''Etymologicum Magnum'' ( grc, Ἐτυμολογικὸν Μέγα, ) (standard abbreviation ''EM'', or ''Etym. M.'' in older literature) is the traditional title of a Greek lexical

encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...

compiled at

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

by an unknown

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries. * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries. * Theoreti ...

around 1150 AD. It is the largest Byzantine lexicon and draws on many earlier grammatical, lexical and rhetorical works. Its main sources were two previous ''etymologica'', the so-called '' Etymologicum Genuinum'' and the '' Etymologicum Gudianum''. Other sources include

Stephanus of Byzantium Stephanus or Stephan of Byzantium ( la, Stephanus Byzantinus; grc-gre, Στέφανος Βυζάντιος, ''Stéphanos Byzántios''; centuryAD), was a Byzantine grammarian and the author of an important geographical dictionary entitled ''Ethni ...

, the ''Epitome'' of

Diogenianus Diogenianus ( el, Διογενειανός, Διογενιανός) was a Greek grammarian from Heraclea in Pontus (or in Caria) who flourished during the reign of Hadrian. He was the author of an alphabetical lexicon, chiefly of poetical words, ...

, the so-called ''Lexicon'' Αἱμωδεῖν (''Haimōdeῖn''), Eulogius’ Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις (''Ἀporίai kaὶ lύseis''), George Choeroboscus’ ''Epimerismi ad Psalmos'', the ''Etymologicon'' of

Orion of Thebes Orion of Thebes (Greek: Ώρίων ό Θηβαίος, died c. 460s) was a 5th-century grammarian of Thebes (Egypt), the teacher of Proclus the neo-Platonist, and of Eudocia, the wife of Emperor Theodosius II. He taught at Alexandria, Caesarea in Cap ...

, and collections of ''scholia''. The compiler of the ''Etymologicum Magnum'' was not a mere copyist; rather he amalgamated, reorganised, augmented and freely modified his source material to create a new and individual work. The ''

editio princeps In classical scholarship, the ''editio princeps'' (plural: ''editiones principes'') of a work is the first printed edition of the work, that previously had existed only in manuscripts, which could be circulated only after being copied by hand. For ...

'' of the ''Etymologicum Magnum'' was published by Zacharias Kallierges and

Nikolaos Vlastos Nikolaos ( el, Νικόλαος, ') is a common Greek given name which means "Victor of People", a compound of νίκη '' nikē'' 'victory' and λαός laos' 'people'. The connotation is "people's champion" or "conqueror of people". The English ...

under the patronage of

Anna Notaras Anna Notaras Palaiologina ( gr, Ἄννα Νοταρᾶ Παλαιολογίνα; died 8 July 1507) was the daughter of Loukas Notaras, the last '' megas doux'' of the Byzantine Empire. Biography Anna probably left Constantinople prior to fall o ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in 1499. The typeface was designed and cut by Kallierges, modeled on his own handwriting. The decorative initial letters and headpieces are patterned on the decorations of the Byzantine manuscript tradition, and the woodcut borders incorporate elaborate arabesque designs, usually colored white on red, but also white on gold. The decorations of the Kallierges edition had a great influence in printing, especially on Greek liturgical books. The most recent complete edition is by

Thomas Gaisford Thomas Gaisford (22 December 17792 June 1855) was an English classical scholar and clergyman. He served as Dean of Christ Church from 1831 until his death. Early life Gaisford was born at Iford Manor, Wiltshire, and educated at Hyde Abbey Scho ...

(Oxford 1848). A new (uncompleted) edition is in preparation by F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras (under the title ''Etymologicum Magnum Auctum'').F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras (eds.), ''Etymologicum Magnum Genuinum, Symeonis Etymologicum una cum Magna Grammatica, Etymologicum Magnum Auctum'', vol. 1 (Rome 1976); 2 (Athens 1992)

References

Bibliography

*K. Alpers (1990), ‘Griechische Lexicographie in Antike und Mittelalter. Dargestellt an ausgewählten Beispielen’ in H.-A. Koch and A. Krup-Eber (eds.), ''Welt der Information. Wissen und Wissensvermittlung in Geschichte und Gegenwart'' (Stuttgart) 14-38. *K. Alpers (2001), ‘Lexicographie (B.I-III)’ in G. Üding and W. Jens (eds.), ''Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik'' 2 (Tübingen) 194-210. *P. Rance, (2007), ‘The ''Etymologicum Magnum'' and the “Fragment of Urbicius”’, ''Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies'' 47:193-224
online
*R. Reitzenstein (1897), ''Geschichte der griechischen Etymologika: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Philologie in Alexandria und Byzanz'' (Leipzig; repr. Amsterdam 1964). *F. W. Sturz (1820), ''Orionis Thebani Etymologicon'' (Leipzig).

External links

*
Etymologicon magnum seu magnum grammaticae penu
', Friderici Sylburgii (ed.), editio nova correctior, Lipsiae apud Io. Aug. Gottl. Weigel, 1816.

Thomas Gaisford (ed.), Oxonii, E. Typographeo academico, 1848. 1150s books Ancient Greek dictionaries Byzantine Greek encyclopedias Etymological dictionaries Works about philology {{Philology-stub