Category: Experiences

by Krista Ruffo The Man, The Legend, The Lexicographer Samuel Johnson was an 18th-century scholar who suffered all his life from poor mental and physical health, was financially insecure most of his life, endured the death of his wife, and had to drop out of Oxford and never return due to limited funds from his family. Yet through his depression,...

by Dariannie Merced-Calderon Samuel Johnson was an 18th century English writer, lexicographer, and literary figure who made significant contributions to English literature and language. Johnson’s most prominent contribution was his dictionary titled “A Dictionary of the English Language.” At a time where English was not standardized, Johnson’s dictionary was the most comprehensive English dictionary at the time and was the...

by Bianca Zoe Jimenez (they/them/theirs) Johnson’s Dictionary: A Brief Introduction Samuel Johnson crafted the most prolific comprehensive English dictionaries of his time. Unbeknownst to him, Johnson wrote a historic book that exists as a snapshot into the political, social, and cultural landscape of the 18th century. Prior to writing his magnum opus, Johnson was also an essayist, poet, and playwright....

by Elora Hayes I was a volunteer on the project last semester, so I believe I wrote a reflection on the project before. I worked primarily on proofreading since I am a volunteer and typically don’t have a huge workload. I really enjoy proofreading anyways so this was a good way for me to learn and practice those skills. We...

by Annalea Flores Over the course of the Spring 2023 semester, I had the chance to work on Samuel Johnson’s dictionary. There was much that I learned, not only about the dictionary and the English language but also about myself and my skills. Who is Johnson? I’ll Do You One Better: Why is Johnson? If somebody had asked me who...

by Manelaine So, Samuel Johnson was a writer in the 1700s. He wrote many works, but the most influential work of his-the reason we have this course today-is his Dictionary of the English Language. This dictionary is super important, because it set a precedent for how every other dictionary should be done. Without Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language, our...

by Michelana Cox This is not my first reflection, but it is my favorite. I am really excited that the 1773 edition has been released this semester. This was seeing work that I have been doing with others for two semesters become public and that was a highlight to working on this project. This semester we used YellowDig for our...

by Isabella Ciraco What can I say about my experience being a part of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary Project Team? Well, take a seat, because there’s a lot to say! It isn’t all about clicking back and forth a million times between the administrative page and spreadsheet, and occasionally Exide…although, it was a good chunk of it! It is about being...

by Hannah Faith Benton Samuel Johnson and one of his most famous works are the sole reason this project exists. Throughout his life in the 18th century, Johnson was a distinguished writer who made lasting contributions in various literary outlets from poems to plays. It comes as no surprise that this remarkable writer became the father of A Dictionary of...

by Katherine Weiss Samuel Johnson and His Dictionary of the English Language As Spring 2023 comes to a close, so does my second semester as a Samuel Johnson Dictionary Project team member. In the Fall, I served as a volunteer, dipping my toes into Johnson’s world as I proofread and quotation-matched. In the Spring, I became a full-fledged team member,...