Wiktionary

encyclopedia

English

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Volumes 5–12 of the Encyclopedia Americana (covering topics from Bulgaria to Goethals) in the SUB Library at the University of Göttingen, Germany

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *h₁en-
    Proto-Indo-European *h₁én
    Ancient Greek ἐν (en)
    Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-)
    Proto-Indo-European *kʷel-
    Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos
    Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos)
    Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.
    Ancient Greek -ιος (-ios)
    Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλῐος (enkúklios)
    Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w-der.
    Proto-Hellenic *pā́wits
    Ancient Greek παῖς (paîs)
    Ancient Greek -εύς (-eús)
    Ancient Greek -εύω (-eúō)
    Ancient Greek παιδεύω (paideúō)
    Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
    Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
    Ancient Greek -ία (-ía)
    Ancient Greek παιδείᾱ (paideíā)
    Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδείᾱ (enkúklios paideíā)der.
    English encyclopedia

    Borrowed from New Latin encyclopēdīa (“general education”), variant of encyclopaedīa, a univerbated form of Koine Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδείᾱ (enkúklios paideíā, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), from Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular”) παιδείᾱ (paideíā, “childrearing; education”), q.v. Nearly all modern English use of the word influenced by the scope and format of Diderot & al.'s French Encyclopédie.

    Pronunciation

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    • (Canada) IPA(key): /ənˌsəɪ.kləˈpi.di.ə/
    • (UK) IPA(key): /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).dɪə/
    • (US) IPA(key): /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi(ː).di.ə/
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • Rhymes: -iːdiə
    • Hyphenation: en‧cy‧clo‧pe‧di‧a

    Noun

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    encyclopedia (plural encyclopedias or encyclopediae or encyclopediæ)

    2. A comprehensive reference work (often spanning several printed volumes) with articles (usually arranged in alphabetical order, or sometimes arranged by category) on a range of subjects, sometimes general, sometimes limited to a particular field.
      I only use the library for the encyclopedia, as we’ve got most other books here.
      His life's work is a four-volume encyclopedia of aviation topics.
    3. Similarly comprehensive works in other formats.
      Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia anyone can edit.[citation needed]
    4. (dated) The circle of arts and sciences; a comprehensive summary of knowledge, or of a branch of knowledge.

    Usage notes

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    The spelling encyclopedia is standard in American English, common in Canadian English, accepted in Australian and International English, and also very common in British English although nonstandard. Oxford spelling prefers the etymologized form encyclopaedia, which restores the αι diphthong in Ancient Greek παιδεία. The variant with the æ ligature still appears in the titles of some encyclopaedic works, but it is otherwise archaic in ordinary usage.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    See also

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    Further reading

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