LSJ

LSJ refers to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon, a standard reference work for ancient Greek. It provides lemmas in Greek with English definitions, grammatical notes, inflectional information, and extensive quotations that illustrate word usage across authors, genres, and periods. The dictionary is renowned for its wide coverage of classical vocabulary, including literary, technical, and dialectal forms, and for its system of sense numbers and cross-references that guide readers through semantic relationships and nuances.

The lexicon’s origins lie with Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, who compiled and published a Greek-English Lexicon in the 19th century. It was later enlarged and revised by Henry Stuart Jones and Roderick McKenzie, whose editions produced the widely cited version commonly referred to as LSJ. Over the years Oxford University Press has issued additional revisions and reprintings to incorporate new scholarship and manuscript evidence, while retaining the core structure and purpose of the work.

LSJ remains influential in classical studies, lexicography, and linguistic research. It is frequently cited in scholarly editions and critical apparatus to confirm meanings, usage, and historical development of Greek terms. Today, it is available in print and in digital form, including online access through platforms such as the Perseus Digital Library and other scholarly databases, making it a foundational tool for reading and interpreting ancient Greek texts.