the French, since at the time when we had dominions in France, we had Latin service in our churches. It is, however, my opinion, that the French generally supplied us; for we have few Latin words, aniong the terms of domestic use, which are not French; but many French, which are very remote from Latin.

Even in words of which the derivation is apparent, I have been often obliged to sacrifice niformity to custom; thus I write, in compliance with a numberless majority, conrey and inreizh, deceit and receipt, fincy and phantom; sometimes the derivative varies from the primitive, as explain and explanation, repeat and repe

tition.

This recommendation of steadiness and uniformity does not proceed from an opinion that particular combinations of letters have much influence on human happiness; or that truth may not be successfully taught by modes of spelling fanciful and erroneous; I am not yet so lost in lexicography as to forget that words are the daughters of earth, and that things are the sons of heaven. Language is only the instrument of science, and words are but the signs of ideas; 1 wish, however, that the instrument might be less apt to decay, and that signs might be permanent, like the things which they denote.

In settling the orthography, I have not wholly neglected the pronunciation, which I have dírected, by printing an accent upon the acute or elevated syllable. It will sometimes be found that the accent is placed, by the author quoted. on a different syllable from that marked in the Some combinations of letters having the same alphabetical series; it is then to be understood, power are used indifferently without any dis-that custom has varied, or that the author has, coverable reason of choice, as in chork, choke; sop, sope; Jewel, fuel, and many others; which I have sometimes inserted twice, that those who search for them under either form, may not search in vain.

In examining the orthography of any doubtful word, the mode of spelling by which it is inserted in the series of the dictionary, is to be considered as that to which I give, perhaps not often rashly, the preference. I have left, in the examples, to every author his own practice unmolested, that the reader may balance suffrages, and judge between us; but this question is not always to be determined by reputed or by real learning; some men, intent upon greater things, have thought little on sounds and derivations; soin, knowing in the ancient tongues, have negleeted those in which our words are commonly to be sought. Thus Hammond waits fecibleness for feasibleness, because I suppose he imagined it derive inn liat ly from the Latin; and some words, such as depon lay, dependent; dependance, dependence, vary their final syllable, as one or other language is present to the writer.

in my opinion, pronounced wrong. Short directions are sometimes given where the sound of letters is irregular; and if they are sometimes omitted, defect in such minute observations will be more easily excused, than superfluity.

In the investigation both of the orthography and signification of words, their Etymology was necessarily to be considered, and they were therefore to be divided into primitives and deri vatives. A primitive word, is that which can be traced no further to any English root; thus circumspect, circumvent, circumstance, delude, concave, and complicate, though compounds in the Latin, are to us primitives. Derivatives, are all those that can be referred to any word in English of greater simplicity.

The derivatives I have referred to their primitives, with an accuracy sometimes needless ; for who does not see that remoteness comes from remote, lovely from love, concavity from concave, and demonstrative from demonstrate? Put this grammatical exuberance the scheme of my work did not allow me to repress. It is of great importance, in examining the general fabric of a

language, to trace one word from another, by noting the usual modes of derivation and inflection; and uniformity must be preserved in systematical works; though sometimes at the expense of particular propriety.

Among other derivatives I have been careful to insert and elucidate the anomalous plurals of nouns and preterites of verbs, which in the Teutonic dialects are very frequent, and, though familiar to those who have always used them, interrupt and embarrass the learners of our Janguage.

Our knowledge of the northern literature in so scanty, that of words undoubtedly Teutonic, the original is not always to be found in any an cient language; and I have therefore inserted Dutch or Gerinan substitutes, which I consider not as radical, but parallel, not as the parents, but sisters of the English.

The words which are represented as thus re lated by descent or cognation, do not always agree in sense; for it is incident to words, as to their authors, to degenerate from their ancestors, and to change their manners when they change their country. It is sufficient, in etymological inquiries, if the senses of kindred words be found such as may easily pass into each other, or such as may both be referred to one general idea.

The two languages from which our primitives have been derived are the Roman and Teutonic: under the Roman I comprehend the French and provincial tongues; and under the Teutonic range the Saxon, German, and all their kindred | dialects. Most of our polysyllables are Roman, The etymology, so far as it is yet known, was and our words of one syllable are very often easily found in the volumes, where it is particu Teutonic. larly and professedly delivered; and, by proper attention to the rules of derivation, the ortho graphy was soon adjusted. But to collect the Words of our language, was a task of greater difficulty: the deficiency of dictionaries was immediately apparent; and when they were exhausted, what was yet wanting must be sought by fortuitous and unguided excursions into books, and gleaned as industry should find, or chance should offer it, in the boundless chaos of a living speech. My search, however, has been either skilful or lucky; for I have much aug mented the vocabulary.

In assigning the Roman original, it has perhaps sometimes happened that I have mentioned only the Latin, when the word was borrowed from the French; and considering myself as employed only in the illustration of my own language, I have not been very careful to observe whether the Latin word be pure or barbarous, or the French elegant or obsolete.

For the Teutonic etymologies, I am commonly indebted to Junius and Skinner, the only names which I have forborne to quote when I copied their books; not that I might appropriate their labours or usurp their honours, but that I might spare a perpetual repetition by one general acknowledgment. Of these, whom I ought not to mention but with the reverence due to instructors and benefactors, Junius appears to have excelled in extent of learning, and Skinner in rectitude of understanding. Junius was accurately skilled in all the northern languages, Skinner probably examined the ancient and remoter dialects only by occasional inspection into dictionaries; but the learning of Junius is often of no other use than to show him a track by which he may deviate from his purpose, to which Skinner always presses forward by the shortest way. Skinner is often ignorant, but never ridiculous: Junius is always full of knowledge; but his variety distracts his judgment, and his learning is very frequently disgraced by his absurdities.

As my design was a dictionary, common or appellative, I have omitted all words which have relation to proper names; such as Arian, Socinian, Calvinist, Benedictine, Mahometan; but have retained those of a more general nature, as Heathen, Pagan.

Of the terms of art I have received such as could be found either in books of science or technical dictionaries; and have often inserted, from philosophical writers, words which are supported perhaps only by a single authority, and which being not admitted into general use, stand yet as candidates or probationers, and must depend for their adoption on the suffrage of futurity.

The words which our authors have introduced by their knowledge of foreign languages, or ig

deniq; flexu sisq; angustissimarum viarum arefrac tibus includebantur, fieri potest id genus limites bas sicuti tradit Hesychius, vocabantur el retot kai po vy dici ab eo quod Bavvara et Bévvarpa Tarentiuis olim, doi, oblique ac minimè in rectum tendentes vix." Ac fortasse quoque hue fact quod Barots, eodem Hesychio teste, dicebant son orayyan, montes arduos.

The votaries of the northern muses will not perhaps easily restrain their indignation, when they find the name of Junius thus degraded by a disadvantageous comparison; but whatever reverence is due to his diligence, or his attain-scio an sint ab ipis vel éperat. Vomo, evomo, vomi u EMPTY, emtie, vacuus, inanis. A. S. Emtig. Ne ments, it can be no criminal degree of censori- ev cuo. Videtur interim etymologiam hanc non el seu è ousness to charge that etymologist with want of firmare codex Rush. Mat. xii, 44, ubi antiquè seriptum judgment, who can seriously derive dream from invenimus, A. S. gemocted hit emetig. drama, because life is a drama, and a drama is a dream; and who declares with a tone of defiance, that no man can fail to derive moan from Hovos, monos, single or solitary, who considers, that grief naturally loves to be alone.*

* That I may not appear to have spoken too irre. ferently of Junius, I have here subjoined a few specimens of his etymological e travagince. BANISH, religare, ex banno cel territorio exigere, in ex lium agere G. bannir. It. band re, bandeggiare. H. tandir. B. bannen. Evi medii scriptores bannire dicebant. V. Spelm in Bannum et in Banleuga. Quoniam ver regionem urbiumq; limites arduis plerumq; montibus, altis fuminibus, longis

vacantem."

"Invenit cam

HILL, mons, collis. A. S. hyll. Quod videri potest abscissum ex kom vel kolorós. Collis, tumclus, larus in plano editior. Hom. II. . v. 911. jer či teg Tattoos sws aizsla kodwrŋ. Ubi authori brevium scholiorum

πολυνη exp. τόπος εἰς ύψος ἀνήκων γεωλογίας έξοχη

NAP, to take a nap. Dormire, condormiscere. Cyra heppinn. A. S. hnappan. Quod postremum videri po test desumptum ex xvidas, obscuritas, tenebræ : nihil enim que solet conciliare somnum, quàm caliginusa profund noctis obscuritas.

STAMMERER, balbus. blesus. Goth. STAMMS. A S. stamer, stamur. D. stam. B stameler. Su. stamma Isl. stamr. Sunt a crapulae vel erepekkar, nimià Luqua citate alios offendere; quod impedite loquentes libentis sime garrire soleant; vel quòd aliis nimiisemper videað tur, etiam parcissimè loquentes