Hitchings, Henry

Relates Samuel Johnson's endeavor in compiling the first dictionary of the English language, a project that took over a decade. Describes how it became regarded as the most important British cultural monument of the eighteenth century, having an influence throughout Europe and the British colonies, including America.

Examines the origins of the English language, and traces history back to understand how it adopted words from more than three hundred and fifty other languages, the secrets behind everyday words and expressions, and other related topics.