Harper Collins Italian College Dictionary (Hardcover)

by HarperCollins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The HarperCollins Italian College Dictionary is a standout--you're holding the best buy on the shelf in your hands right now. Here's why:

• Easier to use: Usage levels are indicated throughout, with extensive examples to illustrate how words are used in context. A system of style labels identifies whether a word is formal, informal, literary, vulgar, dated, or euphemistic. In addition, specific meanings are clearly marked to guide the user to the correct treatment. The text also includes illustrations of pronunciations using the International Phonetic Alphabet, enabling easy access and effective communication for educational, business, and traveling purposes.

• Most constantly updated: HarperCollins dictionaries are updated more often than any other dictionary.

• Comprehensive: This dictionary provides fully updated coverage of both Italian and English, including business, technological, and cultural terms, and comprehensive treatment of the most important words in both English and Italian to give you the edge in understanding and translation.

Here's a sampling of the new terms this edition includes:

Bungee jumping
Cybernetics
Eco-friendly
Gallup poll
Hormone replacement therapy
Information superhighway
Laser printer
Mass media
Salad spinner
Virtual reality

HarperCollins Bilingual Dictionaries are available in four sizes to suit your every need:

Unabridged: Preferred by native speakers, it's the most authoritative dictionary you can have on your bookshelf.

College: Perfect for use buy students and scholars everywhere, this dictionary is the best buy in its price range.

Concise: The portability of a quality paperback dictionary. Ideal for home, office, travel, and study.

Gem: An ultra-convenient reference source packed with information (over 70,000 translations!), this mini-sized dictionary is indispensable to the frequent traveler and the new learner alike.

Updated every two years to give you the most accurate and up-to-date information available.

Look for HarperCollins bilingual dictionaries in these languages:

Spanish
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Greek
Irish
Japanese

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

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 666 pages
• Publisher: Collins; Upd Ind edition (August 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062752545
• ISBN-13: 978-0062752543
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #733,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the one!, October 21, 2000

By	Dragonlore "Owl" (Statesboro, GA USA) - See all my reviews

If all you want is to translate the written word then any old dictionary will do. However, if you want to be able to pronounce the translation then this is the one to buy! I have 3 Italian/English Dictionaries and this is the only one that actually offers a pronunciation guide as well as alternate translations depending on what you are really trying to say. Highly recommend this text, even my perfectionistic husband is pleased with this book.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Studying italian can be a pleasure, and your homework easier, April 4, 2004

By	Bel Alcat "bel_78" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I bought this dictionary a few years ago, when I started studying Italian, and I found that it was excellent. Now, after reaching an intermediate level, I still consider it is outstanding, but I need to combine it with an Italian-Italian dictionary (I bought "Il Nuovo Zingarelli Minore Vocabolario Della Lingua Italiana") in order to obtain the results I desire.

The "Harper Collins Italian College Dictionary" is a wonderful tool, that will help you to achieve your aim of learning Italian. To start with, it is a fully bilingual dictionary, from beginning to end: even the instructions regarding how to use it are both in Italian and in English. Secondly, this edition has been revised and updated in the year 2000, and many entries have been added. For instance, now you can find explanations (in English and Italian) about what means "eco - friendly" or "virtual reality".

What is more, the pronunciation of the words is pointed out to the reader, using the International Phonetic Alphabet. However, that is not what I found more useful. My favorite part in this dictionary was the section where you can find examples of formal and informal letters, job applications and curriculum vitaes. Particular attention is also payed in that section to essay writing. The authors promise that you'll find "extended examples demonstrating techniques for structuring, developing and concluding a reasoned argument", and they are telling the truth. Needless to say, the section is also in both languages, so you can use it to learn how to write better in Italian and in English. Your teacher is highly likely to be pleasantly surprised, and you'll realise that your homework is quite easier.

Finally, another of the features of this dictionary that I liked is that it puts together phrases you can say in different situations, for example phrases adequate for suggestions, advice, offers, requests, comparisons, opinions, obligation, agreement, likes and dislikes, approval and disapproval, obligation and permission. The translation from one language to the other is not always literal, because the authors wanted to preserve the meaning of the phrases. They say that they know that "putting one's ideas into another language is apt to be an awkward and frustrating process, resulting in clumsy constructions and a distorted version of what one wants to say", and they have tried to remedy that, by releasing this dictionary.

On the whole, I heartily recommend this dictionary to both the beginner and intermediate student of Italian. So far, I haven't reached the advanced level, but I have the suspicion that I'll find it useful even then. If you can, also buy an Italian-Italian dictionary, because it will complement this dictionary beautifully...

Belen Alcat

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnifico!, June 30, 2000

By	Stephanie Longo "Incoronatella" (Scranton, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this dictionary as an aid for my beginners Italian class and I find it to be wonderful! It contains up-to-date entries as well as large enough print so you can see everything without having to squint. Its worth every penny! There is also a section in the middle to help you write a proper letter in Italian, and there's also a Verb and Abbreviation guide. The entire dictionary is bilingual, even the "how to use this dictionary" part is English and Italian! The price is right, you can't go wrong!