Catalan Dictionary: English-Catalan/Catalan-English

Rating:
Summary: Catalan Dictionary (Routledge)
Review: 1. The typeface is clear, sharp, and perfectly legible; 2. The format is exquisite and pleasing to the eye. 3. Both the Catalan-English parts and the English-Catalan parts include phonemic transliteration using International Phonetic Alphabet placing an easy-to-read pronunciation at the fingertips of both Catalan-speaking users and English-speaking users--a vital feature since neither English nor Catalan pronunciation is predictible from its orthography. 4. The entries are noticeably limited, with the Catalan entries being considerably smaller than the English entries. 5. A very serious shortcoming is the inclusion of phonemic transliteration for only the infinitives of verbs. This limits its usefulness drastically because in the present tense of any Catalan verb, a stressed thematic vowel of "e" or "o" might be pronounced open or closed. Information regarding the quality of the thematic vowel is vital for a language learner, and it is completely lacking in the Routledge dictionary.

Rating:
Summary: A useful medium-format Catalan/English dictionary
Review: It is not unusual to see this dictionary in the hands of students at the Universitat de Barcelona. Unfortunately it was not available when I first arrived at that school. There are larger and smaller Catalan/English dictionaries that you can find, but this one is acceptable for toting around and it is still very useful for first-year Catalan language students. Being published in the UK it has a distinct British flavour. One very useful feature is the guide to conjugation of Catalan verbs. I also appreciated the inclusion of common useful phrases in both Catalan and English. If you are headed for Catalunya, it is best that you pick up this book before going to Spain, since it can be quite hard to find and expensive if you can find it. One shortcoming: the paperback binding is not as durable as I wished that it had been, and with the use that a typical student might put it through, it may start of unravel. Also bear in mind that this is not a professional translator's dictionary, but an excellent companion for a basic Catalan language text. Some native speakers of Catalan may differ with the use and meanings that are supplied, but given the diversity of Catalan and its many dialects, that is to be expected. Bona sort!