Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language

"Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language" by Samuel Johnson is a cornerstone in understanding how dictionaries are made. It's an introduction to Johnson's big plan to create a dictionary, carefully studying and putting the English language in order. The preface looks at the hard parts and thinking involved in setting rules for a language that's full of life and always changing. Johnson thinks about the difficulties faced when trying to list words in a language as lively as English. He talks about where words come from, how they change, the tricky parts of spelling and saying words, and how different languages, like Latin and Teutonic, affect English. Johnson stresses the need to keep the language steady, but also knows that it will change over time. Johnson wants his dictionary to combine respect for the past with the reality that languages grow, hoping to make a tool that helps English speakers and experts communicate better.