dictionaries

drsmeeth

random question, why do you need an english dictionary?

for translation you need to be as accurate as possible, and sometimes one English word is more appropriate than another. If you check the exact definitions you can't choose the wrong word, and so your translation is of a higher standard.

It also makesyour use of vocabulary more exact. Who says you can't improve your English?

Reply 23

OctoberPoppy

1

*~vicki~*

just wondering really- is it necessary to have a good (aka chunky monkey) dictionary for languages at uni? Do you use it often? Is it worth me buying one (well two- french and german)

Thanks in advance
Vicki x

As I just mentioned in another post, sometimes scouring charity shops can turn up a real bargain. I recently got a Harraps French Dictionary for £4.99 from Oxfam (and in some ways it's even better than my Oxford one!) True, it's from the 1970s, so you won't find modern tech language in it and the lexicon's dated, but who's going to argue at that price! If I can't find a word I suppose I can always use the library dictionary. Good luck with it- it's worth going round second hand book dealers/ charity shops/ even car boots if you save £20-25 or more! :smile:

Reply 24

Ronove

18

Amazon Marketplace is clearly the answer to everything.

Reply 25

*Arc

As I just mentioned in another post, sometimes scouring charity shops can turn up a real bargain. I recently got a Harraps French Dictionary for £4.99 from Oxfam (and in some ways it's even better than my Oxford one!) True, it's from the 1970s, so you won't find modern tech language in it and the lexicon's dated, but who's going to argue at that price! If I can't find a word I suppose I can always use the library dictionary. Good luck with it- it's worth going round second hand book dealers/ charity shops/ even car boots if you save £20-25 or more! :smile:

I do hope you don't use it at uni, especially if you're going to Durham. Dictionaries are updated for a reason, and a good, up-to-date one is invaluable for any degree course.

Amazon marketplace is the way forward.

Hehe.

Carl

I do hope you don't use it at uni, especially if you're going to Durham. Dictionaries are updated for a reason, and a good, up-to-date one is invaluable for any degree course.

Amazon marketplace is the way forward.

I have two dictionaries- an Oxford modern and this Harraps one. I can see your point, but surely a university of Durham's standard will have a french dictionary in its library for ultra modern expressions. I mean, the Harraps does include words for 'computer' etc, it's just for specific words that it's lacking- but when studying literature am I honestly going to be needing that? Reading L'Etranger, my Oxford Dictionary (because it's concise) doesn't always have words that I'm looking for- but I've found these words in the Harraps. Even though they're a similar size, the Harraps is more detailed and is printed on much better quality paper. It's also the fact that I'm lugging this thing on the trains- losing a £4.99 dictionary is not as painful as losing or damaging a £30 one.

Reply 28

beeboo

I got a £35 Oxford-Hachette French dictionary for £14.99 on Amazon marketplace and got an Oxford-Duden German one free as I nicked it from the school library when they discontinued German at our school! Bargain! :biggrin:

Reply 29

OctoberPoppy

I have two dictionaries- an Oxford modern and this Harraps one. I can see your point, but surely a university of Durham's standard will have a french dictionary in its library for ultra modern expressions. I mean, the Harraps does include words for 'computer' etc, it's just for specific words that it's lacking- but when studying literature am I honestly going to be needing that? Reading L'Etranger, my Oxford Dictionary (because it's concise) doesn't always have words that I'm looking for- but I've found these words in the Harraps. Even though they're a similar size, the Harraps is more detailed and is printed on much better quality paper. It's also the fact that I'm lugging this thing on the trains- losing a £4.99 dictionary is not as painful as losing or damaging a £30 one.

I keep my good one at home, I never take it to uni. At the uni I either use my Collins pocket dico, or if I need a technical, up-to-date, accurate or detailed translation or definition I use the big dictionary in the library. However, since I do most of my work at home I find a big, up-to-date dico invaluable.

Reply 30

nikki

9

I personally don't think the price of dictionaries is too bad (in general), they can be used over and over for years and years. True, as time goes on, they'll become more and more outdated, but I'd hope that if you're doing a degree in the language, you'll have had your money's worth out of it by the time you need a newer one!

Then again, I just :suith:

dictionaries. :biggrin:

Reply 31

OP

another question now, i've been told that i need a monolingual dictionary for french. Which is the best one to have?

Reply 32

Angelharpist

13

If you want a cheap dictionary for French then visit Sussex Stationers - I got my huge Collins for £14. They sell them off really cheaply, plus they're all 'latest revised editions' for 2006. Alternatively, discount bookshops sell some too - you might be lucky :smile:

Reply 33

*soph*

*~vicki~*

another question now, i've been told that i need a monolingual dictionary for french. Which is the best one to have?

I've just bought a petit Robert and it's brilliant! Still searching for a German one though.

Reply 34

OP

ok thanks. if its any use, for german it was recommended by my uni that we got the duden universalwörterbuch/ Langenscheidts Deutsch als fremdsprache

Reply 35

À la folie, pas du tout

12

Carl

for translation you need to be as accurate as possible, and sometimes one English word is more appropriate than another. If you check the exact definitions you can't choose the wrong word, and so your translation is of a higher standard.

It also makesyour use of vocabulary more exact. Who says you can't improve your English?

so with this in mind what kind of size english dictionary are you thinking of getting? a massive one like the foreign language ones? xxx

Reply 36

Angelharpist

13

I have both a LaRousse and Harraps monolingual French dictionary - two of my mum's francophone friends bought them for me as a birthday present without realising. Means I can keep one at home and one at uni...

Reply 37

OP

xx Bex

so with this in mind what kind of size english dictionary are you thinking of getting? a massive one like the foreign language ones? xxx

i managed to get a big collins dictionary, the size of my german and french ones for a fiver in WHSmiths, i was really shocked, but obviously chuffed at the same time, they were doing a promotion thingy, dont know if it is still going on now.

I just thought i may as well get a big one, will be useful with translations and things :biggrin:

Reply 38

xx Bex

so with this in mind what kind of size english dictionary are you thinking of getting? a massive one like the foreign language ones? xxx

a big **** off one, just because it looks good on my shelf.

but really, they're big for a reason, that is because they are thorough. The only reason to have a small dictionary is to take to classes. When working at home use the biggest possible.

As for a monolingual French dictionary, Le Robert Micro (cost me 60€) is great and well worth the steep asking price. It's the same as the big Le Robert, but with smaller text, and so is cheaper and lighter.

Reply 39

OP