encyclopedist

Term: encyclopedist

Literally meaning: “round education”

Origin: Med Greek

Εγκύκλιος Παιδεία/Encyglios Pedia (=round education)

εν/en-(= prefix meaning “in”)

+κύκλος/cyclos(=cycle)>1/2κυρτός/1/2cyrtos(=convex)+1/2κοίλος/coilos

(=concave)

+ παις/pes (=child) (genitive: παιδός/pedos)

Coined/History

The first encyclopedist who  gathered facts about phenomena in an orderly and systematic way was Aristotle. The first encyclopedist who wrote his information in his famous work “ the Naturalis Historia” was Roman Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 AD – 79 AD), (or Pliny the Elder) . The etymology of the ”term” derived from word “εγκύκλιος» that was reffered in Ancient Greece to educated people for circular  dances.

Definition

A person who writes and compiles an encyclopedia (summary of information from either all branches of knowledge).