polymath

WOTD – 1 March 2008    

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• polumathe, polymathe [both 17th century]

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/, X-SAMPA: /"pQlIm{T/
• (UK) enPR: pŏʹlĭmăth, IPA: /ˈpɒlɪmaθ/, X-SAMPA: /"pQlImaT/
• (US) enPR: pŏʹlimăth', IPA: /ˈpɑliˌmæθ/, X-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 (second edition), page 6:

     To be thought and held Polumathes and Polihistors.

Synonyms

• polyhistor
• renaissance man

Antonyms

• monomath

Related terms

• automath
• polymathy
• polymathic
• polymathist

Coordinate terms

• factotum, handyman, jack of all trades, sciolist

Translations

Person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge

• Ancient Greek: πολυΐστωρ m
• Arabic: علامة (ar) (ʿallāma)
• Czech: renesanční člověk (cs) m, polyhistor (cs) m
• Finnish: monitietäjä (fi), polyhistori (fi), yleisnero (fi)
• French: polymathe (fr) m and f
• German: Polyhistor (de) m, Universalgelehrter (de) m

• Greek: πολυμαθής (el) (polymathís) m
• Icelandic: fjölfræðingur (is)
• Ottoman Turkish: علامه (allame)
• Polish: człowiek renesansu m, encyklopedysta m, uczony m, polihistor m, polimat 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]