multi-volume
Meaning
Consisting of or published in several or many volumes.
Structure
Usage
The author is working on a multi-volume history of the empire.
The encyclopedia was published as a multi-volume set.
This multi-volume biography is considered the definitive work on the subject.
Etymology
The adjective "multi-volume" is a modern English compound formed by directly combining two classical elements. The prefix "multi-," derived from the Latin adjective multus (many), is a productive combining form in English used to denote multiplicity. The second element, "volume," entered English via Old French from the Latin volumen, which originally referred to a scroll or a roll of writing, stemming from the verb volvere (to roll). The literal, ancient concept of a rolled manuscript evolved into the modern meaning of a single book or a distinct part of a larger written work. Therefore, "multi-volume" logically and transparently describes a work that spans many such books, preserving the direct semantic link between its constituent parts.
Analysis
- multi: From Latin multus (much, many). A combining form meaning "many" or "multiple." - volume: From Latin volumen (a roll, a book, from volvere "to roll"). The noun form meaning a book, especially one of a series.