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Acompendium (pl.compendia orcompendiums) is a comprehensive collection of information and analysis pertaining to abody of knowledge. A compendium may concisely summarize a larger work. In most cases, the body of knowledge will concern a specific field of human interest or endeavor (e.g.hydrogeology, logology,ichthyology,phytosociology ormyrmecology), while a generalencyclopedia can be referred to as a "compendium of all human knowledge". The wordcompendium arrives from theLatin wordcompeneri, meaning "to weigh together or balance". The 21st century has seen the rise ofdemocratized, online compendia in various fields.
The Latin prefixcon- is used incompound words to suggest, "a being or bringing together of many objects" and also suggests striving for completeness with perfection. Andcompenso means "to balance, poise, weigh, offset."
The entry on the wordcompendious in theOnline Etymology Dictionary says "concise, abridged but comprehensive", "concise compilation comprising the general principles or leading points of a longer 'system or work'". Its etymology comes from a Medieval Latin use (com + pendere), literally meaning to weigh together.[1]
Afield guide is a compendium of species found within a geographic area, or within a taxon of natural occurrence such as animals, plants, rocks and minerals, or stars.Bestiaries were medieval compendiums that catalogued animals and facts about natural history, and were particularly popular in England and France around the 12th century.[citation needed]
Acookbook is a compendium of recipes within a given food culture.[citation needed]
An example would be theCatechism of the Catholic Church, a concise 598-question-and-answer book which summarises the teachings of the Catholic Church.[2]
Most nations have compendiums or compilations of law meant to be comprehensive for use by their judiciary. For example, the613 commandments, or theUnited States Code.[citation needed]
Thecollected works of Aristotle is a compendium ofnatural philosophy,metaphysics, language arts, and social science.[citation needed]
The single volumePropædia isEncyclopædia Britannica's compendium of the many volumes of itsMacropaedia.[citation needed]
TheBible is a group of many writings of the law, prophets, and writings of the Hebrew Bible held to be comprehensive and complete withinJudaism and called theOld Testament byChristianity.[citation needed]
Some well known literary figures have written their own compendium. An example would beAlexandre Dumas, author ofThe Three Musketeers, and agourmand. His compendium on food titledFrom Absinthe to Zest serves as an alphabet for food lovers.[citation needed]
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