The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Rating:
Summary: A decent book, but a little *too* concise
Review: This is a good book for linguistics majors, especially if you intend to go to grad school. The book has definitions of just about every word I've needed to look up, but sometimes the definitions aren't very clear and are worded in the same difficult jargon that makes you need to look these words up in the first place. Longer definitions would be helpful. But in cases where words learned in class need clarifying, it does offer another explanation. Overall, it's worth the price, but I'll be on the lookout for other linguistics dictionaries that have clearer explanations.

Rating:
Summary: The dictionary I turn to first
Review: This slim dictionary succeeds nicely at providing concise but accurate and understandable definitions of linguistic terminology.

Serious linguists will also want to own David Crystal's Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Crystal's dictionary is larger and more complete in most respects, especially with regard to phonetics. On the other hand, Matthews' dictionary, unlike Crystal's, has brief entries on individual linguists (Panini, Halliday) and specific languages (Etruscan, Pashto). Overall, I find Matthews' dictionary more "user-friendly": smaller, cheaper, and easier to read. I find myself consulting Matthews first, and then turning to Crystal for an alternative perspective.