A good Latin dictionary

Latin Learning Latin
1

Salvete,

I’m learning Latin through Lingua Latina. Although I am currently able to absorb the grammar without having to consult a traditional grammar book, I think it would be useful for me to buy a reasonably comprehensive dictionary - not so much for comprehension of what I’m reading so much as for composition of my own Latin. Which is considered the best? What do the better ones have that others don’t?

Gratias multas ob auxillium. Gratiam habeo.

Jack

2

Here is the standard (and correct) answer.

“The best dictionaries (optima sunt): Oxford Latin Dictionary, and Lewis & Short. Pretty good dictionary (melius): Cassell’s. Also Whitaker’s Words program from this site http://users.erols.com/whitaker/words.htm”

This is from Adrianus.

The ones above are great. I own the Cassell’s and drool over the others (200 dollars).

I always suggest, in addition to whitaker’s words, getting New College Dictionary. It is cheap (5.95), light, and good. Buy it and Cassells (25 dollars) and pray for the money to get the others.

3

Gratias tibi ago.

Jack

4

Salvete,

What is the best English to Latin dictionary available? I have an early copy of OLD but it is organized by the latin rather than english words.

Thank you

5

I find the Words program best for composition, especially if you are trying to compose about “modern” things, e.g. computers, hamburgers, shovels. However, as far as desk dictionaries go, outside of the pain of doing Bradley’s Arnold in Grad school, I have never done too much with composition, so I am not that familiar with strengths in this area. So, I would still go with the recs above. I tell you, 9 times out of 10 , I am using New College.

For Composition, I would find a book with a good dictionary in the back (North and Hillard’s Latin Comp, for example.)

PS. Cassells has an English to Latin section, though I don’t remember it being very impressive. I would simply look at my copy but I think it is at my office.

6

To translate from English to Latin, see these:
Ut ex anglico in Latinum sermonem convertas, vide ità:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mQ0tAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT284&lpg=PT284&dq=ainsworth+dictionary+of+the+latin+tongue&source=bl&ots=FGZy-cdDtb&sig=xYteH1x-Y8krhk972d6eENd3If4&hl=en&ei=F8eiScamOozFjAen0NTgCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA1,M1 (the bigger original Ainsworth is better; melior est versio magna et primogenia)

http://facweb.furman.edu/~dmorgan/lexicon/silva.htm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Conversational-Latin-Oral-Proficiency-4th/dp/0865166226/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235404782&sr=8-1

7

Thanks for all the additional links, paulusnb and adrianus.

Jack

8

There are also dicitionaries on the web like http://www.albertmartin.de/latin
I like this one…