Words ending in "edia"

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Hi,I have a question, i hope it makes sense.Many words end in "edia", for example "media", "encyclopedia"does the ending "edia" mean anything in general? please post any references or information about this, thank you

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Hi, I have a question, i hope it makes sense. Many words end in "edia", for example "media", "encyclopedia" does the ending "edia" mean anything in general? please post any references or information about this, thank you[/nq]
The plural of -edium, I would have thought.
CV

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hi, I have a question, i hope it makes sense. Many words end in "edia", for example "media", "encyclopedia" does the ending "edia" mean anything in general? please post any references or information about this, thank you[/nq]
No.
Your two examples have widely differing backgrounds. That they share a partial spelling in English hides the fact that that ending comes from two different languages. The UK spelling 'encyclopaedia' might have kept you from being misled. To avoid further misling:

1) media'media' is in form (and has been in content) the regularly formed plural of the Latin noun 'medium' (middle, means), itself regularly formed from the Latin adjective 'medius' (middle, ordinary, ambiguous).
2) encyclopedia (encyclopaedia)This word appeared first in very late Latin, but is modeled on the pattern of a Greek 'word' (not attested in Greek) 'egkyklopaideia' which, had it existed, would have been formed from the Greek 'egkyklios' (circular, rounded) + 'paideia' (training, education). The two word phrase 'egkyklios paideia' does occur in Quintilian, Pliny, and Galen. 'Paideia' is a perfectly good word in English, too. Consider adding it to your vocabulary.
'Egkyklios' has the additional meaning of 'quotidianus' (common, general, ordinary), so the two words 'media' and 'encyclopedia' are accidentally related in the shared link to 'ordinary.'

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I have a question, i hope it makes sense. Many ... please post any references or information about this, thank you[/nq]
[nq:1]No. Your two examples have widely differing backgrounds. That they share a partial spelling in English hides the fact that ... 'quotidianus' (common, general, ordinary), so the two words 'media' and 'encyclopedia' are accidentally related in the shared link to 'ordinary.'[/nq]
Here are all the words ending in -edia that occur in Webster's Second, with their etymologies (where known).
encyclopedia,
cyclopedia,
logopedia,
orthopedia,
misopedia,
pharmacopedia media,
postmedia,
premedia cirripedia,
eucirripedia,
fissipedia,
pinnipedia paratragedia,
paratragoedia
soredia reproductive structures of lichens
acedia redia Iphimedia crustacean genus
Fedia African valerian (genus) etymology unknown

As you can see, there's very little in common among them, aside from a few roots like ped- and paedia. Next time, look in the dictionary.

-John Lawler http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler U Michigan Linguistics Dept "Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Words ending in "edia"

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