Encyclopedia
mid 16th century: modern Latin, from pseudo-Greek enkuklopaideia for enkuklios paideia ‘all-round education’.
wiktionary
From New Latin encyclopaedia(“general education”), from Renaissance Ancient Greek ἐγκυκλοπαιδεία(enkuklopaideía, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), a mistaken univerbated form of Koine Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδείᾱ(enkúklios paideíā, “education in the circle of arts and sciences”), from ἐγκύκλιος(enkúklios, “circular”) + παιδείᾱ(paideíā, “child-rearing, education”).
etymonline
encyclopedia (n.)
1530s, "general course of instruction," from Modern Latin encyclopaedia (c. 1500), thought to be a false reading by Latin authors of Greek enkyklios paideia taken as "general education," but literally "training in a circle," i.e. the "circle" of arts and sciences, the essentials of a liberal education; from enkyklios "circular," also "general" (from en "in;" see in + kyklos "circle;" from PIE root *kwel- (1) "revolve, move round") + paideia "education, child-rearing," from pais (genitive paidos) "child" (see pedo-).
Modern sense of "reference work arranged alphabetically" is from 1640s, often applied specifically to the French Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des Sciences, des Arts, et des Métiers (1751-65). Related: Encyclopedist.
