▁of ▁information ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁a ▁body ▁of ▁knowledge . ▁A ▁comp end ium ▁may ▁summar ize ▁a ▁larger ▁work . ▁In ▁most ▁cases ▁the ▁body ▁of ▁knowledge ▁will ▁concern ▁a ▁specific ▁field ▁of ▁human ▁interest ▁or ▁endeav our ▁( for ▁example : ▁hydro ge ology , ▁log ology , ▁ich thy ology , ▁ph yt oso ci ology ▁or ▁my rm ec ology ), ▁while ▁a ▁general ▁en cyc lopedia ▁can ▁be ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁comp end ium ▁of ▁all ▁human ▁knowledge . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁comp end ium ▁arriv es ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁word ▁" comp enso ", ▁meaning ▁" to ▁we igh ▁together ▁or ▁balance ". ▁The ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁has ▁seen ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁dem ocrat ized , ▁online ▁comp end ia ▁in ▁various ▁fields . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁An ▁example ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁Comp end ium ▁of ▁the ▁C ate ch ism ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁a ▁conc ise ▁ 5 9 8 - question - and - answer ▁book ▁which ▁summar ises ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Fa ith ▁and ▁Mor als . ▁ ▁The ▁Bible ▁is ▁another ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁comp end ium — a ▁group ▁of ▁many ▁writ ings ▁of ▁the ▁proph ets ▁and ▁apost les ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁time , ▁whose ▁books ▁are ▁put ▁together ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Old ▁Testament ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁Testament . ▁ ▁Some ▁well ▁known ▁literary ▁figures ▁have ▁written ▁their ▁own ▁comp end ium . ▁An ▁example ▁would ▁be ▁Alexandre ▁Dum as ,