In Samuel Johnson’s preface to A Dictionary of the English Language, he makes many strong points about how powerful words are. How powerful are words and language? Why do you think the Johnson begins the preface by commenting on the “fate of the lower employment”? What relation does this have to the dictionary of the English language? Why do you think Johnson includes this sort of preface at all?
ENGL 201 | British Literature to 1800
Myra Seaman | Fall 2012
Language is very important. Without uniform set spelling and uniform words meanings and connotations can be lost. I think that, “fate of the lower employment” refers to the poor or less educated class. One of the things on the Raps pointed out that without some kind of uniformity future generations would not be able to understand writing. The lower classes didn’t have as much access to education and it would be especially important to have uniformity for them. Uniformity would mean the little interaction or opportunity they had would be beneficial. They wouldn’t have the opportunity to speak multiple languages and read rules that were written in french or Latin. I think Johnson realized these things and felt it was important to show this to others.
Without language, a crucial form a communication is lost. As said before, connotations and tone are obscured and meaning is forgotten. Language binds together everyone that uses it, and without it, everyone bound would fall away from one another. The world would be in disarray. If anyone in here has ever read “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler, the story demonstrates what would happen to the world if the ability to utter spoken language were gone. The world has lost the ability to speak and understand the spoken and written word and as a result, humans can only communicate by crude gestures. Although this is an extreme circumstance, it represents the power of language. It can move mountains. Bring people together or tear people apart.
Words and Language are extremely important, it sates the tone of what youre trying to say. There are many words that are synonyms with one another, but some of these words are more powerful then others. Making the statement seem stronger or weaker depending on what the person wants. People are able to communicate because of this. The Fate of the lower employed is the uneducated people of society who did not know many of the words that were being spoken to them, if they were able to understand them they definitely could not spell it. This forced this people to develop the dictionaries so everything would be uniform. It is important to be able to know what each word means in different languages, this way people are able to communicate with one another. Johnson realized this and he wanted to praise the work of the dictionary. However these people are the ones that decide what the words mean. They chose the definitions for Tory and Whigs based upon the social standings of that day.
Words and language are important in every aspect of life, not just the literary world. As the print culture became more popular, language was forced to evolve because other languages were beginning to come into contact with one another. Johnson set the tone for the writing of a dictionary, as his included illustative quotations and definitions which became the protocol in later dictionaries. He belived that the English speech had no order or ruler and this caused confusion throughout the literary world. As we read, there were still many uneducated people in the 18th century and The fate of the lower employed describes their struggle with understanding the english language, especially on paper. It was difficult enough for these people understand educated word, and more difficult learning to spell and read. This is why johnson was eager to make this dictionary, so everyone could be on the same page (no pun), and there was a unifomity about the language and society.
To Johnson, words and language are very powerful as a tool to be able to define and describe the world as it is. He starts the preface with the “fate of the lower employment” because it distinguishes how he is different and trying to good for society by improving the English language, but he is deemed as not being good enough as if he is of the lower part of the social class. It also can be seen as the lower class people itself since they can not prosper in a literal since it was harder for them to read and Johnson’s belief is that the dictionary and bringing upon an orderly style of English so words can have distinct meanings and spellings so it could be understood by all universally. Basically, his hard work of these changes is not being fully recognized and appreciated as it should. Swift is against people like Johnson and looks down upon him because he is for the academic literary style that was used by the French and Italians. Johnson was trying to change this way of aristocratic thinking of the academies. I think Johnson included this preface to get his true intentions of how passionate he was to bring a universal understanding of English for all to understand instead it being just for the middle to upperclassmen.
I think Johnson begins the preface with that phrase as a sort of segue into his depiction of lexicographers. He is saying that, like the lower class who do not receive any sort of applause for their hard work, writers of dictionaries are subject to judgement and a dull task. I think that the preface itself is a great example of the importance of words, or the meanings of the words. Although Johnson writes about how certain words are becoming extinct or created, it is really the implications of the words that is important. This is very evident in Johnson’s definitions. Commenting on what careych posted, the definition of both Tory and Whig show how the two words carry very different implications. His definition of lexicographer also is written in defense of himself. Johnson’s definitions also show his own bias, or at least the bias of the society. I think it is interesting how subjective the definitions are, whereas our dictionaries today remain objective.
I agree with Emily completely. Everyone has pointed out that language is important, which is a pretty obvious point since this is how we communicate. But I think Emily’s point about how words themselves are important is exactly what Johnson was trying to establish. The lower class in this case, the less educated aren’t able to communicate with words the way those who are educated can. And Johnson is trying to show how important these words are to society.
I agree with Emily as well. Although language in general is important as everyone has said, the way language is made important through using it as a separation in between groups. The lower class people cannot communicate as well with the higher class people (or people that are actually educated) because language is different, and although it is technically the same language, the reader sees a language barrier in between different groups. Language was definitely used for more of a differentiation between the educated and those who were not educated.
The emphasis on the importance of words themselves is an interesting look at this topic. Just as Amelia stated above, it is obvious that language is important. But how important words are is a factor that is sometimes overlooked. Johnson is trying to bring to people’s attention how important individual words themselves are and show that there can sometimes be a barrier between different groups of people because of words. I find this to be something that people know and agree with, but don’t take the time to truly understand the depth.
I think it’s important to note that Johnson’s notion of a dictionary, as we’ve stated before, was not to prescribe language but to describe it. In his preface he makes a strong point in saying how words are powerful, just as anyone who has looked at language and how it can be manipulated would understand. Many political forces have utilized language to gain power, among other things. He references the “fate of the lower employment” to suggest that he lower class, with less understanding of the English language, falls victims to such pitfalls of the manipulation of language. Johnson includes such a preface to stress how important it is for there to be a reference for the English language.
I strongly agree with this whole paragraph. Johnson realizes the power of words and their connotations as well as the dangers. He realizes a less educated man can fall victim to a rich man with a contract full of powerful, unknown words. He includes this preface to stress why a dictionary is needed at all.
Language is one of the most important and powerful tools that someone can possess. To be able to speak with eloquence and craft intellectual and emotionally charged sentences gives anyone with those skills an upper hand. Obama for example, takes the speeches written for him and commands a presence on any stage he steps onto, which goes to show that words and language can create something much bigger than they are. Relating this back to Johnson’s preface, I believe he started with “fate of the lower employment” to compare himself to that of the lower class in terms of the lack of respect for the work that they contribute to society. Johnson included a preface such as this to make a statement about his reasoning for crafting a dictionary. He acknowledges that language and words will forever be apt to change, but there needed to be a solid basis to work from. I too, as Emily stated, found it interesting and comical how Johnson used many subjective definitions.
Words and language are constantly evolving and are incredibly important to human society, and Johnson recognizes this. The “fate of the lower employment” refers to the lower class people that are at a disadvantage because they are not granted the same opportunities as those in the upper class. I think Johnson begins the preface by mentioning the fate of the lower employment because he can relate to these people because of his challenges to be accepted as a positive aspect in the evolution of English. Johnson includes a preface because it allows the audience to see his true intention to spread he English language to all of the classes.
As everyone has said, the english language and the abilty to use this language in reading, writing, and speaking is vital to communication amongst peoples and nations. Johnson makes this point clear in his preface and furthers the importance of this point by mentioning “the fate of the lower employment”. He fears that if a large class of people are not able to properly use the language, ignorance will rampant and choas might ensue. By offering this dictionary to the public, he is attempting to help and elevate the English population. I believe he writes this preface so that those who use the dictionary will understand his reasonings and the importance of a dictionary and subsequently the english language.
In addition to these comments, the statement “fate of the lower employment” could refer to the position the author places himself in, for the benefit of other, more acknowledged writers. Johnson stresses the importance and value of words, but he obviously sees “speech copious without order, and energetic without rules.” So he has placed upon himself the drudge undertaking of compiling a resource to aid those who would write for intellectual purposes. He is “driven by the fear of evil” or rather the fear of incompetent authors destroying the English language because they don’t understand how to use the words. The printing press enabled many unqualified authors to become published, especially in frequent periodicals that were very popular with the general public, and these authors had the potential to destroy the valuable meaning of words.
I agree with Kim and the other students.Johnson saw the power that the printing press gave the lower employment and decided to write the dictionary in order to take that power away. Furthermore, I think Johnson’s purpose for writing such a preface was to explain his motive behind the dictionary and settle any debate that might arise. He made a point to acknowledge that despite his dictionary, language and words will still change; it’s futile to think that his creation will be completely successful. I think points like this are made for Johnson’s skeptics.
I think that he chooses to begin with such a preface because he is attempting to take credit in a way for some of his bias. Johnson in many of the words he defines leans in prejudice directions. He is asking his reader to understand that this is not simply a dictionary but an exploration of the history of a language and its structure and grammar. He addresses the versatility of the language and it ability to evolve. He also acknowledges that language is much more powerful than just a means of writing. Its a culture, and an art that goes beyond academics.
One of the reasons language and words are so important is because it is a main feature of a civilized society as well as something all the people of that culture can identify with. Going along with that idea, Johnson talks about the French and Italian academies and how he does not believe that is the right route for the English language. How each culture develops their own language is up to them and defines who they are. In the preface, he states that commerce corrupts language because of “frequent intercourse with strangers” and thus must “learn a mingled dialect.” This sharing and borrowing of words is why a dictionary of the English language is important to have. By taking on this task he equates himself to “the fate of the lower employment” because they both are under appreciated for their work, which has been mentioned in earlier blog posts.
I agree with the argument that essentially began with T’rese’s answer. I think that everyone has been right to point out that language and words are powerful tools for expression and necessary for the interactions of people and the creation of literature, etc. However, I think the real interesting thing here is that Samuel Johnson is writing this seemingly out of frustration at the under appreciation of his handwork. “Fate of the lower employment” sounds to me like he feels that he had no choice but to take on “the humble trudge that facilitates their progress,” “their” being the upper classes who would have used words to advance literature, not simply define and correct them.
The dictionary that Johnson prefaced here was the first in the English language. I think this is the reason for his preface. Many may not know what exactly to expect or know what Johnson’s intended results would be. I find the preface kind of charming and self-deprecating. The idea of “the fate of those who toil at the lower employments” indicates that his greatest hope is not appreciation of this work but, rather, the lack of ridicule. He equates himself with a simple workman, “only to remove rubbish and clear obstructions from the paths through which learning and genius press forward to conquest and glory”. If only he knew British Lit classes would be reading him 250 years later.
The preface really is important since it gives us a feel for Johnson and the enormity of this undertaking. The intro material stated he described some 40,000 words, which is incomprehensible to me.
How Johnson describes a Lexicographer seems to me to be how mailmen in our time (or at least how Larry David presents them through his character Newman) react to their work. They both seem to be fighting an uphill battle. Mailmen spend their day removing mail from the post office only to have mountains more return while they work and while they sleep. The same seems to happen to the Lexicographer. As hard as he might try, as the French and Italian academies, language continues to evolve due to factors including the infectious jargon of commerce and the colloquial illiteracy of writers. Johnson sees his work as a lexicographer as similar to the lower employments because words are as old as a plow or an axe and tend to resist change. His work is that of a harmless drudge and no different than theirs.
Part of his discussion of the importance of words includes his ideas about how words will change and new words will be added. The additions and alterations will allow for expression of ideas that are specifically relevant to a time or place. He notes that the people that will make these contributions of words will be those that have time for leisure and contemplation. Essentially these people are the elite. Johnson implies that these new words are a way of elevating a language above the common vernacular. In relation to the power of words, I think that he suggests power in the creation of new words and the mobility of meaning of any given word.
Words and language are extremely important, as many of the previous bloggers have pointed out. They define and separate cultures and time periods, and act as a revolving point in society. Being able to understand and use words and languages is a skill that has been, and continues to be, one that is highly admired and strived for thorough schooling and reading a variety of books and other works of literature. Words and language allow people to communicate with one another, express themselves, and reflect on the time period in which they are created, spoken, and recorded.
In Johnson’s preface, he is making clear his thoughts and opinions on the words and languages as they pertain to society. But, I have to agree with Katelyn’s statement concerning the idea that he seems to be writing out of “frustration”. While reading his preface, I too, felt as if he was making the statement that he felt very frustrated and feels as if this task will be under appreciated.
Words and language are extremely important, as many of the previous bloggers have pointed out. They define and separate cultures and time periods, and act as a revolving point in society. Being able to understand and use words and languages is a skill that has been, and continues to be, one that is highly admired and strived for thorough schooling and reading a variety of books and other works of literature. Words and language allow people to communicate with one another, express themselves, and reflect on the time period in which they are created, spoken, and recorded.
In Johnson’s preface, he is making clear his thoughts and opinions on the words and languages as they pertain to society. But, I have to agree with Katelyn’s statement concerning the idea that he seems to be writing out of “frustration”. While reading his preface, I too, felt as if he was making the statement that he felt very frustrated and feels as if this task will be under appreciated.
As was brought up in the rap, Johnson wrote A Dictionary of The English Language in order to “remove rubbish and clear obstructions from paths of learning and genius”. Though he believed the English language was abundant, he wanted it to have more of a set order, to be more structured and precise. And like some of the others have brought up, he wanted to make English more uniform. And he was able to accomplish this by making the language more fluent. And by making the language more fluent, this opened up more room to express complex ideas clearly, efficiently, and articulately. Aside from just defining a bunch of words, his dictionary allowed knowledge to be spread to a wider audience, and this is his biggest accomplishment.
To speak in a certain language and use certain words and phrases is to identify oneself with a country, a society, a social class, an education level, etc. For Johnson to compile such a comprehensive dictionary of the English language and prescribes its best uses is to unite all English speakers under one set of standards, instead of allowing English words to be arbitrarily spelled and used.
I have a new found deep respect for Samuel Johnson. I feel very anti-Webster now.
S. Johnson includes this moving, powerful ode to language if you will because I believe he wanted to show society at the time just how much can be done with words and language. At a time when society was so high and dry and the status quo impenetrable, words were able to slice through social norms and cut down and slander even the highest classes. I think by mentioning this idea and then referencing the lower classes, he is demonstrating that even people who are not educated and may not necessarily have the means to learn how to writes, still have the power of language and the ability to communicate with one another. And in the growing day and age, having the vast expanse of all different words at your fingertips gives you more power than someone with a weapon. I really enjoyed reading his preface because it really was so impassioned and I interpreted as this almost raise up, inspiring kind of speech.
I have to agree with Julia on the point of lower class peoples being able to have an affect via spoken word.
Also I thing Johnson is referencing his meager beginnings, as well as making light of an obviously tedious task which took seven years to complete. He seems a rather playful fellow, and I think is entertaining himself where possible.
He’s also being humble. He admits that nothing can be made eternal, especially not language. He says “the pen must at length comply with the tongue”
He knows exactly the significance of his duty. To make a mere guide, with respect to all words.
Language is extremely important. The words that you choose to convey your meaning can change the tone of the sentence completely. It reminds me of Dead Poets Society when Keating is talking about the purpose of language. He tells his students to avoid the use of very because it’s lazy. He tells his students to use exhausted rather than very tired, or morose rather than very sad… this changes the tone of a sentence completely, just by the words chosen, so obviously word choice is very important. I think he included the bit about the “fate of lower employment” because this dictionary provided a source for people, no matter their societal class, to educate themselves by not only giving them a plethora of words to choose from, but learning what a word means, and how to spell it. It provided uniformity to the English language.
Today, many people believe that language also defines our world for us. Instead of us knowing a language, then simply using it to describe our environment, language itself constructs that environment. For example, a desk is nothing but an empty until it has the word “desk” attached to it. All of a sudden, it has real meaning. This is why people of other cultures not only have different words for things, or lack certain words that we have, but they don’t even have some of the same concepts as us.
With regards to Johnson, he commences the preface this way because it enables him to put himself in context. By saying that a person who writes dictionaries is right alongside “unhappy mortals,” Johnson is showing how difficult it is to take on such an endeavor. I think he includes it for readers to better understand his task, and also that language is fluid and ever-changing, thus making it infinitely hard to pin down and put within the confines of a book.
I believe that words are extremely powerful, whether written or spoken. Any form of communication is potent and the right words can make or break an argument. As the lower classes became more and more educated Samuel must have felt that preserving words and making words and their definitions available not only for the rising middle class but for the generations to come, very important.
As previously stated, words and language are two very important aspects of every day life. Without language, a crucial form a communication is lost. I think that he starts the preface with the “fate of the lower employment” to use it as a transition into his depiction of lexicographers. Johnson’s definition of lexicographers is written in defense of himself. He is deemed as not being good enough for society, as if he is part of the lower class. Johnson suggests that the lower class falls victim to having less of an understanding of the English language. This also refers to education in language, because lower class individuals are at a disadvantage because they are not as educated in language as those of the upper class. I think his preface also gives a great example of the importance of words, as he makes a point by saying how powerful words are. Overall, his preface stresses the importance of a dictionary.
The importance of words and language is so great, it is indescribable. It is impossible to think of one thing that we do in today’s society that does not require the use of language or the written word. These words are not only essential to everyday life, they can also manipulated in different ways in order to get a point across. A good public speaker will know the true value of different words and types of language. Johnson does not say as much about a public speaker as he does “the fate of the lower class” however. I agree with garrettbe when he describes how the dictionary allows all people to educate themselves about words that they would probably otherwise have no way of learning. This dictionary was an extremely important work, the effect of which, is still seen today.
Words and language are the building blocks of any civilization, and as I frequently like to quote this bit of Spaceship Earth from Walt Disney World, “From the very beginning, we have always sought to reach out to one another. To bridge the gaps between us. To communicate.” Words and language make us who we are, they make up our very essence, if we didn’t have them there would be nothing of much significance in the world that was created by man.
As for what Johnson stated in his piece, I believe that he started it by talking about lower class people due to the changes going on in that time with English, it was seen as needing protection and care and to leave it to lower classes, to him, was unacceptable. This was to help in a way protect the words from corrupt and unwanted influence.