Filipino Librarian: FO: Tagalog-English Dictionaries

"Mahal" is a Tagalog word that may be translated into either "beloved" or "expensive." It is, in my opinion, the perfect word for Valentine's Day =)

The following online dictionaries will be useful depending on the users' needs:

Tagalog Dictionary is probably the best starting point for beginners. It may be limited to a "general vocabulary of more than 1,000 words & phrases," but it's reasonably accurate with the word "mahal" and provides related meanings, including antonyms. Plus, users can look for English and Tagalog translations just by clicking on "Search."

English<=>Tagalog Dictionary is the next best option. Just type in the word for which you need a translation, choose whether you need to translate from Tagalog to English or vice versa, and press "Search." There's even an option to look for words that "Starts with." But it's rather troubling that one of the definitions for "mahal" is "v. expensive." No, I don't think it's short for "very expensive."

Philippine On-Line Dictionary declares up-front that it can only "look up single words." What is left unsaid is that the same, one-word translations in English, Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Tagalog will be presented in a table. While the dictionary claims to have "over 30.000 entries," the numerous duplicate translations for "mahal" suggest that the number of entries is overstated.

SEAsite is the least user-friendly among the dictionaries consulted. First, the user must decide whether he needs a small, medium or large dictionary. Second, searching for the word "mahal," leads to a not-so-clear suggestion to try "mahal1" and "mahal2"! Finally, the user interface becomes more confusing as you go from the "small" to "large" dictionary. This will probably be most useful for patient linguists and scholars.