Oxford English Dictionary Definitions

Peek in the Fabulous World of Dictionaries

Lexicography is an important branch of linguistics, that covers the theory and the practice of compilation of the dictionaries. The history of lexicography of the English language goes as early as the Old English period where its first tracks are found in the form of a the lusters of religious books with the translation between the lines of Latin. The bilingual uniform anglais-latin dictionaries already existed in the 15th century.

The first unilingual English dictionary, explaining apparent words in 1604. His objective was to explain difficult words. His title was "AN Alphabetical one of Table, containing and teaching the true writing and understanding English normal strong words borrowed Hebrew, More greek, More latin or More french". The volume of 120 pages explaining almost 3000 words was compiled by Robert Cawdrey, one teaching.

The first attempt to a bigger dictionary including all the words of the language, not only the a difficult one, was done by the internal Course of Nathaniel. It published the first edition of English Dictionary, Etymologique and Universal in 1721. The it was the first one to include the pronunciation and the etymology.

The big first explanatory dictionary "A dictionary of the English language in which the words are concluded of their original ones and illustrated in their meanings general by the examples of the better writers" was compiled by Dr. Samuel Johnson and published in 1755. The innovation more important of this dictionary was the introduction of illustrations of the direction of the words by the examples of the better writers. The pronunciation was not marked, because Samuel Johnson was a lot sure one of the big variety of the English pronunciation and thought it impossible to regulate a norm there. There remained an undisputable authority for more than 75 years.

The is a question OF now of lexicography began in the last quarter of the 19 centuries when the Philologique Corporation English began treating the compilation of THE Oxford Dictionary English. The objective was to trace the development of the English words of their original form in the Old English. Where they were not found in the Old English, it was showed when they introduced in the language. For the words and the direction that already became desuet dates back to it the last event is furnished. The English of G. Chaucer, Bible and W. Shakespeare is given the also a lot of attentions as that of the modern authors. The work achievement demanded more than 75 years. The result is a type of encyclopedia of the used language not only for the reference but also as a basis for the research of lexicological.

Curious enough, the first American dictionary of the English language was compiled by a man of which the name was also Samuel Johnson. Samuel Johnson, one teaching Connecticut, published in 1798 a small authorized book "A school dictionary". This book was followed in 1800 by another dictionary by the same author, that already showed some signs of Americanization.

The it was Noah Webster, considered to be universally the father of American lexicography, that has incarnate in his book the usage in particular American of his time. His big work, The American Dictionary of the English Language, appeared in two volumes in 1828 and supported later numerous revisions. In a lot of respects N. Webster follows the advance of S. Johnson, the British lexicographer. But it improved also and corrected a lot of definitions of Johnson. It attempted to simplify the spelling and the pronunciation that were current in the MADE use of the period. It consecrated a lot of years to the collection of words and the preparation of the precise definitions.

Webster is realized language importance for the development of a nation, and it consecrated his energy to give the American the statute of an independent language, distinct of the British English. At that very moment the idea was progressive as it helped the unification of separated states in a nation.

The dictionary of Webster appreciated the big popularity of its first editions. This popularity was because of not only precision and the clarity of definitions but also to additional wealth of information of encyclopedic character, that had become a tradition in American lexicography.

Little apreds the death of Webster two George of editors and booksellers and Charles Merriam, obtained the rights of his dictionary of his family and began the edition of editions of only volumes revised under the name merriam-webster.