Lexicography

supporters of the Reformation that even the most humble Englishman should be
able to understand the Scriptures [the Bible]. The schoolmasters also had a
strong interest in the development of dictionaries.
The 1 st unilingual English dictionary “A Table Alphabetical of Hard Words” by
a schoolmaster Robert Cawdrey appeared in 1604. It consisted of but one
hundred and twenty pages, where he set forth the proper spelling and meaning of
some 3.000 words. It was for ladies or any other unskillful person.
It included archaic words, Latin non frequent borrowings and even slang jargon
words.The fifth period of EL deals with dictionaries of difficult words(17c).
John Kersey was the 1 st lexicographer who had paid attention to the simpliest
common words publishing his “A New English Dictionary: or, a lompleat
Collection of Most Proper and Significant Words, Commonly Used in
Language…” in London in 1702.
The son of Milton’s sister Anne, Edward Phillips, published his “New World of
Words in 1658. After his death “The New World of Words: or a Universal
English Dictionary” was brought out by John Kersey in London 1706, this
edition is called “the Dictionary of Kersey-Phillips”. It included a considerable
number of obsolete words, chiefly from Spenser and his contempoparies, in
some cases erroneously explained.
The notion that an English Dictionary ought to contain all English words had
apparently as yet occurred to no one ; but this farther step in the evolution of
modern dictionary was now about to be made, and the man who made it, was
one of most deserving in the annals of English lexicography. Nathaniel Bailey
was famous his “Universal Etymological English Dictionary, published in 1721.
He aimed at including all English words; yet not for the were boast of
“completeness”, but for a practical purpose, pointing out words etymology and
pronunciation. So the 6 th stage of El is characterized by preparing an
explanatory dictionary of the English national language.
10