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Etymology and origin of the Latin word encyclopaedia

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1500
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin encyclopaedia
English encyclopedia

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɛŋ.ky.kɫɔ.pae̯ˈdiː.a][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [en̠ʲ.t͡ʃi.klo.peˈdiː.a][1]

Forms

encyclopaedīa f (genitive encyclopaedīae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία (enkúklios paideía, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), written as one word,[1] from ἐγκύκλιος (enkúklios, “circular”) and παιδεία (paideía, “child-rearing, education”).[1][2] Etymonline reports that the Latin word is thought to be a false reading of the Greek phrase, which meant literally “training in a circle”, that is, the circle of arts and sciences that made up a liberal education.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Renaissance coinage, dated to about 1500 by Etymonline,[2] meaning a rounded education and also an encyclopedia.[1][2]

Semantic evolution

The Maurist editors of Du Cange define it as the series of disciplines that shows how all the arts are connected, and compare Quintilian's “orbis ille doctrinae” (“that circle of learning”), for which he cites the Greek name.[3] According to Wiktionary, the spelling encyclopedia goes back at least to a work of Johannes Aventinus of 1517, and encyclopaedia seems to have been used first by Paul Skalich in 1559.[1]

English took the word over in the 1530s for a general course of instruction.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1500 – The Modern Latin word appears.[2]
  • 1517 – The spelling encyclopedia is used in a work by Johannes Aventinus.[1]
  • 1530s – English borrows it as encyclopedia, first meaning a general course of instruction.[2]
  • 1559 – Paul Skalich uses the spelling encyclopaedia.[1]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (New Latin) A rounded education in all the liberal arts.[3][2]
  2. (New Latin) An encyclopedia.[1]

Usage notes

Wiktionary records the variant spelling encyclopēdīa.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre

Borrowed into

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Encyclopaedia.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/encyclopaedia. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·