''Etymologicum Magnum'' (, ) (standard abbreviation ''EM'', or ''Etym. M.'' in older literature) is the traditional title of a Greek lexical
encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article (publishing), articles or entries that are arranged Alp ...
compiled at
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
by an unknown
lexicographer 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, the ''Epitome'' of
Diogenianus, the so-called ''Lexicon'' Αἱμωδεῖν (''Haimōdeῖn''), Eulogius’ Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις (''Ἀporίai kaὶ lύseis''),
George Choeroboscus’ ''Epimerismi ad Psalmos'', the ''Etymologicon'' of
Orion of Thebes, 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 Textual scholarship, textual and 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. These had to be copied by han ...
'' of the ''Etymologicum Magnum'' was published by
Zacharias Kallierges and
Nikolaos Vlastos under the patronage of
Anna Notaras at
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
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 1779 – 2 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, the son of John Gaisford ...
(Oxford 1848), with the slightly different title of ''Etymologicon Magnum''. 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
{{reflist, 30em
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.
1150s books
Ancient Greek dictionaries
Byzantine Greek encyclopedias
Etymological dictionaries
Works about philology