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No one person gets this credit. Samuel Johnson is most often credited with this task, but it's not true - not even he claimed it to be so. One of the earliest known dictionaries - and it's still around - was written in Latin and compiled during the reign of Augustus. The Chinese had a dictionary in the third century B.C.

In 1604 Robert Cawdrey created the first English language dictionary and in 1656 Thomas Blount also published a dictionary. Johnson didn't crank his out until 1755.

In 1806 the Americans put the British to shame when Noah Webster compiled his dictionary of the English language. It became a best seller and drove the British Philological Society to begin compiling a comprehensive dictionary, which would later become the Oxford English Dictionary. It took more than a century and several different editors to get the thing published in full form. The first edition was actually worked on from 1860 to 1952, though plans went back earlier. The most famous editor was James Murray, a man of working class origins. However, he neither began the project nor saw it complete. He did, however, create a successful methodology for getting the project done

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13y ago
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6mo ago

The modern dictionary as we know it today was first compiled and published by Samuel Johnson in 1755. However, dictionaries in a more basic form have been in existence for hundreds of years prior to that. The earliest known dictionaries date back to ancient civilizations such as the Mesopotamians and Egyptians.

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Q: What year was the dictionary invented?
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What is the first and last name of the person who invented the Merriam Webster dictionary?

The person who invented the Merriam Webster dictionary is Noah Webster.


What year did the word discombobulated enter the dictionary?

The word "discombobulated" entered the dictionary in the early 19th century, specifically in 1834.


Who invented Webster's dictionary?

Noah Webster is credited with creating Webster's Dictionary, which was first published in 1828. He believed in creating a uniquely American dictionary that would help standardize American English spelling and pronunciation. Today, the Merriam-Webster dictionary is one of the most widely used dictionaries in the United States.


Who invented the first English dictionary and why?

The first English dictionary was compiled by Samuel Johnson in 1755. Johnson undertook the project to standardize the English language and provide a reference guide for words and their meanings. He believed a comprehensive dictionary would help promote literacy and education in England.


How was Samuel Johnson invented the first dictionary?

Samuel Johnson did not invent the first dictionary, but he is known for his influential work in creating one of the earliest comprehensive and authoritative dictionaries of the English language, titled "A Dictionary of the English Language" (1755). Johnson spent nearly nine years compiling and defining around 40,000 words for this landmark dictionary, which was a significant contribution to English lexicography.

Related questions

Who invented Webster's Dictionary and in what year?

I don't know for sure think Noah Webster in 6197


Who invented the longest word in the dictionary?

Depends on what dictionary. But in Webster's I know it was invented by doctors.


Who invented Electronic Dictionary?

123


Where did Samuel Johnson invent the dictionary?

Samuel Johnson invented the dictionary in England.


More info on who iveted the dictionary?

jaclyn maron invented the dictionary in 1986. she was very sucsessful


Who invented the william webster dictionary?

Noah Webster


What is the first and last name of the person who invented the Merriam Webster dictionary?

The person who invented the Merriam Webster dictionary is Noah Webster.


Who invented the first dictionary?

The first modern dictionary is often credited to Samuel Johnson, who published "A Dictionary of the English Language" in 1755. This dictionary was a significant milestone in the standardization of the English language.


When was the Websters dictionary invented?

Noah Webster, the author of popular readers and spelling books for schools, published his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, in 1806.


When was toffee invented?

No one knows when toffee was invented or who first made it. The first time the word appeared in the dictionary was in 1825 in the Oxford English Dictionary. However, historians agree that toffee was probably around for quite a while before the word ended up in the dictionary.


Who invented the first electronic dictionary?

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Who invented the word history?

It wasn't invented by a person specifically but some person just though of it and added it to the dictionary.