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Collins Latin Dictionary & Grammar
The Collins Latin Dictionary & Grammar offers the student of Latin the essential two-in-one reference: a comprehensive dictionary and a user-friendly grammar in one handy volume.
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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HarperCollins
2,997 books97 followersHarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies. Founded 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 28, 2015
Really very good. Die-hards will want to start saving for the $500+ for the two-volume Oxford Latin Dictionary (which I plan to purchase sometime in the next decade) which surely contains every word ever used by the Romans. In the meantime, the Collins is a good dictionary to have for the intermediate Latin speaker. Divided equally into Latin-English and English-Latin, the dictionary is sure to also provide keys when looking up a word that differs in, say, the perfect stem. This makes things a helluva lot easier! This is my go-to at the moment, as I make the transition from reading adapted excerpts to breaking into the "real" Latin.
The dictionary also contains three supplements:
1) at the start, a brief summary of noun and verb tables, allowing you to quickly check conjugations and declensions;
2) in the centre, a precis of Roman culture, including place names, a guide to poetic metre, and key Latin phrases used in modern-day English culture;
3) at the end, an extensive 250-page summary of Latin grammar. While it's no substitute for your own knowledge, this is an immensely helpful explanation of, really, every aspect of grammar that is required. As well as listing all the basics, the section goes into detail on elements such as the various ways to describe a negative, key hints for translation, and a handy summary of most common Latin verbs, including full conjugations of unique and defective ones.
Great stuff.
The dictionary also contains three supplements:
1) at the start, a brief summary of noun and verb tables, allowing you to quickly check conjugations and declensions;
2) in the centre, a precis of Roman culture, including place names, a guide to poetic metre, and key Latin phrases used in modern-day English culture;
3) at the end, an extensive 250-page summary of Latin grammar. While it's no substitute for your own knowledge, this is an immensely helpful explanation of, really, every aspect of grammar that is required. As well as listing all the basics, the section goes into detail on elements such as the various ways to describe a negative, key hints for translation, and a handy summary of most common Latin verbs, including full conjugations of unique and defective ones.
Great stuff.
March 2, 2019
Not bad (particularly as I picked it up secondhand in a charity shop) but not the right book if you want to use as a reference to translate the likes of Catullus or Martial, which I do. Lots of omissions, mostly referring to male sexual organs (though apparently most female sexual organs are okay) sexual technical terms, bodily functions associated with urination, defaecation and flatulence, and homosexuality, all of which were part of the rich tapestry of Roman culture. Collins says, for example, "to visit a prostitute", whereas a better source would say "to go whoring."
I wrote all over the book, adding in a lot of bowdlerised words so I didn't have to go hunting around for another dictionary.
Vissire, crepare, cevere, glubete and crisare are good words to test the efficacy of a Latin dictionary! Latin had one word for these things whereas we have sentences! Amazing!
Just to amuse you, the former owner of my dictionary has written her name in it. She was a nun! Possibly she didn't need a dictionary with the most interesting words cut out. But the rest of us do. Let's face it, they're on Wikipedia so if you book producers want to compete, do the right thing and end your moronic censorship! Prudes!
And if you want to add the good stuff to your sadly chopped dictionary, try here:-
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin...
I wrote all over the book, adding in a lot of bowdlerised words so I didn't have to go hunting around for another dictionary.
Vissire, crepare, cevere, glubete and crisare are good words to test the efficacy of a Latin dictionary! Latin had one word for these things whereas we have sentences! Amazing!
Just to amuse you, the former owner of my dictionary has written her name in it. She was a nun! Possibly she didn't need a dictionary with the most interesting words cut out. But the rest of us do. Let's face it, they're on Wikipedia so if you book producers want to compete, do the right thing and end your moronic censorship! Prudes!
And if you want to add the good stuff to your sadly chopped dictionary, try here:-
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin...
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August 6, 2019everything
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews