Woefully out of date but still indispensable
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This ancient dictionary with its antiquated J's and V's and incredibly cramped typeface should really have been completely superseded by the massive and modern Oxford Latin Dictionary. However, frustratingly, any serious Latinist is going to find that they need both: the OLD for its clarity of definitions, its up-to-date scholarship and its superior layout; but Lewis & Short for Vulgate Biblical Latin and words in use after 200 A.D., which is the cut off for the OLD (Suetonius is about the latest famous author to be included in the OLD).
Sadly, neither tackle any sort of Medieval Latin, so if you have any hankering to read medieval hymns or poetry and the like (and why not?) you'll also need another dictionary in addition to these! What's "D'oh!" in Latin? Euge!
At some point, hopefully, a publisher will recognise that a multi-volume work is needed in order to provide a comprehensive dictionary of the Latin language that includes words used by the Romans, by the Medieval Church, and by Neo-Latinists from Erasmus to Isaac Newton and beyond.
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Indispensible
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I was given this at 16 to kick start my Latin A-level and it went on to help me get my first class honours. It is without doubt the only portable (OK just barely!), but comprehensive dictionary for scholars, for use in both translation and composition. No serious student of Classics should be without one. The old fashioned presentation doesn't present a major problem and is half of its overall appeal.
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For those who are considering a purchase....
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...the entire contents of Lewis and Short is available at the Perseus website at Oxford University (googling will find it easily). However, the hard copy is much more convenient for regular use.
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ilico
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The small, compact typeface can be exasperating. However, the font size has kept the edition portable in one volume. The dictionary focuses in a very scholarly manner on Classical Latin and illustrates each word usage with examples (untranslated) from identified Classical texts. The dictionary is a momument to scholarhsip. The Greek origin of some Latin words is also supplied. While not ideal for beginners, and cumbersome, the dictionary is a classic itself. The age of a dictionary is, I believe, is an asset, especially for the translation of texts written in a period prior to our own. It is useful, but not without effort.
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Without a doubt the best Latin Dictionary on the market.
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Lewis & Short have produced the definitive Latin Dictionary in this massive tome - a delight to bibliophiles and an amazingly in-depth reference book for Latin scholars at any level. Occasionally irritiating when it refers you around from entry to entry in a slightly prudish effort to avoid embarrassment (look up "pedico" or "irrumo" for a perfect example).
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