Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1996. Vol. 1. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 24)

Geoff Barnbrook: From description to prescription and back again

intentions, generally without the detailed descriptions of the problems that he foresaw in achieving them, have probably had more influence on the aims and approach of later monolingual English dictionaries than the actual dictionary that he eventually published. 4.1 The Plan The Plan of A Dictionary of the English Language (Johnson, 1747) states quite explicitly what Johnson wants his dictionary to do, and the reasons for the choices that he intends to make. It covers, in some detail, the principles which he intends to apply to: the selection of the word-list the choice of an appropriate standard spelling the contents of each dictionary entry; and the use of illustrative quotations and the basis of their selection. The value of this to an investigation of the development of monolingual English dictionaries lies in its contribution to our understanding of what lexicographers have thought they were doing when they produced dictionaries. For a hard word list, which is effectively the same exercise as the provision of a gloss for foreign words, there is little need to consider in detail either the objectives or the method adopted to achieve it. Hard words need to be explained in as much detail as the user needs in simple words, words which the user should already know and understand. For a comprehensive monolingual dictionary the whole purpose of the exercise is much more elusive. Among other questions the lexicographer needs to consider the reasons for including common words, and to devise a method for dealing with them so that their meanings and usage become clearer. The nature of the dictionary's users and the demands that they will make on it are obviously crucial elements in its design, but these factors are by no means straightforward or easy to determine. Johnson has a definite aim, laid out in the Plan. His dictionary is to be the means of fixing the characteristics of a language whose instability caused serious writers embarrassment and reduced its effectiveness as a means of communication. He equates linguistic instability with moral and cultural weakness, and intends to deal with them both by the same process. His dictionary is to be unequivocally prescriptive: even those elements which are not direct comments on 22