In order to know the meaning of the term compendium, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from “compendium” which can be translated as “short exposition”. This term is the result of the sum of three clearly delimited components such as the following:
-The prefix “with”, which means “together” or “with”.
-The verb “pendere”, which is synonymous with “hang”.
-The suffix “-io”, which is equivalent to “result”.
The notion of compendium refers to a summarized exhibition that brings together the most important of a subject that has already been exposed previously or that is known.
Digests are compilations of information. Although they constitute a summary of something more extensive, it usually includes detailed data and that allows the understanding of the subject of interest.
An example of a compendium is the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is called the Catechism of the Catholic Church, also known by the acronym CIC or CCE (from the Latin Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae), to an extensive publication that spreads the doctrine of Catholicism. With the intention of summarizing the most important points of the CIC, Pope Benedict XVI presented in 2005 the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This compendium provides a shorter and easier access to the principles of the catechism.
Another famous compendium is the Mathematical Compendium that Antonio Bordazar edited in the 18th century based on the concepts of Tomás Vicente Tosca. The compendium starts from different encyclopedic courses to transmit notions about the mathematical disciplines.
In the media, we speak of a compendium with reference to an informative summary. A political analysis television program, to cite one case, can broadcast a compendium of the most important news of the week as an introduction, and then give way to interviews with various experts and analysts. This compendium is intended to give viewers some basic knowledge about the events that will be examined in the program.
In the same way, with reference to the labor and legal sphere, we cannot ignore the existence of the book entitled “Compendium of Labor Law”. It is written by Jesús Cruz Villalón and consists of a manual where the most important aspects of Labor Law and Social Security in the legal system of Spain come together.
Not to mention that there is another publication that responds to the title of “Compendium of Iconography.” In this case, its author is José Policarpo Cruz Cabrera and it turns out to be an interesting work on what iconography is in art. Exactly it comes to address what is the most relevant iconography and its main hallmarks within what is the celebration of Holy Week both in Granada in particular and in the Andalusian autonomous community in general.
