Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "English Language" to "Epsom Salts" / Volume 9, Slice 6

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

35306

Title

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "English Language" to "Epsom Salts" / Volume 9, Slice 6

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This volume from the Eleventh Edition of Encyclopædia Britannica offers authoritative entries on the history of the English language, ancient Spartan ephors, the historian Ephorus, and various cultural and scientific topics. Written by various scholars, it provides a comprehensive overview of linguistic evolution, classical history, and 19th-century industrial and medical knowledge.

Summary up to 500 words

This selection from the Eleventh Edition of Encyclopædia Britannica offers a comprehensive survey of diverse subjects ranging from linguistics and classical history to science and geography. The entry on the English Language traces its evolution from Anglo-Saxon roots through Old, Middle, and Modern stages. It details the language's introduction to Britain by Teutonic immigrants, distinguishing it from the native Celtic tongues, and explores the development of distinct dialects such as West-Saxon, Anglian, and Kentish. The text notes that while Old English and Modern English are practically distinct languages, they represent successive phases of a single evolving whole. The volume also provides a detailed examination of ancient Sparta, focusing on the Ephors, the five highest magistrates elected annually to check royal power. Their duties included judicial oversight, guardianship of laws, and management of foreign policy, evolving from a role of market inspection to one of significant despotism before their eventual abolition. Historical analysis extends to Ephorus, a Greek historian who pioneered the separation of myth from fact in his universal history, and the poet Horace, whose *Epodes* introduced a new, satirical form of verse to Latin literature. Religious and mythological entries cover the goddess Epona, protector of horses and beasts of burden, worshipped across Gaul and Germany, and the biblical artifact known as the ephod, discussing its various interpretations as a garment, a divination tool, or an image. Scientific entries describe Epsom Salts, a magnesium sulphate used medically as a purgative and industrially in agriculture and dyeing. Geographical entries detail the market towns of Epping in Essex and Epsom in Surrey, highlighting Epping Forest's preservation and Epsom's famous racecourse. Together, these articles reflect the scholarly rigor and encyclopedic breadth of the era, providing a window into the intellectual landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Categories

• Encyclopedias and dictionaries