An encyclopedia or encyclopaedia is a book or series of books that contain general information about many topics or areas. The world encyclopedia comes from the Greek enkyklia paideia, which means “a general knowledge.” The word has been in use for at least 500 years, and used in print for the first time in Encyclopaedia, or Knowledge of the World of Disciplines, which was published in 1559. The first encyclopedia per se was written in the first century BC by Pliny the Elder with the help of his nephew. The work consisted of 37 volumes and covered everything from anthropology and human physiology to agriculture, painting, and pharmacology. Through the following few centuries, encyclopedias adopted a religious overtone. The first Christian encyclopedia was published in 560 BC, and the first Muslim encyclopedia came to light soon after. One of the longest encyclopedias to ever see the light is also one of the oldest. In 1403, the Yongle Encyclopedia was published in China. It consisted o
At the most basic level, encyclopedias can be characterized as books about things, while dictionaries are books about words. Encyclopedias synthesize knowledge, giving readers a view of what is known about a myriad of specific topics, and present an orderly assembly of the facts essential to an understanding of each topic. Modern encyclopedias are designed to serve as a point of reference from which a reader can proceed to other sources that contain more detailed information. The term encyclopedia derives from classical Greek meaning “rounded education” (enkyklios paideia, “circle of learning”). The value of any encyclopedia depends on the needs of the individual user. No matter how good it may be, no single encyclopedia can satisfy the needs of all users. Some works are designed for ready reference, others offer sophisticated discussion of complex subjects, and others excel in the straightforward presentation of information for the browser. There are a number of criteria by which to a
