A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson

Author:Samuel Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-11-04T04:00:00+00:00

I

Is in English considered both as a vowel and consonant; though, since the vowel and consonant differ in their form as well as sound, they may be more properly accounted two letters.

I vowel has a long sound, as fine, thine, which is usually marked by an e final; and a short sound, as fin, thin. Prefixed to e it makes a diphthong of the same sound with the soft i, or double e, ee: thus field, yield, are spoken as feeld, yeeld; except friend, which is spoken frend. Subjoined to a or e it makes them long, as fail, neigh; and to o makes a mingled sound, which approaches more nearly to the true notion of a diphthong, or sound composed of the sounds of two vowels, than any other combination of vowels in the English language, as oil, coin. The sound of i before another i, and at the end of a word, is always expressed by y.

J consonant has invariably the same sound with that of g in giant; as jade, jet, jilt, jolt, just.

To JA’BBER. v.n. [gabberen, Dutch.]

To talk idly; to prate without thinking; to chatter.

We scorn, for want of talk, to jabber

Of parties. SWIFT.

JACK Pudding. n.s. [jack and pudding.] A zani; a merry Andrew.

Every jack pudding will be ridiculing palpable weaknesses which they ought to cover. L’ESTRANGE.

A buffoon is called by every nation by the name of the dish they like best: in French jean pottage, and in English jack pudding. GUARDIAN.

Jack pudding, in his party-colour’d jacket,

Tosses the glove, and jokes at ev’ry packet. GAY.

JAGG. n.s. [from the verb.] A protuberance or denticulation.

The figure of the leaves is divided into so many jaggs or escallops, and curiously indented round the edges. RAY.

Take off all the staring straws, twigs, and jaggs in the hive, and make them as smooth as possible. MORTIMER’S HUSBANDRY.

JA’GGY. adj. [from jagg.] Uneven; denticulated.

His tow’ring crest was glorious to behold;

His shoulders and his sides were scal’d with gold;

Three tongues he brandish’d when he charg’d his foes;

His teeth stood jaggy in three dreadful rows. ADDISON.

Amid’ those angles, infinitely strain’d,

They joyful leave their jaggy salts behind. THOMSON’S AUTUMN.

JAIL. n.s. [geol, French.] A gaol; a prison; a place where criminals are confined. See GAOL. It is written either way; but commonly by latter writers jail.

Away with the dotard, to the jail with him. SHAKESPEARE.

A dependant upon him paid six pound ready money, which, poor man, he lived to repent in a jail. CLARENDON.

He sigh’d and turn’d his eyes, because he knew

’Twas but a larger jail he had in view. DRYDEN.

One jail did all their criminals restrain,

Which now the walls of Rome can scarce contain. DRYDEN.

JAKES. n.s. [Of uncertain etymology.] A house of office.

I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the walls of jakes with him. SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEAR.

Their sordid avarice rakes

In excrements, and hires the very jakes. DRYDEN’S JUVENAL.

Some have fished the very jakes for papers left there by men of wit. SWIFT.

IA’MBICK. n.s. [iambique, French; iambicus, Latin.] Verses composed of iambick feet, or a short and long syllable alternately: used originally in satire, therefore taken for satire.

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