enchiridion

[prettygoodword]

enchiridion - n., a handbook.


That is to say, a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location. But "handbook" is both more concise but etymologically exact: from Latin enchīridion, from Greek enkheirídion, from en-, in + kheir, hand + -idion, diminutive suffix -- a little book you can hold in your hand. Pronounced, as you might guess from that, with a hard ch: en-kī-RID-ee-ehn. Plural is either enchiridions or enchiridia.

---L.

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