Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Alegría, Ciro

(Encyclopedia)Alegría, Ciro sēˈrō älāgrēˈä [key], 1909–67, Peruvian novelist. Imprisoned several times for his political activities, Alegría was exiled to Chile in 1934. He gained fame with his novel La...

Euphorion

(Encyclopedia)Euphorion yo͞ofôrˈēən [key], c.275–187? b.c., Greek poet, b. Chalcis. He was made (c.223 b.c.) librarian at Antioch by Antiochus the Great and held the position until his death. Highly regarded...

Schleicher, August

(Encyclopedia)Schleicher, August ouˈgo͝ost shlīˈkhər [key], 1821–68, German philologist. A professor at the universities of Prague and Jena, Schleicher wrote studies of the Lithuanian language (1856–57), t...

Priscian

(Encyclopedia)Priscian (Priscianus Caesariensis) prĭshˈən [key], fl. 500, Latin grammarian, b. Caesarea in Mauretania. Priscian taught grammar at Constantinople. His Commentarii grammatici, in 18 books, was long...

Propertius, Sextus

(Encyclopedia)Propertius, Sextus sĕkˈstəs prōpûrˈshəs [key], c.50 b.c.–c.16 b.c., Roman elegiac poet, b. Umbria. He was a member of the circle of Maecenas. A master of the Latin elegy, he wrote with vigor,...

Richard de Bury

(Encyclopedia)Richard de Bury bĕrˈē [key], 1287–1345, English bibliophile and bishop of Durham. His name was Aungerville, but he was called Bury from his birthplace, Bury St. Edmunds. Under Edward III he serve...

nominative

(Encyclopedia)nominative nŏmˈĭnətĭv [key], [Lat.,=naming], in Latin grammar, the case usually employed for the noun that is the subject of the sentence. The term is used in the grammar of languages with Latinl...

Nepos, Cornelius

(Encyclopedia)Nepos, Cornelius nēˈpŏs [key], c.100 b.c.–c.25 b.c., Roman historian. He was an intimate friend of Pomponius Atticus, Cicero, and Catullus. His only extant work is a collection of biographies, mo...

Benedictus

(Encyclopedia)Benedictus bĕnədĭkˈtəs [key], hymn of Zachary, taken from Luke 1.68–79. It begins in Latin, “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel” [blessed be the Lord God of Israel]. It is used at funerals and ...

Byrd, William, English composer

(Encyclopedia)Byrd, William, 1543–1623, English composer, organist at Lincoln Cathedral and, jointly with Tallis, at the Chapel Royal. Although Roman Catholic, he composed anthems and services for the English Chu...