A hundred visions and revisions: Malone's annotations to Johnson's Dictionary

This chapter deals with an annotated copy of Samuel Johnson\u2019s Dictionary of the English Language. Between 1808 and 1811, Edmond Malone, the Shakespearian scholar and a member of Johnson\u2019s literary club, added nearly 3000 notes to his copy of the Dictionary (now in the British Library) as his tribute to the importance of his friend\u2019s extraordinary achievement and his personal contribution to improve on it. The chapter focusses on the A-E section of the Dictionary and the annotations to be found there (approximately, 20% of the total), and provides a qualitative analysis of them by discussing in turn new entries and new definitions penned by Malone, added quotations to already existing entries, new and revised etymologies, and miscellaneous notes. This is meant to show how research on early annotated copies of the Dictionary - a still neglected area in Johnsonian studies \u2013 may highlight educated dictionary users\u2019 viewpoints, thus offering present-day researchers reliable and interesting data on the way Johnson\u2019s lexicographical achievement was received by the cultural \ue9lite of his times