History & Words: ‘Lexicon’ (19 April)
Welcome to ‘History & Words’! 🌟 Main hoon Prashant, Wordpandit aur Learning Inc. Network ka founder. Yeh series language learning aur historical context ko connect karti hai, taaki vocabulary improve ho aur history ki understanding bhi deep ho.
Chaliye, shabdon ki iss journey par mere saath chaliye aur naye naye words explore karte hain! 😊
📚 Table of Contents
🔍 Word of the Day: Lexicon
Pronunciation: /ˈlɛksɪkɒn/ (LEK-si-kon)
🌍 Parichay (Introduction)
19 April 1755—Samuel Johnson, ek British literary giant, ne publish kiya A Dictionary of the English Language. Yeh ek monumental kaam tha jisme English ke hazaron shabdon ke definitions, usages, aur historical contexts ko ek jagah compile kiya gaya.
Yeh work ne English ke lexicon ko standardize kiya aur language scholarship ko ek formal foundation diya.
“Lexicon” ka arth hai kisi language ya subject ka complete vocabulary set—ek aisa reservoir jahan words, meanings, aur cultural expression ikattha hote hain.
🌱 Shabd ka Utpatti (Etymology)
“Lexicon” bana hai Greek se:
- Lexis (λέξις) – “Word” or “speech”
- Lexikon biblion – “Word book”
- Latin me bana lexicon, aur fir English me aya as a noun denoting word collections
Originally, yeh shabd dictionaries aur grammar guides ke liye use hota tha—ab iska broader usage kisi bhi language system ke reference ke liye hota hai.
📖 Mahatvapurn Shabdavali (Key Vocabulary)
- 🔑 Dictionary – Word meanings, spellings, usage aur pronunciation ka systematic collection
- 🔑 Corpus – Written/spoken texts ka large database jisse language study ki jaati hai
- 🔑 Semantics – Word meanings ka science
- 🔑 Etymology – Kisi word ke origin aur evolution ki study
- 🔑 Linguistics – Language aur communication ki scientific study
🏛️ Itihasik Sandarbh (Historical Context)
18th century tak English language widely spoken hoti thi, lekin standardized nahi thi. Har author apne grammar aur spellings ke rules bana leta tha.
- Samuel Johnson ko 7 saal lage apna Dictionary likhne me
- 19 April 1755: A Dictionary of the English Language officially publish hoti hai
- 40,000+ words, thousands of literary quotes (Shakespeare, Milton, etc.), aur brilliant definitions isme shamil the
Johnson ka kaam English lexicon ke liye wahi tha jo Newton ka physics ke liye—structure aur system ka introduction.
⏳ Samayrekha (Timeline)
- 1604: First English dictionary (Table Alphabeticall) publish hoti hai by Robert Cawdrey
- 1755 (19 April): Johnson ki dictionary publish hoti hai
- 1828: Noah Webster American English dictionary publish karte hain
- 1884–1928: Oxford English Dictionary develop hota hai in volumes
- Present: Digital lexicons jaise Merriam-Webster, Oxford, Cambridge continuously updated hote hain
🌟 Is Din ka Mahatva (The Day’s Significance)
19 April 1755 ka din English language ke institutionalization ka din tha:
- Lexicon ko define aur record karne ka pehla serious effort
- Johnson ki dictionary ne standard reference banne ka status paaya
- Uske definitions witty, sarcastic aur deeply literary the—yeh ek language + literature fusion tha
Yeh din hume yaad dilata hai: Har word ke peeche ek vishw hota hai—aur lexicon us vishw ka map hai.
💬 Prasiddh Ukti (Quote)
“Dictionaries are like watches; the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.”
— Samuel Johnson
(Matlab: Ek dictionary imperfect ho sakti hai, par bina uske language ki ghadi band hoti hai.)
🔮 Aaj Ka Matlab aur Chintan (Modern Usage & Reflection)
“Lexicon” aaj kai tariko se use hota hai:
- ✅ Linguistics: Kisi language ke pure vocabulary ke liye
- ✅ Professional Jargon: “The legal lexicon,” “tech lexicon” jaise subject-specific usages
- ✅ Pop Culture: Meme lexicon, Gen-Z lexicon, emoji lexicon
- ✅ AI/Computing: NLP (Natural Language Processing) me digital lexicons essential hote hain
Yeh word batata hai ki language ek system hai jise samajhne ke liye reference points chahiye—aur lexicon wahi tool hai.
🏛️ Virast (Legacy)
- ✅ Johnson ki dictionary ne language ko education, literature, aur civil discourse me formally usable banaya
- ✅ Har modern dictionary system somewhere Johnson ke blueprint pe based hai
- ✅ Word “lexicon” aaj bhi scholarly aur everyday dono context me relevant hai
- ✅ Language evolution ko track karne ke liye lexicons linguistic time capsules ban gaye hain
🔍 Tulnatmak Vishleshan (Comparative Analysis)
Pehle: Word usage oral tradition aur region-specific tha
Baad me: Dictionaries aur lexicons ne standard spelling, meaning, aur pronunciation provide ki
Aaj: Digital lexicons me real-time updates, audio, translation aur AI integration shamil hai
Lexicon ka evolution dikhata hai ki language sirf communicate karne ka zariya nahi, ek cultural archive bhi hai.
💡 Kya Aapko Pata Hai? (Did You Know?)
🎓 Antim Vichar (Conclusion)
“Lexicon” ek shabd hai jisme language ka soul basa hota hai.
19 April 1755 ka din hume yaad dilata hai ki shabdon ko likhna, samajhna, aur standardize karna sirf grammar ka kaam nahi, civilizational development ka bhi step hai.
Aaj bhi, jab hum kisi naye word ko seekhte hain, hum Johnson jaise scholars ke banaye huye raaste pe hi chal rahe hote hain.
📚 Aage Padhne Ke Liye (Further Reading)
- 📖 The Life of Samuel Johnson – James Boswell
- 📖 The Professor and the Madman – Simon Winchester
- 📖 Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries – Kory Stamper
