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English monks created glosses in Latin manuscripts to explain difficult words. These glosses were later compiled into Latin-English glossaries (e.g., the "Leiden Glossary"). After the Norman Conquest, the focus shifted, and by the 15th century, the first English-Latin dictionary, the "Promptorium Parvulorum," was compiled around 1440. The 16th century saw the publication of numerous bilingual dictionaries , with Sir Thomas Elyot's work being the first to use the title "Dictionary" in 1538.
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(Leiden Glossary, ~7th-8th centuries): One of the oldest; the words are arranged in order in the text. -
They created glosses (interlinear translations) to Latin manuscripts, marking the beginning of the lexicographic tradition.
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The first significant English-Latin dictionary. -
The compiler of Promptorium Parvulorum. His work has become an important source for the study of Middle English vocabulary.
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English-Latin dictionary. -
Introduced the name "Dictionary".
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Robert Cawdrey's "A Table Alphabeticall" was the first monolingual English dictionary. This was followed by works like John Bullokar's "English Expositor" and Henry Cockeram's "English Dictionarie" . Nathaniel Bailey made a significant leap with his "Universal Etymological English Dictionary", provided etymologies. The era culminated with Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language".
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The first monolingual English dictionary (dictionary of "difficult words"). -
Laid the foundation for monolingual lexicography, targeting a wide audience, including women.
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For the first time I used the word "English Dictionarie" in the title.
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The first attempts to include all English words (not just "difficult" ones), the emphasis, and the use of illustrations -
Expanded the dictionary, added etymologies and accents. His vocabulary became the basis for Johnson's work.
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A fundamental work that has become the standard for centuries. -
Created a normative (prescriptive) dictionary, setting standards for spelling and usage. He introduced the use of quotations from reputable writers to illustrate the meanings of words. Systematized and delimited the meanings of words.
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In America, Noah Webster's "An American Dictionary of the English Language" standardized American English and simplified spelling. In England, Charles Richardson's dictionary attempted to illustrate meanings solely through quotations. The most significant achievement was the launch of the "Oxford English Dictionary". Based on a proposal by Dean Richard Chenevix Trench, the OED adopted a historical principle, tracing the evolution of every word from its first recorded use with dated quotations.
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"Americanized" English, contributing to the linguistic independence of the United States. His dictionaries are still being published (Merriam-Webster).
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Fixed the norms of the American version of English, reformed the spelling. -
An attempt to show the meanings of words exclusively through quotations (without definitions). -
In his lecture "On some shortcomings of our English Dictionaries" (1857), he formulated the principles of creating a historical dictionary, which prompted the Philological Society to begin work on the OED.
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The first issue of 1888-1928. The most comprehensive historical dictionary of the English language. -
Implemented the historical principle by showing the history of each word since its appearance using dated quotations.
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The 20th century saw the rise of specialized lexicography, particularly for learners of English as a foreign language. Pioneering works included Michael West's "New Method English Dictionary" (1935) and Hornby's "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary" (1948). The late 20th century introduced corpus linguistics, using large databases of text. In the 21st century, lexicography has shifted decisively to digital platforms. Major dictionaries are now primarily online, offering interactive features.
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One of the first educational dictionaries with a limited vocabulary of definitions. -
Pioneers of pedagogical lexicography. We have created dictionaries specifically designed for English language learners, with simple definitions, usage examples, and grammatical information.
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Republished as the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (OALD), the most influential educational dictionary. -
They develop families of dictionaries based on large electronic corpus linguistics, which provides an accurate description of modern word usage.
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Competing educational dictionaries using text corpora. -
Interactive, constantly updated resources. -
Made dictionaries publicly available, interactive, and constantly updated.