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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
- Condition
- Armorial bookplate and stamped family coat of arms of Alexander Peckover Doyle Penrose on the front pastedown of each volume alo
- Seller
-
Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: J. F. and C. Rivington, et al., 1785. Seventh Edition. Hardcover. Armorial bookplate and stamped family coat of arms of Alexander Peckover Doyle Penrose on the front pastedown of each volume along with the bookplate of defunct Upsala College which closed in 1995. The only other library marking is a small, unobtrusive ink stamp on the verso of the title page of the first volume. Attractive, clean, Near Fine. The First Unabridged Single Folio Volume edition, here bound in two tall folio (11-1/4" x 17-3/4") volumes, each with a title page, in contemporary tree calf leather neatly rebacked with the original gilt-decorated spines with matching red morocco spine labels; with engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson dated 1787. Printed immediately following Johnson's death in 1784. 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 #
- 021157
- 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 - Armorial bookplate and stamped family coat of arms of Alexander Peckover Doyle Penrose on the front pastedown of each volume alo
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Seventh Edition
- Publisher
- J. F. and C. Rivington, et al.
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1785
- 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:
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...
- 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...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- 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...
- 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....
- 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...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- 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,...
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