Who do you think was the intended audience for this document? How do you think the audience responded to or interpreted the text? Finally, compare this to the way you are responding to or interpreting the text today.

nswers will vary, but you might say that Johnson’s intended audience was his fellow countrymen. Johnson writes, "In hope of giving longevity to that which its own nature forbids to be immortal, I have devoted this book, the labour of years, to the honour of my country."

You might instead argue that Johnson’s intended audience was his fellow lexicographers. Throughout the text, he responds to the efforts of authors and academics who are also trying to standardize the language, particularly Johnathan Swift.