This expanded and completely updated new edition includes: The Longman Pronunciation Dictionary is the most up-to-date, comprehensive and authoritative pronunciation dictionary available. ISBN 8 X (cased edition), 7 1 (paperback edition). 199–200).Longman Pronunciation Dictionary LONGMAN PRONUNCIATION DICTIONARY Paul’s Cathedral each the work of one man, each the work of an Englishman” (quoted by Henry Hitchings, Dr. The national pride taken in the dictionary was expressed by the poet Christopher Smart when he wrote in the Universel Visitor: “I look upon with equal amazement, as I do upon St. Yet it was always to be called “Johnson’s Dictionary” – and was as much his greatest monument as St.

Since it was now owned by the booksellers who had paid him £1,575 in advance, publication by no means saved him from poverty. 213).Īs his use of 114,000 illustrative quotations shows, Johnson clearly intended to combine lexicography with entertainment and instruction this was the only work he called “my Book” (Letters I: 71). Boswell called it a work of “superior excellence” and “much greater mental labour, than mere Lexicons, or Word Books as the Dutch call them” (Life of Johnson: An Edition of the Original Manuscript. Helped by a succession of needy amanuenses who worked in the surprisingly spacious garret of his house in Gough Square, he experienced the death of his mother and underwent agonies of procrastination before finally completing the task in his 46th year. The creation of the dictionary was Johnson’s greatest literary labour. Restoration to joints and hinges, some rubbing, small scratches and dents to spine and sides, residual red wax seals to both pastedowns, partial offset tanning from turn-ins, light spotting to some endleaves, leaves lightly cockled throughout but on the whole internally rather fresh, and generally a handsome copy in very good condition.įirst edition of this most famous of English dictionaries, in an extremely handsome contemporary binding.

Salvin Esq, of Croxdale Hall, to both copies. Contemporary spotted full calf, spines elaborately gilt-tooled in compartments with raised bands and tan title labels, red speckled edges.Title page in red and black. Presented by Sammy Jay, Rare Books Specialist at Peter Harrington Rare Books.Ģ volumes, folio (400 × 254 mm). You can view our first edition of the Dictionary of the English Language here. A Dictionary of the English Language, Samuel Johnson.

Longmans english dictionary