Note on Johnsonese

Note on Johnsonese

Note on Johnsonese

Note on Johnsonese

‘Johnsonese’ is a term that refers to pedantic, learned, and figurative writing. Such kind of writing comes into English due to the later classical influence, but it was the day of Dr. Johnson when this pedantic style of writing reached its height, hence it is bracketed with the term “Johnsonese” after the name of Dr. Samuel Johnson. He was starved to death- this sentence was written by Dr. Johnson in pedantic style, as: he sank into inanition from nonentity. To say in other words that ‘Johnsonese’ is a term relating to a literary style through which a simple expression is expressed in an elaborative riddle.

Macaulay was somewhere influenced by Johnsonese and wrote: Sir Issac Newton is the developer of the skies in their embodiment movement. This figurative sentence may be written into a simple and plain sentence, as: Sir Issac Newton is the inventor of the theory of gravitation.

Johnsonese, as a literary style, enhances the poetic quality of the language. But it is not easy either to use or understand for common readers. In the 19th century a strong reaction set against Johnsonese as Charles Lamb, Hazlitt and others favoured simple words and natural expression. But still today the impact of Johnsonese is alive in literature, especially in the writings of pedantic writers. 0 0 0.

Note on Johnsonese