Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary Classical Greek (Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionaries)

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for what it is!
Review: I gave this pocket size dictionary a rating of ten because in its category that what it is. A Yugo gets a rating of ten when measured up against other inexpensive, pocketsize cars for beginners. It would be of little use to compare it to a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. In the same manner it would be of little use to compare this pocketsize, handy, inexpensive, dictionary to the Liddel-Scott-Jones Lexicon. I believe the first paragraph of the preface sums it up, and I quote it here now:"The Pocket-Dictionary is not intended to compete with any of the larger Lexicons, but as it contains all the words which appear in the authors commonly read in schools, and also those of the Greek New Testament, it will perhaps prove useful to beginners, and may also lend occaisonal service to more advanced students when they are unable, or disinclined, to look up words in a more extensive work. At any rate it has the advantage of cheapness."I find it useful in my work translating Appian, and will usually look up a word it in before using the LSJ Lexicon.

Rating:
Summary: It has a number of faults, but it is the only option
Review: When it comes to an inexpensive, pocket-sized dictionary for the beginning student of Greek, Langensheidt's POCKET GREEK DICTIONARY is just about the only option. However, it has a few minuses.

The layout of the dictionary is rather hard on the eyes. The typeface used is difficult to read, and if a sentence runs over the margin, it is shifted one line up, not down! Strangely, the book doesn't use quite the same alphabetical order of most Greek lexicons, meaning that one spends more time flipping around trying to find a word. As a fan of Aristophanes' comedies, which often include bawdy scenes, I was disappointed to find that this dictionary didn't include - whether from lack of space or puritanism - the obscene words which one must know to understand Aristophanes' humour.

If you're new to the study of Greek, I would recommend this dictionary right away because it is economical and pocket-sized. However, if you plan to continue your study of ancient Greek, saving for the much more expensive but superior Oxford lexicons is necessary.