enkuklios

Enkuklios is the transliteration of the ancient Greek adjective ἐγκύκλιος (enkýklios), meaning circular, around, or general in scope. The word is formed from en- meaning in or within and kyklos meaning circle, conveying the sense of surrounding or embracing a whole. In classical Greek usage, enkýklios described things that were all-encompassing or widely applicable, rather than narrowly focused.

A notable historical usage is in the phrase enkýklios paideia (ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία), which is associated with the idea of a complete or circular education. This concept is linked to the later development of the term that entered Latin and European languages to denote broad, universal knowledge. The English word encyclopedia ultimately derives from Latin encyclopaedia, itself rooted in the Greek notion of a circular or comprehensive body of learning.

In modern scholarship, enkýklios remains primarily of linguistic and etymological interest. It is typically encountered in discussions of Greek philology, the etymology of the word encyclopedia, and the historical idea of a universal or all-encompassing education. In contemporary Greek, the word retains the sense of circular or general and is not widely used as a standalone term in ordinary speech.

See also: encyclopedia, encyclical, ἐγκύκλιος.