What is the correct plural for encyclopedia?

Question

Is it encyclopedias? Or encyclopediae? I mean, the word is from Latin, and plural latin words (feminine -a) often ends with an -ae in plural.

I guess it comes chiefly from Greek.

But it also comes from medieval Latin 'encyclopaedia'. And I was confused of its plural because it's a noun.

To the 'data/datum' comparison below, datum is the plural of data. Data is a singular noun (but is often used as plural in English). Datum is a neuter word. Encyclopedia is, I assume, singular... therefore feminine. Then again, it is chiefly derived from Greek, so its plural could be different from my assumption.

*Data is plural. Datum is singular.

Answer 1

Encyclopedias. The term is not Latin, but actually comes from the Greek εγκύκλιος παιδεία (enkuklios paideia), literally "in a circle of instruction"

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Here's a fuller definition of the term for you if you're interested, and also for the benefit of user Old Lady below (since she/he doesn't allow email contact):

The word comes from the Classical Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία (pron. enkyklos paideia), literally 'the things of boys/child in a circle', meaning "a general knowledge." Though the notion of a compendium of knowledge dates back thousands of years, the term was first used in the title of a book in 1541 by Joachimus Fortius Ringelbergius in the title page of his Lucubrationes vel potius absolutissima kyklopaideia (Basel, 1541). It was first used as a noun by the encyclopedist Pavao Skalic in the title of his book Encyclopaedia seu orbis disciplinarum tam sacrarum quam prophanarum epistemon ("Encyclopaedia, or Knowledge of the World of Disciplines") (Basel, 1559).

Answer 2

Encyclopedia Plural

Answer 3

Plural Of Encyclopedia

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the correct plural for encyclopedia?
Is it encyclopedias? Or encyclopediae? I mean, the word is from Latin, and plural latin words (feminine -a) often ends with an -ae in plural.

Answer 5

It could be either of those. It is not one of those words that only has one way of saying it plurally (like cacti and cactus). You could also just say it encyclopedia.
Here are these used in sentances. This way you can pick your favorite way of saying it.
There is a lot of encyclopedia in the library.
The library is chock-full of encyclopedias.
Have you bought the new collection of encyclopediae?

Me personally, I like encyclopedias. It just sounds right, you know? Whichever you choose, these three can all be used as plural words for encyclopedia.

I hope this has helped you.

Answer 6

According to the Concise Oxford dictionary, the correct form for the plural is encyclopedias. Another option could be encyclopedium (as in data, datum) but I'd hate to call a book that hold so much knowledge, anything that sounds like dumb :-)

Island Guy, it's listed as pseudo-Greek, egkuklopaideiaea, (sorry, I can't put that in Greek font) meaning all-round education

Answer 7

Not Latin, but Greek. The word is from the supposed (but incorrect) enkyklopaideia, a wrong reading for enkyklios paideia - general (as opposed to professional) education.
Here in the UK we use "s" for the plural.

Answer 8

it's the same as the word, encyclopedia.

Answer 9

Encyclopediasses.