A Dictionary of the English Language on CD-ROM [CD-ROM]

Samuel Johnson (Author), Anne McDermott (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521557658 | ISBN-13: 978-0521557658 | Publication Date: May 31, 1996

Dr. Johnson's seminal Dictionary of the English Language is one of the most important works ever compiled in English. It remains a major resource and cornerstone of language studies. This is the first electronic edition of this monumental tome. The CD-ROM contains the contents of the First (1755) and Fourth (1773) Editions, which combined, equal over 80,000 entries. The texts are transcribed and formatted so that similar entries may be viewed side-by-side. Software on the CD enables the user to rapidly search either edition for key words, phrases, quotations, and sources. In addition, digitized facsimiles of the original pages are reproduced. Johnson's Dictionary on CD-ROM represents a publishing landmark of its own kind, and will be a valuable tool for English language scholars and lexicographers everywhere. The Johnson Dictionary Project is a collaboration between Cambridge University Press and The University of Birmingham. System Requirements: All CD products (with the exception of The Works of John Ruskin) run identically on PC Windows or Macintosh systems. We recommend the following equipment: PC: 386 or later; Windows 3.1+; 8 Mb of RAM; double-speed CD-ROM drive. Macintosh: System 7 or later; 4 Mb of RAM; double speed CD-ROM drive. The Works of John Ruskin runs only on a PC. We recommend the following specification: 80486-based PC; Windows 3.1+; 4 Mb of RAM (8 Mb preferred); SVGA color monitor; 10 Mb of free hard-disk space; double-speed CD-ROM drive. These products can be presented via a server, but because of technical limitations, it will not always be practical for more than one user at a time to be accessing the data.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Here is a rule of thumb: the larger the manual, the smaller the audience. That is not always the case, of course, but it is true here. This disc includes the first (1755) and the fourth (1783) editions of Johnson's famous dictionary, viewable in both the original and in SGML text. Both versions can be displayed side-by-side to compare the changes. Search headwords, quotations, quoted authors, and definitions. Bottom Line: This is not for the novice: the audience will be a small group of scholars who will find it quite valuable. Recommended for research libraries.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"If Johnson's Dictionary represented a triumph within the technological limitations of his day, this CD-ROM is a triumph in opening up a great work to the computer age....Everyone with an interest in the English language should buy this disc." Jonathan Clark, History Today

"This superb CD-ROM now makes available transcriptions and facsimiles of the full text of both important editions of the Dictionary, the first (1755) and the fourth (1773)....it is indispensable for research collections, and it should prove valuable even to upper-division undergraduates." J.T. Lynvh, Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• CD-ROM
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521557658
• ISBN-13: 978-0521557658
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,347,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A mammoth achievement, in a convenient format, January 27, 2000

By 

Frank Lynch "frank_lynch" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dictionary of the English Language on CD-ROM (CD-ROM)

No, Samuel Johnson did not write the first English Dictionary. Let's dispense with that up front. However, he did write an incredibly high quality one, the first high quality English Dictionary actually, and he did it practically singlehandedly. (For the details of the effort, please see "The Making of Johnson's Dictionary," by Reddick, also available here at Amazon.)

Johnson wrote his Dictionary at a time when people read Dictionaries, not just referred to them. Knowing that, Johnson pursued his goal of putting a stake in the ground as to the meaning of words while developing and promoting a point of view; he was very careful about the quotations he used to illustrate his words, and the choices he made have been the subject of numerous books.

Johnson knew, in writing a Dictionary, that any attempt to cement the language was due to failure, and he said as much in his famous Preface. However, he felt obliged to make an effort (heck, he'd already received some advance money, and had to make good!), and over the course of years produced a volume that reigned supreme until the advent of the Oxford English Dictionary.

(You may already be aware of amusing definitions found within, such as oats, pensioner, etc., but it would be a shame to let the amusement distract you from the achievement that this represents.)

McDermott has included both the 1st and 4th editions on this CD-ROM, thus providing the two major editions Johnson produced (other editions are either skeletons, sans quotations, or very similar to these here), and its presence on CD-ROM makes it mcuh handier than pulling two heavy volumes off the shelf (which would cost you thousands of dollars anyway). I only have two regrets, neither of which should stop you from buying this. One, the CD-ROM does not include Johnson's Preface (it is easily available in paperback Johnson anthologies, but the absence seems pointless). Two, unless I haven't figured the interface out, it's a bit clunky: words are not searchable, one must click sections open.

That being said, I am still very glad I have my copy, and I bought a second for my alma mater.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May not run on Windows Vista, September 13, 2007

By 

Sergio (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dictionary of the English Language on CD-ROM (CD-ROM)

My copy of this product ran wonderfully on Windows XP, but will not install on Windows Vista.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Samuel Johnson's Monumental Dictionary in the 1979 Arno Press Edition, February 1, 2010

By 

Hammond Eggs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dictionary of the English Language (Hardcover)

This huge, wonderful reprint of Samuel Johnson's great English language dictionary (1st edition of 1755) was published in 1979 by Arno Press and is long out of print.

If you are madly in love with the English language, consider adding this remarkable work to your collection. Dr. Johnson was as witty as he was brilliant, and his dictionary, unlike many others, is actually fun to read.

Other reviews here refer to a CD-Rom version. However, if you can find it, and afford it, treat yourself to the book.