Word Origin & History
encyclopedia
1531, "course of construction," thought to be a false reading by L. authors of Gk. enkyklios paideia taken as "general education," but lit. "training in a circle," the essentials of a liberal education, from enkyklios "circular," also "general" (from en- "in" + kyklos "circle") + paideia "education, child-rearing," from pais (gen. paidos) "child." Modern sense of "reference work arranged alphabetically" is from 1644, often applied specifically to the Fr. "Encylopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des Sciences, des Artes, et des Métiers" (1751-65).
[en-sahy-kluh-pee-dee-uh] 
) the French work edited by Diderot and D'Alembert, published in the 18th century, distinguished by its representation of the views of the Enlightenment.