twovolume

Twovolume is a bibliographic term used to describe a work that is issued in two separate volumes. It is typically written as two-volume, though some catalogues and product labels use the closed form twovolume. A twovolume edition is designed so that Volume I and Volume II each have their own title page, pagination, and usually an independent index, while remaining part of a continuing work.

Historically, long works—novels, encyclopedias, and scholarly treatises—were frequently issued in two volumes to accommodate size, printing constraints, and price. The two-volume format can affect binding, layout, typography, and the inclusion of prefatory matter or supplementary material in one volume compared to the other. Some editions share a common front matter and table of contents, with separate half titles and index in each volume; others maintain completely distinct front matter per volume.

In modern practice the two-volume format is less common for new works but persists for certain reference series, classics reissues, and scholarly editions. Digital editions may replicate the two-volume structure as separate files, sections, or navigation segments rather than physical volumes. The term remains a descriptive descriptor rather than a fixed product category.

See also: multi-volume work, omnibus edition, edition, volume, Vol. I, Vol. II.