You don't specify what "technique" you are focusing upon,
so I will assume that you mean his overall approach to creating the Dictionary entries.
Johnson had an amazing sense of humor and sarcastic tone. He begins with an
introduction to the work, explaining that there are bound to be mistakes, that the work
will be archaic the day after it is published due to the ever-changing nature of
language, and that he makes no excuses. After years of collecting examples from
published works, he put together each entry with painstaking precision, personal quips
and commentary, humor, and sarcasm. Each entry includes the standardized spelling of
the word in question, the definition and examples of the way the word is used from
contemporary authors, the Bible, and other publications. A careful study of a handful
of entries will give the discerning reader more than enough evidence of all these
factors. My favorites include "patron," "oats," "lexicographer," and "ketchup." I'm
sure you will find others that amuse you just as much.
Good
Luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment