Etymologiae
Quick Summary
Etymologies (c. 6th–7th century) is the most notable work by St. Isidore of Sevilla. This encyclopedia covered a vast range of human and divine subjects and was a significant achievement in glossography (the compilation of glossaries). It served as a crucial reference book for centuries, particularly during the Middle Ages.
The work is organized into 20 sections and draws from various sources, including the writings of Latin grammarians, Church Fathers, and other classical authors. Etymologies explored topics such as the seven liberal arts, anthropology, cosmology, architecture, history, and agriculture. Its etymological dictionary was especially valuable for later scholars. The encyclopedia's comprehensive nature and practical focus made it highly influential.1234
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
encyclopaediaGreek and Roman concepts…Origins [or Etymologies]”), commonly called Etymologiae, giving pride of place to the liberal arts and medicine, the Bible and the church coming later but still preceding such subjects as agriculture and warfare, shipping and furniture. The earliest recorded Arabic encyclopaedia, compiled by the 9th-century Arab philologist and historian Ibn Qutaybah,…
Read More…Origins [or Etymologies]”), commonly called Etymologiae, giving pride of place to the liberal arts and medicine, the Bible and the church coming later but still preceding such subjects as agriculture and warfare, shipping and furniture. The earliest recorded Arabic encyclopaedia, compiled by the 9th-century Arab philologist and historian Ibn Qutaybah,…
Read More- encyclopaediaEarly development
His Etymologiae therefore paid much attention to practical matters and even included an etymological dictionary. This was in line with the thought of St. Jerome—on whose encyclopaedic Chronicon and De viris illustribus St. Isidore had drawn—who, in common with the early Christian Fathers, was eager to…
Read MoreHis Etymologiae therefore paid much attention to practical matters and even included an etymological dictionary. This was in line with the thought of St. Jerome—on whose encyclopaedic Chronicon and De viris illustribus St. Isidore had drawn—who, in common with the early Christian Fathers, was eager to…
Read More
