polymath

WOTD - 1 March 2008    

Wikipedia

English

Alternative forms

• polumathe, polymathe [both 17ᵗʰ C.]

Etymology

First attested in 1624; from the Ancient Greek πολυμαθής (polumathēs, “having learnt much”), from πολύς (polus, “much”) + μάθη (mathē, “learning”; from μανθάνω, manthanō “I learn”); compare opsimath, philomath, polyhistor, polymathic, polymathist, and polymathy, as well as the French polymathe.

Pronunciation

• (RP) enPR: pŏʹlĭmăth, IPA: /ˈpɒlɪmæθ/, SAMPA: /"pQlIm{T/
• (UK) enPR: pŏʹlĭmăth, IPA: /ˈpɒlɪmaθ/, SAMPA: /"pQlImaT/
• (US) enPR: pŏʹlimăth', IPA: /ˈpɑliˌmæθ/, SAMPA: /"pAli%m{T/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

polymath (plural polymaths)

1. A person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge.
   • 1624, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy (2ⁿᵈ ed.), page 6

     To be thought and held Polumathes and Polihistors.

Synonyms

• polyhistor
• renaissance man

Related terms

• automath
• polymathy
• polymathic
• polymathist

Coordinate terms

• factotum, handyman, jack of all trades, sciolist

Translations

Person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge

Arabic:  (ar) (allame) Finnish: monitietäjä (fi), polyhistori (fi), yleisnero (fi) Icelandic: fjölfræðingur (is) Ottoman Turkish:  (allame)

Polish: człowiek renesansu m., encyklopedysta m., uczony m., polihistor m. Spanish: polímata (es) m. and f. Turkish: allame (tr)

References

• “polymath, n. (a.)” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2ⁿᵈ ed., 1989]
• “polymath, n. and adj.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [3ʳᵈ ed., September 2006]