Encyclopedia vs. Dictionary
Difference between Encyclopedia and Dictionary: – Almost everyone knows encyclopedias and dictionaries and many know the difference between the two, which are undoubtedly two excellent tools for acquiring knowledge.
If you still do not know the difference between Encyclopedia and Dictionary, but you do not want or cannot find a response to your question in either of the two resources; do not worry anymore, because here as always we will clarify any doubt about it.
Difference between Encyclopedia and Dictionary
Encyclopedia
Encyclopedias have existed for 2,000 years, but it was in the seventeenth century that they evolved more noticeably (dictionaries also had a greater development at that time).
Natural History, of Pliny the Elder was written approximately in the 77 a. C. and yes, it is an encyclopedia.
Encyclopedias are a collection of data on various topics and subjects, written especially by expert, educated and knowledgeable authors; which shares the knowledge resulting from their research in relevant fields.
Generally, they contain detailed information, available in different editions. When they are physical, they take the form of huge research books. I include theses, works, explanations and examples.
Some systematic methods of organization are essential for the development of an encyclopedia, since this is a collective study and an accumulation of contents that come from different sources.
We currently find virtual encyclopedias, which are not only integrated with dictionaries; but also offer a wide variety of multimedia resources. Example of this is of course, Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica…
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words or words in one or more specific languages. The oldest known dates from around 2,300 BC, and are written on cuneiform tablets with Sumerian-Akkadian words. They were discovered in Ebla (Syria today).
The dictionary as we know it was invented by an Englishman named John of Garland in the year 1220. He had written a book called Dictionaries to help with Latin diction.
The dictionaries often have the words in alphabetical order, with use, information, definition, etymology, phonetics, pronunciation … of it. But they usually focus more on definition.
Modern dictionaries include new and definite words, even with some examples.
There are several types and varieties of dictionaries on the market. Nowadays, a distinction is made between general and specialized dictionaries. General dictionaries are used worldwide for the sake of reference and to find definitions of words, whereas specialized dictionaries do not contain information about words used in the language; but first identify the concept and then establish the terms used for its designation. Sometimes they are also distinguished in the prescriptive and descriptive basis.
Key differences between Encyclopedia and Dictionary
- Encyclopedias give information on various topics, have a very broad content and generally contain the contributions of many authors; while dictionaries collect words from a given language and in alphabetical order give them their definition or show their equivalents in other languages.
- Encyclopedias are very broad and general informative books, while dictionaries can be general or specialized.
- Encyclopedias include characters, historical facts, events; places .while dictionaries contain words with their definitions.
