The Meridian Hebrew/English English/Hebrew Dictionary (Reference) (Hebrew Edition) [Paperback]

Dov Ben-Abba (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0452011213 | ISBN-13: 978-0452011212 | Publication Date: January 1, 1994 | Edition: Bilingual

With 35,000 entries, this bilingual dictionary provides a complete and up-to-date listing of Hebrew words and their English equivalents, as well as basic Hebrew and English grammar, pronunication keys, complete transliterations, slang, technical terms, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Hebrew

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Plume; Bilingual edition (January 1, 1994)
• Language: Hebrew
• ISBN-10: 0452011213
• ISBN-13: 978-0452011212
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #706,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Hebrew

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and affordable, September 3, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Meridian Hebrew/English English/Hebrew Dictionary (Reference) (Hebrew Edition) (Paperback)

It is often the case in foreign-language, dual-language dictionaries that the more comprehensive and detailed, the more expensive the volume. This is also true in Hebrew, where the best dictionaries still tend to be the ones out of reach of the ordinary wallet, particularly those of students. This dictionary, essentially the same dictionary that started as the Signet Hebrew/English Dictionary by Dov Ben-Abba, is rather comprehensive and also affordable.

This dictionary contains more than 35,000 entries, derived from Biblical, Talmudic and Medieval Hebrew as well as modern Hebrew as used in Israel. Those who have not studied Hebrew often do not realise there is a distinction, and that Hebrew has changed over time just as all languages do; Hebrew in a sense had to be reinvented as a modern language in the twentieth century, and Ben-Abba's dictionary takes this into account.

The Hebrew words in both sections are completely vocalised (Hebrew is often printed without nikkud, the diacriticals that denote vowel sounds). There are complete transliterations and pronunciation keys (and, unlike English, Hebrew is much more standard in keeping sounds as they are spelled). The dictionary even includes medical, scientific and slang terminology, but these are changing so rapidly that dictionaries are hard pressed to keep pace.

While there are better Hebrew dictionaries available, at the student-friendly price, this one cannot be beat.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good dictionary for intensive modern Hebrew students, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Meridian Hebrew/English English/Hebrew Dictionary (Reference) (Hebrew Edition) (Paperback)

I'm in 4th grade at a Jewish day school & I like this dictionary because it tells me all the masculine and feminine stuff and it is easy to read.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best of what's available, December 23, 2001

By 

Michael Craig Mamet (Westfield, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Meridian Hebrew/English English/Hebrew Dictionary (Reference) (Hebrew Edition) (Paperback)

I have had the original version of this dictionary since 1980. It was then called the Signet H/E E/H Dictionary and cost $1.95. I am quite fluent in conversational Hebrew and generally use the dictionary for reference. I read Israeli newspapers (Maariv, Haaretz) on the Internet and decided it was time to replace my by now quite worn-out dictionary. I extensively reviewed the Ben Yehuda, the Bantam-Megiddo, and the Compact English-Hebrew Dictionary by Shimon Zilberman as well as my original Signet. Of the four, I found the Compact and the Signet to be the best. The Compact is hard to find so if you do find it, go with it. The Meridian is exactly the same as the Signet and in my opinion is also very good. The Ben Yehuda and the Bantam-Meggido have been around a long time (1964, 1975 respectively). The translations in these are quite literal and not always Modern Hebrew (i.e., what you read in the newspaper). The Compact and the Meridian are based on modern Hebrew and therefore much more useful. For example, the word "mabsut", which is actually Arabic and means "satisified" is found in the Compact and the Meridian. It is not found at all in Ben Yehuda or Bantam-Meggido. The word "Pigua", which we see in the newspapers unfortunately too often now means an "attack" and is translated as such in Compact and Meridian. Ben Yehuda and Bantam-Meggiddo say it means "hit". So while that is still correct, in the context of how it is used conversationally, the translation is lacking. Unfortunately, the Meridian is no longer a pocket dictionary. It is now much larger and more expensive than Ben Yehuda and Bantam-Meggido, so I guess that'a a factor too.