The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases

by Martin H. Manser

Book Overview

Ralph Waldo Emerson once described the English language as the sea which receives tributaries from every region under heaven. We dip into this sea more often than we realize, sprinkling our writings... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816044597
• ISBN13: 9780816044597
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Checkmark Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A great resource

As a writer, I'm often forced to turn to foreign words or phrases to express my ideas. The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases has been indespensible in my search for just the right word or phrase. The clear and concise definitions are easy to follow and each entry is followed by the country of origin which I find particularly helpful. Non-writers will enjoy this book as well. Filled with interesting information, Manser has given the world a great resource and a new means for expanding our vocabularies.

fine resource

This is another fine reference from the Facts on File Writer's Library, and is a terrific resource for writers, readers, students and teachers. Phrases are listed alphabetically, and each entry includes the pronunciation, etymology, grammatical information, definition, examples, abbreviations, derivatives, and cross-references. The book concludes with an index that organizes entries by language. The print is clean and I was able to find most of the phrases in which I was interested, but with only 4000 entries there are gaps; you will find actuall foreign phrases such as pas de deux, but you will also find Americanized foreign words like parole, so it isn't always clear what you will find here and what you won't, but words and phrases that are here are given a nice treatment. Useful if not exhaustive.