catholiconn.

Etymology: Partly (in senses 1 and 2a) < post-classical Latin catholicon electuary supposed to be capable of evacuating all humours (12th cent.; early 14th cent. in a British source), (title of) a comprehensive treatise, especially the dictionary of Johannes de Janua (from 14th cent. in British (frequently) and continental sources) < ancient Greek καθολικόν , neuter singular of καθολικός general, universal (see catholic adj.), used as noun (see note), partly (in sense 2b) < classical Latin catholicum general principle, use as noun of neuter of catholicus general (see catholic adj.), and partly (in sense 3) < French catholicon principal church of a monastery, etc. (1675 in the passage translated in quot. 1676 at sense 3) and its etymon Byzantine Greek καθολικόν, in the same sense, use as noun of neuter singular of ancient Greek καθολικός . Compare Middle French, French catholicon , catholicum copy of the dictionary of Johannes de Janua (1386), definitive (religious) instruction (a1500), medicinal preparation taken to be a universal remedy (1520). With sense 1a compare diacatholicon n.Ancient Greek καθολικόν is attested as a noun in Hellenistic Greek in the sense ‘generic description’ and as the title of a work by the Stoic philosopher Zeno. In sense 2a originally with reference to the grammar and dictionary of Latin by Johannes de Janua (d. c1298), entitled Summa grammaticalis quae vocatur catholicon ‘grammatical treatise which is called catholicon (or ‘universal work’)’; both in Latin and in English, the word was subsequently also used to denote other collections of vocabulary. Compare the late 15th cent. English–Latin glossary now known as Catholicon Anglicum, described in the Latin colophon of the 1483 manuscript as catholicon in lingua materna ‘catholicon in the mother tongue’.