The history of the dictionary dates back to antiquity. The first known dictionaries were written in Sumerian and Babylonian languages, around 2000 BC. These early dictionaries contained lists of words and their meanings, as well as brief descriptions of the objects or concepts they represented. The first alphabetical dictionary was created by the Greeks around 400 BC. This was a compilation of the Greek language, which listed words alphabetically and provided definitions for each one. During the Roman era, dictionaries continued to be developed and refined, with Cicero’s De Officiis being one of the most famous examples. In the Middle Ages, Latin dictionaries were developed that included entries for scientific terms. The first English dictionary was created in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey and titled “Table Alphabeticall”. This was followed by John Bullokar’s “English Expositor” in 1616 which included both English words and phrases as well as Latin terms used in medicine and law at that time. The first comprehensive English dictionary was created by Samuel Johnson in 1755, titled “A Dictionary of the English Language”; it included 40,000 entries and became an immediate success upon its release. It remained a prominent reference work until Noah Webster released his “An American Dictionary of the English Language” in 1828; this expanded on Johnson’s work to include American spellings and colloquialisms. In modern times, dictionaries have become even more comprehensive with multiple editions being released every year that include new words from various fields such as technology or popular culture; they also contain detailed etymologies tracing back each word’s origin to its earliest recorded use. Online versions are also now available which allow users to search for definitions quickly without having to flip through physical pages; these are often accompanied by audio pronunciations so users can learn how to pronounce unfamiliar words correctly.