Skip to content
Art & MusicGreekEnglish

Encyclopedia

A reference work covering many branches of knowledge.

The Greek roots

ἐγκύκλιος
enkýklios
all-round, general
+
παιδεία
paideía
education

Literally: well-rounded education

The story of the word

From enkýklios paideía, the 'all-round education' a Greek citizen was meant to have — the whole circle of learning.

The same roots elsewhere

Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.

In a sentence

He read the encyclopedia cover to cover.

Built on the same root

More from Art & Music