BrightComb

Shabonee

2005-04-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

By birth an Ottawa Indian, Shabonee married the daughter of a Potawatomi chief and succeeded him as tribal leader. Although an adherent

Croker, Thomas Crofton

2005-04-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

The son of an army major, Croker had little school education but did read widely while working in merchant trade. During rambles in southern Ireland from 1812 to 1816, Croker collected legends, folk songs, and keens (dirges for the

Bonacolsi Family

2005-04-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

The signoria (lordship) of the Bonacolsi was first established by Pinamonte (died 1293), who allied himself with other powerful families to eliminate his rivals

Germanic Religion And Mythology, Worship

2005-04-03T03:33:00.000-07:00

Sacrifice often was conducted in the open or in groves and forests. The human sacrifice to the tribal god of the Semnones, described by Tacitus, took place in a sacred grove; other examples of sacred groves include the one in which Nerthus usually resides. Tacitus does, however, mention temples in Germany, though they were probably few. Old English laws mention fenced

Ai

2005-04-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ancient Canaanite town destroyed by the Israelites under their leader Joshua (Joshua 7–8). Biblical references agree in locating Ai (Hebrew: ha-'Ay, “The Ruin”) just east of Bethel (modern Baytin in the West Bank). This would make it identical with the large early Bronze Age site now called At-Tall. Excavations there in 1933–35 by a French expedition uncovered a large temple and other remains

Fish Sauce

2005-04-02T01:05:00.000-08:00

In Southeast Asian cookery, a liquid seasoning prepared by fermenting freshwater or saltwater fish with salt in large vats. After a few months time, the resulting brownish, protein-rich liquid is drawn off and bottled. It is sometimes allowed to mature in the sun in glass or earthenware bottles before use. Called nam pla in Thailand, nuoc nam in Vietnam, patis in the Philippines,

Americans With Disabilities Act (ada)

2005-04-01T05:09:00.000-08:00

By all odds it was not the biggest liability case in legal history, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) suit against Chicago-based AIC Security Investigations, Ltd., and its owner, Ruth Vrdolyak, was watched with consuming interest by the U.S. business community; it was the first case brought to trial under the relatively new Americans with Disabilities

Stearyl Alcohol

2005-03-31T22:08:00.000-08:00

Also called 1-octadecanol, or Octadecyl Alcohol, waxy solid alcohol formerly obtained from whale or dolphin oil and used as a lubricant and antifoam agent and to retard evaporation of water from reservoirs. It is now manufactured by chemical reduction of stearic acid.

Tae Kwon Do

2005-03-31T05:30:00.000-08:00

Tae kwon do is characterized by the

Quiller-couch, Sir Arthur Thomas

2005-03-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

He was educated at Newton Abbot College, Clifton College, and Trinity College, Oxford, where he became lecturer in classics (1886–87). In 1887 he wrote Dead Man's Rock, the first of several novels of Cornwall

Nariño

2005-03-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

Departamento, southwestern Colombia, bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west and Ecuador on the south. Its population is concentrated principally in the volcanic Andean highlands above 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The densely settled Altiplano (high plateau) of Túquerres-Ipiales, which is situated on the Ecuadoran frontier, is separated by the Guáitara River from that of the departmental

Stearyl Alcohol

2005-03-29T02:07:00.000-08:00

In analytical chemistry, a technique for identifying and quantitatively analyzing the chemical composition of substances by observing the thermal behaviour of a sample as it is heated. The technique is based on the fact that as a substance is heated, it undergoes reactions and phase changes that involve absorption or emission of heat. In DTA the temperature of

Abrams, M.h.

2005-03-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

Following his graduation from Harvard University in 1934, Abrams studied for a year at the University of Cambridge before returning to his alma mater to earn an M.A. (1937) and a Ph.D. (1940). He joined the faculty of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., in 1945, becoming a full professor

Bingham, Hiram

2005-03-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

As a boy Bingham learned mountaineering from his father, a well-known Pacific missionary. This skill vastly aided

Porirua

2005-03-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

City, Wellington local government region, southern North Island, New Zealand. It is located about 13 miles (21 km) north of Wellington city, at the head of Porirua Harbour. The earliest inhabitants were aboriginal moa hunters in the 12th century. European whalers and traders occupied nearby Mana Island from 1832 to 1834, and in 1836 a permanent whaling station was built near Porirua. The city

Peter Martyr

2005-03-26T00:28:00.000-08:00

Name commonly used in English for (1) St. Peter Martyr, who was killed in 1252 by the Cathari, a heretical Christian sect; (2) Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, who was an Italian historian; and (3) Peter Martyr Vermigli, who was one of the greatest Italian Reformers and a leading exponent of the Reformed doctrine of the sacraments.

Madox, Thomas

2005-03-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

Madox studied common law (though not called to the bar) and was clerk in the office of the Exchequer, later working in the augmentation

Systole

2005-03-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Period of contraction of the ventricles of the heart that occurs between the first and second heart sounds. Systole causes the ejection of blood into the aorta and pulmonary trunk. Lasting usually 0.3 to 0.4 second, ventricular systole is introduced by a very brief period of contraction, followed by the ejection phase, during which 80 to 100 cubic centimetres of blood leave each

Allegany

2005-03-23T23:52:00.000-08:00

County, western Maryland, U.S. It consists of an irregular neck of land between Pennsylvania to the north and West Virginia to the south (the North Branch Potomac River constituting the border with West Virginia). The county rests on part of the Allegheny Plateau and includes Rocky Gap State Park, Green Ridge State Forest, and the scenic gorge of Cumberland Narrows (1,000 feet

Bristol Bay

2005-03-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

Arm of the Bering Sea, indenting for 200 mi (320 km) the southwest coast of Alaska, U.S.; its mouth extends for 270 mi between Cape Newenham (north) and the southwest end of the Alaska Peninsula (south). Its shoreline includes the individually named bays at the mouths of the Togiak, Nushagak, Kvichak, and Ugashik rivers. The shallowness of Bristol Bay limits navigation to small salmon-fishing

Pacific Islands

2005-03-23T00:42:00.000-08:00

Foraminiferan

2005-03-22T23:46:00.000-08:00

Any unicellular organism of the rhizopodan order Foraminiferida (formerly Foraminifera), characterized by long, fine pseudopodia that extend from a uninucleated or multinucleated cytoplasmic body encased within a test, or shell. Depending on the species, the test ranges in size from minute to more than 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter and varies in shape, number of chambers,

Wright Military Flyer Of 1909

2005-03-22T00:36:00.000-08:00

The

Alizarin

2005-03-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Alizarine, a red dye originally obtained from the root of the common madder plant, Rubia tinctorum, in which it occurs combined with the sugars xylose and glucose. The cultivation of madder and the use of its ground root for dyeing by the complicated Turkey red process were known in ancient India, Persia, and Egypt; the use spread to Asia Minor about the 10th century and was introduced

Celestine (ii)

2005-03-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

After the death of Calixtus II, the rival houses of Frangipani and Pierleoni struggled for the papal throne. The Pierleonis' candidate, Theobald (who would have been Celestine II), was simultaneously elected pope with the Frangipanis' candidate,

Elisha Ben Abuyah

2005-03-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

Byname Aher Jewish scholar who renounced his faith and who came to be regarded in later ages as a prototype of the heretic whose intellectual pride leads him to infidelity to Jewish laws and morals. In the Talmud, Elisha is not mentioned by name but is usually referred to as Aher (“the Other,” or “Another”). His renunciation of Judaism was considered doubly heinous because he was a tanna

Davidescu, Nicolae

2005-03-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

Romanian poet and novelist whose early poems, Inscriptii (1916), showed the influence of Charles Baudelaire. Among his prose works the novel Zâna din fundul lacului (1912; “The Fairy at the Bottom of the Lake”) was an exercise in symbolism, and Vioara muta (1928; “The Muted Violin”), in social psychology. In the epic Cântecul omului (1928–37; “The Song of Man”), he aimed at re-creating world history.

Peter Ii

2005-03-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

After the death of his father, John IV, in 1656, Peter's

Quietism

2005-03-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

A doctrine of Christian spirituality that, in general, holds that perfection consists in passivity (quiet) of the soul, in the suppression of human effort so that divine action may have full play. Quietistic elements have been discerned in several religious movements, both Christian and non-Christian, through the centuries; but the term is usually identified with

Wüst, Georg

2005-03-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

Wüst received his doctorate from the University of Berlin in 1919. After the death of his teacher Alfred

Swan, Sir Joseph Wilson

2005-03-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

After serving his apprenticeship with a druggist in his native town, Swan became first assistant

Empiricism, Broader senses

2005-03-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

In both everyday attitudes and philosophical theories, the experiences referred to are principally those arising from stimulation of the sense organs, in particular those of sight and touch. Most philosophical Empiricists, however, have maintained that sensation is not the only provider of experience, admitting as empirical the awareness of mental states

French Confederation Of Christian Workers

2005-03-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

French Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (CFTC), French labour-union federation that was founded in 1919 by Roman Catholic workers who opposed both the syndicalist and communist movements of the day. The confederation, based on Catholic social and anti-Marxist principles, rejected the theory of class warfare but occasionally collaborated on strikes with the leftist General Confederation of Labour (Confédération

Biblical Literature, Ezekiel

2005-03-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Book of Ezekiel, written by the prophetpriest Ezekiel, who lived both in Jerusalem prior to the Babylonian Exile (586 BCE) and in Babylon after the Exile, and also by an editor (or editors), who belongs to a “school” of the prophet similar to that of the prophet Isaiah, has captured the attention of readers for centuries because of its vivid imagery and symbolism. The book has also

Paul Of Thebes, Saint

2005-03-15T02:03:00.000-08:00

According to St. Jerome, his biographer, Paul fled to the Theban desert during the persecution of Christians (249–251) under the Roman emperor Decius. Thereafter, he lived a life of prayer and penitence in a cave, dying at the reputed age of 113. Jerome considered

Portuguese Literature

2005-03-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

The literature of Portugal is distinguished by a wealth and variety of lyric poetry, which has characterized it from the beginning; by its medieval lack of and later

Fish, Stanley

2005-03-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

Fish was educated at the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1959) and Yale University (M.A., 1960; Ph.D., 1962). He taught at Johns Hopkins University from 1974 to 1985 and at Duke University

Iceland

2005-03-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

Elections to Iceland's Althingi (parliament) took place on May 10, 2003. The incumbent coalition of the Independence and Progressive parties received 34 seats in the 63-member legislative body and continued in office. Prime Minister Davíd Oddsson, leader of the Independence Party, announced that he would step down on Sept. 1, 2004, to be succeeded by the foreign minister and Progressive

Kahn, Otto Hermann

2005-03-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

In 1888 Kahn was sent to the London branch of Berlin's Deutsche Bank and became a British citizen. The banking house of Speyer & Co. offered him a position in New York City in 1893. In 1897 he became a partner in Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and stayed with the

Susah

2005-03-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Sousse, or Sousa, capital of Susah wilayah (governorate), central east Tunisia. The town, an important port and commercial centre, originated as the Phoenician settlement of Hadrumetum. It declined under Arab control but was revived by the Aghlabid rulers of al-Qayrawan (Kairouan) in the 9th century, whose port it remained until the invasions of the Bedouin Arabs in the 11th century. Reestablished

General Semantics

2005-03-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

A philosophy of language-meaning that was developed by Alfred Korzybski (1879–1950), a Polish-American scholar, and furthered by S.I. Hayakawa, Wendell Johnson, and others; it is the study of language as a representation of reality. Korzybski's theory was intended to improve the habits of response to environment. Drawing upon such varied disciplines as relativity theory, quantum

Outremont

2005-03-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

City, Montréal region, southern Quebec province, Canada. It lies in the centre of Montreal Island, adjoining Montreal city. Originally called Côte-Sainte-Catherine, it was renamed in 1875 for its location in relation to Montreal—on the far side of Mont-Royal. The city, a part of the Montreal Metropolitan Corporation, is now primarily a high-density residential suburb. Inc.

Rodin, Auguste

2005-03-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

In full François-Auguste-René Rodin French sculptor of sumptuous bronze and marble figures, considered by some critics to be the greatest portraitist in the history of sculpture. His La Porte de l'Enfer (The Gates of Hell; see photograph), commissioned in 1880 for the future Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, remained unfinished at his death but nonetheless

Outremont

2005-03-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

The NDP grew out of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), which was founded in 1933 as Canada's first political party representing workers and small farmers. The CCF secured power in Saskatchewan in

Badminton

2005-03-09T23:57:00.000-08:00

Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, known as the "Great Dane," laid claim to badminton's two most important titles in 1996, a gold medal in men's singles at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., and a second consecutive men's singles All-England championship in March in Birmingham, Eng. He won in a sport almost completely dominated by Asia. At the Olympics he was the only European to place first, second,

Thun Und Hohenstein, Friedrich, Count (graf) Von

2005-03-09T20:18:00.000-08:00

After the suppression of the 1848–49 revolutions in Germany and Austria, Thun, an astute politician, headed

Alexander I

2005-03-09T03:53:00.000-08:00

Russian in full Aleksandr Pavlovich emperor of Russia (1801–25), who alternately fought and befriended Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars but who ultimately (1813–15) helped form the coalition that defeated the emperor of the French. He took part in the Congress of Vienna (1814–15), drove for the establishment of the Holy Alliance (1815), and took part in the conferences that

Salamander

2005-03-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Any member of a group of about 400 species of amphibians that have tails and that constitute the order Caudata. The order comprises 10 families, among which are newts and salamanders proper (family Salamandridae) as well as hellbenders, mud puppies, and lungless salamanders. They most commonly occur in freshwater and damp woodlands,

Ashdod

2005-03-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

City of southern Palestine, on the coastal plain of ancient Philistia; since 1948 it has been a city in southwestern Israel and is one of its three international ports and chief industrial centres. In antiquity Ashdod was a member of the Philistine pentapolis (five cities). Although the Bible assigns it to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:47), the invading Israelites were unable to

Wandjina Style

2005-03-07T23:42:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Wondjina, type of depiction in Australian cave paintings of figures that represent mythological beings associated with the creation of the world. Called wandjina figures, the images are believed by modern Aborigines to have been painted by the Wondjinas, prehistoric inhabitants of the Kimberley region in northwest Australia, the only area where cave paintings in the

Rathbone, Basil

2005-03-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Upon graduating from Repton school in England in 1910, Rathbone made his stage debut in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in 1911. A number of other Shakespearean roles followed, as well as a part in a London production

Bhartrhari

2005-03-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Of noble birth, Bhartrhari was attached for a time to the court of the Maitraka king of

Arneth, Alfred, Ritter Von (knight Of)

2005-03-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

In 1841 Arneth was appointed by the Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich to a post at the state archives, of which he became keeper in 1868. In 1879 he became president of the Imperial Academy of the Sciences, and in

Indo-iranian Languages

2005-03-05T23:10:00.000-08:00

Group of languages constituting the easternmost major branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Indo-Aryan (Indic) languages are spoken by some 800 million persons in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and other areas of the Himalayan region. In addition, languages of the Indo-Aryan group are spoken by about 5,000,000 people in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania:

Interior Design, Late medieval Europe

2005-03-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

During the 12th and 13th centuries those who had taken part in the Crusades learned something of luxurious living in the Near East, and as a more secure way of life was becoming possible at home, they began to improve their own living conditions. The castle slowly evolved into the manor house. Household equipment became more elaborate and important, no doubt partly because

Nastase, Ilie

2005-03-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

A Davis Cup player since 1966, Nastase almost single-handedly powered Romania to the finals in 1969, 1971, and 1972, although the United States won each time. The most heartbreaking

Amphibian, Economic importance

2005-03-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

Amphibians, especially anurans, are economically useful in reducing the number of insects that destroy crops or transmit diseases. Frogs are commercially exploited as food, notably by Europeans; the French are the principal consumers, and they import thousands of tons of frog legs annually. The skin secretions of various tropical anurans are known to have hallucinogenic

Laguna Beach

2005-03-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

City, Orange county, southwestern California, U.S., on the Pacific Ocean. Originally called Lagonas (for the two lagoons at the head of Laguna Canyon), it was founded in 1887 as Lagona. Renamed Laguna Beach (1904), it developed as a coastal resort and art colony. Since 1932 the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters have been held at Irvine Bowl, a natural amphitheatre just east of the city.

Albacore

2005-03-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Albicore (species Thunnus alalunga), large oceanic fish noted for its fine flesh. The bluefin tuna (T. thynnus) is also sometimes called albacore. See tuna.

Hatton, Sir Christopher

2005-03-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

After spending several years in halfhearted study of the law, Hatton enrolled as one of the queen's bodyguards in 1564. Handsome and accomplished, he impressed the queen with his talent for dancing and quickly won her affection. There is no evidence that they were

Piura

2005-03-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

Capital of Piura department, northwestern Peru, on the Piura River in the warm coastal desert. San Miguel de Piura was the first city founded (1532) in Peru by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The original site proved unhealthful, and several other locations were occupied before the present site was settled in 1588. Piura retains a colonial flavour, especially in the church

Palembang

2005-03-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Kotamadya (municipality) and capital, Sumatera Selatan provinsi (“province”), Indonesia. It lies on both banks of the Musi River, there spanned by the Ampera Bridge. Sumatra's second largest city (after Medan), it was long the chief town of the Palembang sultanate. The city served as the capital of the Buddhist Srivijaya empire from the 7th century until the kingdom was overthrown

Spotlight: Sub-saharan Africa In A New Era

2005-03-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

Although 41 of the 48 governments in the region had committed themselves to establishing multiparty parliamentary systems, by year's end only 9 could be judged to have met the criteria for pluralism

Sprain

2005-02-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

Overstretching or tearing of fibres in one or more of the ligaments that support a joint, caused by forced movement beyond their range. Symptoms include sudden severe pain, then swelling around the joint, tenderness, stiffness, and often black-and-blue marks as a result of bleeding into the joint. The common sites for sprains are the ankle, wrist, knee, finger or toe joints,

Bar Kokhba

2005-02-28T06:14:00.000-08:00

During his tour of the Eastern Empire in 131, the Roman emperor Hadrian decided upon a policy of Hellenization to integrate the Jews into the empire. Circumcision was proscribed, a Roman colony (Aelia) was founded in Jerusalem, and a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus was erected over

Acanthaceae

2005-02-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

One of 18 families in the figwort order of flowering plants (Scrophulariales), containing approximately 250 genera and at least 2,500 species distributed predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The greater part of the Acanthaceae family are herbs or shrubs, but climbers (vines) and trees occur as well. The range of habitats extends from marshes to extremely

Aesthetics, Representation and expression in art

2005-02-27T05:08:00.000-08:00

Various theories have been proposed in answer to these questions, the most popular being that the forms of art are similar to language and are to be understood as language is understood, in terms of conventions and semantic rules. A few examples of contemporary theories that have described art in this way include Ernst Cassirer's philosophy of symbolic forms, Susanne

Amroha

2005-02-26T00:27:00.000-08:00

Town, northwestern Uttar Pradesh state, northern India, west-northwest of Moradabad town, on the Sot River. A marketplace for agricultural produce, its chief industries are hand-loom weaving, pottery making, and sugar milling. Colleges of Agra University are located there, as is the shrine of Sheikh Saddu, a Muslim saint. Amroha is connected by rail with Moradabad and Delhi. Pop.

Colijn, Hendrikus

2005-02-25T23:13:00.000-08:00

A soldier (1895–1904) in the colonial army during the Achinese War in northern Sumatra, Colijn later served there as a civil administrator, organizing government services and rubber plantations.

Newfoundland And Labrador, The west coast

2005-02-25T05:27:00.000-08:00

The west coast region stretches southward from Bonne Bay, at the base of the Great Northern Peninsula, to Cape Ray on the Cabot Strait. The northern section is well forested, while from St. George's Bay to the Codroy Valley is the province's best agricultural land. The principal population centres are Corner Brook, a city based on a large pulp and paper complex, and Stephenville,

Spanish Literature, The Romantic movement

2005-02-25T01:52:00.000-08:00

Literature in Spain in the first third of the 19th century was still affected by the Napoleonic Wars and their long aftermath. Many liberals driven into exile by Ferdinand VII after 1823 sought refuge in France; and, when they returned to Spain after his death in 1833, they had been so influenced by French Romanticism that this date has been taken as the beginning of the Romantic

Bridger, Jim

2005-02-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

In 1812, Bridger's father, a surveyor and an innkeeper, moved his family to an Illinois farm near St. Louis, Mo. The young Bridger joined his first fur-trapping expedition in 1822 (that of William H. Ashley and Andrew Henry, up the Missouri River), and for the next 20 years

Biblical Literature, The lawbook

2005-02-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

The laws are the central core and purport of the book of Deuteronomy. They are couched in a hortatory, sermonic style that has led to their being categorized as preached law. Emphatic statements of what must or must not be done are connected with exhortations to fulfill these injunctions, pointing to the motivations and spirit in which they should be carried out. There

Itbay

2005-02-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

Also called 'atbay, mountainous region of southeastern Egypt and the northeastern part of The Sudan, paralleling the Red Sea. It lies largely south of Egypt's administrative boundary with The Sudan and separates the coastal lowland of the Red Sea from the Nile River valley. The north-south–trending mountain chains in the Itbay region are called the Red Sea Hills.

Biblical Literature, Roman Catholicism

2005-02-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Liturgical worship in both Judaism and Christianity is an action that moves within the framework of biblical ideas and explains itself in biblical language. Preoccupied with really different views from opposite windows, Jews and Christians have often overlooked the common heritage that they share. This has likewise been true of the differences between Eastern

Aesthetics

2005-02-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Many attempts have been made to develop a specifically Marxist aesthetics, one that would incorporate the Marxian theory of history and class consciousness and the critique of bourgeois ideology, so as to generate principles of analysis and evaluation and show the place of art in the theory and practice of revolution. William Morris in En-gland and Georgy V. Plekhanov

Buddhism, All Souls festival

2005-02-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

The importance of the virtues of filial piety and the reverence of ancestors in China and Japan have established Ullambana, or All Souls Day, as one of the major Buddhist festivals in those countries. In China, worshipers in Buddhist temples make “boats of the law” ( fa-ch'uan) out of paper, some very large, which are then burned in the evening. The purpose of the celebration

Pluriarc

2005-02-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Bow Lute, west African stringed musical instrument having a deep boxlike body from which project between two and eight slender, curved arms; one string runs from the end of each arm to a string holder on the belly. The strings are plucked, usually by the fingers, occasionally by plectra attached to the fingers. They are generally played open, as on a harp; in some regions they are

Abu Al-hasan 'ali

2005-02-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

In 1331 Abu al-Hasan succeeded his father, Abu Sa'id, to the throne. With the goals of expelling the Christians from Spain and uniting all the Islamic lands of North Africa, Abu al-Hasan attacked and captured Algeciras and Gibraltar

Ansonia

2005-02-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

City, coextensive with the town (township) of Ansonia, New Haven county, southwestern Connecticut, U.S., on the Naugatuck River. The area was a part of the township of Derby until it was incorporated as a separate township in 1889. Ansonia's separate identity had been established in 1843, when Anson Greene Phelps of New York City refused to pay an exorbitant price for land in the village

Eurypterid

2005-02-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

Frequently referred to as giant scorpions, most eurypterids were small animals, although Pterygotus

Habbaniyah, Hawr Al-

2005-02-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

English Lake Habbaniyah lake in al-Anbar muhafazah (governorate), western Iraq. It is a shallow body of slightly saline water, 54 sq mi (140 sq km) in area, separated from the Euphrates River to the north by the Asibi and Zaban ridges. The lake has been used since antiquity for storing floodwater from the Euphrates; it now provides water for irrigation as well. A barrage at ar-Ramadi, at the lake's northwestern tip,

France, History Of, Religion

2005-02-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

Whether in countryside or town, the layperson's touch with Christ became more personal and more direct. The crusade was kept alive in France by the widely shared conviction of Jewish guilt and Muslim (and Byzantine) schism. The 13th was the last medieval century in which French Jews could live securely with their Christian neighbours, but their position became progressively

Mercer

2005-02-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

The county was created

Balearic Islands

2005-02-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

The archipelago lies 50 to 190 miles (80 to 300 km) east of the Spanish mainland and has a land area of 1,936 square miles (5,014 square km). There are two groups of islands. The eastern and larger

Biblical Literature, Hebrew prophecy

2005-02-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

Hebrew prophecy was rooted in the prophetic activities of various individuals and groups from the nations and peoples of the ancient Near East. Though prophecy among ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Canaanites—as well as among the peoples of the Aegean civilization—generally was connected with “foretelling” (or predicting) the future, the Hebrew view of prophecy

Struve, Pyotr Berngardovich

2005-02-17T03:22:00.000-08:00

While studying economic theory and history at the University of St. Petersburg, Struve became a Marxist. The Marxist analysis of Russian capitalism that he presented in 1894 in his Kriticheskiye zametki k voprocy ob ekonomicheskom razviti rossi (“Critical Remarks on

Mathews, Shailer

2005-02-16T02:08:00.000-08:00

Educated at Colby College, Waterville, Maine; Newton Theological Institution, Newton, Mass.; and the University of Berlin, Mathews taught at Colby

Calcutta

2005-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Bengali Kalikata city, capital of West Bengal state, and former capital (1772–1912) of British India. It is India's largest city and one of its major ports. The city is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, once the main channel of the Ganges River, about 96 miles (154 kilometres) upstream from the head of the Bay of Bengal; there the port city developed as a point of transshipment from water to land and

Szechwan, Relief

2005-02-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

Szechwan is bordered on all sides by lofty highlands. To the north, the Tsinling Mountains extend from east to west and attain an elevation between 11,000 and 13,000 feet (3,300 and 4,000 metres) above sea level. The limestone Ta-pa Mountains rise to approximately 9,000 feet on the northeast, while the Ta-lou Mountains, a lower and less continuous range, with an average elevation of 5,000 to 7,000 feet, border the

Parafusulina

2005-02-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Genus of extinct fusulinid foraminiferans (single-celled animals with a hard, complexly constructed shell) found as fossils in Permian marine rocks (the Permian Period began 286 million years ago and ended 245 million years ago). Parafusulina is more specifically restricted to the Leonardian and Guadalupian stages, smaller divisions of Permian rocks and time, and is

Ja'far Ibn Muhammad

2005-02-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Ja'far was the son

Szechwan, Relief

2005-02-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

African organization established by the Treaty of Lagos in May 1975 to promote economic trade, cooperation, and self-reliance. The organization seeks to harmonize agricultural policies and to facilitate the free movement of peoples, services, and capital between members. The original 15 members were Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali,

Hatto I

2005-02-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

Hatto was elected abbot of Reichenau (888) and Ellwangen (889) and archbishop of Mainz (891). A trusted adviser of King

Bathurst Island

2005-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Island in the Timor Sea, Northern Territory, Australia, separated from Melville Island to the east by Apsley Strait. Densely wooded, it is triangular and has an area of about 1,000 square miles (2,600 square km). The island was explored in 1818 by Phillip Parker King, who recommended it for European settlement, and was named after the 3rd Earl Bathurst, secretary for war and the colonies

Pacing

2005-02-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

In horse racing, one of two gaits seen in harness racing (q.v.).

Gabriel, Peter

2005-02-12T00:36:00.000-08:00

Gabriel left Genesis in 1975 and developed a deep interest in world music rhythms and textures, reflected in four eponymous albums (the last, released in 1982, was titled Security

Aquinas, Thomas, Saint

2005-02-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Works on St. Thomas' historical and doctrinal contexts include Pierre Mandonnet, Siger de Brabant et l'averroïsme latin au XIIIme siècle (1899, reprinted 1976); Étienne Gilson, The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy (1936, reprinted 1991; originally published in French, 1932), The Spirit of Thomism (1964), and History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages (1955); M.D. Chenu, Nature, Man, and Society in the Twelfth Century (1968; originally published in French, 1957); and Fernand van Steenberghen, La Philosophie au XIIIe siècle, 2nd ed. (1991).

Armstrong, Edwin H.

2005-02-10T03:28:00.000-08:00

In full Edwin Howard Armstrong American inventor who laid the foundation for much of modern radio and electronic circuitry, including the regenerative and superheterodyne circuits and the frequency modulation (FM) system.

Pre-columbian Civilizations, The earliest Maya civilization of the lowlands

2005-02-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

By the Late Formative, the lowland Maya had begun to shape a civilization that was to become the greatest in the New World. The Petén-Yucatán Peninsula lacks many raw materials and has a relatively low agricultural potential. But what it does have in limitless quantities is readily quarried limestone for building purposes and flint for stonework. Cement and plaster