The Oxford Spanish Dictionary
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Beatriz Galimberti JarmanEditor: Roy Russell
Editor: Carol Styles Carvajal
Editor: Jane Horwood
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: Spanish (Unknown); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-07-03
ISBN: 0198604750
Number of pages: 2030
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of The Oxford Spanish Dictionary
Book Review: One of the leaders in the field
Summary: 5 Stars
My Master's thesis was a review and rating of large Spanish-English dictionaries. Since then, I have conducted follow-up studies to keep up with the market.
I find the leaders in the field to be Collins (HarperCollins), Larousse, and Oxford. Each publisher appears to be trying to one-up the others with the newest and best edition. The real winner is the consumer. My joint review of these three dictionaries is found here and duplicated under both of its competitors.
Here are a few of the factors which distinguish a good bilingual dictionary from a bad one.
To begin with, ignore certain publishers' marketing ploys such as entry and translation counts. They says nothing about the value of the words chosen. Likewise, ignore the word "unabridged" in the title. No work is truly unabridged except the monumental monolingual Oxford English Dictionary.
The first valid factor to consider is lexicographic technique. A bad dictionary simply lists translations. Take, for example, the entry in the Cassell's Spanish Dictionary under the English headword loop: "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.
Compare the treatment of the same word in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help. The Collins, Larousse, and Oxford are all excellent in this respect, presenting a wealth of practical information to guide users through the semantic and syntactic complexities.
The second factor is organization, which is important in large desk dictionaries. In an entry for a complex word like "get," a bad dictionary may force users to lose time searching for their translation through unbroken columns that can extend for more than a page. This was a problem--now corrected--in previous versions of the large Larousse dictionary. Today, the current editions of the Larousse, Collins and Oxford divide long entries by meaning into well-titled paragraphs. This scheme makes these dictionaries a joy to use.
Third, a good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "FAQ's," "hostile takeover," "software," "flash drive." Larousse, Collins and Oxford are leaders in this respect; their frequent revisions are more than mere window dressing and do a creditable job of covering the most recent additions to the language.
Fourth, idioms, slang, and cusswords can present real problems to the language learner, and a dictionary needs to handle them in a clear and frank fashion. All three dictionaries get it right, giving stylistic equivalents for translations as well as clear advice to the user.
One complaint about the Collins is that it often presents Britishisms without labeling them as such. Revisions have only partially corrected the problem. For this reason, I would not recommend this dictionary to native Spanish speakers in the US.
Oxford and Collins contain excellent "language in use" sections which give formulas for language functions such as asking for information, agreeing, disagreeing, etc., as well as formulas for letters and documents.
The bottom line on large dictionaries? Avoid Vox, Velasquez, Langenscheidt, and Cassell's. Simon & Schuster's is unsuitable as a user's only dictionary but may serve some use as part of an advanced collection. I will report on the large Harrap's when I examine it, but my opinion of their other dictionaries is quite favorable. While not perfect, Collins, Oxford, and Larousse are the best large Spanish-English dictionaries I have examined. Except as noted here, most users would be well served by any of the three.
Summary of The Oxford Spanish Dictionary
Compiled by expert teams of Spanish and English lexicographers, the Oxford Spanish Dictionary provides the richest, most contemporary coverage of Spanish from around the world. The result of thorough research using sophisticated computer programs to search for new terminology and ensure that all the latest vocabulary from Latin American Spanish and American English is covered, this brand new edition covers over 24 varieties of Spanish as it is written and spoken throughout the Spanish-speaking world-from Spain to Mexico, from Peru to the River Plate.This groundbreaking edition of the Oxford Spanish Dictionary features 20,000 new entries (10,000 in each language), with the updating focused particularly on business, IT, and scientific terminology. Special entries on life and culture explain the differences between institutions, administrative systems, educational systems, and general life in the Spanish and English-speaking worlds, offering vital background to the language. Also, for a limited time only, all OSD's will be packaged with a free CD that contains cutting-edge text-to-speech software. This software enables users to type in any word, phrase, question, or date, and an audio version of the text will immediately pronounce it with appropriate inflection. No other Spanish dictionary offers this revolutionary software.
With a newly designed user-friendly format, the dictionary is more accessible than ever. Each entry is in color making it easy for the reader to distinguish between and search for words. With half of the entries in English and half in Spanish (including the front matter), the Oxford Spanish Dictionary is the ideal reference for native speakers of either language. Handy, easy-to-use, and wide-ranging, this dictionary is also the essential tool for all students and teachers, as well as translators and language professionals. Jacket covers are also available in Spanish.
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