analects
/,ænə'lektə/ Cách viết khác : (analects) /'ænəlekts/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A collection of excerpts or selected passages from a literary work or from the works of an author. It refers to a compilation of fragments, sayings, or writings, often of a philosophical or instructive nature, that have been gathered together.
Usage
The word "analects" is a formal and somewhat specialized term, most famously associated with classical texts. It is used as a plural noun (e.g., the analects) to refer to the entire collection. It implies that the source material is significant, often canonical, and that the selections are made to represent its core teachings or essence.
Examples
- Scholars study the analects of Confucius to understand his philosophy.
- The book is an analects of the poet's most celebrated verses.
- Her research involved compiling an analects from the early medical texts.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often capitalized when referring to a specific, famous collection, such as The Analects of Confucius (a foundational text of Confucianism).
- It can be used metaphorically to describe any curated collection of insightful excerpts, not strictly from literature:
Variants and Related Words
- Analecta (noun): A less common variant with the same meaning as "analects."
- Anthology (noun): A published collection of poems, stories, or other writings by various authors. (An anthology is typically a collection of complete works, while analects are excerpts.)
- Compendium (noun): A concise yet comprehensive collection of information on a subject.
- Florilegium (noun): A formal term for an anthology or collection of excerpts from writings, especially by Church Fathers.
Synonyms
- Excerpts
- Selections
- Fragments
- Compendium
- Anthology (in a broader sense)
Antonyms
- Complete works
- Œuvre (the complete body of work of an author)
- Corpus (the complete collection of writings on a subject)
Noun
- a collection of excerpts from a literary work