Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Vergil, Polydore

(Encyclopedia)Vergil or Virgil, Polydore, 1470?-1555?, historian and humanist, b. Urbino, Italy. He studied at Bologna and Padua, served as secretary to the duke of Urbino, was chamberlain to Pope Alexander VI, and...

Ryman, Robert Tracy

(Encyclopedia)Ryman, Robert Tracy, 1930–2019, American painter, b. Nashville, Tenn. While working (1953–60) as a guard at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City he was immersed in modern and contemporary wor...

Arabic languages

(Encyclopedia)Arabic languages, members of the West Semitic group of the Semitic subdivision of the Afroasiatic family of languages (see Afroasiatic languages). The Arabic languages comprise North Arabic (or simply...

Leo XIII, pope

(Encyclopedia)Leo XIII, 1810–1903, pope (1878–1903), an Italian (b. Carpineto, E of Rome) named Gioacchino Pecci; successor of Pius IX. Ordained in 1837, he earned an excellent reputation as archbishop of Perug...

Alammelech

(Encyclopedia)Alammelech əlămˈəlĕk [key], in the Bible, village of Asher, NW ancient Palestine. The modern Wadi el-Melek near Mt. Carmel perhaps echoes the name. ...

Gambrinus

(Encyclopedia)Gambrinus gămbrīˈnəs [key], mythical Flemish king, to whom the invention of beer is attributed. He is represented in modern folk art as straddling a keg. ...

Nephtoah

(Encyclopedia)Nephtoah nĕftōˈə [key], in the Bible, fountain, on the border between Judah and Benjamin. The site is identified with the modern Me Neftoah (Israel). ...

Ophrah

(Encyclopedia)Ophrah ŏfˈrə [key]. Benjamite town, central ancient Palestine, the modern et-Taiyiba, West Bank, NE of Bethel. It is mentioned in the Bible. ...

Santa Rosa, city, Argentina

(Encyclopedia)Santa Rosa, city (1991 pop. 80,629), capital of La Pampa prov., central Argentina. It is a modern city and road junction surrounded by a rich agricultural and cattle-raising area. First settled in 188...

Grain Coast

(Encyclopedia)Grain Coast, W Africa, former name of a part of the Atlantic coast that is roughly identical with the coast of modern Liberia. In the 15th cent. “grains of paradise,” i.e., seeds of the melegueta ...