The Cambridge French-English Thesaurus (Paperback)

~ Marie-Noklle Lamy (Author), Richard Towell (Editor)
Key Phrases: faire qqch, contre qqn, avec qqn, The Cambridge French-English Thesaurus, Locution Idiom, Citation Quotation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Students of French learn the basics of grammar and vocabulary, but, unless they spend time in France or have other opportunities to immerse themselves in the language, they do not pick up the nuances of native speakers. This volume offers students at an intermediate or advanced level a guide to more sophisticated French usage.

Unlike most thesauri, this one is organized thematically. Fifteen major categories such as Position, Movement, and Travel; The Natural Environment; and Emotions, Feelings, and Attitudes are further divided into 142 more precise subdivisions: Direction and Distance; Animals; Positive and Negative Feelings; etc. Each subcategory is numbered. The section Knowledge and Thought Processes serves as an example. It begins with a sidebar explaining the difference between the verbs savoir and connaitre, and a list of idioms using each one. This is followed by related expressions, explaining which are ironic, slang, or informal. The section is then divided into categories such as Ways of Knowing and Finding Out, Thinking, and Differentiating and Identifying, with several more specific topics listed under each. All words, phrases, and examples are translated. Information provided for each headword may include synonyms, idioms, quotations, glosses, grammatical information, "false friends," pitfalls for English speakers, and differences between American and British English. Sidebars and even the occasional illustration are used to further clarify meanings.

Specific information on commonly used slang and vulgarisms appears throughout the book. An explanation of the routine informal use of the verb emmerder and its components to indicate boredom, and variations of foutre and its less vulgar substitute ficher to indicate irritation will help users who wish to use colloquial French correctly. The section on communicating electronically contains important vocabulary relating to computers, fax machines, and telephones.

The book concludes with a section called Conversational Gambits which provides common expressions needed to introduce people, ask for things, conduct routine business, and write both personal and business letters. A verb conjugation chart and alphabetical English and French word indexes complete the volume. The Cambridge French-English Thesaurus, a bridge between the classroom and real life, is a useful source for all libraries where there is interest in the French language. The paperback version is inexpensive enough for the personal libraries of serious students. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

."..this exciting new work is strongly recommended for all reference collections. It is not just a list of words but a rich network of interconnected ideas in both languages." American Reference Book Annual --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521425816
• ISBN-13: 978-0521425810
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #617,499 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great concept; flawed execution, February 22, 2002

By	Stavros Macrakis (Cambridge, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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A thesaurus for English-speaking learners of French, organizing words by subject rather than by alphabet, is a great idea.

This one is pretty good, but weak in several areas (see below). I don't know of anything better, but it's only really useful in conjunction with both a good bilingual dictionary -- I highly recommend the Collins-Robert -- and a French dictionary of synonyms -- I've found Henri Benac, Dictionnaire des Synonymes, helpful.

-- It's not at all clear how its French vocabulary is chosen. Common words like "collegue", "essuie-tout", and "pote" are missing, while uncommon words like "branchage", "velleitaire", and "buraliste" are included. Also, common usages of words, e.g. "(c'est) exact" to mean "just so" are missing.

-- There are occasional articles contrasting near-synonyms, but in a work like this, there should be many more. This is where Benac is very useful.

-- The indexes are incomplete. For instance, "towel" only shows up under "bath towel".

-- Although it tries to show both American and British usage, it is clearly British-based, and is often missing the American term, or gives an unidiomatic one.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IT WAS EXTREMELY CONCISE AND COMPREHENSIBLE; GOOD FORMAT, January 29, 1999

By A Customer

IT WAS NOT AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED FOR A REGULAR THESAURUS. THE FORMAT MAKES IT EASY TO FIND DIFFERENT THEMES AND SUBDIVISIONS. I WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT TO MY FELLOW CONSTITUANTS TAKING FRENCH OR THOSE THAT KNOW THE LANGUAGE.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essential French-as-a-Second Language Book, January 20, 2002

By	Eric C. Anderson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most language-learning books are of those "Learn to Speak Linear-B Like a Native in 7 Days" type. Bad! Really bad! Only the First Ammendment allows them to exist.

Having already a good grip on Spanish and a better grip on Brazilian Portuguese, I decided to attempt the French language. After buying many books and finding most of them disappointing at best, this one is a real treasure.

This book is useful for students at all levels. Master the material in this book, and you will be speaking pretty good French. My tutor agrees. It is up-to-date and very well organized. At $..., it is a steal.

A classroom is a terrible place to learn any language. I know people with degrees in Spanish, French, and Portuguese who cannot hold a conversation in their second language. What went wrong?

Here's my advice, if you will indulge me. If you really want to get started French, get yourself

1) The Barron's series of cassettes/discs and listen to them over and over. Talk back to them.

2) A few pocket dictionaries, placed strategically around your environment so that you will find yourself leafing through them. Same with a few pocket grammars.

3) Get the Dilbert translations from www.amazon.fr.
They are great fun, use a lot of slang, and have plenty of informal usages that you hear every day. Tin-Tin is fun too. Don't waste your time on literature! As a beginner, you need to hear/read CONTEMPORARY DIALOGUE. Comics are great for that.

4) Tune in to Radio France International ( RFI )...

5) Get the Cambridge Fr-Eng Thesaurus and carry it everywhere you go.

6) Get a private tutor - for conversation. You need to speak the language in order to learn it, and your first simian grunts will be so grating that you will need to pay someone to listen to them and correct them. Not cheap, but cheaper than spending year after year getting nowhere in a classroom. Pity my tutor, but that's what she's paid for. We are making fast progress.

7) Worry about perfecting your grammar later. Speak, speak, speak. Learn to communicate before you learn to perfect your communication. Go for quantity, not quality, at first. Travel.

8) Buy a spare copy of the Cambridge French-English Thesaurus in case you lose the first.

Good luck.