Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary [Paperback]

Merriam-Webster (Editor), Eileen M. Haraty (Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0877799164 | ISBN-13: 978-0877799160 | Edition: 1

Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary is a completely new dictionary designed to meet the needs of English and Spanish speakers in a time of ever-expanding communication among the countries of the Western Hemisphere. It is intended for language learners, teachers, office workers, tourists, business travelers--anyone who needs to communicate effectively in the Spanish and English languages as they are spoken and written in the Americas.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish

About the Author

The Merriam brothers desired a continuity of editorship that would link Noah Webster's efforts with their own editions, so they selected Chauncey A. Goodrich, Webster's son-in-law and literary heir, who had been trained in lexicography by Webster himself, to be their editor in chief. Webster's son William also served as an editor of that first Merriam-Webster dictionary, which was published on September 24, 1847.

Although Webster's work was honored, his big dictionaries had never sold well. The 1828 edition was priced at a whopping $20; in 13 years its 2,500 copies had not sold out. Similarly, the 1841 edition, only slightly more affordable at $15, moved slowly. Assuming that a lower price would increase sales, the Merriams introduced the 1847 edition at $6, and although Webster's heirs initially questioned this move, extraordinary sales that brought them $250,000 in royalties over the ensuing 25 years convinced them that the Merriams' decision had been abundantly sound.

The first Merriam-Webster dictionary was greeted with wide acclaim. President James K. Polk, General Zachary Taylor (hero of the Mexican War and later president himself), 31 U.S. senators, and other prominent people hailed it unreservedly. In 1850 its acceptance as a resource for students began when Massachusetts ordered a copy for every school and New York placed a similar order for 10,000 copies to be used in schools throughout the state. Eventually school use would spread throughout the country. In becoming America's most trusted authority on the English language, Merriam-Webster dictionaries had taken on a role of public responsibility demanded of few other publishing companies. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Merriam Webster Mass Market; 1 edition (April 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877799164
• ISBN-13: 978-0877799160
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Latin
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Foreign Language Nonfiction > Spanish
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

248 of 249 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful., February 11, 2002

By 

Chris Cowen (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary (Paperback)

This is a fantastic dictionary. I spent quite a bit of time on amazon researching the best Spanish/English Dictionary. This one lives up to all of the positive reviews below.

I have found this to be very helpful. One nice feature is that if you look up a conjugated verb, it actually appears in the dictionary with a cross reference back to the unconjugated verb.

It also has several tenses of the words, so you can say the right thing even if you're wanting to speak in the past tense. I also like the sample sentences that it gives for many words...you can easily see how the word would actually be used.

It's also conveniently small in width and height. But still packs a lot in!

120 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great student or traveler reference, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary (Paperback)

This book packs a lot of bang for your buck. Being the third dictionary I've owned, I am very pleased. Contains great phrasing examples and is well-organized. Has 80,000 entries, including modern terms and expressions. And it's small enough that you can pack it around with you! I highly recommend this as your choice of dictionary.

189 of 199 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you trust this one, you may offend, September 25, 2005

By 

Susan Stubbs (Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary (Paperback)

While good in every other way, this dictionary is missing a vital part for anyone who wants to be able to communicate without embarrassment. It neglects to warn of vulgar words and phrases. It skips from "shirt" to "shiver" in the English section. On the Spanish side, it fails to tell that, while "coger" is a perfectly ordinary and acceptable way to say "to take" in Spain, it is very vulgar in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. There are many other examples, but it is not necessary to cite them here.

Whether you are looking to offend or looking to avoid offending, Merriam-Webster's will not help you. Always check. If this feature is missing, keep looking. The University of Chicago Spanish-English Dictionary, Cassell's Spanish & English Dictionary , and others do list and warn of vulgar and extremely vulgar words in both English. Whatever they cost, they are a much better buys.