Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary [Paperback]

Nicholas Rollin (Editor), Carol Styles Carvajal (Editor), Jane Horwood (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0198610726 | ISBN-13: 978-0198610724 | Edition: 3

This third edition of the Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary covers over 90,000 words and phrases, and 120,000 translations of contemporary Spanish and English, with brand-new words in each language. The grammar supplement provides full information on all the key points of Spanish and English grammar, including verb tables for quick reference, and a correspondence section gives example letters, emails, resumes, and new help with text messaging. Because language is now studied in the context of its culture, the existing culture section has been revised and expanded to offer lively and useful information on life in the Spanish-speaking world. This is the perfect reference for anyone needing an affordable, portable Spanish dictionary.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Nicholas Rollin is an experienced editor of bilingual dictionaries. Most recently he has been project manager for the Oxford Spanish Dictionary (Academic, 2003). He is also the Chief editor of the Oxford Study Spanish Dictionary and Oxford School French Dictionary new editions 2004.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1088 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (August 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198610726
• ISBN-13: 978-0198610724
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #799,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your abuelo's Spanish dictionary, May 3, 2000

By 

Prentiss Riddle "aprendiz de todo" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diccionario español/inglés - inglés/español: The Pocket Oxford Spanish (Paperback)

After too many years I decided it was time to retire the well-thumbed Cassell's from my undergraduate days, and I'm glad I did.

Carvajal's Pocket Oxford features modern word choices and intelligible definitions, in place of the quaint usages and ambiguous synonyms that used to keep me thumbing back and forth through the dictionary as though it was a thesaurus, trying to figure out which word was the right one for a given context. It offers ample pronunciation and grammatical cues for each entry, including details less sophisticated dictionaries leave out, such as the pronunciations of Spanish words which don't follow Spanish orthography (el "handicap" is pronounced /'xandicap/ not /an'dicap/) and distinctions between countable and uncountable nouns in English (you can pass "two rolls" across the table but usually not "two breads"). Where more explanation is required, it makes frequent use of sidebars (clothing measures, the rules for compound nouns, and the niceties of synonyms for "toilet"). It keeps up with new vocabulary ("el Internet") and includes ample coverage of European and American usage in both languages. Place names appear together with regular entries, not relegated to a gazeteer in the back. Clearly some real thought went into the usability of this dictionary.

My one word of caution is that the word "pocket" doesn't really apply to this book any more; it's a little hefty for travel use. But at 80,000 entries it it complete enough to cover most needs without the overwhelming bulk of an unabridged dictionary.

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the better Spanish-English dictionaries, September 9, 2006

By 

Doug Rice (Twin Falls, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary (Paperback)

My Master's thesis was a review and rating of Spanish-English dictionaries. I find this dictionary, like all the other Oxford dictionaries, to be a good choice.

Here are a few of the factors which distinguish a good bilingual dictionary from a bad one.

To begin with, ignore certain publishers' marketing ploys such as entry and translation counts. They say nothing about the value of the words chosen.

The first valid factor to consider is lexicographic technique. A bad dictionary simply lists translations. Take, for example, the entry in the Cassell's Spanish Dictionary under the English headword loop: "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.

Compare the treatment of the same word in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help. Oxford is excellent in this respect, presenting good information to guide users through the semantic and syntactic complexities.

Second, a good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "flash drive." Oxford is a leader in this respect; its frequent revisions are more than mere window dressing and do a creditable job of covering the most recent additions to the language.

Third, idioms, slang, and cusswords can present real problems to the language learner, and a dictionary needs to handle them in a clear and frank fashion. This dictionary gets it right, giving stylistic equivalents for translations as well as clear advice to the user.

Be careful when you choose a bilingual dictionary, as some of the choices--Cassell's and Vox, for example--are downright terrible. The field of large dictionaries stays relatively static over time, and the best choices in it by far are Oxford, Collins, and Larousse. The field of small dictionaries, on the other hand, has many more players. While not the only good choice, Oxford is a dictionary you would certainly be pleased with.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the most comprehensive paperback available, July 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Diccionario Oxford Compacto: Espaï¿1/2ol-Inglï¿1/2s/Inglï¿1/2s-Espaï¿1/2ol (Paperback)

This dictionary (identical to the one sold in hard covers as the "Desk" dictionary of Spanish) is excellent within its limits. If compactness and simplicity of layout are your most important criteria (and you don't want a "baby" dictionary), then this may be the right choice for you.

But if you want the most extensive coverage available in paperback, the Webster's New World Spanish Dictionary (ISBN 0139536477) has MANY more words and definitions, while still remaining compact enough in comparison to the big hardcovers. As someone who used the Oxford Pocket until I outgrew it and then moved on to the Webster's New World & have been delighted with its superiority, I can make this recommendation w/o reservation.