Dic Hippocrene Concise Nahuatl-English/English-Nahuatl (Aztec): Dic Hippocrene Concise (Hippocrene Concise Dictionary) [Paperback]

Fermin Herrera (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004 | Series: Hippocrene Concise Dictionary

Nahuatl, also known as Aztec or Mexican is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Mexico and Central America. Spoken by the Aztecs centuries ago, 1.5 million people in Mexico and Central America continue to speak it today. This bilingual dictionary reflects usage largely based on classical norms of the Nahuatl literary tradition, but also includes more contemporary vocabulary. Entries contain the part of speech and the preterit stems. An extensive grammar section and a guide to Nahuatl pronunciation complete this work, which is sure to be of interest to scholars, students and travellers alike.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fermin Herrera, born in Durango, Mexico, has taught Nahuatl at California State University, Northridge since 1973. He has provided workshops and classes on the Nahuatl language and culture at institutions such as the University of California, in Mexico City, among others. He currently lives in Oxnard, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 407 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books; Bilingual edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781810116
• ISBN-13: 978-0781810111
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Native American
  • #5 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Native American
  • #5 in Books > History > Ancient > Aztec

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Use with caution and other dictionaries, May 12, 2005

By 

Walter O. Koenig "Amoxtli" (San Diego, California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dic Hippocrene Concise Nahuatl-English/English-Nahuatl (Aztec): Dic Hippocrene Concise (Hippocrene Concise Dictionary) (Paperback)

Hippocrene publishes several dozen "concise dictionaries" and most of these get ratings of one or two stars from readers. They seem to specialize in what some might call the more "exotic" or "unusual" languages, such as Sicilian, Uzbek, Twi, Sanskrit, Macedonian, Nepali and in this case Nahuatl. (None of the dictionaries I have listed have an average customer rating higher than two stars.) These books are not concise, and are arguably not even dictionaries, because for example, the Nahuatl-English/English-Nahuatl (Aztec) dictionary lacks any type of critical apparatus or source material commonly found in dictionaries. Also, as the previous reviewer pointed out we do not know whether this is a dictionary of Classical Nahuatl or of current Nahuatl dialects. My guess it's a combination of the two, which makes matters even more confusing. The small 6'' x 4" x 1" format suggests that these books are to be carried in the pockets of travelers and that they be used as guides, so that words such as airplane, polishing machine, crocodile, and observatory can be said to the "natives" when traveling in rural Veracruz, Tlaxcala or San Luis Potosi.

But the book is not completely useless, it is the only dictionary with an English-Nahuatl section and when used in conjunction with the dictionaries by Karttunen or Molina it can be helpful for translation. The back of the book also contains a reference section with every day phrases, numbers, parts of the body, animals, colors etc. but as with the English-Nahuatl section this needs to be used with extreme caution. Unless you have other dictionaries do not rely on this book.

Review by Walter O. Koenig

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a dictionary but a vocabulary list!, January 8, 2005

By 

Mario E. Aguilar "Cuauhtlehcoc" (San Diego) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dic Hippocrene Concise Nahuatl-English/English-Nahuatl (Aztec): Dic Hippocrene Concise (Hippocrene Concise Dictionary) (Paperback)

This dictionary does not tell the reader if the translation is a word from "Classic Nahuatl" of the 16th -18th centuries; if it is from the Central Mexico area or from the peripheral Nahuatl dialects; or if it is a modern word from a regional dialect; or in the case of "Czech republic" or "United States" words that were totally made up (by the author perhaps?). It also leaves out very important information (such as glottal stops long and short vowels, etc). As a quick reference to look up words, it is OK, but for the serious Nahuatl momachtiquetl....

This is a part of a series of "dictionaries" that "cover" many langauges short types of translations. I guess each author is given a set list of words that they have to translate.

For serious Nahuatl studies, "An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl" by Frances Karttunen and the 1571 dictionary of Fray Molina (soon to be republished by Editorial Porrua in Mexico City) or the Dictionnaire de la Langue Nahuatl ou Mexicaine. by Remi Simeone are better.

5.0 out of 5 stars Nahuatl Book, February 13, 2012

By 

Vanessa - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dic Hippocrene Concise Nahuatl-English/English-Nahuatl (Aztec): Dic Hippocrene Concise (Hippocrene Concise Dictionary) (Paperback)

This book is very informational and good for simple conversations NOT to be a fluent Nahuatl speaker but it helps you how to pronounce the Nahuatl words and MANY MANY definitions.