...tendency prevalent since his day is the dictum to be found in his Grammar: "For pronunciation the best rule is, to consider those as the most elegant speakers who deviate least from the written words." Quite consistent tvith this position is his attitude toward reforms in orthography. The arguments against...

...Johnson empfahl dem "elegant Speaker" oder wer es werden wollte die geschriebene Sprache als Richtschnur: "For pronunciation the best general rule is, to consider...elegant Speakers who deviate least from the written words"34. Die wurden freilich von vielen Autoren umgekehrt im Sinne des 'phonetic spelling' der gerade...

...by orthography, for it was only writing that provided an acceptably secure and uniform standard : ' For pronunciation the best general rule is, to consider...speakers, who deviate least from the written words. '34 Johnson had one predominant concern as a lexicographer - stability. The worst danger, in his view,...

...continuing shadow cast by Dr Johnson and his famous dictum in the Dictionary of 1755 that as a model of pronunciation, 'the best general rule is to consider...elegant speakers who deviate least from the written word'.) Finally, some authors felt that the so-called 'euphonic' genius of the language was being violated...

...instance. Dr Johnson, in the preface to his dictionary (1755: sig. A2V) formulated the principle that 'for pronunciation, the best general rule is to consider...elegant speakers who deviate least from the written word', and subsequently a great deal of store was set by the 'correct' spellings provided in Johnson's...

...however, generally formed their tables according to the cursory speech of those with whom they happened to converse, and, concluding that the whole nation combines...speakers who deviate least from the written words." Without any derogation from the character of Dr. Johnson, it may be asserted, that in these observations...

...assumption was expressed by Samuel Johnson in the grammar which he attached to his Dictionary in 1755: 'For pronunciation the best general rule is, to consider...speakers who deviate least from the written words'. In his preface he judged unschooled speech by the same assumption, 'we now observe those who cannot...

...follows in a tradition that Mugglestone dates back to Dr Johnson's dictum: "For pronunciation the best rule is, to consider those as the most elegant speakers who deviate least from the written words" (Mugglestone 1995:208). At the same time, though, Ninnette ends the utterance with "man", a tag that...

...Johnson clearly holds good. " For pronunciation," he says, " the best general rule is, to consider thosn as the most elegant speakers who deviate least from the written words." * » * It may naturally occur to some persons to ask with a kind of indignation : " Must everybody...