ENCYCLOPEDIA

From Philosopedia

ENCYCLOPEDIA

An encyclopedia—a word taken from the Greek, meaning a circle of knowledge—was originally meant to compile knowledge but, equally important, to give it shape.

A Roman 6th century encyclopedia was divided into Divine and Human categories.

A 9th century Arabic encyclopedia set priorities by beginning with discussions of power and war and ending with entries on food and women.

During the 17th century, alphabetical encyclopedias began to thrive, as did cross-referencing and detailed indexing.