A Source for Dr. Johnson's Self-Referential Entry "Lexicographer"

A Source for Dr. Johnson's Self-Referential Entry "Lexicographer"

Samuel Johnson is celebrated for his witty definitions and perhaps none is better known than that for "lexicographer": a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words. Michael Adams observes that Johnson was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ANQ (Lexington, Ky.) Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 17 - 19
Main Author: Sayers, William
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-2013
Taylor & Francis Inc
Subjects:
Bilingual dictionaries
Dictionaries
English language
French language
Johnson, Samuel (1709-1784)
Politeness
Writers
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Samuel Johnson is celebrated for his witty definitions and perhaps none is better known than that for "lexicographer": a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words. Michael Adams observes that Johnson was not the first to compose clever lexical entries and cites Randle Cotgrave's definition of "brunet" in his "French-English Dictionary", deriving his reference to the "nut-brown girl" from popular balladry. Jonathon Green cautions that Johnson's entry was only ironically a piece of eighteenth-century politeness, another expression of the well-known topos of authorial modesty.
ISSN:0895-769X
1940-3364
DOI:10.1080/0895769X.2013.749175