Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Taylor, Jeremy

(Encyclopedia)Taylor, Jeremy, 1613–67, English bishop and theological and devotional writer. He was distinguished as a preacher and as the author of some of the most noted religious works in English. After comple...

German language

(Encyclopedia)German language, member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages). It is the official language of Germany and Austria and i...

David, Félicien César

(Encyclopedia)David, Félicien César fālēsyăNˈ sāzärˈ dävēdˈ [key], 1810–76, French composer. His ode-symphony Le Desert (1844) and his opera Lalla-Roukh (1862) contain Eastern elements, presaging the ...

Feith, Rhijnvis

(Encyclopedia)Feith, Rhijnvis rīnˈvĭs fīt [key], 1753–1824, Dutch romantic poet, novelist, and dramatist. His principal works are the long poem on eternity Het Graf (1792) and the sentimental novel Julia (178...

Franzén, Frans Michael

(Encyclopedia)Franzén, Frans Michael fräns mēˈkäĕl fränsānˈ [key], 1772–1847, Swedish poet, a bishop, b. Finland. He became professor of philosophy at Åbo in 1798. His Ode to Gustaf Philip Creutz (1797)...

Buckingham, George Villiers, 1st duke of

(Encyclopedia)Buckingham, George Villiers, 1st duke of vĭlˈyərz, bŭkˈĭng-əm [key], 1592–1628, English courtier and royal favorite. He arrived (1614) at the English court as James I was tiring of his favori...

fugue

(Encyclopedia)fugue fyo͞og [key] [Ital.,=flight], in music, a form of composition in which the basic principle is imitative counterpoint of several voices. Its main elements are: (1) a theme, or subject, stated fi...

Rogers, Woodes

(Encyclopedia)Rogers, Woodes, 1679?–1732, British privateer and colonial administrator. A romantic figure, Rogers plundered (1708–9) Spanish commerce in the Pacific and rescued Alexander Selkirk from the Juan F...

circuit rider

(Encyclopedia)circuit rider, itinerant preacher of the Methodist denomination who served a “circuit” consisting usually of 20 to 40 “appointments.” The circuit system, devised by John Wesley for his English...

chalk

(Encyclopedia)chalk, mineral of calcium carbonate, similar in composition to limestone, but softer. It is characteristically a marine formation and sometimes occurs in great thickness; the chief constituents of the...