Customer Reviews

Langenscheidt Universal Croatian Dictionary (Langenscheidt Dictionary) (Croatian Edition)

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Pocket dictionaries for certain languages don't seem to be a relevant item anymore, since in modern countries where electricity is readily available things like iPhone/iPod/edictionaries are much faster, efficient, and sometimes lighter alternatives. I had already bought a Croatian dictionary on my iPod and on a whim also decided I needed a paper version, but in reality it doesn't get used that much, in favor of the instant search capabilities of the electronic version.

This dictionary is small, about the size of a (thick) wallet. Made with the characteristic Langenscheidt robust vinyl cover, and looks quite durable if you wanted to carry it around the Dalmatian coast.

Biggest problem: it seems to be intended for Croatians who are learning English. Two problems with this are that there is NO STRESS marked on the Croatian words and (for reasons of economy this is a problem) the pronunciations of every English word are given in the En-Hr side. Lack of correct word stress, which is wholly unpredictable in quotidien circumstances, is the mark of an uneducated speaker. Although not as dramatic as in Russian, there are some phonological shifts that occur in Croatian words due to the stress falling on a certain syllable in a word.

The other, less damaging concern is that partial paradigms for irregular verbs or suppletive forms are often not provided. The item 'do'i' is listed simply as such, giving no indication that it is actually conjugated with a 'do'-' stem. Although this is not explicitly listed as a "learner's dictionary", even rare verbs that scholars must look up sometimes have irregular conjugations.

All in all, things like these are to be expected in pocket dictionaries. Doesn't seem to be accommodating to beginners for the reasons above. This purchase had little purpose for me as an Int-Adv learner. It just stays on my shelf, and I would much rather prefer a large comprehensive one, especially since there are no really good online Croatian dictionaries. But it could be useful for someone, I'm just not sure who.

I have seen and lightly used this pocket dictionary before and like it. It is pocket-sized. It has a sturdy cover and should travel well. However, I have not used it in-country yet so I'll have to see how well it meets my needs on my next trip. When I travel to Croatia I stay in family homes so hopefully this will serve me beyond the typical tourist vocabulary usually in language guides.

Didn't realize from the description that it was a pocket size and as small as it was. Also, I used it for a translation test and not many words were in the dictionary. Not very impressed.