Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

452 results found

chief

(Encyclopedia)chief or chieftain, political leader of a band, tribe, or confederation of tribes. At the simpler levels of social organization, the band or tribe usually lacks centralized authority and is ruled by t...

Klabund

(Encyclopedia)Klabund älˈfrĕt hĕnshˈkə [key], 1890–1928, German poet, novelist, and dramatist. A skillful translator and adapter of Asian literature, he wrote original poems in a Chinese style. His play Kre...

Maderna, Bruno

(Encyclopedia)Maderna, Bruno bro͞oˈnō mädĕrˈnä [key], 1920–73, Italian composer and conductor, b. Venice. Maderna studied composing with Gian Francesco Malipiero and conducting with Hermann Scherchen. As a...

Danegeld

(Encyclopedia)Danegeld dānˈgĕldˌ [key], medieval land tax originally raised to buy off raiding Danes and later used for military expenditures. In England the tribute was first levied in 868, then in 871 by Alfr...

Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (table)

(Encyclopedia)Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel ...

Grabbe, Christian Dietrich

(Encyclopedia)Grabbe, Christian Dietrich krĭsˈtēän dēˈtrĭkh gräbˈə [key], 1801–36, German dramatist and journalist. Critical of “Shakespearomania,” Grabbe strove for a national German drama and wrot...

Berkshire

(Encyclopedia)Berkshire bärks, bûrks [key], former county, S central England. Part of the ancient kingdom of Wessex and the birthplace of King Alfred, the county of Berkshire was abolished as an administrative en...

Basingstoke

(Encyclopedia)Basingstoke bāˈzĭngstōk [key], city, Hampshire, S central England, on the North Downs. Formerly a ...

Simon, Théodore

(Encyclopedia)Simon, Théodore: see Binet, Alfred. ...

O'Keeffe, Georgia

(Encyclopedia)O'Keeffe, Georgia ōkēfˈ [key], 1887–1986, American painter, b. Sun Prairie, Wis. After working briefly as a commercial artist in Chicago, O'Keeffe abandoned painting until she began the study of ...