Collins Italian Dictionary [Hardcover]

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 1995 | Series: Dictionary

This dictionary offers the general user and the student alike easy access to modern Italian and includes a thematically arranged guide to self expression in both Italian and English. With over 165,000 references and 260,000 translations, this dictionary offers comprehensive coverage of current Italian and English. It provides clear and concise treatment of the basic and most important words in both languages, supplemented by thousands of illustrative phrases and examples. The user-friendly typographical layout in which longer entries are paragraphed for ease of reference, enables the user to locate the required information quickly. A clear system of indicating words, which divide the entries into specific areas of meaning, guides the user to the appropriate translation. Similarly, indicators designating the style level of words or meanings provide essential information for communicating in a foreign language. Other features include up-to-date wordlists, a supplement on Italian verbs, and a treatment of English phasal verbs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

HarperCollins Publishers is one of the world's leading English-language publishers with headquarters in New York. The company is part of News America Publishing Group, a division of News Corporation. The house of Mark Twain, the Bronte Sisters, Thackeray, Dickens, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Maurice Sendak, HarperCollins was founded in New York City in 1817 by the brothers James and John Harper. The worldwide book group, which was formed following News Corporation's acquisition of the British publisher William Collins in January 1990, has significant publishing interests in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1600 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (May 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 000470293X
• ISBN-13: 978-0004702933
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,750,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the one!, October 21, 2000

By 

Dragonlore "Owl" (Statesboro, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harper Collins Italian College Dictionary (Hardcover)

If all you want is to translate the written word then any old dictionary will do. However, if you want to be able to pronounce the translation then this is the one to buy! I have 3 Italian/English Dictionaries and this is the only one that actually offers a pronunciation guide as well as alternate translations depending on what you are really trying to say. Highly recommend this text, even my perfectionistic husband is pleased with this book.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Studying italian can be a pleasure, and your homework easier, April 4, 2004

By 

M. B. Alcat "Curiosity killed the cat, but sa... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Harper Collins Italian College Dictionary (Hardcover)

I bought this dictionary a few years ago, when I started studying Italian, and I found that it was excellent. Now, after reaching an intermediate level, I still consider it is outstanding, but I need to combine it with an Italian-Italian dictionary (I bought "Il Nuovo Zingarelli Minore Vocabolario Della Lingua Italiana") in order to obtain the results I desire.

The "Harper Collins Italian College Dictionary" is a wonderful tool, that will help you to achieve your aim of learning Italian. To start with, it is a fully bilingual dictionary, from beginning to end: even the instructions regarding how to use it are both in Italian and in English. Secondly, this edition has been revised and updated in the year 2000, and many entries have been added. For instance, now you can find explanations (in English and Italian) about what means "eco - friendly" or "virtual reality".

What is more, the pronunciation of the words is pointed out to the reader, using the International Phonetic Alphabet. However, that is not what I found more useful. My favorite part in this dictionary was the section where you can find examples of formal and informal letters, job applications and curriculum vitaes. Particular attention is also payed in that section to essay writing. The authors promise that you'll find "extended examples demonstrating techniques for structuring, developing and concluding a reasoned argument", and they are telling the truth. Needless to say, the section is also in both languages, so you can use it to learn how to write better in Italian and in English. Your teacher is highly likely to be pleasantly surprised, and you'll realise that your homework is quite easier.

Finally, another of the features of this dictionary that I liked is that it puts together phrases you can say in different situations, for example phrases adequate for suggestions, advice, offers, requests, comparisons, opinions, obligation, agreement, likes and dislikes, approval and disapproval, obligation and permission. The translation from one language to the other is not always literal, because the authors wanted to preserve the meaning of the phrases. They say that they know that "putting one's ideas into another language is apt to be an awkward and frustrating process, resulting in clumsy constructions and a distorted version of what one wants to say", and they have tried to remedy that, by releasing this dictionary.

On the whole, I heartily recommend this dictionary to both the beginner and intermediate student of Italian. So far, I haven't reached the advanced level, but I have the suspicion that I'll find it useful even then. If you can, also buy an Italian-Italian dictionary, because it will complement this dictionary beautifully...

Belen Alcat

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnifico!, June 29, 2000

By 

Stephanie Longo "Incoronatella" (Scranton, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Harper Collins Italian College Dictionary (Hardcover)

I bought this dictionary as an aid for my beginners Italian class and I find it to be wonderful! It contains up-to-date entries as well as large enough print so you can see everything without having to squint. Its worth every penny! There is also a section in the middle to help you write a proper letter in Italian, and there's also a Verb and Abbreviation guide. The entire dictionary is bilingual, even the "how to use this dictionary" part is English and Italian! The price is right, you can't go wrong!