Elenchi

Elenchi is the plural of elenco, an Italian noun meaning a list or inventory of items arranged in a sequence. In Italian, elenchi denotes enumerations, rosters, or inventories used across administrative, bibliographic, and organizational contexts.

Forms and uses: The term covers a variety of lists, including elenchi alfabetici (alphabetical lists), elenchi tematici (thematic lists), and elenchi di controllo (checklists). In libraries and archives, elenchi help organize holdings, such as elenchi di autori or elenchi di opere per soggetto. In administration and accounting, they underpin inventories, registri, or statutory registers. In education and linguistics, elenchi enumerate vocabulary, grammar rules, or examples. In computing and data workflows, elenchi refer to lists of values, records, or tasks produced by software.

Relation to other terms: An elenco is a single list or inventory, while indice (index) and catalogo (catalog) refer to more structured or navigational collections. An elenco is typically a straightforward enumeration, whereas an indice aids search and lookup, and a catalogo usually implies a curated, searchable directory of items.

Etymology and usage: The term is native to Italian and has long-standing usage in both historical and contemporary contexts. It appears across formal documents, technical writing, and everyday language to denote enumerations and inventories. See also elenco, indice, catalogo.