John Jamieson

author

John Jamieson

1759–1838

Best known for creating the first major etymological dictionary of Scots, this Scottish minister helped preserve the history and character of a language often overlooked in his own time. His work still matters to readers interested in Scotland’s words, culture, and past.

1 Audiobook

An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

by John Jamieson

About the author

Born in Glasgow in 1759, he became a minister in the Secession Church and later served congregations in Forfar and Edinburgh. Alongside his religious work, he developed a deep interest in language, history, and old Scottish literature.

His most important achievement was the Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, first published in 1808 and later expanded with a supplement. The dictionary was a landmark study of Scots vocabulary and made him one of the pioneering figures in historical lexicography.

He is also remembered as a philologist and antiquary whose writing helped preserve Scottish speech and tradition for later generations. He died in Edinburgh in 1838, but his dictionary remains the work most closely linked with his name.