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A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: IN WHICH THE WORDS ARE DEDUCED FROM THEIR ORIGINALS, AND ILLUSTRATED IN THEIR DIFFERENT SIGNIFICATIONS BY EXAMPLES FROM THE BEST WRITERS. To Which Are Prefixed, A History of the Language, and an English Grammar
by JOHNSON, Samuel
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Volume 1 title page with small paper repair to upper fore-edge; volume 2 title page damp-stained; occasional light spotting, the
- Seller
-
Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: W. Strahan for J. Knapton et al., 1755. First Edition. Hardcover. Volume 1 title page with small paper repair to upper fore-edge; volume 2 title page damp-stained; occasional light spotting, the second volume with occasional light marginal damp-staining. Near Fine, attractive copy. Two tall, thick folio (10-1/2" x 17") volumes, each with a title page, in contemporary calf leather neatly rebacked with the original spines with contrasting red and black morocco spine labels. The true First Edition of Johnson's great literary labor, a monument of industry and talent [and] the unrivalled authority for the English language (COURTNEY AND SMITH, page 54) and the most amazing, enduring and endearing one-man feat in the field of lexicography (PRINTING AND THE MIND OF MAN). SLATE contributor Adam Kirsch in a 2003 NPR broadcast said this about Johnson's DICTIONARY: "The modern dictionary's ideal reader is a Martian scientist: someone with no background knowledge who wants a unique definition for every word. Johnson's dictionary, on the other hand, implies a reader much like Johnson himself: a curious and intelligent English speaker who wants to gain a fuller sense of words he already knows. Johnson clearly recognizes the paradox of the dictionary-- you have to know most of what's in it in order to use it" ("Slate's Culturebox: Johnson's 18th-Century English," DAY TO DAY, 24 September 2003).
Synopsis
Surprising, colorful, and long-forgotten entries from the most famous dictionary in the history of the English language Samuel Johnson's best-known work, A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), is the most influential and idiosyncratic lexicon ever written and was used by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, the Brontës and the Brownings, Thomas Hardy and Oscar Wilde. This anthology includes 4,000 of the most representative, entertaining, and historically fascinating entries, covering subjects from fashion to food, science to sex, and given in full with original spelling and examples of usage from Shakespeare to Milton.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Charles Agvent
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 021535
- Title
- A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: IN WHICH THE WORDS ARE DEDUCED FROM THEIR ORIGINALS, AND ILLUSTRATED IN THEIR DIFFERENT SIGNIFICATIONS BY EXAMPLES FROM THE BEST WRITERS. To Which Are Prefixed, A History of the Language, and an English Grammar
- Author
- JOHNSON, Samuel
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Volume 1 title page with small paper repair to upper fore-edge; volume 2 title page damp-stained; occasional light spotting, the
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- W. Strahan for J. Knapton et al.
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1755
- Keywords
- 18th Century Literature, High Spots, Dictionary, English Language, Samuel Johnson, Classics
- Bookseller catalogs
- 18th Century Literature; High Spots; Dictionaries; Dictionary;
Terms of Sale
Charles Agvent
All books subject to prior sale. Payment with order; institutions may be billed. Postage additional: $11.00 for the first book, $6.00 each thereafter. Overseas postage billed at approximate cost. Pennsylvania residents must add 6% sales tax. Mastercard, Visa, and American Express accepted. We are also open to reasonable payment terms. A book may be returned within 7 days of receipt for any reason provided it is in the same condition as sent and prior notice is given. Please insure returns for their full value.
About the Seller
Charles Agvent
Biblio member since 2003
Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
About Charles Agvent
We carry a diverse and select stock with major specialties including Modern and 19th Century Literary First Editions, Signed Books & Autographs (especially Presidential and Literary), and Limited Editions Club books. We have been in business since 1987 and are proud to be members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB).
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Folio
- A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
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