Volume 1

A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar / by Samuel Johnson.

  • Samuel Johnson
Date:
1755
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar / by Samuel Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/1176
    Of the Saxon poetry fome fpecimen is necefiarv, though our ignorance of the laws of their metre and the quantities of their iyllables, which it would be very difficult, perhaps lmpoflible, to recover, excludes us from that plcafure which the old bards undoubtedly gave to their contemporaries. The fir ft: poetry of the Saxons was without rhyme, and confequently muft have depended upon the quan¬ tity of their fyllables; but they began in time to imi¬ tate their neighbours, and clofe their verfes with cor- refpondent founds. The two paflages, which I have feledted, contain apparently the rudiments of our prefent lyrick meafures, and the writers may be juftly confidered as the genuine anceftors of the Englifo poets. mat him pope abpeben, Dmb he Sanne ope bibbe ne mujen, Uop j? bilimpeS dome. £>e ip pip p bib ant> bore Ant) ber biuope-n borne. DeaS com on Sip mit)elapt> DupS Smp beplep onbe, Anb penne ant) popje ant) ippinc. On pe ant) on lont)e. Ic am elbep Sanne ic pep, A pinrpe q ec a lope. Ic ealt)i mope Sanne ic t)et>e, GL pir ojhre ro bi mope. 8e f hine pelue uopjeb, Uop piue o])ep uop chiibe. pal comen on euele pretie, Bure jot) him bi milbe. Ne hopiepipro hipe pe-pe, Ne pepe ro hip piue. Bi pop him pelue eupich man, Dmp pile he bieS aliue. Gupich man mib p he haueS, COai bejjen heuepiche. Se Se leppe q pe Se mope, £epe aibep lliche. £euene ant) epSe he oueppieS, £ip ejhen biS pulbpihr. Sunne q mone q alle preppen, BieS Sieprpe on hip lihre. £e por hper SencheS anti hper bop, Alle quike pihre. Nip no louept) ppich ip xipb, ■ Ne no kinj ppich ip bpihbe. tjeuene q epSe q all Sab ip, Biloken ip on hip honbe. £e beS al f hip pille ip. On pea anb ec on lonbe. £e ip opb alburen opbe, Anb enbe alburen enbe. ]5e one ip eupe on eche prebe, Ipenbe pep Su penbe. pje ip buuen up anb bineSen, Biuopen anb ec bihinb. Se man -p jobep pille beS, J)ie mai hine aihpap uinbe. Gche pune he lhepS, Anb por eche bebe. Re Suph pijS echep iSanc, Ibai hpar pel up ro pebe. Se man neupe nele bon job, Ne neupe job lip leben. Op beS q bom come ro hip bupe. Re mai him pope abpeben. punjep q Suppb here q chele, GcSe anb all unhelSe. Duph beS com on Sip mibelapb, Anb oSep unipelSe. Ne mai non heprehir ipenche, Ne no runje relle. Ru muchele pinum anb hu uele, BieS nine helle. -Louie Cob mib npe hiepre. Anb mib all upe mihre. Anb upe emepiprene ppo up pelp, Spo up lepeS bpihre. Sume 'Sep habbeS leppe mepjSe, Anb pume Sep habbeS mope. Gch eprep San f he bebe, Gprep ji he ppanc pope. Ne pel Sep bi bpeb ne pin, Ne oj)ep kennep epre. Cob one pel bi echep lip, Anb bhpee anb eche pepre. Ne pal Sap bi pcete ne pepub, Ne poplbep pe-le none. Ac pi mepjj)e f men up bihar, All pall ben job one. Ne mai no mepjpe bi ppo muchel, Spo ip jobep lpihSe. Ri ip pop pune anb bpihr, Anb bai bure nihre. Dep ip pele bure pane, Anb pepre buren ippinche. Se f mai anb nele Sebep come, Sope hir pel uopSenche. Dep ip bhpee buren rpeje, Anb lip buren beaSe. Der eupe pullen pume Sep, BliSe hi biep anb eaSe. Dep ip jeujepe buren elbe, Anb elbe buren unhelpe. Nip Sep popje ne pop non, Ne non unipelSe. Dep me pel bpihren ipen, Spo ape he ip mib ipippe. Re one mai anb pel al bien, Gnjlep anb mannep bhpee. To Sape bhpee up bpinj job, Der pixeS buren enbe. Danne he upe paula unbinr. Op lichamlice benb. Epipr jeue up lebe ppich lip, Anb habbe ppichne enbe. Der pe moren Sibep cumen, Danne pe hennep penbe. About the year 1150, the Saxon began to take a form in which the beginning of the prefent Englijh may be plainly difeovered; this change leemsnot to have been the effedt of the Norman conqueft, for very few French words are found to have been introduced in the firft hun¬ dred years after it; the language muft: therefore have been altered by caufes like thofe which, notwithftanding the care of writers and focieties inftituted to obviate them, are even now daily making innovations in every living language. I have exhibited a fpecimen of the language of this age from the year 1135 to 1140 of the Saxon chronicle, of which the latter part was apparently written near the time to which it relates. Dip jmpe pop j)e kinj Srephne opep pm bo Nop- manbi. q pep pep unbep-panjen. popSi p hi penben ~p he pculbe ben aipuic alpe pe eom pep. q pop he habbe jeb hip rpepop. ac he ro-belb ir q pcarepeb porlice. OOicel habbe Renpi kinj jabepeb joib q pyluep. anb na job ne bibe me pop hip paule pap op. Da pe kinj Srephne bo Gnjla-lanb com pa macob he hip jabepinj mb Oxene-popb. q pap he nam pe bipcop* Rojep op Sepep bepi. q Alexanbep bipcop op Lincoln, q be Lancelep Rojep hipe neuep. q bibe mile in ppipun. bilhijapen up hepe capblep. Da pe puikep unbep- jmbon p he milbe man pap q popbe q job. q najup- bipe ne bibe. pa biben hi alle punbep. Ri habben-him manpeb makeb anb aSep puopen. ac hi nanbpeuSe ne heolben. alle he pmpon pop-ppopen. q hepe bpeoSep pop-lopen. pop mupic pice man hip capblep makebe anb ajmnep him heolben. anb pylben pe lanb pull op capblep. Ri pueneben puiSe pe ppecce men op pe lanb mib capbel-peopcep. pa pe capblep papen makeb. pa pylben hi mib beoulep anb yuele men. Da namen hi pa men pe hi penben p am job hepben. baSe be nihbep anb be breiep. capl-men q pimmen. anb biben heom m ppipun epbep jolb anb pyluep. q pineb heom un-bei- lenblfce pininj. pop ne pmpen nmupe nan maprypp ppa pineb alpe lu pmpon. COe henjeb up bi pe peb anb pmokebheom nub pul pmoke. me henjeb bipe pumbep. L oSep