Dr.Johnson's Dictionary in Miniature

今里 智晃

広島大学総合科学部紀要. V, 言語文化研究

Bulletin of the Faculty of Integrated Arts and Science, Hiroshima University. V, Studies in Language and Culture

More than hundred 'Johnson's' dictionaries have so far been published not only in English but in other countries, and there are numerous books and articles on Johnson's Dictionary. But few have referred to Johnson's Dictionary in Miniature; nor were there any books or articles on it. Fortunately, however, I've got one copy of Johnson's Dictionary in Miniature, which was published in 1806.

Johnson's Dictionary (1755) has 41,677 entries, whereas Johnson's Dictionary in Miniature 23,439 entries. The latter is about half as large as the former. It is true that the miniature dictionary is small in the literal sense of the word, but this one says in ADVERTISEMENT that 'more obsolete Excrescences of Johnson, and other eminent Lexicographers, are here exchanged for many additional scientific and literary Terms not current in their Time.' What kind of words were newly adopted there?

'The first step in making a dictionary,' wrote J.R. Hulbert, 'is the determination of its scope.' The secret of making a good dictionary, therefore, lies in determining what words to adopt as well as what words to delete. This paper aims to examine the difference of vocabulary these two dictionaries have. First of all, scores of words are enumerated, none of which we can find in Johnson's Dictionary. Then, they are to be considered from the viewpoint of meaning and the range of use.

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広島大学総合科学部

[ISSN] 0385-1494

[NCID] AN00077749