Words being arbitrary must owe their power to association, and have the influence, and that only, which custom has given them. Language is the dress of thought.

Samuel Johnson

Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets

More information about this quote

Topic

Meaning of words Words Language

Author

Samuel Johnson

Source

Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets

Genre

Biography

Language

English

Time

1779 1770s 18th century

Occupation

Writer

From

United Kingdom Europe

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. "Cowley." Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets. London, c. 1779.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel. "Cowley." The Lives of the Poets: A Selection, edited by Roger Lonsdale. Oxford University Press, 2009.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Samuel Johnson about meaning of words: “Words being arbitrary must owe their power to association, and have…”
Download
A quote by Samuel Johnson about meaning of words: “Words being arbitrary must owe their power to association, and have…”
Download
A quote by Samuel Johnson about meaning of words: “Words being arbitrary must owe their power to association, and have…”
Download

Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Samuel Johnson

A lawyer has no business with the justice or injustice of the cause which he undertakes, unless his client asks his opinion, and then he is bound to give it honestly. The justice or injustice of the cause is to be decided by the judge.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, by James Boswell

Buy The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides at Amazon Buy The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides at Amazon
Read The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Lawyers Legal theory
Speaker
Samuel Johnson

Author

James Boswell
Source
The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides
Genre
Travel writing
Language
English
Time
1773 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 15 Aug. 1773.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel and James Boswell. "The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides." A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, edited by Jack Lynch and Celia Barnes. Oxford University Press, 2021.

Another quote from the 1770s

With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches; which, in their eye is never so complete as when they appear to possess those decisive marks of opulence which nobody can possess but themselves.

Adam Smith

The Wealth of Nations

Buy The Wealth of Nations Books 1-3 at Amazon Buy The Wealth of Nations Books 1-3 at Amazon
Read The Wealth of Nations at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
The rich Display of wealth Status games

Author

Adam Smith
Source
The Wealth of Nations
Genre
Economic literature
Language
English
Time
1776 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. Vol. 1, London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776, bk. 1, ch. 11, pt. 2.

Current Citation

Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, edited by Edwin Cannan. The Modern Library, bk. 1, ch. 11, pt. 2.