{"id":1858,"date":"2024-04-19T09:12:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T13:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/?page_id=1858"},"modified":"2024-05-03T16:18:32","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T20:18:32","slug":"guide-to-dictionary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/guide-to-dictionary\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Dictionary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Printed dictionaries fit a great deal of information into a small space using conventions that were pioneered by Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em>. This guide explains important features of Johnson\u2019s dictionary entries as they appear in the facsimile images and in the transcribed text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson\u2019s Dictionary Editions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Johnson\u2019s Dictionary Online provides transcriptions of the 1755 edition and the 1773 edition. Our Search page allows the user to expand or narrow their search between the two editions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1755 Edition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The 1755 edition is the first published edition of Johnson\u2019s Dictionary. Johnson\u2019s two volume dictionary was published on April 15, 1755 in folio format. See About Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/a> for more information on the development of Johnson\u2019s Dictionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1773 Edition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The 1773 edition is the fourth edition of Johnson\u2019s Dictionary. This edition followed the publication of two abridged versions of Johnson\u2019s Dictionary. The 1773 folio edition provided significant revisions to Johnson\u2019s dictionary, including new headwords, quotations, and senses. See About Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/a> for more information on the development of Johnson\u2019s Dictionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spelling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spelling in the 18th century was more variable than modern spelling. Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> spells many words, even proper names, in more than one way. Our transcription corrects obvious typographical errors but otherwise preserves Johnson\u2019s spelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standardization of the Letter “S”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One exception is the change from the long \u201c\u0283\u201d character. Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> includes the long \u201c\u0283\u201d character, a form of the letter s. Our transcription uses \u201cs\u201d throughout, to make reading and searching the dictionary easier for modern readers. For example, the word \u201cdi\u0283tinct\u201d is transcribed as \u201cdistinct” (as shown in the figures below).<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Distinct"
Example of Transcription Using the Standard “s” Character.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\""Distinct"
“Distinct” Entry Showing the Use of the Long “S” Character<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Variations in 18th Century Spelling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our database allows the user to retrieve entries with their modern spelling. For example, the entry for “usquebaugh” can be retrieved via headword search for “whiskey” or “whisky.” Note that spelling variation can also cause variation in alphabetical order (see Variations in Order of Entries<\/a> for exceptions). For guidance on searching words with variations in spelling, see Use Wildcards to Facilitate Searches<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alphabetical Order<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 18th century alphabet differed somewhat from our modern alphabet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 18th century, the letters I and J were considered different forms of the same letter; the same with letters U and V. As a result, in Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> the word jargon<\/em> comes before the word idle<\/em>, and vagabond<\/em> comes before ultimate<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entries With Multiple Headwords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, Johnson links multiple headwords together to the same definition. In these cases, the word is normally alphabetized by the first headword. For example, the entry shown in the figure below contains the headwords lady-bird<\/em>, lady-cow<\/em>, and lady-fly<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Headwords
Example of an Entry with Multiple Headwords<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Variations in Order of Entries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> groups words together outside of alphabetical order as shown in the image below. If you can\u2019t find a word where you expect it on a facsimile page, look at the nearby pages.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Dictionary
Example of Entries Listed in Non-Alphabetical Order<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Headword<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The headword is the word being defined. Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> lists headwords in alphabetical order, as in a modern dictionary (see Variations in Order of Entries<\/a> for exceptions).<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Fantastically"
Example of Headword<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sometimes these words are preceded by \u201cto,\u201d \u201ca,\u201d or \u201cthe,\u201d a practice that was common in the eighteenth century but does not affect the alphabetical order.\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Headword Format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Johnson\u2019s Dictionary displays each headword using all capital letters. See the table below for descriptions of the different headword formats and their variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Headword Format<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Large Capital Letters<\/td>\n\n

Headwords in all capital letters represent the standard entry in Johnson\u2019s Dictionary. <\/p>\n

\""Fumid"
Example of Headword with Large Capital Letters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Small Capital Letters<\/td>\n\n

Johnson lists headwords that he considered to be derived from another English word in small capital letters. <\/p>\n

\""Fumingly"
Example of Headword with Small Capital Letters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Italicized Capital Letters<\/td>\n\n

Headwords that Johnson considered to be more foreign than English are italicized. <\/p>\n

\""Fumette"
Example of Headword with Italicized Capital Letters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nTable of Headword Styles<\/em><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In headwords, Johnson places an accent mark in the syllable that receives the most stress. The accent mark gives information for pronouncing the word, but the mark is not part of the word\u2019s normal spelling. When the word is used within the entry itself, the accent mark does not appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress is the relative emphasis with which syllables of a word are spoken. Sometimes different parts of speech are distinguished chiefly by which syllable is stressed. Imagine the difference in stress between saying the word \u201cabstract\u201d AB-stract<\/em> versus saying it ab-STRACT<\/em>. The following figures show how the last syllable is stressed in the verb “abstract”, while the first syllable is stressed in the noun.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""To
Example of Headword with Emphasis on the Last Syllable<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\""Abstract"
Example of Headword with Emphasis on the First Syllable<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Homograph<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unrelated words can have the same spelling. These identically spelled words are called homographs<\/em>. Each homograph has its own entry in the dictionary. For example, Johnson provides two entries for two nouns that are spelled \u201cdoe” (shown in the following figure). The existence of two entries means that Johnson considered these homographs to be two different words.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Homographs
Example of Homographs Listed as Two Entries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Homographs in Search Results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By contrast, Johnson lists different senses (meanings) of the same word under the same headword. For example, the word \u201cdog\u201d has four different senses. The fact that all these senses are contained in the same entry means that Johnson considered \u201cdog\u201d to be one noun with four possible meanings, not four different nouns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our search results, homographs are listed separately, distinguished by their parts of speech and (when multiple homographs have the same part of speech) by number. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Search
Example of Entries in Search Results Showing Parts of Speech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Part of Speech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A part of speech<\/em> is the label for a word\u2019s grammatical role, such as noun, verb, etc. To view an entry’s part of speech, click the circled “i” beside the part of speech.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Fairy"
Example of Part of Speech Information Button<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The labels used in the eighteenth century differ somewhat from modern labels. The table below identifies some labels that Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> commonly uses, along with their modern equivalents (if different).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Abbreviation<\/strong><\/td>\n18th Century<\/strong><\/td>\nModern<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
ad. or adj.<\/em><\/td>\nadjective<\/td>\nadjective<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
adv.<\/em><\/td>\nadverb<\/td>\nadverb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
conj.<\/em><\/td>\nconjunction<\/td>\nconjunction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
interj. or interject.<\/i><\/td>\ninterjection<\/td>\ninterjection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
n.s.<\/em><\/td>\nnoun substantive<\/td>\nnoun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
prep. or <\/em>preposition.<\/i><\/td>\npreposition<\/td>\npreposition<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
pron.<\/em><\/td>\npronoun<\/td>\npronoun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
v.a.<\/em><\/td>\nverb active<\/td>\nverb – transitive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
v.n.<\/em><\/td>\nverb neuter<\/td>\nverb – intransitive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nTable of Parts of Speech<\/em><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Etymology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> typically gives a word\u2019s etymology<\/em>, or ancestry, in square brackets after the part-of-speech label as shown in the following figure. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Hotcockles"
Example of Etymology Identified in Square Brackets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Most of Johnson\u2019s etymologies list only an etymon (ancestor) or two. Sometimes the etymology is explained elsewhere in the entry and not in brackets as shown in the figure below.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Maere"
Example of Etymology Described in the Entry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Revisions to Greek and Saxon Etymologies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We transcribe the Greek and Saxon letters in Johnson\u2019s etymologies with their modern equivalents to make reading and searching easier, except that Saxon eth (\u00d0, \u00f0) and thorn (\u00de, \u00fe) (which would now be spelled with two letters, \u201cth\u201d) have been preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\""Acephalous"
Example of Greek Letters in Johnson’s Dictionary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\""Acephalous"
Example of Greek Letters in Transcription<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Languages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Language names in the 18th century differed somewhat from modern language names. Our transcription retains Johnson\u2019s names; we do not modernize any language names. The table below identifies some of the language names referenced in Johnson’s Dictionary that might confuse readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Language Name<\/strong><\/td>\nModern Name<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Armorick<\/em><\/td>\nOld Breton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Erse<\/em><\/td>\nIrish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frisick<\/em><\/td>\nFrisian<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
old English<\/em><\/td>\nMiddle English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Persick<\/em><\/td>\nPersian\/Farsi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saxon<\/em><\/td>\nOld English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Teutonick<\/em><\/td>\nGerman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nTable of Dictionary Language Names and Modern Equivalents<\/em><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Usage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Johnson often adds additional context on how words should be used. His usage advice sometimes is set off by square brackets but can show up anywhere in the entry.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""A
Example of Usage Displayed Inside Brackets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The following figure on the left provides an example of a usage description contained within square brackets. The following figure on the right provides an example of additional context appearing in the entry without brackets.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""A
Example of Usage Displayed without Brackets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Understanding Johnson\u2019s Usage Terminology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some of Johnson\u2019s usage terminology had meanings that may be unfamiliar to modern readers. Refer to the table below for a list of Johnson\u2019s usage terminology and their definitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Word<\/strong><\/td>\nDefinition<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
bad<\/em><\/td>\ngenerally disfavored or looked down upon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
barbarous<\/em><\/td>\nimpure or unsuited to English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cant<\/em><\/td>\nspecialized jargon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
country<\/em><\/td>\neither rural or uneducated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
low<\/em><\/td>\nundignified; not appropriate for formal writing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
low Latin<\/em><\/td>\npost-classical or medieval Latin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ludicrous<\/em><\/td>\nfunny, not serious<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
rustick<\/em><\/td>\nlike \u201ccountry,\u201d either rural or uneducated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
scarce English<\/em><\/td>\nmore foreign than English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
unauthorized<\/em><\/td>\nnot supported by a respected writer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nTable of Usage Terminology<\/em><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inflected Forms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In English, inflected forms are normally easy to predict. English has comparatively few inflections and many of them are created in a regular manner: for example, we add \u2013s or \u2013es to nouns, -ed and \u2013ing to verbs, -er and \u2013est to adjectives and adverbs. When inflections are less predictable, Johnson sometimes lists them near the beginning of the entry as shown in the following figure.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""To
Inflected Forms Identified in “To Smite” Entry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Senses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many words, particularly common words, have more than one meaning. Each of these meanings is called a sense<\/em><\/strong>, and Johnson, like modern lexicographers, numbers the different senses in each entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transcription Updates to Senses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Occasionally in the print volumes, sense numbers appear out of order. For ease of reference, our transcribed text corrects errors when the intended numbering seems obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phrasal Verb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A phrasal verb<\/em><\/strong> is an idiomatic phrase that is typically made up of a verb plus a preposition or an adverb. Johnson includes these phrases in the entry for the verb. He typically lists these phrasal senses near the end of the entry. For example, in the entry for Set, v.n.<\/em>, the last ten senses define phrases such as to set about, to set in, to set on, to set out, to set up<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illustrative Quotations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> illustrates definitions with quotations showing the word in use. These quotations\u2014more than 110,000 of them, drawn from respected writers in diverse fields including agriculture, religion, ship-building, literature, politics, medicine, print-making, history, chemistry, etc.\u2014were considered one of the most valuable features of the folio editions. These quotations are indented in the transcription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viewing Quotation Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Johnson frequently edited quotations and abbreviated the names of authors and titles that he was quoting. Where possible, our online edition identifies the author and title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To view information about the author and\/or title, click on the circled \u201ci\u201d after the name\/title.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Fairy"
Example of Author\/Title Information Button<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cross-References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To save space in the print edition, Johnson avoided duplicating information. When additional information about one entry can be found in another entry, Johnson\u2019s Dictionary<\/em> provides a cross-reference to let readers know where to look for it as shown in the following figure.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Fantasy"
Example of Cross-Reference in Dictionary Entry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Viewing Cross-References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our transcription links Johnson\u2019s cross-references to their respective entry (shown in the figure below). To view the entry, click on the cross reference in our transcription. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Fantasy"
Example of Transcription with Link to Cross-Reference<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Printed dictionaries fit a great deal of information into a small space using conventions that were pioneered by Johnson\u2019s Dictionary. This guide explains important features of Johnson\u2019s dictionary entries as they appear in the facsimile images and in the transcribed text. Johnson\u2019s Dictionary Editions Johnson\u2019s Dictionary Online provides transcriptions of the 1755 edition and the 1773 edition. Our Search page...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1858","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1858"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1943,"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1858\/revisions\/1943"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}