Pattermann's Practical English [antikvár]

Preface The purview of this book is the rendering into German of English phraseology, mainly idiomatic expressions and subtleties of the English language. These idioms and subtleties frequently occasion difficulties to the students of German and English, which this book endeavours to remove. A novel departure of this book is the illustration of the meaning, and correct application of each English key-word, by sentences and phrases selected from both the colloquial and written language, and their rendering into German. The text of the book is based on English key-words, arranged in alphabetical order. A considerable portion is devoted to the explanation and correct interpretation of idiomatic Enghsh verbs which often undergo a subtle change of meaning by the addition of the adverb or adjective. Synonyms and their fitting rendering into German also occupy a large space in this book. In view of the above features this reference book represents a considerable improvement on any dictionary published so far; it is not, however, intended to take the place of the current dictionaries. Another outstanding advantage is the fact that it pays special attention to the needs of post-war life in the intercourse between the English and German speaking nations. A widely felt need for an up-to-date English-German reference book, taking into account the practical requirements of everyday post-war life, will, it is hoped, thereby be met, and it will no doubt, therefore, be found a useful aid by the students of either language in improving their linguistic knowledge. To facilitate reference to the numerous words discussed under the heading of "Synonyms" an alphabetical list of all these words has been added. The attention of English speaking users is drawn to the "Brief guide to the pronunciation of German signs" added at the end of this book. In conclusion, I wish to render thanks to Dr. Theodor Reitterer, former Lecturer of English at the University of Vienna, for his advice and cooperation in compiling this book. Vienna, February 1946. W. Pattevmann