description Benjamin Martin Overview
Benjamin Martin was an English lexicographer, science lecturer, teacher, and maker of scientific instruments. His Lingua Britannica Reformata, or A New English Dictionary, appeared in 1749, with a second edition in 1754, shortly before Samuel Johnson’s dictionary. The work organized definitions by separate senses and included attention to etymology and pronunciation, while Martin also wrote on optics, science, and the natural history of England. It is relevant to readers studying early English dictionaries and Enlightenment scientific culture.
help Benjamin Martin FAQ
What dictionary did Benjamin Martin write?
He compiled the Lingua Britannica Reformata, or A New English Dictionary, first published in 1749. A second edition followed in 1754, one year before Samuel Johnson's famous dictionary of 1755.
Was Benjamin Martin anything other than a lexicographer?
Yes, he was also a traveling science lecturer, a teacher, and a maker of scientific instruments. He built and sold optical instruments such as microscopes in London and wrote works explaining them.
How does Martin's dictionary relate to Samuel Johnson's?
Martin's Lingua Britannica Reformata appeared several years before Johnson's 1755 dictionary, with its second edition of 1754 coming out just ahead of Johnson. It was part of the wave of English lexicography that preceded Johnson's landmark work.
What happened to Benjamin Martin late in his life?
He reportedly died in 1782 after taking his own life, following business difficulties late in his career. Earlier in life, however, he had built a successful career spanning lecturing, instrument making, and lexicography.
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