Cassell's Standard Latin Dictionary: Latin/English, English/Latin

Not concerning myself in this review with the contents of this work; which I see others have covered already better than I could, I will describe to you the physical construction of the book at which I am disappointed, if not even appalled.
To begin vaguely, this book just does not feel like a dictionary. It seems as though real design might have gone into making this dictionary look and feel machine-mass-produced, thrown-together, and cheap.
It is too tall and flat to open easily as a dictionary of reference ought. The fore edge of the textblock looks as though it had been cut with a craft knife and an old ruler. There are traces of the glue - which I fear will have been relied upon more than any good stiching - at the top and bottom textblock edges near the spine. Worst of all, though, are the roughly-cut, orange-segment-like holes that highlight where one of six letters in the alphabet starts in the text: were this not a definite hindrance to thumbing through and turning the pages: making it feel as if the small sections between the holes should tear or bend, fold or crease within a days use, then they would still be completely superfluous: who, having used any dictionary for but an hour, could not open the dictionary within at most 10 pages of their word? How irritating these thoughtlessly designed orange-shaped holes are for those who have gained that simple feel for the book.
Personally, I should recommend your looking in secondhand-book shops for some old, then-still-properly-constructed Latin dictionary: you might be lucky and find an old leather book going for about the same price as this abomination.

Disappointing (4/4 people found this helpful)

This well-presented volume is a recension, by an Eton classics master, of the work by Beard & Beard originally published in 1854. The author gives a useful history of the dictionary in his preface.

My previous (and indeed present) copy is pre-1886, that is before Markham's 'improved' edition, which is the one known to all schoolboys until the 1960s.

I thought I'd upgrade to Mr Simpson's 1964 edition, as mine is very tatty, and also shows the marks of its time in the presentation - small print, shortened headwords, etc.

Reader, it was a mistake. The presentation is faultless, the price is amazingly reasonable, but the content has been most dreadfully cut about.

A classic in itself (5/5 people found this helpful)

One does not need to afford Lewis and Short to have access to a work that is a boon companion to any Latin reader; it is this one which stands proudly on my shelf next to "Middle Liddell".
I started using a pre-war edition inherited from an uncle whilst I was at school and I have replaced it with this edition. It is superior to the old one and a pleasure to use.

Verbum! (13/13 people found this helpful)

The Cassell's Latin-English Dictionary has a long history. First published in 1854, it has continued in publication under various editors and revisions to the present text, the work of D.P. Simpson, Head of the Classics Department at Eton during the middle of the twentieth century. This book remains for all but the most advanced scholars in Latin the principle Latin dictionary. Clerics, students and general readers of the classics use this volume more than any other. There are other editions (concise editions, etc.), but this is primary volume for standard use.

The dictionary has two sections, a Latin-English side, and an English-Latin side. The Latin-English side contains a primary vocabulary of classical Latin, most words used and found in writings between 200 BCE and 100 AD/CE. There are also proper nouns (names, places). Spelling was flexible in the ancient world; the spelling here follows the conventional modern spellings, with cross-references for significant variances. Words indicate definitions, declension or conjugation as appropriate, and some pronunciation guides. Latin authors are also indicated (in abbreviation) for almost every word.

The English-Latin side is primarily useful for prose composition into Latin of the classical type. Because of the natural growth of language due to progress of technology and ideas, many English words will not be found, as there are no Latin equivalents. Latin equivalent words are taken largely from Cicero, Caesar and Livy, with some additions from legal and ecclesiastical Latin.

There are additional sections for standard Latin abbreviations, the Roman calendar, bibliographies for word lists, atlases, general antiquities, and Latin language guides. This is the best choice for a Latin dictionary for almost any purpose. Even high-end scholars will want the Cassell's for ready and easy reference.

A cost-effective resource (22/22 people found this helpful)

While net nearly as detailed as the great OLD, it is certainly a fair, cost-effective alternative. The exmaples from various authors showing the particular word in context is helpful to both the student reading Latin and also the student of Latin Composition. While probably not the best reference for graduate-level study, it is certainly a very good resource for the undergraduate searching for a good Latin dictionary, yet unable to afford the OLD. I have three Latin-English dictionaries--the Pocket OLD, the New College Latin & English Dictionary, and Cassell's Latin Dictionary--and Cassell's stands paramount in relation to the former two.

Cassell's Standard Latin Dictionary: Latin/English, English/Latin

D. P. Simpson

Reader Reviews:

Physically, a half-FECITed, cheaply and badly designed book. (8/8 people found this helpful)

Disappointing (4/4 people found this helpful)

A classic in itself (5/5 people found this helpful)

Verbum! (13/13 people found this helpful)

A cost-effective resource (22/22 people found this helpful)

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