Charles Richardson: Prescriptivist or Descriptivist? An Analysis Based on "A New Dictionary of the English Language" (1836-37)

Although not much has been written about Richardson’s New Dictionary, Beal (2004), Dolezal (1989, 2000), Fowler (2004), Sacerdoti-Mariani (1994) and Zgusta (1986, 1989), who have dedicated time to studying it, seem to agree that it is the most substantial work of English lexicography produced between Johnson’s Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary. In the history of lexicography, Richardson’s work in fact represents the “remoulding and reforming of the old” Dictionary of Dr. Johnson (Richardson 1836-7: Preface), but also stands as the precursor of the greatest historical dictionary of the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary (from now on OED), acknowledged as such in its Preface. In several ways, Richardson’s work acts as a link between Johnson’s Dictionary and the OED. This work intends to demonstrate this through the brief comparison of the entries abominate, abominable and abominably in the three dictionaries.