Which phrase does Johnson use to describe the writers whose works he draws from as sources for the dictionary?

Which phrase does Johnson use to describe the writers whose works he draws from as sources for the dictionary?

• A. the boundless chaos of a living speech
• B. the wells of English undefiled
• C. the time of their authors
• D. the dictionaries of old

Answer: (B)

Johnson casts the writers he draws from as pure reservoirs of language: they are “the wells of English undefiled.” This metaphor shows his view that real, good English comes from careful, authoritative authors whose works preserve the language in its cleanest, most authentic form. By tapping into those writers, he grounds the dictionary in genuine usage rather than in his own guesses, aiming to present words as they truly appear in respected prose and poetry. The phrase emphasizes depth and purity—many sources, but all contributing undefiled English to guide definitions and examples. The other options miss this image entirely: one describes language as chaotic, which doesn’t align with Johnson’s purpose of fixing and clarifying English; another hints at a period rather than a source of linguistic authority; and the last suggests borrowing from other dictionaries, which isn’t how he framed his sources for illustrating usage.

Johnson casts the writers he draws from as pure reservoirs of language: they are “the wells of English undefiled.” This metaphor shows his view that real, good English comes from careful, authoritative authors whose works preserve the language in its cleanest, most authentic form. By tapping into those writers, he grounds the dictionary in genuine usage rather than in his own guesses, aiming to present words as they truly appear in respected prose and poetry. The phrase emphasizes depth and purity—many sources, but all contributing undefiled English to guide definitions and examples.

The other options miss this image entirely: one describes language as chaotic, which doesn’t align with Johnson’s purpose of fixing and clarifying English; another hints at a period rather than a source of linguistic authority; and the last suggests borrowing from other dictionaries, which isn’t how he framed his sources for illustrating usage.