Customer Reviews

English/Latvian Dictionary (Hippocrene Practical Dictionary)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

According to the publisher "this completely modern dictionary contains 16,000 entries and includes phrases and idiomatic expressions...Clear and comprehensive, this dictionary will prove an invaluable communication tool for both Latvians living in North America and for native English speaking students, travelers and business people."

The dictionary may have 16,000 entries, I didn't try to count them. I would not call this very modern dictionary. Yes the word computer is there. But you can't discuss your monitor. Never mind items like a hard drive, CD-ROM. Likewise, your body parts and medical conditions may or may not be in the dictionary. Want to talk about your gallbladder, esophagous, pancreas, sinus, allergies, asthma, diabetes, no way. Looking for genealogy, pedigree, great-grandfather or like terms. You won't find there here.

I found it interesting that the dictionary still was using the names of the old "Soviet Republics."

If you need the basics, then this dictionary may be satisfactory.

I found this dictionary very lacking when used to translate Latvian cookbooks - In fact, most (90%) of the terms were not in the dictonary which I needed a translation for and I finally gave up after about 200 or so misses. I feel the basic foods / ingredients used in every day cooking are the very minimum which should be included in any dictionary. These are every day common items so don't think I am asking too much.

Not very useful for translating cook books.

sorry, but this book has horrible pronounciation keys just to warn, it barely has any for any words, only very few, the rest are intranslatable unless you like the extra hassle of also memorising the specialty meanings for those as well, as if leaning the language isn't hard enough! its going to thrift store for advanced students or it has good english pronounciations if you are latvian needing to learn engish maybe?

I am very dissapointed in the book you sent me.
I do not know when was the last time this dictionary was edited.To claim that this dictionary is exellent resource for students,travelers etc.is wrong.For example - on page 277 under "Latvia" it is indicated "Latvia"
as "Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic". Latvia has been indipendant since Aug.1991. The same holds true for the other Baltic states. I do not know what the publishers agenda is, but Amazon should take a look at this and not sell books that publish wrong information.
Sincerely,
John Leimanis

If you are going to spend a good deal of time in Latvia and have the need or desire to have a solid detailed dictionary dealing with Latvian then this would be a very good dictionary to own. I purchased it when I was getting ready to go over to Latvia for the first of two Fulbright trips to Latvia and I found it very useful.

The book I purchased was delivered to my house in great condition. It was if I had just bought the book at a book store.

this is a great companion book for the Dicionary and phrase book.
It has many words that the other does not .