Those who are interested in Dialects will require all the special Dictionaries which have been published, and these may be found in the Bibliography now being compiled by the English Dialect Society, but those who do not make this a special study will be contented with "A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs, and Ancient Customs, from the Fourteenth Century, by J.O. Halliwell" (fifth edition, London, 1865, 2 vols. 8vo.), which is well-nigh indispensable to all. Nares's Glossary (1822-46, new edition, by J.O. Halliwell and T. Wright, 2 vols. 8vo. 1859) is also required by those who make a study of Old English Literature.
The following is a short indication of some of the most useful working Dictionaries:
Arabic.—Lane.
Greek.—Liddell & Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, both in 4to. and in abridged form in square 12mo.
Latin.—The Clarendon Press publish a Latin Dictionary founded on Andrews's edition of Freund, and edited by C.T. Lewis and C. Short, which is of great value. Smith's Dictionary, both the large edition and the smaller one, and that of Riddle are good.
French.—The Dictionaries of Fleming and Tibbins, and Spiers, keep up their character, but for idioms the International French and English Dictionary of Hamilton and Legros is the best. For smaller Dictionaries Cassell's is both cheap and good. Bellows's Pocket Dictionary has obtained considerable fame, but those who use it need a good eyesight on account of the smallness of the type. It is, however, beautifully printed. The Standard French Dictionaries of that language alone are the noble work of Littré and the excellent Dictionary of Poitevin (2 vols. 4to.). For early French Godefroy's elaborate work, which is now in progress, must be consulted.
German.—Fluegel's German and English Dictionary still holds its own, but Koehler's Dictionary is also excellent. Hilpert's and Lucas's Dictionaries, both good ones, are now out of print. Of Standard German Dictionaries Grimm's great work is still in progress. Sanders's Dictionary is also of great value.
Danish and Norwegian.—The Dictionary by Ferrall, Repp, Rosing and Larsen is good.
Dutch.—Calisch (2 vols. 8vo. 1875).