The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Jun 8, 2006 - History - 475 pages
This work is a complete English translation of the Latin Etymologies of Isidore, Bishop of Seville (c.560–636). Isidore compiled the work between c.615 and the early 630s and it takes the form of an encyclopedia, arranged by subject matter. It contains much lore of the late classical world beginning with the Seven Liberal Arts, including Rhetoric, and touches on thousands of topics ranging from the names of God, the terminology of the Law, the technologies of fabrics, ships and agriculture to the names of cities and rivers, the theatrical arts, and cooking utensils. Isidore provides etymologies for most of the terms he explains, finding in the causes of words the underlying key to their meaning. This book offers a highly readable translation of the twenty books of the Etymologies, one of the most widely known texts for a thousand years from Isidore's time.
 

Selected pages

Contents

introduction Introduction
3
Historical background
4
Chronology
6
Life and works
7
The sources of the Etymologies
10
The character of the Etymologies
17
The influence of the Etymologies
24
Editions of the Etymologies and this translation
27
TheChurchandsects
173
Languages nations reigns the military citizens family relationships
191
Vocabulary
213
The human being and portents
231
Animals
247
The cosmos and its parts
271
The earth and its parts
285
Buildings and fields
301

Bibliography
29
Analytical table of contents
34
Grammar
39
Rhetoric and dialectic
69
Mathematics music astronomy
89
Medicine
109
Laws and times
117
Books and ecclesiastical offices
135
God angels and saints
153
Stones and metals
317
Rural matters
337
War and games
359
Ships buildings and clothing
373
Provisions and various implements
395
Correspondence of Isidore and Braulio
409
indexes
417
General index 417 Index of Greek words
465
Copyright

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The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville

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Common terms and phrases

ancients animals apostle bird blood body born bronze Cassiodorus Catiline Oration Christ Cicero cloth color defined definition derived divided divine earth Ennius Etymologies father fields fiery fifth fig figure filled find fingers fire first fish five fixed flame flesh flower flows flying Gaul gems gold Gospel Greek means Greek term Greek word Greeks call heaven Hebrew Hence Holy Spirit horses human iron Isidore Isidore of Seville Isidore’s island itis kind king land language letter Libya Lord Lucan Lucretius moon nature noun office ofthe one’s origin pagans person poets reason Reccared region river Roman sacrifice Scythians sense shape signifies Sisebut snake solidus someone sound speak specific speech stars stone Suinthila syllable takes its name things tion translated tree Varro verb Vergil Visigothic voice vowel Vulgate whence winds wine written

About the author (2006)

Stephen A. Barney is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of California, Irvine. He edited and annotated Chaucer's Troilus for The Riverside Chaucer (1987) and also as a Norton Critical Edition (2006). He is also the author of The Penn Commentary on 'Piers Plowman', Volume 5 (2006).

W. J. Lewis is a translator and editor. Her previous translations include two works by Galen: Hippocrates on the Nature of Man and On the Elements According to Hippocrates and she co-translated On the Properties of Discourse: A Translation of Tractatus de Proprietatibus Sermonum with Stephen Barney, Calvin Normore and Terence Parsons (1997).

Jennifer Beach is an independent classics scholar and senior documenter for a software engineering company. She worked for several years at the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae and continues to explore the relationship between classics and computer technology.

Oliver Berghof is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at California State University, San Marcos, and Lecturer in Humanities at the University of California, Irvine. His previous publications include Georg Forster: A Voyage Round the World (edited with Nicholas Thomas, 2000).

Bibliographic information

TitleThe Etymologies of Isidore of Seville
Translated byStephen A. Barney, W. J. Lewis, J. A. Beach, Oliver Berghof
PublisherCambridge University Press, 2006
ISBN1139456164, 9781139456166
Length475 pages
Subjects ›  › 

History / Ancient / General
Language Arts & Disciplines / General
Literary Criticism / Ancient & Classical
  
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