Customer Reviews

Cassell's Spanish-English, English-Spanish Dictionary

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A dictionary should demonstrate good lexicographic technique and have an up-to-date-vocabulary. The Cassell's dictionary does neither.

Take a word with multiple meanings each of which which has a different translation, for example, the English word "loop. Cassells gives, "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. For a Spanish speaker reading in English, this is enough, as the reader can look over the potential translations and choose the one which fits the context. But for the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary gives no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.

Compare the treatment of such a word, loop, for example, 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.

Adequate treatment of words takes a tremendous amount of space. For example, in the Collins Spanish dictionary, a complex word like "get" takes up 730 lines. But in the Cassell's, the same word receives a mere 55 lines.

A good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "hard drive." But the compilers of the Cassell's have totally neglected this aspect; the lexicon of the work is even more outdated than its ancient publishing date in the 1970s would suggest.

Based on the research I did for my Master's thesis, I would recommend Oxford, Larousse, and HarperCollins instead.

Cassell's Spanish Dictionary has been a tremendous resource for me throughout my years of studying the Spanish language. It has suited me perfectly from middle school all the way through high school. With a variety of conjugations and a list of common expressions provided for each entry word, the dictionary is very easy to use. It is particularly important that the Spanish-English and English-Spanish portions are equally detailed. This dictionary is a wonderful tool for anyone involved with the Spanish language in any way. ¡Buena suerte!

I was browsing a copy of Cassells in a book store when trying to decide which Spanish Dict. to buy. This one came recommened to me, but the type is so blurry and badly printed--at least in the copy I was looking at--it was pretty much unuseable. Don't know if this is true for all copies of this book however.

This dictionary has a pretty limited vocabulary, in both Sp-Eng and Eng-Sp. Good enough for the first year student who dutifully sticks to the prescribed texts, as most Am students do. However, if you're aiming to read anything interesting or go anywhere other than a northern Spanish (Spain) MacDonalds, you'll find it lacking. Will have to get another dictionary, in fact.
Particularly irritating are the faux amis, words that resemble English Latinate words but really mean something quite different. This is a problem with lazy lexicography between Eng and all Romance languages. This Cassell's is BAAD in this respect. Look for Anglosaxon when you choose an Eng word for a plain Sp word. But in this book you'll find a lot pale Latinate. That is NOT what the Sp means or feels like.
Fortunately, I got mine when a lazy Spanish college student just abandoned it in a cloak room. Maybe you didn't need a dictionary for that class anyway! You know how it goes. Look at the immigration debate - speaking Spanish is a real outrage, you know. People should speak English, including in Spanish class.

This boock helped me a lot when I was a studient.
Ful of information and very easy to comprehend.