From: rosenlof@milton.u.washington.edu (Karen Rosenlof)
Newsgroups: sci.lang.japan
Subject: Dictionaries, my opinions
Date: 12 Apr 92 04:55:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Apr12.045505.20991
Reply-To: rosenlof@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle


 
These dictionary recomendations are for advanced students. They are all
intended for native Japanese speakers, and thus will be somewhat difficult
for nearly everybody learning the language.
 
 
Kokugo Jiten:
 
I find it *very* helpful to my studying to use a we-ei jiten as little as
possible to define Japanese words, but try to use a strictly Japanese
dictionary. The Sanshoudou "Reikai shin kokugo jiten" ISBN 4-385-13317-4
Y2000, 3rd edition, is intended for junior high school students. The
definitions are often challenging to understand, particularly for more
abstract words, but it is getting much easier after using it for a year and
a half. During my lessions now, I'm much better at asking my teacher a word
by defining the word in Japanese rather than giving the English word.
 
Wa-ei Jiten:
 
This opinion can be a source of spirited debate, but I think the choice of
a Japanese-English dictionary is not terribly important to a native English
speaker. From a choice of English words given for a Japanese word, we have
the context in the original sentance which is a big help in choosing the
 
Ei-wa Jiten:
 
I think this dictionary has to be chosen *very* carefully since when I'm
when a Kinokuniya opened here is Seattle, I spent a few hours examining the
dictionaries there before choosing the Shogakukan Progressive English-
Japanese Dictionary, 2nd ed. ISBN 4-09-510202-0 Y2800. It defines all words
in Kanji and Kana with few furigana, so it's not a dictionary for beginners,
but just judging from the corrections I get, or the ammusement I've given
my teacher in my writing, it's a better dictionary.
 
 
Kanji Jiten:
 
In keeping with my opinions related to the kokugo jiten, I try to use a
kan- wa jiten as much as possible. I'm moderately happy with the Sanshoudou
Shin- meikai kanwa jiten 4th edition. ISBN 4-385-13700-5 Y2300 It has some
nice features, and breaks with the traditional locations of kanji in some
cases. Kusa-kanmuri is a three stroke not six stroke radical, for example.
Kanji are generally defined by their traditional radical, but there are
usually references from commonly mis-guessed radicals. For the wa-puro
users, JIS and kuten codes are given. It lists, but doesn't define jukugo
with the kanji in question as the second character, handy at times. It's
weak points are that not all jukugo are listed. If it's a jukugo that
"everybody" knows, it may be left out. For kun yomi, there is just the yomi
and furigana, I generally have to look up the meaning of that in a kokugo
jiten.
 
 
Finally, a recomendation that nobody, but nobody, buy the big Hepburn
dictionary published by Tuttle. It's a recent reprint of the first ever (?)
Japanese-English dictionary, and is just terrible for learning now. Words
are out of date, the romaji is a system that I was never able to completely
figure out. Tuttle has many good publications about Japan, but I just can
say enough bad things about this dictionary. I see it in a lot of
bookstores and I've given serious thought to suggesting to all those store
managers that they send it back. I hope I got Hepburn correct as the name,
but I can't be sure, because that dictionary is boxed up and hidden away
somewhere that I can't find it.
 
 
mike
rosenlof@milton.u.washington.edu
Xref: sparky sci.lang.japan:1991 soc.culture.japan:3501